2. 2
TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................3
1. CASE STUDIES ...............................................................................................................4
1.1. The Fred Hollows Foundation - The Women’s Development Project...........................4
1.2. Caritas Australia and CentaCare Wilcannia-Forbes – Manage Your Income
Manage Your Life Program ............................................................................8
1.3. Central Land Council – The Warlpiri Education and Training Trust Project ...12
1.4. World Vision and its Fundraising Campaign ‘We’re working towards change.
Walk with us.’ Developing Organisational Cultural Competency...................17
1.5. TEAR Australia and Wontulp-Bi-Buya College - Certificate III in Addictions
Management and Community Development.................................................21
1.6. Central Land Council & the Community Lease Money Project ......................26
1.7. Oxfam Australia and the Straight Talk program.............................................33
2. TOOLS.........................................................................................................37
2.1. Caritas Australia – Organic approach to design ............................................37
2.2. Most Significant Change (MSC) – a Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation
Technique....................................................................................................38
2.3. Oxfam Australia - Partner Selection Criteria..................................................40
2.4. Recommended links to useful resources.......................................................44
3. RESOURCES ..............................................................................................45
3.1. Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APO NT) – Partnership
Principles .....................................................................................................45
4. LITERATURE...............................................................................................48
3. 3
INTRODUCTION
This companion document has been developed as an addendum to the revised ACFID Practice
Note on Effective Development Practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities by
International Aid and Development NGOs (2014). It should be read in conjunction with the revised
Practice Note.
The document sets out case studies of practical implementation of the principles outlined in the
Practice Note as well as suggested tools, resources and readings. These inclusions have either
been prepared specifically for this document or have been provided by international non-
government organisations (INGOs) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
The document recognises that it includes only a limited range of the resources that are available
and which practitioners involved in indigenous development in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities are currently using. However, like the Practice Note, it is a living document
and additions are always welcome. ACFID members will facilitate an ongoing dialogue with their
respective Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners and other interested stakeholders to
continually refine both the Practice Note and the companion document.
Terminology
Throughout this document wherever possible the term Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or
A&TSI is used rather than ‘Indigenous’. Where Indigenous is used it refers to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Australians.
4. 4
1. CASE STUDIES
The following case studies seek to demonstrate effective approaches to indigenous development
practice. Information for the case studies was provided by members of the ACFID Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Program Working Group. Some of the case studies were collated using
project evaluation reports and academic reports and documents.
Each organisation and project showcased has used their own unique model of implementation
while still demonstrating a significant number of the key principles that make for a successful
development initiative. Key challenges and learnings are also presented.
1.1.The Fred Hollows Foundation - The Women’s Development Project
Project background
The Women’s Development Project (WDP) began in 2008 after the Jawoyn women of the East
Katherine region identified the need for their women’s centres to be strong.1
The WDP was a
community development initiative that utilised an Aboriginal cultural framework to ensure that
every component of the program was driven by women involved in the program and focused on
four communities in the region.
The overall goal of the project was to increase self determination for women in the Jawoyn Region
and was based on the premise that strengthening cultural identity and increasing self
determination would result in positive health outcomes. The project ensured resources and
opportunities were available for the women to develop culturally appropriate solutions that
addressed issues of family health and wellbeing.
WDP was managed by a culturally diverse team employed by The Fred Hollows Foundation (The
Foundation) which comprised primarily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members. The
inclusion of the right local staff members on the team meant that they were able to gain access to
the four communities at a level otherwise unattainable to outsiders.
The WDP process incorporated lessons learnt along the way which saw a slight change in the key
objectives each year in the form of a ‘rolling design’. This flexibility enabled the WDP to respond to
the women’s ideas and helped to meet the challenges of a changing political landscape at the
time.
Project implementation
Since 1999, The Foundation has had numerous links with the women’s centres in the Jawoyn
region primarily supporting nutrition and governance programs. However, the single most
important component has been the re-establishment of the Banatjarl Women’s Council. The
Foundation has worked closely with a local Aboriginal organisation to support the development of
the Women’s Council that was originally established in 2003. A primary focus of the WDP was
working towards the establishment of the Banatjarl Family Resource and Healing Centre on a
property forty kilometres south of Katherine.
A key priority of the WDP team was to build a solid relationship with the communities and develop
the trust needed before beginning any formal activities. This included ensuring that the team
1
In 2007 The Foundation documented views of the Jawoyn women regarding the operation of their women’s
centres and their vision for the future in the report titled ‘We want our women’s centres to be strong’ (The Fred
Hollows Foundation 2007).
5. 5
understood the nuances of working effectively at the local level. The commitment to establishing
strong relationships can only happen if agencies intend on long term engagement. In the case of
The Foundation, the agency has worked within this region for over a decade. As a result, The
Foundation staff have developed relationships, earned respect and established a reputation of
working alongside members of the community and in partnership with other service providers in
the region.
The WDP team worked hard to ensure that the project was owned by the women of the region
and that the women were responsible for developing activities. This meant that the women were
involved in the decision-making process throughout each part of the project. The project aimed to
teach skills and to build confidence in a style that was able to engage with the women.
The WDP team made sure that it was highly visible in all four communities and provided
continuous support with ongoing and regular follow up which meant that they could pre-empt
major problems. Their consultative and transparent communication style also assisted with this. It
was also critical to learn from the women and develop two-way learning to contribute to
understanding the community, the women and the systems they worked in.
The team always ensured that the development of WDP activities was done in a culturally
appropriate and participatory manner. Starting from where the women were at and making time
for women to practice cultural activities such as bush harvesting and fishing enabled the women
to more easily adopt the implementation approach taken by the WDP team.
A large component of the WDP was about creating opportunities for the women to operate in new
and different ways. This often took the form of networking opportunities which were a mixture of
highly organised events and less formal activities that involved the four communities. The WDP
team also made sure that they were open to asking for advice and building networks and did not
pretend to have all the answers. The Foundation has been described as a ‘learning organisation’
which looks to other solutions and alternatives when plans change.
As a former Barunga Government Business Manager noted: “One thing that sets The Foundation
staff apart from other agency staff is their passion and enthusiasm for their work ... the staff want
to make a difference and are focused as a result ... they’re not interested in just coming to have a
look, the staff are there to do things”.
Partnership
The role of The Foundation in this process was to develop a system that could support the
Women’s Council to achieve realistic outcomes and continue to build the capacity of the women.
The design and implementation approach used by WDP drew on the learnings of community
development specialists and practitioners. The chosen methodology for the design and
implementation of the WDP was aligned with that of Bottom-Up approaches and embedded in the
community development paradigm. The ‘Bottom-Up’ approach seeks to empower participants by
building community control of the change and of project decisions and by ensuring that
community needs are responded to throughout all aspects of the project.
Successes
A recent project evaluation2
found that significant progress has been made towards the WDP’s
goal for increased self-determination; and that the communities have the capacity to further
2
The Women’s Development Project Evaluation Report 2012 by Lisa McMurray at
http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/uploads/resources/23392_23392.pdf
6. 6
strengthen their goals. The WDP was also found to be meeting stated objectives through best
practice and contributing towards a sustainable environment.
Most significantly, there has been a change in the women’s belief that they are capable of not
only instigating beneficial changes in their women’s centres, but also in other aspects of their own
lives. Through collective achievements such as driving a culturally appropriate governance
processes at their elections, utilising communication tools to maintain important social networks,
implementing new ways of operating their women’s centres and participating in civic engagement
activities, the women have increased their mechanisms of self determination.
Further, different networking opportunities have allowed for the development of working
relationships across the communities. These initiatives have contributed to the women’s
networking capabilities and resulted in increased shared learning. There have also been examples
of improved governance practices in the women’s centres following training sponsored by the
WDP and subsequently strengthened by learnings that were shared between the women.
However, the single most important impact has been the establishment of the Banatjarl Women’s
Council and the election of office bearers. Enhance capacity and self-esteem led to regular
women’s committee meetings and the election of Banatjarl Women’s Council membership, which
in turn has ultimately given the Jawoyn women a united voice. This formalises the role of the
women’s centres in speaking up for their community and taking control of issues that affect
women in the region.
Familiarity and trust developed between the women across communities throughout the WDP’s
implementation has provided the basis for working together and enabling a strong voice for
women and families. The women have also identified good practice elements for organisations
that wish to work with and implement projects with the Council. This demonstrates a strong voice
developing among the women and the confidence to speak out about how they wish to engage
with stakeholders.
Challenges
With remote Aboriginal communities already considered to be disadvantaged, the impact of
ongoing political changes, which has had particular impact on the Northern Territory in which the
project was located, has made it difficult for the women to feel part of society. The political
context in which the WDP operates stretches far beyond the impact of the local Aboriginal partner
organisations.
The women’s centres in the Jawoyn region were directly impacted by the Australian Government’s
2007 Northern Territory Emergency Response. Not only were women connected to the women’s
centres personally affected by the measures in the NT Emergency Response Act 2007 but the
structure and function of the women’s centres drastically changed. Hence, the major and constant
change that contextualises the WDP has been extreme and pronounced.
