Our reflection
As we reflect on our achievements and how far we have come, we acknowledge that we have more to do to contribute to economic and social inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples.
We have faced challenges in achieving some of our previous Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) deliverables, which have helped us recognise the importance of integrating reconciliation into our day-to-day operations.
Employee representation
For instance, as we are still working to achieve our representation targets, improving recruitment, retention, and career development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff have become key focuses. Our Evergreen program attracts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff into our organisation, and we continue to take on feedback to improve the program.
Beyond this, we need to attract and retain candidates at higher classification levels, and reinforce the value of diverse perspectives with all managers, so they regularly consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants and merit pools. As a step towards this, we have adjusted the accountability for employee representation targets in this RAP to be shared across the organisation. We recognise that having a workforce that reflects our population supports our corporate vision for serving the community.
Formal partnerships
Due to the challenges of balancing our obligation to work within legislative requirements with the National Agreement’s requirement for shared decision making, we are yet to establish formal partnerships with communities or organisations. We continue to work with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) to identify partnerships under the National Agreement to participate in.
Tailored support for clients
We have made efforts to better tailor our support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients by supporting staff to attend business and community events. As we plan for the future, our staff are building their knowledge about the systemic reasons for differences in economic outcomes and the importance of responding appropriately to the needs of clients with targeted support. As part of this, our cultural awareness training covers historic events leading to the current outcomes and communication styles to consider when interacting with clients.
Accountability structures
It’s evident that governance and accountability play pivotal roles in driving strong reconciliation outcomes. To this end, we have established clear accountability structures for our reconciliation deliverables. In particular, we’re strengthening our governance to enhance reporting and improve visibility of our progress. This is, in part, by elevating the level of accountability for deliverables to Deputy Commissioner level.
We continue to review the RAP Working Group membership to:
- ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are represented
- improve collaboration across the organisation in delivering on our commitments.