In many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and remote areas, access to disability services through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is complicated by low numbers of service providers. To address this, the Australian Government is co-designing and piloting alternative approaches to commissioning disability services through the NDIS in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, service providers and other stakeholders. The initiative is designed to create opportunities for more culturally appropriate and sustainable services, and to foster the growth of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability services sector.

We are undertaking a participatory evaluation to generate understanding of the outcomes and effectiveness of this process. Our findings will provide recommendations to support the expansion of alternative commissioning models.