Implementation Stages. The National Partnership Agreement outlines four implementation stages, as shown in the following table. The Stages are not consecutive. The staggering of the end dates reflect the relative complexity of tasks involves in the stages. The Implementation Plan schedules that follow assume that Stages 2, 3 and 4 will commence early in 2009-10. 25 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 COAG decision Stage 1: Acute inpatient services. Complete developmental work on an agreed patient classification system and refined casemix costing methodology. Stage 2: Costing small and regional hospitals. Complete development of a common approach to costing of small or regional hospitals with community services obligations that will not be adequately funded using activity based funding, in order to inform funding strategies. Stage 2: Funding strategies. Implement funding strategies for training, research and development and other activities not directly related to treatment of individual patients. This work should establish a common public and private funding framework for teaching and research. Stage 3: Common classification and costing methodology. Complete developmental work related to the achievement of a common casemix classification and costing methodology for emergency department services, sub- acute care and outpatient services and hospital- auspiced community health services, including mental health, undertaken in several stages. Stage 4: Activity-based funding methodology. Complete development of an activity-based funding methodology, including methodology for setting price, incentives, and transition arrangements. Subject to COAG decision—use of an activity based funding model would begin from 2014-15, with an evaluation undertaken in the first year.
Implementation Stages. The requirements to establish the Project have been and shall be proceeded with in accordance with the following implementation stages, being the stages of implementation of the requirements for the Project as contemplated in the Report to Council dated November 12, 2009:
