The Customised Employment Organisational Fidelity & Elevating Capacity Tool (CEOFECT) is a structured assessment framework designed to evaluate and enhance the fidelity of employment service providers in implementing Customised Employment (CE). This tool measures an organisation’s alignment with evidence-based employment practices, ensuring that individuals with disabilities receive high-quality, person-centred support in securing and sustaining competitive, integrated employment. CEOFECT is a collective outcome of our partnership with colleagues at UMASS, Boston, who have been working to develop a tool that meets the needs of the USA Employment First Initiatives. CEOFECT assesses multiple domains, including values and culture, staff competencies, person-driven service delivery, quality assurance, and executive leadership support. The tool employs a mixed-method approach, incorporating document reviews, interviews, observations, and self-assessments to provide a comprehensive evaluation of an organisation’s CE implementation. The findings from CEOFECT help organisations:
• Benchmark their CE practices against national and international best practices, including those outlined by ACRE and APSE.
• Identify areas for improvement and capacity building.
• Develop training and technical assistance plans tailored to organisational needs.
• Ensure alignment with NDIS, DES, and disability inclusion policies in Australia. By systematically measuring fidelity to CE principles, CEOFECT provides a roadmap for organisations to enhance service quality, improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities, and contribute to the broader transformation of disability employment services