Key principles that made this project effective
The following key principles of effective development practice have been critical in the success of
the WDP project.
a. A community development initiative that ensured that the program was driven by the
participants. (Participation)
7. 7
b. Use of a ‘rolling design’ that allowed the program to change and respond to the
participants’ focus and meet the challenges of a changing political landscape at the time.
(Flexibility)
c. The implementing agency had worked in the region for over a decade. (Long term
engagement)
d. Primarily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff plus non-Indigenous staff with many
years experience working in this setting. (Cultural competency)
e. Importance of developing strong relationships, earning respect and establishing a
reputation of working successfully in partnership with other service providers.
(Partnerships)
f. Use of participatory processes throughout the life cycle of the project to ensure a strong
level of ownership by participants. (Participation)
h. The development of project activities in a culturally appropriate manner. (Place-based)
j. Supporting capacity building of participants and exposing them to new situations.
(Strength based)
k. Seeking of advice by the implementing body where needed and not presuming to have all
the solutions. (Participation)
Note:
This case study has been summarised and adapted from:
1. The Women’s Development Project Evaluation Report 2012 by Lisa McMurray
2. Paper for the 12th National Rural Health Conference ‘Women’s Development Project—
empowering women in the bush’ presented by Alison Rogers & Madeleine Bower from The
Fred Hollows Foundation.
8. 8
1.2.Caritas Australia and CentaCare Wilcannia-Forbes – Manage Your
Income Manage Your Life Program
Project background
Manage Your Income Manage Your Life (MYI) is a financial literacy program for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) people in Western NSW. The program is delivered by CentaCare
Wilcannia-Forbes with support from INGO, Caritas Australia. It has been described as a ‘unique,
successful, acclaimed and nationally significant’3
program.
MYI was first designed in 2004 by and for A&TSI people in Western NSW to combat the low level
of financial literacy among the A&TSI community of the region. It has been designed and
implemented along community development principles and aims to train A&TSI communities in
skills that leave them with a self-determining resource.
The program began by running financial literacy workshop with two specific groups following
requests from them for support. The aim was to move from a ‘band aid’ approach of counselling
people with financial issues to a model which would support local people and communities to
develop the skills and knowledge required to prevent finance problems from arising in the first
place.
MYI has always endeavoured to employ A&TSI team members and has sought to build the
capacity of team members involved in the program.4
MYI team members are supported to gain
accreditation through the Financial Counsellors Association of NSW.
Project implementation
Over time the program has diversified according to community need and this response to the
different situations and goals of its participants, has been integral to the success of the program.
The changes have seen MYI team members run workshops in areas such as budgeting, financial
management, catering, small business enterprise development, healthy eating, grant writing,
avoiding sales scams, obtaining a drivers licence, saving for a car, and debt recovery and have
helped to establish a community centre for a women’s group.
MYI team members have also undertaken extensive community consultations, provided
leadership, community building activities and support to community mentors and linked with
services by ‘referring in’ services based on participants needs.
A train the trainer model has formed an integral part of the program and has resulted in the
training of and support for community members with an interest in becoming financial ‘mentors’
in their communities. Over time and with support from the MYI team members this has led to
some community members providing information and advocacy on finances and financial services.
CentaCare has also developed a Certificate One in Financial Literacy course designed especially for
A&TSI communities.
The program team members have built an extensive network of formal and informal partnerships
with a wide range of service providers. The program takes a collaborative approach with service
providers, and becomes the bridge that participants need to access a service.
3
Moxham, N. 2011 Manage Your Income Manage Your Life Project Evaluation
4
The program supported the first fully qualified Aboriginal financial counsellor in New South Wales and only
the second in Australia. By 2011 it had gone on to support another five Aboriginal staff members to become
qualified Financial Counsellors. One of these staff members remains the Program Manager for the MYI
program.
9. 9
Partnership
The long term partnership between CentaCare and Caritas Australia includes strong personal
relationships shared values and principles of community development. Both organisations agree
that the relationship includes a high degree of openness, trust, transparency and honesty.
Caritas Australia has maintained a level of flexibility with funding and shown a willingness to
support new approaches as needs have been identified and at the same time has encouraged
CentaCare to reflect on the changes they are considering. The partnership with Caritas Australia
has provided more than financial support by establishing networking and mentoring
opportunities. Caritas Australia has also benefitted from the partnership continually learning
about the ongoing legacies of colonisation, the experiences of A&TSI Australians in rural and
remote communities of NSW, and the richness of their cultures, practises and spiritualities.
Monitoring and evaluation
Caritas Australia staff visit the program on an annual basis and spend a number of days with
CentaCare team members observing activities and understanding the context in which the
program is operating and the subsequent challenges faced by the program.
This provides an opportunity for both organisation to discuss the program together and to
consider strategies and lessons learned in a useful way. CentaCare has also introduced an internal
monitoring and evaluation system with a focus on data collection and reporting. The information
gathered helps to make informed program decisions that assist with improvement of the program.
CentaCare also actively provides guidance for and participates in Caritas Australia’s annual
gathering of A&TSI partner organisations, which provides an opportunity for partners to connect
with one another, learn about each others’ work including the successes and the challenges they
face, and establish their own partnerships.
Successes
The most recent evaluation of the MYI program5
found that the program has practically assisted
participants with financial literacy. There is evidence that the MYI has made a contribution to up-
skilling in the community and the bringing together of people into groups, is leading to
sustainability in terms of leaders and groups having agency to enable positive change.
However, the outcomes that this project is achieving are broader than just finance. For example,
longer term needs are being met in relation to housing and employment; hence this is the
‘manage your life’ aspect or impact of the program.
The program has been able to appropriately ‘refer in’ service providers and has developed an
extensive network of formal and informal partnerships with service providers enabling A&TSI
participants to access services.
The program undertakes, and is greatly valued for, appropriate community engagement. It defines
needs and designs an appropriate response, in negotiation with the community. It is evident that
this ground-up approach has led to the success of the project in being appropriate, responsive and
practical. The program also supports people to develop the skills, knowledge and networks to
access services and to proactively deal with financial issues themselves.
5
Moxham, N. 2011 Manage Your Income Manage Your Life Project Evaluation
10. 10
The work undertaken by team members in engaging with the community is strongly valued. There
are now five indigenous and one non-Indigenous team member in the MYI team. Five are
accredited financial counsellors, one is undertaking training to achieve this qualification and one is
employed as a Money Management Worker. The team is strong, diverse and cohesive, with
different skills and experience. A key aspect to their competency is that they relate to and are
respected in, the communities in which they work. There is investment in training and in support
for staff. Further, the management at CentaCare have an appreciation of and commitment to
Indigenous-led programs.
CentaCare has recently introduced an internal monitoring and evaluation system that has
overhauled data collection and reporting to enable better data available to make program
decisions for improvement.
Challenges
Each project brings with it a number of unique challenges which require a great degree of cultural
sensitivity and knowledge to deal with them appropriately. The key challenges of the MYI have
been described as follows:
a. The key participants experience a significant degree of poverty. This along with extremely
high cost of living, in terms of both food and services, in isolated communities means that
it is difficult to teach people to budget when they have little money.
b. Services do not always work together and there are factions. Services in some towns are
duplicated, not coordinated or collaborative and unresponsive.
c. Low standards of literacy.
d. Some mentors do not want to be defined as a mentor.
e. There are great physical distances between the location of staff and communities which
can be difficult in terms of implementing the program.
f. Some team members may have many of the issues that the participants have and have to
be there for their own families as well as for clients.
g. Recruit the right team members and to retain them long-term.
h. Capturing the impact of the program. The varied nature of the program’s success makes it
difficult to capture (measure & evaluate) the impact and successes in a systematic way
whilst adequately describing the complexities involved.
Key principles that made this project effective
The following principles have been identified6
as the main reason for the project’s success:
a. Design of the project for and by A&TSI people along community-development principles.
(ATSI voice)
b. Up-skilling and capacity building of A&TSI participants, resulting in a self-determining
resource. (Do no harm)
d. Employment of local A&TSI staff who can effectively engage with the community. (Cultural
competency)
e. Investment in building staff capacity who are then able to lead the program.
f. Promotion of a collaborative approach with service providers and linking of participants
into other services. (Partnership)
6
Described as the Elements of Success in Manage Your Income Manage Your Life Project Evaluation by
Natalie Moxham 2011
11. 11
h. Long-term partnership between the implementing organisation and the funding body
which includes a partnership of strong personal relationships, shared values and
principles, openness, trust, transparency and honesty. (Long term engagement)
i. Time taken to build a trusting relationship with the community. Community is listened to,
to allow the implementing organisation to respond accordingly and as appropriate.
