Place based approaches in the Indigenous context L essons learnt from the implementation of the

1. Place based approaches in the Indigenous context Lessons learnt from the implementation of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery 16-18 September 2013 Brian Gleeson, Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Australian Social Policy Conference

2. As my friend Fred Chaney says, we have to get rid of the "start again" syndrome that has a lot to do with politics and nothing to do with evidence. We have to see the points of light all round us and join them up. Mick Dodson Speech to the National Press Club, February 18, 2009

3. The lay of the land Strengthening communities

4. Remote Service Delivery model • Improved engagement • Across governments - improved collaboration and coordination • Between governments and communities • Better service systems • Better standard and range of services • Local Implementation Plans • Public accountability • Stronger communities • Support development of governance and community leadership

5. How is it different? • solid policy framework incorporating high level commitment through formalised partnerships across all governments, funding, strong principles and parameters and a long term commitment • explicitly place based approach with government staff located within each community and Local Implementation Plans allowing for holistic and integrated approaches to address the multiple challenges facing the communities • greater recognition that new ways of working are required, including enhanced engagement and ownership by communities in developing the agenda of change and hence recognition of the need to support community capacity development

6. Remote Service Delivery Priority Communities

7. The Office of the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Statutory officer established under the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Act 2009 • Key element of the new model • Independent • Drive reform • Accountability and reporting “ we need to convince communities that this is a new way of working and not just a new way of describing what we have always done” CGRIS second six monthly report

8. Looking forward Critical areas where continued momentum will yield significant dividends: • Further developing community governance • Joint planning by and with communities (including devolution of decision making power and flexible funding as close to the ground as possible) • Ongoing government presence in communities and regional coordination and leadership • Intergovernmental cooperation and effective collaboration to achieve strategic objectives • An independent monitoring and accountability mechanism to facilitate progress

9. Community governance • Many agencies weren’t prepared for the situation where communities weren’t able to engage at a high level and participate as expected in planning (without ongoing investment in capacity building) • There is a need for continued building of, and support for, governance and capacity building within communities – other side communities need confidence in government – governments need to deliver on promises • The investment in developing capacity is a long term ongoing strategy and should be viewed that way – no short term plans to be considered – as the only way to achieve sustainability • Some Local Reference Groups worked well and capacity building has been successful in some cases • A future strategy for sustainable and effective local community governance should include properly valuing active and committed LRG members (through appropriate recognition, possibly including remuneration) and developing clarity around roles and responsibilities

10. Building effective community governance • Fitzroy Valley Futures Forum was formed in 2000 and is an Indigenous committee that acts as the interface between government and the communities of Fitzroy Crossing and the Fitzroy Valley. • The Fitzroy Valley Futures Forum members are Indigenous people from each of the four language groups of the Fitzroy Valley plus an additional three people who can nominate or be nominated to hold a position on the committee. • The Committee existed before the NPA on RSD however, the NPA on RSD has generated additional attention to the area, providing more opportunity. • The Committee work with the government to implement services, programs, town planning and additional community needs for Fitzroy Crossing and the Fitzroy Valley. • Their work has been instrumental in assisting governments to better understand their needs. • They are the key engagement for all governments associated with the area.

11. Local planning • LIPS provided an opportunity for communities to engage with governments • They also forced governments to think about the needs of a place as well as communities to think about their service delivery and infrastructure needs • More guidance was needed at the start but we have learnt a lot and this should not be lost to future initiatives • The quality of planning is determined by the planning body – more thought needs to be given to supporting the facilitator/ planners • There was a tendency to try to do too much with too many actions in LIPs – although on the whole the LIP refresh process made a positive difference • Government presence in the community helps • The community needs to have a meaningful place at the table – not necessary to always share decision making but to ensure they are heard and have the opportunity to influence outcomes

12. Galiwin’ku aged care • Older population of 50 years + expected to double by 2026 • High priority for the community that old people and disabled people have a place where they can be looked after • Strategy – Ensure services and infrastructure are appropriate and adequate for the care of the aged • Actions agreed to : • Working with the local community, review aged care services and infrastructure to ensure current and future needs are planned for and facilitated • Explore funding options to purchase a bus equipped with disabled access ramp and space for four wheelchairs for transporting aged care clients • Results: • $1.7 million allocated from Aged Care Capital Infrastructure and Support Program to upgrade and extend aged care facility • Upgrade links aged care facility with local childcare centre to facilitate elders sharing culture and history with children • Plans to provide training and mentoring for local aged care workers through Certificate III in Aged Care • Investment in construction of new staff housing to retain aged care staff

13. Government presence in communities Staff working at the community level must have the capability, resources and scope to: • communicate and engage with all stakeholders, in particular Indigenous community organisations and individuals; • assess a situation and define a vision and mandate; • formulate strategies and play a central role in identifying whole of government policy solutions to match local circumstances; • budget, manage and implement strategies in partnership with communities; and • evaluate, monitor and report progress and have the scope to adapt to changing circumstances.

