Helping NGOs with FAQs

Have a query? Explore our frequently asked questions

Who is BNG?

BNG stands for Breaking New Ground. We provide comprehensive governance and compliance support platforms for community and health service providers in Australia. Helping NGOs is what we do – and we’ve been doing just that for more than 20 years!

What is NGO Services Online?

Our sole focus here at BNG is to provide NGOs around Australia – wherever they are – with immediate online access to a wealth of resources and tools. When it comes to managing NGOs, our services are designed to streamline compliance processes, improve governance, general business practice, and overall service delivery.

What is MSO?

MSO stands for Management Support Online. The MSO platform has been carefully constructed for helping NGOs improve all aspects of governance and management across their organisations. MSO acts as a ‘virtual consultant’ with hundreds of best practice guides, templates and interactive self-assessments. Learn more about MSO >

What is SPP?

SPP stands for Standards & Performance Pathways. The SPP platform maps all of the common Australian community and health service standards . You can self-assess your organisation, and then immediately access a gap analysis, action plans, compliance reports, and an abundance of resources aimed at helping NGOs achieve compliance and improve processes. SPP helps you save up to 80% of the time usually spent on compliance and quality management! - Learn more about SPP >

What is the difference between MSO and SPP?

While MSO provides a collection of tried and trusted tools and resources to help you manage your organisation, SPP also helps NGOs with streamlining their standards compliance. SPP takes you through what is required in order to meet standards – helping you meet any gaps. MSO is a comprehensive resource platform aimed at helping NGOs. Many NGOs sign up to both platforms in order to optimise their resources.

What is SPP's ‘Multi-Service Account’?

Multi-Service Accounts – or, MSAs – are an ‘enterprise’ version of SPP. Our MSA option is aimed at helping NGOs on a larger scale manage compliance and quality across multiple sites or services. For example, organisations that manage a number of outlets, locations or types of service delivery might use MSA to monitor and manage compliance at each individual site or service level.

Can SPP provide tailored solutions?

Yes! SPP provides tailored portals and reporting platforms for a wide range of government departments, peak bodies and accrediting bodies. We also tailor compliance and risk management tools for single organisations and consultants.

Can't find the standards you want?

We have self-assessments for more than 100 community and health service standards. However, any set of standards or compliance requirements can be incorporated into SPP. Just let us know what you need!

How easy is it to use MSO and SPP?

Here at BNG, we have done our utmost to make our platforms as simple and straightforward as possible – so when it comes to using MSO and SPP you can do this with ease. For SPP there are detailed tutorial videos and step-by-step guides that cover all aspects of managing NGOs in the platform.

How many staff can use MSO and SPP?

Our platforms are set up so that multiple users can access your account at one time! To help you streamline your business practice and encourage collaboration, the MSO platform allows up to 25 users (varying with subscription plan) and for SPP – the user number is unlimited!

How much does MSO and SPP cost?

Because our platforms are offered to a wide range of organisations – big and small – our subscription prices are determined by the scale of your NGO. Pricing starts from as little as $660 p.a. for MSO, or $968 p.a. for SPP.

Is any software installation required?

Developed for your ease and guidance, both the MSO and SPP platforms are cloud-hosted applications. This means that your organisation can access resources with no software downloads! Simply log in, explore our resources and get to work!

Query unanswered?

Get in touch, we want to help!

We used SPP to prepare for our recent NDIS audit across a range of service areas and it was extremely helpful – to the degree that our auditor said we “exceeded” in several areas! As part of that process, we worked with BNG to build a bespoke internal “Vinnies NDIS” module, to ensure consistency of practices across our many services. We are thrilled with the results and are now using SPP across our whole organisation.

St Vincent de Paul Society (NSW)

Just wanted to let you know we really appreciated your extra effort to get us up-do-date with the new NDIS practice standards. We’ve already received some feedback from our audit, and they were really pleased that we already had a draft guideline to cover High Intensity Daily Personal Activities. Thanks again for your ongoing support – it is appreciated and is making a difference!!

Large multi-service provider, WA

SPP has been a great resource for understanding and mapping Standards, preparing for Audits and also sourcing resources for policy development. I would recommend it to other organisations to complement their quality and compliance work. Information can be easily shared, and evidence gathered to support all work done.

Community mental health service provider, Victoria

I like the speed and ease of SPP, I love how it maps multiple standards. It’s so convenient, I couldn’t imagine the nightmare to do the work manually. The templates are great for gap analysis. SPP resource templates are great for implementing new policies in the office and for what we do day to day.

Large provider of settlement services to immigrants, New South Wales

I have found the SPP system amazing. It provides a structured way to work through the standards and then provide a succinct report on the evidence being provided for a surveyor to view how we meet the standard. I used this in our recent accreditation survey, the auditor was very impressed, AND we are now accredited for ISO 9001. Thanks again. A great system.

Provider of diverse range of health programs, Queensland

We really like SPP. We use the resources in the Reading Room and couldn't have passed our accreditation with flying colours without SPP.

Advocacy, support and education provider, Australian Capital Territory

Everything is going well with SPP. It’s helped us through three lots of accreditation over the past nine months plus some internal auditing, so I’m very glad to have had it to assist us through the processes.

Large regional multi-service provider, Victoria

Thanks Claire, I just wanted to pass on the compliments we received from the NDIS auditors. We gave them access to SPP to audit our documents and they were amazed and thrilled with the platform. It made their job so easy and they were not aware that a platform like this exists. Just wanted to share this feedback. We've been using SPP now for six years, and we are very happy with it.

Home Care and Disability Services Provider, New South Wales

Hi BNG, I love you guys! Thanks for all the updates, they are great!!! I am madly getting ready for audit and couldn’t do it without you.

Community transport provider, New South Wales

Hi James, I'd just like to say that working with you and your colleagues at BNG/SPP has been nothing short of excellent. Your professionalism, the quality of your product and your amazing customer service have been so completely refreshing!

Large provider of homelessness services, Victoria

The portal has really improved our ability to conduct self-assessments, and helped to reduce risk through greater visibility against other accreditation standards. Another terrific benefit is access to all of the templates and evidence guides in the Reading Room, as well as the regular alerts about new resources or industry changes, to make sure we keep up to date.

Baptcare, Victoria

We just had our first certification audit under NDIS Quality Safeguards Standard last week, the auditor loved the portal. Keep up the excellent work!

Large provider of supports to adults with a disability, Victoria

Thanks again for all the amazing support you and the team offer – makes our job so easy having such a stable tool to work on with our clients.

Provider of accreditation and governance services

I just wanted to let you know that we've now completed our ASES accreditation! A big thank you to the team at BNG!

NSW homelessness service provider