(Participation)
k. Flexible funding and programming with a level of reflection to allow for innovation and
the opportunity to make some mistakes. (Flexibility)
l. Regular and hands-on monitoring by funding body staff as well as an internal monitoring
system used by the implementing organisation to allow for informed decisions about
changes to the program.
m. An implementing organisation that is committed to Indigenous-led development and an
organisational ethos that understands that non-Indigenous people do not have the
answers. (Rights based approach)
n. Knowing when to exit.
Note:
This case study has been summarised and adapted from:
1. Partnerships for Indigenous Development: International Development NGOs, Aboriginal
Organisations and Communities Working Paper No. 71/2010 Canberra: Centre for
Aboriginal Economic Policy Research by Janet Hunt 2010
2. Manage Your Income Manage Your Life Project Evaluation by Natalie Moxham 2011.
12. 12
1.3.Central Land Council – The Warlpiri Education and Training Trust
Project
Project background
The Warlpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT) Project is one of six major regional projects
managed by the Community Development Unit (CDU) of the Central Land Council (CLC).
The WETT project, set up in 2004, supports education and training initiatives in the Warlpiri
communities of Yuendumu, Lajamanu, Willowra and Nyirrpi. The project has a range of
subprograms, including the Early Childhood Care and Development Program, the Youth and Media
Program, the Secondary School Support Program, the Language and Culture Support Program and
the Learning Community Centre Program.
The WETT project and its subprograms came about through a collaborative community
consultation with Warlpiri regarding their aspirations. It included external input from an education
expert on what might be possible and valuable, information which the Warlpiri then considered
and used to decide what would be implemented.
The WETT project uses royalties from Newmont Asia Pacific’s mining operations in the Tanami
region. This supports a high degree of flexibility of funds. The Trustee for the fund is the Kurra
Aboriginal Corporation7
(Kurra), and WETT is administered by the CLC under a formal Agency
Agreement.
Project implementation
The WETT project provides learning and training opportunities for all Warlpiri from early
childhood to adults and is intended to supplement but not replace core government education
and training programs.
The CLC consults Warlpiri to identify their education and training priorities and then facilitates the
development of programs with input from relevant project partners. These projects are
considered and further developed by the WETT Advisory Committee, which includes 12
representatives from the Warlpiri-patu-kurlangu Jaru Association (WpkJ – the peak Warlpiri
education body), and one representative each from the CLC and Newmont, and three
independent members with education expertise. Projects are then recommended to Kurra which
decides on funding.
7
Body of Warlpiri who are the Traditional Owners for the land upon which the Granites and Dead Bullock Soak
Gold mines are located.
13. 13
The programs offer a range of activities depending on the needs identified by each community.
For example, WETT supports interstate school excursions; cultural excursions involving Elders;
literacy programs such as locally produced Warlpiri Books for schools; early childhood programs
including playgroups and parenting support; a broad range of youth diversionary and training
programs; youth media programs; and a variety of courses for adults including computers, sewing
and ranger training.
The CLC’s CDU uses a broad range of communication tools and strategies to promote an
understanding of the WETT project and governance arrangements amongst the Warlpiri
communities. One of the most effective of these is the WETT DVD that was produced by Warlpiri
community members in Warlpiri language with English subtitles as part of the WETT Youth and
Media Program. This has assisted people to ‘see’ WETT, not just hear about it, which has
significantly increased the Warlpiri understanding of the project. A second WETT DVD updating
project outcomes was produced by participants of the Youth and Media program in 2011. Posters
are produced for community meetings which include photos and feedback on funded projects,
and a list of key decisions to be made.
Monitoring and evaluation
The CLC is seeking to build an evidence base for its community development approach and its
contribution to capabilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) peoples and as such the
WETT project is monitored on an annual basis by an external consultant drawing on independent
interviews with local participants, staff reports and project partner reports. Other successes and
challenges have also been documented and presented at academic seminars and published
externally.
Partnership
There are certain activities that are outside of the CLC’s statutory functions. When project
proposals for these kinds of activities are finalised, the CLC seeks partnerships with appropriate
agencies to manage project implementation. Partnering agencies need to be well governed,
operate within a community development approach and have good organisational capacity.
Partnerships with such agencies have generally achieved sustained project benefits.
An example includes a successful partnership with the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal
Corporation (WYDAC) to manage funds from WETT for activities in the Tanami region for young
people, including diversionary, education, training and employment opportunities. This success is
14. 14
largely due to the strong emphasis on Warlpiri involvement and decision-making in all aspects of
the work. Conversely, where there is no agency that meets these criteria to take on project
management, the ‘choice’ for landowners is either suboptimal project management and
outcomes, or no project at all.
Successes
The most recent monitoring report of the WETT project8
indicates positive effects of capacity
development of the WpkJ WETT Committee and the Kurra WETT Committee members resulting in
meaningful local involvement in all levels of decision-making. Members of the WpkJ WETT
Subcommittee were very clear that through their engagement with WETT they had learned how
to manage meetings, in particular how to speak up, how to listen carefully and thoroughly
consider all relevant information and its implications before making decisions. The most important
message from respondents was about their increased confidence through engagement with the
WETT committees.
According to the same monitoring report, the WETT project continues to receive strong support
from all four communities. Active community participation in setting priorities and in decision-
making has contributed to these positive outcomes.
Advocacy with external bodies that has occurred in collaboration with a number of partner
organisations has been an important aspect of the WETT project. For example WpkJ WETT
Subcommittee members with the CLC and World Vision Australia, successfully lobbied the
Commonwealth Government for funding of $1.3 million over three years to run three community
learning centres. Further Early Childhood trainees and WpkJ WETT sub-committee members
advocated for the need for early childhood programs in the Warlpiri communities at a Child Care
conference in Alice Springs.
The report also found that community leaders are progressively feeling increased ownership of
the WETT Projects. In a community meeting CDU staff attended at Yuendumu, a WETT Committee
member spoke passionately and at length on the virtues of WETT and the real difference it is
making to people’s lives.
The small group of Warlpiri women who have been centrally involved in the WETT Project are
clearly committed to the notion of broad community benefit and creating opportunities for all
Warlpiri in education and training. Whenever they present on WETT at community meetings or
other public forums they make clear that they are not working for themselves or benefitting from
WETT directly, rather they are doing it for all Warlpiri. In 2013 three WpkJ WETT Subcommittee
members painted a large and intricate canvas (see below) as a tool to tell the story of WETT’s
history, governance and the development of WETT partnerships and programs. The determination
of these women, most of whom are school teachers and strong community leaders, to make life
better for their kids and grandkids has been critical to WETT’s success to date.
8
Central Land Council – 2012 Report on the Central Land Council Community Development Program
prepared by Dr Linda Kelly, Praxis Consultants and published by the Central Land Council in June 2013.
15. 15
Challenges
Constant changes in government policies are creating significant challenges for the WETT project
and other community development programs implemented by the CDU. The NT Government
withdrew support for bilingual education in primary schools in 2008 and instead prioritized English
language teaching. WETT has funded a range of Warlpiri language-based initiatives and resources
which are no longer consistent with departmental policy. It is now increasingly difficult to get
schools to factor them into the curriculum in the way Warlpiri people wish.
In another example, Government’s decision to provide comprehensive support to a small number
of communities in the CLC region and limit support to the majority of smaller communities has
made it increasingly difficult for the CLC to leverage complementary government funding for
projects in small communities and outstations.
The Australian Government’s 2007 Northern Territory Emergency Response saw the Federal
Government take control over many aspects of A&STI people’s lives and communities. The large
and complex changes created an environment of confusion and mistrust, further disempowering
and marginalizing A&TSI people. This has created significant challenges for community
development approaches that run counter to the prevailing environment of increasing external
control.
Other challenges include the poor capacity of some implementing partners which can divert the
energies of CDU staff as well as the ongoing unrest and division in some communities. Their
experience suggests that partnering with other local A&TSI organisations is preferable to working
with external agencies that do not have local A&TSI governance. A&TSI organisations have access
to senior community people through their boards and committees, which facilitates organisations’
16. 16
engagement in those committees and they are more accountable to A&TSI people. At the same
time, some of these organisations, such as sporting clubs, do not necessarily have the experience
and skills to manage the funds they receive.
Key principles that made this project effective
The following key principles of effective development practice, which are central to the CLC
Community Development Unit’s approach, have been critical in the success of the WETT project.
a. Project developed through a collaborative community consultation with local
communities regarding their aspirations. (Advocacy and ATSI voice)
b. Programs are practical and requested by local people.
c. Use of participatory processes throughout the life cycle of the project, including funding
decisions to ensure an increasing level of ownership by participants and strong support for
the project. (Participation)
d. Development of strong partnerships to deliver the project. Partnering agencies are well
governed, operate within a community development approach and have good
organizational capacity. (Partnerships)
e. Capacity development of governance and decision-making bodies resulting in a self-
determining resource. (Governance structures)
f. Support of a project that is paid for by royalty money allowing for better flexibility.
