API & integrations · Article 3 of 6
Syncing funds & plans with the NDIS
When a participant's plan is approved, varied, extended, or renewed — or their budget is adjusted — Navigator finds out automatically through the NDIS API and keeps the customer's record current.
Three ways plans stay in sync
Navigator has three mechanisms for keeping funding data current:
- Event-driven sync — the NDIS sends Navigator a notification when something changes; Navigator fetches the latest data.
- Manual sync — your team can trigger a sync from the customer's profile at any time.
- Scheduled sync — for certain plan types, a job periodically refreshes data whether or not an event was received.
Most sync happens via the first mechanism. The other two are there for edge cases.
The event-driven sync
When a plan-related event arrives from the NDIS, Navigator processes it through a dedicated job:
| Event | What changes | What Navigator does |
|---|---|---|
| Plan approved | A new plan takes effect for a participant | Creates a support plan record for the customer, populated from the NDIS |
| Budget updated | A budget within an existing plan is adjusted | Updates the customer's support plan allocations to match |
| Plan variation | Plan details were varied (different supports, different amounts) | Re-fetches the plan and updates allocations |
| Plan extension | Plan was extended with a new end date | Updates the end date on the existing support plan |
| Plan renewal | A new plan replaces the current one | Closes out the previous plan and creates a new support plan record |
Plan change events — the detail
Two account settings control what your team experiences when these events arrive.
When ndis_api_notification_automation is ON
The event is handled silently. Navigator:
- Updates the customer's funding / support plan record to match the NDIS
- Leaves a system note on the customer explaining what changed
- Doesn't create a task — no action required from your team
This is the default for accounts that trust the automation.
When ndis_api_notification_automation is OFF
Navigator creates a task for your team tagged ndis_api_notification. Your team reviews the event details and manually triggers the sync (see below).
This is useful while you're getting comfortable with the integration, or for accounts that want a human in the loop on every plan change.
The manual sync button
On every customer profile, you'll see Sync funding in the sidebar action stack — but only when:
- The customer's status is Active or Prospect
- The NDIS API integration is enabled on your account
- The
ndis_api_budget_syncfeature is enabled on your account
Clicking it:
- Confirms the action. You're warned that syncing will replace existing funding information.
- Starts a background job. Navigator queries PACE (or PRODA) for the customer's current plan and budgets.
- Updates the record. The sync replaces the customer's support plan data with what the NDIS has.
- Returns. New data typically appears within a few minutes.
Use this when you know the NDIS has data you don't, and the event hasn't arrived yet.
What you see during a sync
On the support plan display, you'll see a Synced N ago indicator next to the funding heading. This tells you when the most recent sync ran — useful for confirming the manual sync you just triggered actually completed.
If a plan doesn't have an NDIS-synced version (e.g. an older plan that was entered manually), the indicator says "Not synced" instead.
If a sync didn't run
Common reasons:
- NDIS API not enabled for this account. Check with your administrator — the integration may not be set up.
- Customer has no valid NDIS number. Navigator uses the NDIS number to identify the participant.
- No active plan on PACE. Syncing only works for participants with an active plan in the NDIS system.
- PACE endorsement is broken. If the plan manager relationship between your organisation and the participant is no longer active, Navigator can't read their data.
If you get stuck, escalate to your team lead — these symptoms usually indicate something deeper (an onboarding gap or an NDIS account issue).