Strategy milestones

We are developing a whole-of-commission vulnerability framework to hear the voices of Victorian consumers experiencing vulnerability, and to reflect those voices in our regulatory processes.

The framework will use existing and emerging evidence to develop a contemporary definition of vulnerability. It will also develop strategic operational priorities, building internal capability to equip us to respond appropriately to new and existing consumers in the changing economic environment.

Why is a vulnerability framework needed?

Following the 2020 bushfires and subsequent coronavirus pandemic, the importance of hearing, understanding, and incorporating the perspectives of consumers experiencing vulnerability has taken on increased importance.

Our vulnerability strategy will identify priority work areas and other actions across our regulatory functions to help ensure consumers have equitable access to essential services.

What will the framework cover?

This project will deliver a strategy to bring the voices of consumers experiencing vulnerability to our regulatory processes and ensure consumers have equitable access to essential services. This will include:

• A shared definition of vulnerability across the commission – ensuring staff understand and can apply this definition to regulatory work.
• Identified outcomes across our functions related to consumer vulnerability (developed in collaboration with managers and staff).
• Identified delivery timeframe for our Reconciliation Action Plan.
• Strategies for building staff capability in policy and process design, engagement and monitoring and evaluation (including tools, resources, and training programs).
• Research reports, publications and external engagement activities that establish the commission as a contributor to thought leadership on consumer vulnerability.
• Contribution to internal reporting to support the commission’s insights into business service quality and performance in relation to the experiences of consumers experiencing vulnerability in our regulated sectors.
• A plan for ongoing implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and review of the strategy.

What have we achieved?

Monthly roundtables – Emergency community sector roundtable at the start of work-from-home which led to monthly roundtables in 2020

Vulnerability strategy – Project plan, stakeholder engagement strategy, project governance and budget developed for vulnerability strategy

Qualitative consumer reporting – Initiation of year-long qualitative consumer reporting started with CRPC

Initial project research – Initiation of initial project research with University of Melbourne

Family violence engagement framework – Initiation of development of family violence engagement framework with Domestic Violence Victoria

Family violence and the coronavirus – Industry and community sector webinar on business responses to family violence in the coronavirus environment

Moving quickly: vulnerability framework in 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has caused social and economic upheaval at an unprecedented level. We sped up parts of the vulnerability framework as a response.

Supporting Victorians through the pandemic

February 2020 saw the initial cases of coronavirus in Australia. We responded quickly to the growing pandemic, developing a contemporary understanding of what was happening on the ground for Victorian consumers.

Engaging with the community

We held our first emergency roundtable with key community sector and consumer representative stakeholders to meet with our commissioners and senior staff in March. We continued these roundtables monthly, making sure we were continuing to support Victorians.

Our roundtables have:

Built relationships to help gather evidence for enforcement action – Created the opportunity to convene a sub-group of the roundtable on enforcement, to build relationships between community legal services and the commission in gathering evidence for enforcement action.

Strengthened relationships – Strengthened relationships between the commission and the community sector.

Gave the community sector access to information – Gave the community sector access to information gathered by the commission through updates on data reporting and other commission activities.

Gave the commission insight into coronavirus experiences of consumers – Gave the commission insights into the experiences of consumers during the coronavirus pandemic and informed our capacity to respond (for instance, utility relief grant scheme responses in energy reform).

Developed an understanding of coronavirus experiences of consumers – Helped us develop a contemporary understanding of the experiences of consumers and the community sector in the coronavirus environment.