(Flexibility)
g. Support of advocacy initiatives in collaboration with a number of partner organisations
which to date has lead to increased funds and general awareness. (Partnerships)
h. Use of a broad range of communication tools and strategies to promote understanding of
the project e.g. DVDs made by program participants and posters. Involvement of
participants in the development of the communication tools.
i. Long-term engagement and funding. (Long term engagement)
j. Involvement of a significant number of local staff and community Elders in the programs.
k. The development of project activities in a culturally appropriate manner. (Cultural
competency)
l. Building of an evidence base regarding the community development approach used
allowing for reflection on successes and challenges and the ability to make informed
changes as required. The implementing body does not presume to have all of the answers
and is prepared to learn from mistakes and challenges and share these learnings with
other practitioners. (Rights based approach)
Note:
This case study has been summarised and adapted from:
1. Central Land Council – 2012 Report on the Central Land Council Community Development Program
prepared by Dr Linda Kelly, Praxis Consultants and published by the Central Land Council in June
2013.
2. Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research - Community Development in Central Australia:
Broadening the Benefits from Land Use Agreements written by Danielle Campbell and Janet Hunt
CAEPR Topical Issue No. 07/2010 and presented at a CAEPR Seminar on 20 October 2010.
3. Central Land Council DVDs – WETT 2009 & 2011.
4. Central Land Council DVD – Community Development Our Money Our Projects 2013.
17. 17
1.4.World Vision and its Fundraising Campaign ‘We’re working towards
change. Walk with us.’ Developing Organisational Cultural
Competency.
Project background
Since 1974 World Vision has been working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
(A&TSI) communities, local Aboriginal organisations, governments, non-government organisations
and private enterprise as part of its Australia Program. World Vision’s partnerships grow from an
invitation to work with a particular community and to share its development expertise. World
Vision is committed to local solutions for local communities, recognising that the needs and
priorities of each community are unique to their context and therefore require specific solutions
and programming strategies.
In 2014, World Vision launched a general public fundraising campaign, the first of its kind to be
dedicated solely to raising funds for programs supported under the Australia Program. The
campaign presented World Vision with the opportunity to build awareness among approximately
200,000 Australians about A&TSI people’s aspirations and capability to lead their own
development.
Due to its long-term partnership and ongoing work with the remote Warlpiri communities in the
Northern Territory, World Vision turned to Warlpiri to co-create the campaign.
Campaign implementation
The World Vision fundraising campaign focused on the work of the Warlpiri Early Childhood Care
and Development Project located in four remote communities north-west of Alice Springs. World
Vision Program staff understood the importance of honouring their commitment to partnership
with the Warlpiri, and of developing a strength-based campaign to be built in collaboration with
the Warlpiri communities, specifically the people in Lajamanu and Yuendumu. They also
recognised that the campaign should be true to their aim of ‘amplifying community voice’ and that
there was a need for World Vision staff to build their cultural competency if they were to adhere
to these commitments.
The Australia Program staff were keen to make sure that this was a campaign that presented
A&TSI people in a positive light and respected the partnership between World Vision and the
Warlpiri people. A Project Cultural Advisor and local facilitators from Lajamanu and Yuendumu
were engaged to guide and advise World Vision staff on cultural protocols and also assisted World
Vision resourcing staff to identify stories, spokespeople and content for the campaign.
By ensuring that World Vision campaign staff understood and followed the messaging guidelines
developed specifically around the work undertaken in A&TSI communities across Australia, World
Vision staff were able to make certain that the campaign messaging was strong, positive, included
authentic, local voices and reflected genuine collaboration with the Warlpiri people.
Campaign staff were asked to reorient their focus from the primary need to raise funds to the
importance of doing this while supporting World Vision’s strength-based programming and
communications approach. Working closely with the campaign team, Australia Program staff
sought to develop a campaign which invited community members to share their perspectives and
build awareness around community-driven development.
18. 18
As part of a multidisciplinary approach to the development of the campaign, it was important to
reiterate to staff the processes and protocols developed specifically around World Vision’s work
with A&TSI communities. In addition to clear, strengths-based messaging guidelines and
community visitation protocols, the Australia Program used its rigorous informed consent process
that governs its resource collection practices and ensures that communities maintain control over
the way they are portrayed. All staff involved in the campaign were guided through these
processes.
The actual process
In order to collect materials and stories for the campaign, a number of Warlpiri people were
interviewed by the World Vision field resourcing team. “Sheree’s story” in particular resonated as
a great learning opportunity within the team.
The campaign team nominated Sheree as the hero of the campaign and developed a direct mail
pack signed by World Vision’s CEO to be sent to 200,000 people. The Australia Program team
expressed its concern that the first attempt of the letter did not honour World Vision’s
commitment to a strength-based campaign nor did it ‘amplify’ the true voice of the community. It
was suggested that additional time be spent talking with Sheree, explaining World Vision’s
requirements and asking her if she would assist by writing her story in the form of a letter.
A project facilitator from the Australia Program went back to Sheree, who thought carefully about
the request to be the focus of the campaign and after a week faxed through a hand written letter
outlining her story. It was clear to all involved in the campaign that this letter and story was a
much more authentic illustration of the impact of the program on Sheree and her community and
of the role played by World Vision in supporting the community. The letter was subsequently
used unchanged by World Vision and is emblematic of strong and empowered storytelling and the
processes required to support it.
The improvement in the cultural competency of the creative team was developed after spending
extensive time with the Australia Program staff including the Project Cultural Advisor. This was
highlighted by the team’s development of the campaign concept and the rationale behind it.
The campaign concept of ‘We’re working towards change. Walk with us’ was explained by the
creative team in the following way:
“We” refers primarily to Indigenous Australian communities. It positions community as the agents
of change: they are making it happen and moving in the direction of their choosing. When
combined with World Vision branding, “we” also conveys the partnership between World Vision
and Indigenous Australian communities. Finally, “we” can refer to existing Australia Program
supporters.
“Working” emphasises Indigenous communities’ strength and capacity.
“Walk with us” is an invitation to potential supporters. It makes them feel welcome and conveys
that they can be a meaningful part of the journey. Along with “towards change”, it also calls for
understanding that there are no quick fixes; real progress takes collaboration and time.
This campaign concept resonated with staff, the community and the public. It was the anchor for
the campaign and supported World Vision staff to resolve issues along the way when tensions
around needs-based versus strengths-based messaging arose.
19. 19
Successes
There have been a number of key successes of this campaign, some expected and others
unexpected.
As a result of the campaign and the associated processes:
World Vision achieved its fundraising target for this particular campaign while honouring its
commitment to partnership and supporting World Vision’s strength-based programming and
communications approach.
World Vision recruited a number of new supporters. It would appear that people are keen to
support self-determined A&TSI communities with a vision and an authentic voice.
Staff have been encouraged to consider how storytelling can be built into the project to avoid
the current process of requesting a one-off story for publications, media and fundraising. Staff
are looking at how this could be used as an advocacy component of the project.
World Vision Communications Protocols have been a useful tool and have also been updated
as a result of the campaign. This includes Australia Program Messaging guidelines, consent
process and the importance of community ownership of material.
Australia Program staff now have the revised Communications Protocols in place for new
projects – e.g. agreement that World Vision and the partner organisation will only use positive
and empowering language that focuses on community strengths, community-led ideas and
achievements and strong local voices throughout all World Vision communication. By having
these in place there is commitment and continuity between World Vision and the partner
organisation, even if staff members change jobs or move on.
The two-way learning, as a process that underpinned the campaign, supported World Vision
to embed partnering practice in areas beyond ‘the field’ and in a way that involved more than
financial support. Through the campaign messages, World Vision sought people to actively
create relationships with A&TSI people, not as a donor and beneficiary but as equals seeking
to learn and support each other. This resulted in some successful engagement directly
between the broader community of supporters and community members.
The campaign ran with the full support of communities due to World Vision staff taking the
time in their partnership to explain the rationale for the campaign and associated fundraising
efforts and to develop mutually agreed guidelines both internally and externally.
Challenges
As with all projects/campaigns, there are a number of key challenges, all of which provide
learnings for those involved. In this instance the key challenges were:
Facilitating the community voice in the publication materials was worthwhile but time
intensive.
Supporting the creative teams to develop a level of cultural competency and encouraging
them to reorient their thinking regarding the campaign approach took time. It was necessary
for the creative team to fully understand the work of the Australia Program, what the
partnerships mean, how the Australia Program teams works in this space and to agree on the
journey that World Vision wanted to take the Australian community on, and what key
messages World Vision wanted them to hear.
Through the campaign World Vision resourced and shared stories of Warlpiri and other groups
it works with, who with World Vision’s support are working towards change. While this also
took time, it was worth the effort because the aim of the campaign was to look for more than
financial support.
