The NDIA has today unveiled its roadmap for the future with the release of its 2020-24 Corporate Plan.
The Corporate Plan, endorsed by the NDIA Board, outlines the Agency's strategic direction for the coming years.
NDIA chief executive officer Martin Hoffman said the Corporate Plan was an ambitious commitment from the Agency to delivering a better Scheme for participants.
"The Corporate Plan sets out our vision, mission and aspirations - the things we will focus on to ensure we continue to deliver and improve the Scheme," he said.
"To do this we have introduced a new Participant Service Charter and Participant Service Improvement Plan to renew our focus on making the Scheme simpler and fairer for participants and their families.
"The launch of the NDIS Participant Service Charter and NDIS Service Improvement Plan mark a new and exciting time in the Scheme's evolution and maturity.
"Historically, the Agency has emphasised getting people onto the Scheme as we rolled out across the country. Now we're refining our focus to ensure we deliver a world-class NDIS for the more than 400,000 participants now receiving support across Australia and those that will join the Scheme over the years to come."
Mr Hoffman said the Participant Service Charter provided participants with clear guidelines on what they could and should expect when dealing with the NDIA while the Improvement Plan set out 51 actionable improvements to the Scheme designed to meet participant expectations.
"The Improvement Plan is more than just a list of good intentions; it outlines the practical changes we're making so the NDIS works better for everyone.
"The plan includes measures to further improve the Scheme and ensure it is doing what it originally intended - making sure NDIS participants have the right supports in place and the funding they need to access those supports.
"Importantly, we will implement an Independent Assessment (IAs) approach which will deliver free, fair and equitable assessments to ensure participants receive the supports they need.
"Independent assessments, conducted by a professional, will focus on understanding the impact a person's disability has on their capacity to engage in the community - while also taking into account their unique life circumstances.
Mr Hoffman said the introduction of an Independent Assessment approach delivered on recommendations made by the original Productivity Commission report that laid the foundations for the NDIS and the more recent recommendations of the 'Tune Review'.
"Following the rollout of Independent Assessments, we will also support participants to have greater flexibility over their plan funding - with the implementation of more flexible plan budgets that will ultimately provide greater choice and control over how they can best spend their NDIS funding.
Mr Hoffman said the Agency was committed to continuing to consult with NDIS participants and the sector on the reforms.
"We know the NDIS experience has not been perfect for everyone, and I want all participants to know that we've been listening to you, we have heard you, and we are doing something about it," he said.
The NDIA will report on the Agency's performance against the Plan each quarter and performance will also be independently checked by the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
