This audit would examine the effectiveness of the National Disability Insurance Agency’s procurement of Local Area Coordinators, including the management of contracts.

Local Area Coordinators are a third-party service funded under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to help people aged seven and above to understand and access the NDIS, create a support plan, implement the plan through finding suitable services and review the plan. In 2020–21 total Local Area Coordinator costs were $356 million. There were 25 partner Local Area Coordinator organisations nationwide.

Local Area Coordinators and Early Childhood partners are procured through the National Disability Insurance Agency’s ‘Partners in the Community’ program. A Local Area Coordinator funding round commenced on 1 July 2020.