20. 20
Key principles that make this project effective
The following principles of effective development practice are imbedded in the campaign and
have been critical in its success.
a. The authentic voice of the Warlpiri was heard throughout the campaign and the Warlpiri
were included in decisions made about the campaign. (Participation and Advocacy and
A&TSI)
b. The campaign is a good example of true commitment to partnership and productive
partnerships by including the Warlpiri in the campaign as an equal partner and therefore
supporting a two-way approach which built trust and commitment. (Partnership &
productive relationships)
c. There was attention to building organisational cultural competency, a concept that was
taken on as part of everyday work and everyone’s roles. This brought the whole of the
organisation on board with the partnership and embedded organisation-wide knowledge
and built respect. (Cultural competency)
d. An organization, that had a comprehensive understanding of International development,
improved its understanding of the local context within A&TSI communities. (Place-based)
e. The campaign and project on which it was based, demonstrate a commitment to a long-
term engagement – ‘we’ll be here for as long as you want us here’. (Long-term
engagement)
f. The campaign is a very good example of building on strengths and using this as a
mechanism to raise funds. (Strength-based)
g. Intellectual property was comprehensively considered by World Vision and embedded in
all of the different elements of the organisation – e.g. returning to community members
and checking they are comfortable with their story/photo being used. (Intellectual
property)
Note:
This case study has been summarised and adapted from:
1. Australia Program: Messaging Guidelines. Last updated February 2014.
2. A Presentation entitled ‘Communication for Development’ by Jane Holden, Partnering
Manager, World Vision Australia presented at the ACFID Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Program Working Group Forum on Effective Development Practice, held 17
November 2014.
3. Information provided by various World Vision staff.
21. 21
1.5.TEAR Australia and Wontulp-Bi-Buya College - Certificate III in
Addictions Management and Community Development
Project background
Wontulp-Bi-Buya College (WBBC) provides education programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders (A&TSI) from all over Australia with the majority of students residing in Queensland or
the Torres Strait Islands. The College is one of the few Indigenous Colleges in Australia that deliver
courses in a culturally appropriate way to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Certificate III in Addictions Management and Community Development (AMCD III)9
, is an adult
education course offered to A&TSI students by the College. WBBC receives funding from TEAR
Australia to deliver AMCD III.
The AMCD III program is designed to empower A&TSI community workers in the field of Addiction
Management through the development of a knowledge base that is culturally and holistically
sensitive to A&TSI people and is delivered with cultural competence. The course is adapted to
cover a range of issues identified by course participants and trainers as relevant to the specific
needs of A&TSI people. The course offers students opportunities to explore alcohol and drug
abuse, community violence, leadership, suicide and mental health, loss of culture and spirit,
positive leadership, and the skills and knowledge base within communities, in a safe and
supportive environment. Students are taught strategies and support to develop and implement
projects that respond to community needs.
Project implementation
Since 2012, approximately 140 students have enrolled in the AMCD III. The course is taught over a
one year period with four, two‐week training blocks delivered in Cairns or in a remote community.
Students are provided with workbooks to complement the training course and these are
completed by students in their home communities between training blocks.
The course design is based on participatory action learning methods, shared learning and an
holistic approach that connects learning with spiritual, social and practical aspects of daily life. The
course is facilitated by qualified A&TSI trainers.
On completion of the course, it is intended that graduates will be able to act as role models within
their communities and strengthen action and advocacy, and be employable in a range of
community positions.
Partnership
With TEAR’s assistance WBBC has been able to develop a responsive and relevant course for
training and applied learning of A&TSI community leaders drawn from community sectors
including health, education, culture and arts, church and community employment.
The long term partnership between TEAR Australia and WBBC includes a high degree of openness,
trust, transparency and honesty.
Monitoring and evaluation
TEAR Australia has commissioned two evaluations10
into the effectiveness of the AMCD III training
program. Both evaluations have been conducted by the same academic researcher who over the
9
AMCD III evolved from its predecessor the Cert III in Community Organisation and Development (COD III)
22. 22
last few years has remained continuously engaged in data collection and analysis. The second
report builds upon the findings of the first report, generating deeper longitudinal empirical
evidence of WBBC’s outcomes.
Successes
The most recent evaluation of the AMCD III program11
found that the program has continued to be
successful in a number of key ways.
WBBC is achieving high levels of student satisfaction. Repeat course attendees and strong
word of mouth demand has doubled course enrolments since 2011.
The trainers are highly experienced educators and leaders, role models and mentors who are
well respected.
The course is regularly reviewed and adapted to cover a range of issues identified by course
participants and trainers as relevant to the specific needs of A&TSI Australians.
The two‐way, participatory approach to training and classroom management, is a highly
effective method of course delivery. Embedding a strong sense of cultural identity promotes
greater participation and achievement in education and training for A&TSI people generally
and therefore, the College’s well established approach is being passed onto a new generation
of community development trainers.
During 2013 and 2014, the College has successfully delivered its training in ‘hubs’ in locations
across Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands. This provides immediate access to the course
for people who for a variety reasons are unable to leave the community for an extended
period to undertake the program. The visitation of WBBC training staff in a community also
helps to familiarise the community with its work and its people. This builds trust, fosters
relationships, generates future clientele and allows the trainers to establish deeper
understandings of the culture and issues facing the communities in which they serve. They are
then better equipped to discuss and share the stories of students from these communities
with others.
The College is building its teaching capacity with the recruitment and training of four trainees
who are more representative of the cohorts’ genders, heritage and cultural backgrounds,
particularly Torres Strait Islander background, and female trainers.
Students benefit in a number of ways after completing the ACMD III including developing
individual personal empowerment. The confidence built as a result of the program, has
encouraged a range of students to aspire to undertake further study, to seek employment or
to apply for a promotion.
A wide range of important skills are developed as a result of the course with literacy skill
development being a critically important outcome.
10
Stephens, A., & Tsey, K. (2011). How are we doing? Project evaluation of community organisation and
development certificate III delivered by Wontulp Bi‐Buya College, 2008 – 2010. Cairns: James Cook University
and Stephens, A. (2014). Training for impact: Building an understanding of community development training
and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community development outcomes. Cairns: James Cook University.
11
Stephens, A. (2014). Training for impact: Building an understanding of community development training and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community development outcomes.
23. 23
The course also provides students with the ability to develop a greater understanding of issues
facing communities and teaches ways of working alongside the community to deal with these
issues. Students are introduced to an asset‐based approach to community development and
are encouraged to find the social assets and capabilities of their community, documenting its
tangible and intangible resources. In this way they are taught to view a community as a place
with assets to be enhanced, not deficits to be remedied.
An ongoing strength of the course has been the development of a network of A&TSI leaders
who can provide support to each other at the end of the course.
The course encourages students to identify a ‘sponsor’ who acts as a local mentor to students.
They are individuals residing within the church, community organisations or service agencies,
who are willing to provide support to the student/s both during and following the completion
of their course.
Of those employed after training, 85.6% of graduates found the training relevant to their
current job and 78.7% could report at least one job‐related benefit. 14.2% of graduates
reported being employed at a higher skill level after completing their training.
Challenges
In some communities, where the WBBC sponsorship concept is less well known, people are seeing
the term ‘sponsor’ on the enrolment form more like a ‘referee’. In this way, students are obtaining
a signature on the enrolment form, but the individual or organisation has not made a commitment
to continue to support the student.
For a range of reasons, it has been difficult to maintain a high level of student graduation with
57% of students graduating. Failure to pay the course enrolment fee was a common cause of
students not receiving their certification on completion of the course.
The pressure of resource constraints on the College to maintain staffing levels to cope with
present student numbers is evident. The College administrators have been proactive in seeking a
diverse range of funding sources, including philanthropic support, non‐government funds, private
donations, competitive tendered training contracts and Federal grants.
Key principles that make this project effective
The following principles of effective development practice are imbedded in the training program
and have been critical in the success of the program.
h. Strong and productive partnerships with stakeholders. Whole of community is involved in
the partnerships and forms an integral part of the training model.(Partnership)
i. The courses are often delivered on country and are regularly adapted to meet the most
pressing needs of the community. Students are taught how to be flexible in the projects
they are working on so that they can meet changing circumstances. (Flexibility)
j. Increasingly, trainers are travelling to various hubs to present the course. This builds trust
with the communities as the trainers become better known by community members and
increases the trainers’ knowledge of the local context and builds on ensuring a place-
based response to training. (Place-based)
k. Participatory approaches are taught to students to establish working relationships in their
communities, to research and find community-based solutions. (Participation)
24. 24
l. Students consider that the course is delivered in a culturally competent manner. (Cultural
competency)
m. Skills and resources of every person in the class is utilized leading to a two-way approach
to training and classroom management. At WBBC the trainers have certain knowledge and
respect the fact that the students also have knowledge. This is drawn out by the trainers
and shared amongst the students, a process that enriches the whole class including the
trainer.
n. Personal healing is built into the community development training and students are
supported to make changes in their own life. This recognises the importance of individual
change in order to be able to assist a community to make a change. (Do no harm)
o. Students are taught to build on community strengths and assets when developing and
implementing projects. This may include initiating or building on existing programs
p. Students are trained in understanding human rights issues and the legal obligations
affecting their communities. (Rights-based approach)
q. The training raises students’ awareness of intersectional issues such as colonisation and its
legacy as well as age, health and ability issues as they are viewed in Aboriginal and / or
Torres Strait Islander culture. (Cross-cutting issues)
r. Students are taught to communicate effectively, and to become professional advocates
that contribute to being a voice for the voiceless within their communities. (Advocacy and
A&TSI voice)
s. The College encourages A&TSI people to be actively engaged in the preservation of their
unique culture and knowledge. It respects the privacy and rights of each of its students by
seeking permission to use people’s images and written materials. (Intellectual property)
Box 1 Example of Impact of the Program - J's story12
J was born and educated in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) region of Cape York. In his
early 20s, he enjoys the quality of life that the NPA can provide – year round fishing,
outdoor sports, faith and an extended loving family.
