The Community Services Information System (COMSIS) has been released to the Nonprofit Community Services Sector as part of the Department of Communities’ commitment to the Queensland Compact.
COMSIS was built and is maintained by the Office of Economic and Statistical Research (OESR), a portfolio office of Queensland Treasury, for the Department of Communities.
Supporting evidence-based decision making
A strong evidence base is needed for planning effective community services as it helps to identify, prioritise and address unmet needs, to target disadvantaged individuals, families and communities.
Data in COMSIS can be used in conjunction with other data and local knowledge to build an evidence base.
Public availability
COMSIS is now publicly available and it’s free. It is of specific interest to the Non-profit Community Services Sector and Department of Communities’ staff.
You can access COMSIS via the Department of Communities website. The direct link to COMSIS is https://statistics.oesr.qld.gov.au/comsis [6].
What is available in COMSIS?
COMSIS provides a single comprehensive source of local, regional and statewide information with over 200 datasets.
Data topics available in COMSIS include demography, education, employment, family, housing, income, remoteness and disadvantage.
The data collections are supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are focused on the identification of social disadvantage across Queensland.
COMSIS is a dynamic database and will be updated as additional or more recent data becomes available, ensuring it remains a current, comprehensive and significant tool for government and the Non-profit Community Services Sector.
Geographic areas/locations
COMSIS enables you to query topics of interest for various geographic areas including Queensland, the Department of Communities’ regions, Local Government Areas and Statistical Local Areas.
Regional profiles
COMSIS also provides statewide and regional summaries for each of the seven Department of Communities’ regions.
Regional profiles include a combination of maps, graphs, tables and key findings on selected data topics.
Disadvantage-Need-Risk rankings
Disadvantage-Need-Risk (DNR) rankings are a method to identify and rank the high priority groups-locations across Queensland using a combination of measures of disadvantage, need and risk.
Through the release of Disadvantage-Need-Risk analysis, COMSIS supports the Nonprofit Community Services Sector to access robust data for use in evidence-based planning. Provision of Disadvantage-Need-Risk rankings provides access to findings of internal research and analysis, without incurring any of the costs associated with research and analysis activities.
The Disadvantage-Need-Risk ranking orders localities where areas with a lower Disadvantage-Need-Risk ranking are identified as having a higher need for support services than areas with a higher Disadvantage-Need-Risk ranking. Rankings provide a starting point for local discussion.
Disadvantage-Need-Risk topics in COMSIS include homelessness, volatile substance misuse, youth justice, vulnerable children and families, and youth at risk of unemployment.
How do I access COMSIS?
Anyone can access COMSIS and registration is fast and easy. Simply enter your details into the registration screen at https://statistics.oesr.qld.gov.au/comsis [6]. Once you receive your confirmation email, you are ready to go.
What help is available?
COMSIS is easy to use, but initially we suggest you go through the online tutorial that best suits your needs. Choose either the Quick Start Tutorial to quickly orient you with the COMSIS online environment, or choose one of the Detailed Tutorials for additional information.
For further assistance, email COMSIS_support@communities.qld.gov.au [7] or call (07) 3224 7589.
The Queensland Compact
The Queensland Compact is a partnership designed to strengthen the way government and the Non-profit Community Services Sector work together to identify and respond to community needs.
The public release of COMSIS by the Department of Communities supports evidence based decision making by sector organisations.
For more information on the Queensland Compact visit www.communities.qld.gov.au [8].
Find out more
For more information or assistance with COMSIS, please contact the Department of Communities by:
Phone: (07) 3224 7589
Fax: (07) 3012 9100
Email: COMSIS_support@communities.qld.gov.au [7]
Online: https://statistics.oesr.qld.gov.au/comsis [6]
Postal address
COMSIS Support
Evidence and Modelling Unit
Strategy, Policy and Performance
Department of Communities
GPO Box 806
Brisbane QLD 4001
