It is an expectation that portfolio staff and contractors are culturally safe and engagement ready. The following eight principles have been developed in partnership with Traditional Owners and the First Peoples Community and provide guidance on how to best engage with Traditional Owners and the First Peoples Community.
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (Early Informed Engagement)
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is recognised in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and aligns with the principles of self determination.
The FPIC principles are noted below and must be embedded into all portfolio projects and initiatives:
- Free: consent must be given voluntarily without an expectation or timeline that is externally imposed. For example, Traditional Owners and the First Peoples Community may not want to engage in the project. It is their choice to self determine their involvement.
- Prior: consent is sought at the earliest possible stage of that project or initiative. You should aim ideally within the scope planning stage.
- Informed: engagement is ongoing and may require multiple consultations.
- Consent: a collective decision must be reached through the group’s own customary decision- making processes.
Traditional Owners are rights holders and our partners
Traditional Owners are rights holders over Country. They need to be treated as partners in planning and delivery of projects that are of interest to them.
This is a key step in establishing authentic and meaningful partnerships. Even without formal agreements,Traditional Owners have a right to partner in project works that are of interest to them.
Attending First Peoples community events is a great way to build connections and shows that you are committed to building meaningful and genuine relationships.
First Peoples cultural safety and competency
Staff are expected to maintain a culturally safe environment for, Traditional Owners and First Peoples Community.
This is a vital step to building trusting and meaningful relationships. For this reason, it is an expectation that staff complete First Peoples Cultural Safety Training.
Cultural safety training builds cultural competency and capability, and an understanding of power dynamics that can affect relationships and trust.
Tips for culturally safe engagement:
- Seek permission before taking photos and/or using their quotes
- Use plain language
- Avoid using technical language, jargon and acronyms
- Be flexible
- Listen
Meet on Country and in Person
Meeting on Country is a cultural custom that has been practised for many years. The practice portrays respect and signals to Traditional Owners that you respect them as partners.
Create realistic timelines that respect decision making processes
Traditional Owners have their own governance structures and ways of making decisions and these need to be respected. Timelines for projects need to be decided in partnership, unless the government have determined an end date for major projects. Typically, this would occur in your first engagement meeting with Traditional Owners.
Tips and considerations for timeline planning:
- Ask how the group prefers to make decisions i.e. committee of Elders, Board of Directors, a specific project group etc.
- Find out about their governance structures.
- Build dates of significance into timelines i.e. NAIDOC week, Reconciliation week.
Note that Sorry Business (bereavement and funerals) needs to be respected and may alter timelines.
Be purposeful and prepared
Be purposeful in your engagement by linking project objectives and outcomes with Traditional Owner and First Peoples Community aspirations.
Strategic documents are a great starting point in sourcing aspirations and priorities.
These can be found in documents such as:
- Whole-of-Country Plans
- Joint Management Agreements
Resource appropriately and build in an engagement budget
Like any request for service, First Peoples need to be compensated appropriately for their time.
Your engagement budget needs to be flexible and will be informed when engaging with Traditional Owners and or First Peoples Community.
Build trust by being transparent and open
Building trust is key to supporting positive project outcomes.
Be transparent and open about:
- Project timelines
- Scope
- Negotiables
- Non-negotiables
- Issues or concerns.
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