“I wanted to work in the health industry, so I enrolled in AMCD III. I was encouraged to do
it from my grandmother who is also a past graduate. I had a strong thought that this could
lead me to Uni. The course has led to a career pathway.”
Before completing the AMCD III, J was employed by Queensland Health’s (QH) Alcohol,
Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATODs) Office in Bamaga.
“I got a job at ATODs because of it. I’m a community support worker with QH. I do health
promotion: smoking, cannabis and alcohol. I had no prior experience. My employment is
directly related to my training.”
ATODs’ managers continued to support him to complete his certificate.
“I’m enjoying this job but I have goals to do further study. A diploma of Social Work with
Community Training Australia and then I’ll apply for recognition of prior learning towards
a
12
Taken from Stephens, A. (2014). Training for impact: Building an understanding of community development
training and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community development outcomes. P43
25. 25
Degree in Social Work at JCU which I can study off campus.”
J believes in the 12 to 18 months of his employment with ATODs, he is seeing a difference
in his community.
“Usage is falling in this community. We also deal with binge drinking and domestic
violence.
There’s four of us. Two of us have done WBBC training. We work closely with the mental
health team too.”
“I recommend WBBC widely to others because those are the people who need help. They
might like a career in health or to get some community development skills. Young people
are the priority, therefore I encourage them to get into study. Especially school drop‐outs
or our homeless youth. Schooling here is of a low standard and there is poor attendance.
WBBC is fine for people who don’t have a good education.”
Note:
This case study has been summarised and adapted from:
4. Stephens, A. (2014). Training for impact: Building an understanding of community
development training and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community development
outcomes. Cairns: James Cook University.
5. Presentation by Rev Leslie Baird, Suicide Prevention Course Coordinator and Dr Anne
Stephens, Post-Doctoral Senior Researcher, Northern Research Futures CRN, The Cairns
Institute, James Cook University for the ACFID Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Program Working Group Forum on Effective Development Practice, held 17 November
2014.
6. WBBC Project application to TEAR Australia regarding funding for Certificate III in
Addictions Management and Community Development.
26. 26
1.6.Central Land Council & the Community Lease Money Project
This case study focuses on the Community Lease Money Project (CLMP) in the remote community
of Papunya and outlines some key elements of the project as well as the processes around
community governance and decision making.
Project background
The Central Land Council (CLC) is a statutory authority governed by a representative council of 90
Aboriginal People elected from communities in the southern half of the Northern Territory.
The CLMP is the largest of the six major regional projects managed by the Community
Development Unit (CDU) of the CLC. It is a multi-million dollar project involving 31 communities
right across the CLC region.
The CLMP was set up in 2012 following the landmark decision made by traditional owners and the
Council to apply the majority of compensation payments for the compulsory five year leases taken
out by the Australian Government during the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) for
community benefit. Some traditional owner and community groups have also allocated income
from other leases for community benefit via this project.
CLC community development staff, supported by policy officers, lawyers and anthropologists, are
working in each of the 31 locations to:
support traditional owners and community residents to determine and set up locally-
appropriate decision making structures and processes;
undertake planning and the design of initiatives that will achieve Aboriginal development
aspirations; and,
build the capacity of Aboriginal groups to effectively govern the funds and ensure project
partners are held to account in delivering initiatives.
The CLMP has to date resulted in dozens of community benefit initiatives being planned and
funded by Aboriginal groups, then implemented by suitably qualified partner organisations. In
many cases groups are allocating funding to Aboriginal organisations that are able to provide
Aboriginal training and employment opportunities as part of the project delivery.
Initiatives funded include a diverse range of development activities with a mix of cultural,
economic and social outcomes. Many communities have invested their lease money in initiatives
such as music studios, media projects and sports facility upgrades. Aboriginal people are also
clearly prioritising support for education and school attendance through initiatives such as school
excursions, childcare and school transport.
The CLC has a long history of working effectively in the region by drawing on community
development principles and processes. As such the CLC seeks to maximise Aboriginal engagement
and empowerment and to generate social, cultural and economic outcomes.
Project implementation
In line with statutory obligations, the CLMP began with CLC staff visiting communities to talk with
Traditional Owners and community members about the use of compensation payments.
Illustrations were used by CLC to explain the process and to outline why it was necessary to
consult with the whole community. This tool ensured clarity and transparency and explained that
Aboriginal people were the decision makers with CLC acting as a facilitating, support body.
27. 27
At the heart of CLC’s community development approach is facilitating processes that ensure local
participation and control. This approach supports the understanding that initiatives are most
effective and sustainable when the people they seek to benefit are actively involved in all aspects
of project design and implementation. Therefore the CLMP is underpinned by processes which
make sure that the Traditional Owners and Aboriginal community members are responsible for
determining the community’s priorities, for undertaking project planning, determining how the
project will happen and for overseeing its implementation.
The CLC is responsible for ensuring that consultations are conducted properly (including
promoting broad participation) and for reporting on how consultations occurred, who attends and
for making sure that the project is of community benefit.
The CLC understands the need for flexibility in the way they work and in their relationships with
others and as such support each community to choose the governance structure that is relevant
to the community.
In implementing the CLMP in Papunya, Traditional Owners and community members are
responsible for the decisions regarding the project including determining the membership of the
decision-making working group. As part of that process, the community agreed that it would be
the working group that would have authority to choose the sub-project, plan it and decide how
much money would be allocated to it. The working group recognised the importance of holding
regular community meetings to consult with community members, to bring the rest of the
community along with the decisions and to keep everyone informed.
The sub-projects implemented in Papunya in 2014 are the first for this community. Following
some success, the community is now considering implementing long-term initiatives and is looking
at what they have learned after going through this decision making process.
Following is the voice of Linda Anderson, Papunya community leader and elected member of the
Papunya Lease Money Community Development Project Working Group regarding the
development of the decision making process in Papunya under the CLMP.
Getting started
At the CLC office in Papunya we had talked about how the money could be spent. So we had a
meeting with the Traditional Owners and community members. When we talked about money it
was hard at the start because some people wanted some money. But because we had people there
who understood the CLC, we talked with the community about how to plan projects and how it was
important that the whole community talked together about how it should happen. And what
projects were important for Papunya.
Then a couple of Elders called me and asked me to come to their meeting. I helped the old people
understand and we all worked together and we looked at what was happening in other
communities e.g. at the Willowra Learning Centre and how they went about it and Titjikala and
then we started thinking about ideas for our community.
We talked about it and the old people talked about a home care centre and we invited the health
mob to talk about it but it was costing too much money. All these people came and kept saying ‘it’s
a lot of money’ – so we’re still talking about it.
Decision making
28. 28
We agreed on who would make the best decisions for the community – so now we have a decision
making group. We chose people who would work for all of us, not just a few – men, women and
different ages.
As the working group we decided what projects to do. We had meeting after meeting and looked
at how much money we had and listed all the projects from one to ten after listening to what the
community wanted. E.g. Old people wanted to see transport on the list because they live on
outstations. So we purchased a bus for them so we could bring them in for Centrelink and doctors’
appointments. Then community people said we should use that bus for everyone. So we thought if
the community wants this, then we should look at this. So we got another bus – a footy bus for the
men and their sports weekend and for the women and softball and another bus for school pickups.
After we chose our projects then we planned how it should work. The working group did this
because we’ve got the knowledge - we don’t have the CLC or non-Indigenous people telling us
what to do with our money. The Indigenous people came up with the projects that can meet our
old people’s needs and our young people’s needs.
We do it Anangu way.
An idea can be good but it won’t always work unless people make good decisions and get
everybody involved. So the decision making was from that community group. But we wanted to
improve it by going back to the community and feeding it back and telling them that this is what
we want to spend the money on. If they’ve got a concern or if they disagree, they can say. We
don’t just work on our own. We work with the community too.
Pride
We also recently bought music and video equipment - we teach the younger ones and the
teenagers come and do workshops. We can teach the young fellas how to play music and the
project brings great pride to the community and shows everyone the great work we do.
I was really proud seeing the project work by using our money for our long-term strategies.