14. Government presence in communities Locally based teams need the following supports: • well understood community and government needs, aspirations and actions, incorporating the lessons from the many years of engagement between the communities and government; • a process which respects culture, diversity and community dynamics, preferably through strong and existing social network systems; • a willingness to relax control and be responsive to community perspectives; • the inclusion of all community interests and affected groups, including women and youth; • a commitment to ensuring all stakeholders are fully informed – both of the process and of the evidence they need to make informed decisions; and • well developed communications products which are meaningful to local community members.

15. Mornington Island engagement • considerable effort by government officers on the ground to make sure that the development of the LIP was grounded in local context and community input • dynamic process which evolved as the community awareness and understanding increased • the various family and clan groups in the community were mapped, identifying family leaders, traditional owners and elders who held positions of influence in the strong cultural context of the community • the Men’s and Women’s Yarning Circles were enthusiastically embraced - some women’s sessions went for four to five hours with up to 50 women participating

16. Governments working together • RSD got people talking across agencies and governments – so there has been a benefit beyond RSD • At the beginning a lot of faith was put in getting the policy settings right – and not enough attention to getting implementation right • The Service Delivery Principles and Closing the Gap were early casualties • For intergovernmental cooperation to work good processes and systems need to be in place egBOMs and maintain consistency of format and level of attendees • Relationships are also very important but not sufficient without structure and confidence in the structure • It works really well when the target is bigger than just what your department is responsible for ie a place is bigger than just health or just education • Governments are starting to work more cooperatively and need to sustain effort if we want the change ways of working sustainably

17. Compliance in Yirrkala • In Yirrkala there are 22 service providers delivering 48 Commonwealth funded activities under 25 different programs/outcomes • A whole of government corporate governance and compliance assessment trial assessed service provider corporate governance, compliance and red tape and the reporting burden • Findings supported the need for government to build the capacity of local service providers, including to build skills to: • communicate and engage with all stakeholders in particular Indigenous organisations and individuals • assess a situation and define a vision and mandate • formulate strategies and play a central role in identifying whole of government policy situations to match local circumstances • budget, manage and implement strategies in partnership with communities • evaluate, monitor and report progress and have the scope to adapt to changing circumstances

18. Independent monitor • Independence is important to be able to be objective (without vested interests) • There was not enough learning from past initiatives in early implementation – CGRIS continues to have a positive influence in addressing this particularly when CGRIS has a direct line to the Minister and other high level public servants • At the very least there should be an agreed national statement of intent to hold each other to account ie something clear and concrete to monitor • Continuous evaluation (rather than just at the end) is critical so that approaches can be fine-tuned (learn as we go) • An independent circuit breaker role also delivers results

19. Lajamanu Health Clinic • The Department of Health and Ageing had committed $2.6 million for refurbishments and extension of the clinic to first address the short term needs of the community. • Meetings were held between CGRIS, the Department of Health and Ageing and the owners of the current Lajamanu Health Clinic, the Northern Territory Government and the Katherine West Health Board. As a result the project expanded to $6.6 million • The plans for the clinic include a renal ready room. The community’s strong preference is for a nurse assisted and self care dialysis service to be in place when the new clinic opens. • A further commitment of $0.55 million has also been made for the construction of new health professional accommodation in Lajamanu. • the Katherine West Health Board will manage the construction project and the schedule of works is currently being finalised. • At the point of hearing this news in a community meeting, the Lajamanu community applauded. They now look forward to a new clinic and also the chance to convert the old clinic to provide other much needed services for their community.

20. The place based approach provides a opportunity to trial new ways of working that are tailor made for that place It is easy to say and much harder to do Doing it properly can require not just coordination but systemic reform, particularly around funding It is critical to address the kinds of multiple and related disadvantage common in remote Indigenous communities Culture and country should underpin service delivery Flexible communications approaches are essential (eg. interpreters, plain English) Facilitating capacity development is critical for successful community driven approaches Lessons learned from a place based approach

21. Lessons learned from Remote Service Delivery • Strong levers are required for meaningful reform – it won’t just happen naturally • Coordination is the first step toward improved outcomes, but more systemic change is needed • Services based on locally identified needs are most effective and the best way to minimise wastage • Indigenous people and governments share a vision for reformed services but can only achieve that vision by working together • Place based planning is effective but needs high level commitment to deliver, including a willingness to be flexible with funding

22. www.cgris.gov.au Questions?