Monitoring and evaluation
Two of the four key objectives of CLC’s Community Development Program are to:
1. Build an evidence base for the CLC’s Community Development approach and
2. Share lessons learned on innovations and Community Development practice.
In line with these objectives, since 2009 the CLC has engaged an external M&E consultant to
design its Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy and independently monitor its programs on an
annual basis13
. Each year an experienced Central Australian researcher is engaged to speak with a
sample number of community members in selected locations and seeks feedback against CLC’s
Community Development program’s objectives. Community members are asked for their opinion
on the decision making process and how it is affecting their lives. This qualitative interview data is
analysed by the M&E consultant, together with staff reflections and project partner reports, and
an assessment is made regarding the way in which projects are tracking against their objectives.
13
The Community Development Program Monitoring Reports are accessible to the public and can be found on
line.
29. 29
The findings have consistently found that Aboriginal constituents feel in control of their decision-
making, are developing confidence and capacity and that initiatives that are funded are valued
because community members have designed them themselves.
The CLC is also committed to ensuring that external project evaluations occur. In late 2013 and
early 2014, La Trobe University and People and Planet Group undertook an Independent
Evaluation of CLC’s Development and Governance Programs14
. Given that the CLMP was
comparatively new at the time of the evaluation, there is only minimal mention of the program.
However, the extensive evaluation confirms CLC’s commitment to this approach of developing an
evidence base to its Community Development Projects.
Finally the CLC staff facilitate reflection and feedback by participants before the close of every
community or working group meeting to discuss what worked well and what improvements could
be made.
Successes
While the CLMP has only been operating for a short while, there are already some significant
successes that can be built upon as the project moves forward. Of particular note:
There has been considerable CDU engagement since the project’s inception with a large
number of community-based meetings happening in this time frame.
Communities have been satisfied with much of the progress and have been able to identify
benefits from many of the projects15
.
In 2013 the CDU increased the number of staff working on this project to support enhanced
engagement with communities around both their decision-making process and their allocation
of funds.
While there is limited evidence to date, some early examples suggest that for some
communities that are part of the CLMP the governance arrangements have been a positive
experience, contributing to improved decision-making practices in the community16
.
In 2013 the CDU changed its working structure and moved from a project based approach to a
regional approach for program management. The evidence suggests some benefit in terms of
staff and project efficiencies and possibly some benefits in community and other stakeholder
relationships17
.
The importance of regular feedback to communities has been highlighted due to the large
number of projects over a wide geographic area. As a result community notices and standard
six-monthly newsletters are developed and distributed across the region. The newsletter
explains the decision-making processes and highlights projects that have been implemented.
Use of visual materials18
has been reported as a positive strategy.
CLC staff are proving themselves to be culturally competent and are committed to a
facilitation role, which is underpinned by understanding power dynamics and relationships in
the Central Australian context.
Challenges
As with any program, there have been challenges with the CLMP.
14
Independent Evaluation of the Central Land Council’s Community Development and Governance Programs.
Prepared by Chris Roche (La Trobe University) and James Ensor (People and Planet Group Pty Ltd) for the
Central Land Council, March 2014.
15
2013 Monitoring Report on the Central Land Council Community Development Program Prepared by Dr
Linda Kelly, Praxis Consultants, for the Central Land Council. p2.
16
Ibid p57
17
Ibid p2
18
Refer diagrams 1 & 2 below
30. 30
The key challenges to date have been:
The process of rolling out large numbers of community-based meetings over a wide
geographic area and in a short-time frame, has been very time consuming. As a result, some
questions have been raised about the quality of the community development process in
shorter term engagements19
.
There have also been challenges, often related to project planning matters and/or to the
expectations of communities about what can be achieved through the community
development process. It also appears that tensions and other concerns in communities
(unrelated to the project) can at times contribute to poor community engagement with the
planning processes.
The spread of the project over 31 communities means that it can be difficult for CDU staff to
build relationships and an understanding of the community development process over time in
all locations.
Staff report that it has been a very demanding work project with the need to roll out a large
number of projects across a wide geographic area in a short timeframe.
There can be difficulties monitoring participation and ensuring that more disadvantaged
community members are not excluded from decision making.
Key principles that make this project effective
The following principles of effective development practice have been critical in the success of the
Project.
a. At the heart of CLC’s community development approach is facilitating processes that ensure
local participation and control. The project therefore began by visiting communities to talk
with Traditional Owners and community members about how the compensation payments
should be used. (Participation)
b. Anangu are actively involved in all decisions regarding the project. Traditional Owners and
Aboriginal community members take responsibility for determining the community’s
priorities, for undertaking project planning, designing how the project will happen and for
overseeing its implementation, all in consultation with Aboriginal community members.
Aboriginal people are the decision makers with CLC acting as a facilitating, support body. We
do it Anangu way. We don’t have the CLC or non-Indigenous people telling us what to do with
our money. The Indigenous people came up with the projects that can meet our old people’s
needs and our young people’s needs. (Participation)
c. The CLC understands the need for flexibility in the way they work and in their relationships
with others and as such supports each community to choose the governance structure that is
relevant to the community. (Flexibility; Governance structures)
d. In implementing the CLMP, Traditional Owners and community members have been
responsible for not only the decisions regarding the project but also in determining the
membership of the decision-making working group. As part of that process, the community
agreed that it would be the working group who would have authority to choose the project,
plan it and decide how much money would be allocated to the project. The working group
recognised the importance of holding regular community meetings to bring the rest of the
community along with the decisions and to keep everyone informed. (Participation; Advocacy
& A&TSI Voice)
e. CLC staff have a good level of cultural competency and it is expected that they will act as
facilitators. (Cultural competency)
19
Ibid p2
31. 31
f. Visual materials including newsletters and planning tools use rights based language (Rights-
based approach)
g. There is a good understanding by CLC staff of each context and the needs required. (Place-
based)
Diagram 1 – Visual illustration provided to the community regarding the process for applying
lease and rent money to community development initiatives.
Diagram 2 – Visual illustration provided to the community regarding the process the CLC
facilitates to support groups to plan projects
32. 32
Notes:
This case study has been summarised and adapted from:
1. Independent Evaluation of the Central Land Council’s Community Development and
Governance Programs. Prepared by Chris Roche (La Trobe University) and James Ensor
(People and Planet Group Pty Ltd) for the Central Land Council, March 2014.
2. Presentation by Linda Anderson, Papunya community leader and elected member of the
Papunya Lease Money Community Development Project Working Group and Janelle
Trotman, Senior Community Development Officer, Central Land Council for the ACFID
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program Working Group Forum on Effective
Development Practice, held 17 November 2014.
3. ‘Our Projects, Our Way’. Community Development Program. Central Land Council.
4. 2013 Monitoring Report on the Central Land Council Community Development Program
Prepared by Dr Linda Kelly, Praxis Consultants, for the Central Land Council.
5. Background information provided by CLC staff member Janelle Trotman.
33. 33
1.7.Oxfam Australia and the Straight Talk program
Project background
Oxfam Australia’s Straight Talk program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI)
women to build their capacity as leaders, decision makers and change makers.
Since 2009, Straight Talk has brought together more than 550 A&TSI women from across the
nation.
The program includes a National Summit in Canberra every 12-18 months, as well as Regional
gatherings around the country.
Women participating in the program learn about the political system, discuss common issues of
concern and generate strategies for bringing about change in their lives and communities. Women
also have the opportunity to meet with women from all sides of politics, whether at the national
or local level as well as other decision makers. Straight Talk provides opportunities for participants
to develop ongoing relationships and networks nationally and regionally, to support them in their
change work.
The Straight Talk program supports A&TSI women to define their own solutions to issues they
face. It is an example of how Oxfam works in solidarity with A&TSI people and supports their self-
determination.
Project implementation
Since 2009, five National Summits in Canberra and a number of regional gatherings in locations
such as Alice Springs, the Torres Strait Islands, Perth, Cairns and Melbourne, have been held as
part of the program.
Run over five days, the Canberra-based National Summits select A&TSI women from all over
Australia to participate in the program. While participants do not need previous political
experience or an understanding of Parliament, they need to be active in making change and
learning new skills.
Once together, the women learn about Australia’s political system and form networks with each
other and with women of Federal Parliament. The Straight Talk program includes a series of
interactive workshops and activities focusing on how political decision making happens; the
workings of the parliamentary system; the role of political advisers and consultative mechanisms;
and how to access political representatives. The women also learn skills in power mapping, issue
analysis, putting lobbying into action and media basics.
The program provides participants with the opportunity to share their stories with female
parliamentarians from all political leanings. These meetings facilitate two-way learning between
the women and parliamentarians, and create opportunities for future collaboration. By
encouraging parliamentarians to hear what is happening on the ground, the program helps keep
A&TSI issues, and particularly those important to women, on the political agenda. It is also an
important avenue for parliamentarians to deepen their understanding of the realities and
concerns of A&TSI women from their state or territory.
The program also includes sessions with Trailblazers, inviting A&TSI women who are blazing the
way for their communities across varied spheres of influence to attend. This helps the women
34. 34
explore different approaches to change that women have been engaged in, and works to inspire
the Straight Talk participants.
The Regional Gatherings bring together previous and new participants, and provide an
opportunity for women to exchange ideas, knowledge and experiences with each other and work
together to develop strategies to address common issues. Each regional gathering has a different
format and focus depending on the priorities of the women attending and the tools and skills
women want to learn.
By developing participants’ knowledge and skills, including the understanding that they are
valuable and important players within the political system, Straight Talk builds A&TSI women’s
confidence and tools to be effective change makers.
Monitoring and evaluation
While at this stage there is no formal evaluation of the Straight Talk program, an internal
evaluation brief20
explores the successes and challenges of implementing the program. It also
includes some recommendations from participants for future program improvements. These are
considered below.
At the end of each gathering or Summit, participants are also asked to provide feedback to the
organisers regarding various aspects of the program. This is then compiled by Oxfam staff into a
report format.
Successes
At this stage, key successes are noted in the internal evaluation brief. In addition, some anecdotal
evidence of the program’s successes can be found in the Straight Talk video21
‘Oxfam Australia -
2013 Straight Talk National Summit.’ The video features a wide range of participants who in their
own voices, articulate the personal impact that the program has had on them. The video was
filmed at the 2013 Summit and immediately after the conclusion of the program.
In both sources, women report that they feel inspired, empowered and more confident following
the program, with an improved range of skills and tools. Many have stated that they will return to
community ready to initiate discussions, and engage with their parliamentarians and their
communities, or more able to implement the change they want to make.
The following are some verbatim examples of the initial impact of the program on a range of
participants.
Positivity and Clarity
It helps us to be really clear about our ask and the change that we want to see. And the more that
I’m doing it and the more that I’m talking about it, the clearer and clearer I’m becoming about
what needs to be said and what direction we need to be going in. Before I came I was drowning in
negativity, in what couldn’t be done whereas now I’m definitely going back to the community
saying this is what can be done, this is what I’m going to do.
Taking Action
20
‘Straight Talk National Summit 2014 Internal Evaluation Brief’ supplied by Oxfam Australia.
21
Straight Talk video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxSUU4gobsg&feature=youtu.be
35. 35
The regional workshop was a real eye opener – just to have all the women from the Torres Straits
come together and talk on all the issues that we’ve been dealing with on a day to day basis and
then taking action – from that I ended up helping one of the ladies to become a Council
representative. I’ve already met with the other Torres Strait women and we’ve talked about doing
a mini Straight Talk and being able to develop all of our young people and inform all of our elderly
women to be able to send more ladies down to this because it is so valuable.
(After attending the program) I want to be active and I want to be active not just within the
community but with our local, state and Federal members.
Immediately after Straight Talk I stepped up into a Chair’s position for the National Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Staff Network for the Department of Health and Ageing. I started lobbying…
to increase the recruitment and retention activities around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
New Graduates and ‘Newstarters’. So the skills I learnt in Straight Talk helped me to learn to lobby
the higher Public Servants and speak to them on a level where I felt like an equal and the result of
that is that we have implemented quite a range of new policies – we’ve increased recruitment
numbers and we’re retaining more staff; so I think the results have been really positive.
Building Confidence & Having a Voice
The whole week’s built our confidence - so now when those Senator enquiries go around…now we
feel that we can have a voice in them …make sure we’re in those working groups or be that person
who puts the submissions up for parliamentary discussions and be part of that whole process;
whereas before we didn’t have any idea about that.
It’s given me an opportunity to really find my voice – and now I have a real clear vision of what I
want to do when I get back to my community.
I was accepted into the regional program in Cairns where I got a sneak peek of what the program
could do for me. (Now at the National Summit) the program and the facilitators and the staff were
so influential in helping make that next step and progress myself personally. Coming here you
realise that it’s not just you standing by yourself.
New Skills
I learnt something every day but the thing for me was the lobbying skills.
Inspiration and Motivation
I’ve been inspired, I’ve been motivated, I’ve been full of energy like I never thought I had and I
believe that this is a new door opening for me and I’m walking right through.
Challenges
As with any program, there are ongoing challenges and difficulties with Straight Talk. Oxfam is
open to participant feedback and where possible, seeks to adapt and modify the program to meet
participants’ needs.
The key challenges to date have been:
Cost and logistics which prevent women from more remote areas (e.g. the Torres Strait
Islands) from attending the Canberra summits. While the regional gatherings provide their
own positive outcomes, it does not provide the same opportunity for these women to meet
with Federal parliamentarians.
36. 36
Lack of time and resources to follow up participants in order to monitor what impact the
program has had on their lives as change makers.
Lack of time and resources to provide ongoing support of participants including further
training and skill development.
Key principles that make this project effective
The following principles of effective development practice have been critical in the success of the
program.
a. Participants are supported to develop the strategies and skills needed to determine and
implement solutions to the problems in their communities. Oxfam staff acknowledge that they
are not the experts but may have the skills and resources to support change. (Participation)
The program utilizes a strengths-based approach by tapping into the skills that participants
already have and supporting them to develop confidence to use their knowledge and skills.
(Strengths-based)
b. At times, the program is delivered in regional areas e.g. Alice Springs, Torres Strait Islands and
is adapted to meet the needs of the community and the skills required by participants to be a
change maker. (Place-based and Flexibility)
c. The program is implemented by Oxfam staff, facilitators and guest speakers or Trailblazers
who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. The latter are engaged to tell their
story and to provide inspiration. (Cultural competency)
d. The program aims to strengthen the voice and advocacy skills of participants by supporting
the women to understand how the political system works and providing them with an
opportunity to meet face to face with political decision makers. (Advocacy and A&TSI voice)
e. The program seeks to add value to the lives of the participants and to build their skills and
capacity. (Do no harm)
f. The program facilitates two-way learning between the participants and parliamentarians and
creates opportunities for future collaboration. (Partnerships and Productive Relationships)
g. A&TSI participants are with agreement, engaged to promote the program in their own words.
(Participation)
h. The program is based on a rights-based approach to development. (Rights-based approach)
Note:
This case study has been summarised and adapted from:
6. Oxfam Australia website https://www.oxfam.org.au/explore/indigenous-
australia/straight-talk/
7. Straight Talk video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxSUU4gobsg&feature=youtu.be
Thanks to the participants whose voices are quoted in the body of the case study.
8. ‘Straight Talk National Summit 2014 Internal Evaluation Brief’ supplied by Oxfam Australia.
9. Presentation by Oxfam Australia staff Karrina Nolan, National Manager, Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Program, and Peter Lewis, Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Peoples' Rights Advocacy Lead for the ACFID Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Program Working Group Forum on Effective Development Practice, held 17 November
2014.
10. Straight Talk Application form found at https://www.oxfam.org.au/wp-
content/uploads/2014/06/straighttalkappform.pdf?utm_source=Straight-Talk-Home
37. 37
2. TOOLS
2.1. Caritas Australia – Organic approach to design
A programming technique used by Caritas Australia is the organic approach to project design
which is seen as an alternative to the log-frame type design. The organic approach recognises that
the environment can be complex and at times chaotic and that a method which is more organic
and incremental than linear and predictable is required. As such this approach to design, if
undertaken appropriately, can lend itself quite well to organisations working with Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) communities.
Caritas Australia has been developing this approach to program design for many years and it has
now been piloted and in some cases incorporated in the Philippines, in the Pacific and in A&TSI
Australia. Caritas’s First Australians Program partners find that this approach is easily accessible
and they particularly like its ability to adapt to changing circumstances throughout the life of a
project.
‘Organic’ is a term that is used to describe an approach or ‘a way of thinking’ to designing and
managing projects/programs. The key characteristics of this approach are flexibility, an openness
to change, a focus on learning and adaptation.
The organic approach focuses on working with partners and communities to identify changes that
they seek - rather than identifying their needs – and how this can be achieved. It is an approach
that promotes learning and adaptation and which enables project implementers to build on what
is working, and change strategies that do not. The strong learning focus of the organic approach to
design, allows for changes to the design during the life of the project.
As the project progresses the implementers learn more about what works and how change
happens and they also learn more about the context and the relationships where they are
working. All this contributes to improved ability to manage and work towards the required long
term result. Information for this process comes in part from monitoring. Monitoring is a very
important part of the project design plan and needs to be undertaken on a regular basis. The
monitoring aspect of this approach gives strong attention to the changes that are occurring in a
project through a reflection process.
A review of Caritas Australia’s organic approach used in two projects in the Philippines, one of
which involved Indigenous peoples, found that the approach is very appropriate to complex
situations such as those of the Indigenous peoples, where there may be a lot of unknown and
unpredictable variables.
The review also found that if the approach is applied well, and the implementing partners have
good capacity to manage and facilitate the change process, it can result in:
Strong local ownership of the long-term change;
Strong participation of communities/project participants;
Highly relevant project design;
Achievement, capturing and documentation of real change ;
