Draft Implementation Plan draft for public consultation
Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory: Implementation approach for Remote Engagement Teams
The Australian Government is publishing this Implementation Plan (IP) as part of its commitment to working with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory, their representatives and leaders to effectively implement the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory measures.
The Australian Government has made a 10 year commitment to work with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory to build strong, independent lives, where communities, families and children are safe and healthy. Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory is a $3.4 billion investment and responds directly to what Aboriginal people told the Government is important to them.
The Australian Government will work with Aboriginal people in both large and small communities to support local jobs, tackle alcohol abuse and encourage children to go to school, as well as provide basic services, including health, education and police. The Australian Government will talk to Aboriginal people in each community about how best to deliver services under Stronger Futures, providing Aboriginal people with more responsibility for services within their own community.
The Australian Government will support Aboriginal organisations to deliver services under Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory and all services will be expected to employ Aboriginal people wherever possible.
Building on current levels of remote staff,Remote Engagement Teamsare part of the Government’s commitment to work differently, and more closely, with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. This plan outlines how this may be achieved through the Remote Engagement Teams.
Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory: Remote Engagement Teams
Remote Engagement Teamswill help build stronger relationships between government andAboriginal communities and homelands in the Northern Territory and help to improve government engagement, service accessibility and coordination with remote communities.
Why are Remote Engagement Teams included in the Stronger Futures package?
During consultations with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory about developing the Stronger Futures package, many Aboriginal people said they wanted government to talk to them about policies and they wanted government to listen to them, that there needed to be better coordination of government services, and respect for community governance arrangements. There were also requests for more Indigenous Engagement Officers and for Government Business Managers to more actively convey community decisions and views to government.
It was clear there is a strong desire for face-to-face relationships between government and community and to develop better ways of working together. Remote Engagement Teams respond directly to these concerns and will build relationships with Aboriginal people based on effective consultation, engagement and lasting partnership.Government Business Managers will also now be called Government Engagement Coordinators to reflect an increased focus on engaging with local people and their new role in the teams.
What are the objectives of the Remote Engagement Teams?
The objectives of Remote Engagement Teams,as part of the Indigenous Coordination Centres, areto:
- improve engagement with communities by establishing an on-the-ground presence of remote engagement officers (consisting of Indigenous Engagement Officers and Government Engagement Coordinators) to provide an overview of the effectiveness of the local service system and coordination of regional and local planning processes; and
- provide a skilled and stable workforce that lives and works in remote communities.
They will also:
- supportcommunity involvement in local planning processes and the delivery of programs and services in their community;
- help service providers to meet the needs of local Aboriginal families and communities;
- facilitate improved government understanding of local community issues and increased community awareness of government programs and services;
- be the primary point of contact forgovernment working with communities and support improved coordination; and
- providefeedback between government and community about effectiveness of programs and services.
What are the expected outcomes and outputs of the Remote Engagement Teams?
The Remote Engagement Teams will employ Government Engagement Coordinators and local Aboriginal people as Indigenous Engagement Officers to ensure there is better connection between government and communities and improved coordination at the local levels.
Remote Engagement Teams will contribute to the following outputs:
- regional and remote engagement;
- coordination of government effort; and
- increased local employment across all levels of the workforce by the expiration of the National Partnership Agreement.
Remote Engagement Teams will contribute to outcomes such as:
- improved government engagement, service accessibility and coordination in remote communities by:
-providing betterengagement on and regional coordination of government services
-ensuring community feedback is heard and directed to the appropriate service delivery agency/agencies; and
-ongoingmonitoring oflocal service delivery.
- improved economic participation, including employment and enterprise development through:
-local jobs for local people; and
-increased participation inenhanced community planning processes, addressing gaps and issues in local service delivery.
The Government commits to:
- establish Remote Engagement Teams throughout the Northern Territory over a two year transition period (July2012 to June2014);
- increase the number of communities with Indigenous Engagement Officers from 30to 54 by July 2014;
- provide full and part-time job opportunities for up to 60 additional Indigenous Engagement Officers;
- recruit32 Government Engagement Coordinators by June2014;
- an Aboriginal Employment Target of 100percent of Indigenous Engagement Officerpositions being filled by local Aboriginal people; and
- an Aboriginal Employment Target of 20percent by 2016-17 and 50percent by 2021-22 of Government Engagement Coordinator positions being filled by Aboriginal people.
Who is part of aRemote Engagement Team?
The Remote Engagement Teams will consist of Government Engagement Coordinators (GECs) and Indigenous Engagement Officers (IEOs). They will live and work in remote communities as well as in Darwin and Alice Springs. They will work closely with community members where they reside, as well as nearby communities and homelands.
The Teams will form part of and be managed by the Indigenous Coordination Centre for their region. Indigenous Coordination Centres in the Northern Territory are located in Alice Springs, Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Nhulunbuy. They operate as whole-of-government centres and engage with Indigenous communities, other levels of government and service providers to support initiatives, such as Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory.
What will Remote Engagement Teams do?
Remote Engagement Teams will:
- identify and utilise the best method/s to effectively engage with local Aboriginal residents and organisations;
- explain government policies and provide comment and concerns from the community back to government;
- regularly report to the community on the roll out of Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory commitments and other relevant initiatives;
- work collaboratively with Australian and Northern Territory Governments, local government service providers and NGOs to coordinate service delivery and to identify opportunities for improvement;
- report to the Indigenous Coordination Centres on the implementation of Australian Government initiatives within the community and help to identify any issues or barriers;
- identify resources and opportunities to assist ongoing capacity development of local Aboriginal people–individuals, groups and organisations; and
- if located in a Remote Service Delivery site, oversight associated reporting and the delivery of commitments, including supporting Local Reference Groups.
The Indigenous Coordination Centre will:
- coordinate training and development for both the Indigenous Engagement Officers and Government Engagement Coordinators;
- provide logistic and administrative support;
- support collaboration on government priorities and service delivery issues; and
- facilitateaccess to whole of government resources to support solution brokering for the community.
Where will Remote Engagement Teams work?
Remote Engagement Teams will be responsible for a number of communities in their region, not just the one they live in. The services of Government Engagement Coordinators and Indigenous Engagement Officers will extend to homelands, including clusters such as those of Utopia in Central Australia.
The location of Remote Engagement Teams may vary over time based on community discussions, government priorities and recruitment of Government Engagement Coordinators and Indigenous Engagement Officers.
A map showing suggested locations of the teams is at Attachment A.
Existing remote-based staff will continue to support communitieswhile arrangements to establish Remote Engagement Teams are finalised.
How will people be selected for the Remote Engagement Teams?
It is essentialthat the right people are recruited to work with communities and thatthey receive appropriate levels of support to do their job. The majority of positions will be permanent, with some contract positions available where needed.
The Government will talk to communities about who will be part of the Remote Engagement Team before the team begins work.
Indigenous Engagement Officers
Indigenous Engagement Officers will be recruited to the Australian Public Service Grade 4to 6 level depending on the Work Level Standards of the positions. Senior Indigenous Engagement Officer positions will be created with increased responsibilities. Indigenous Engagement Officers will have career pathways in the Indigenous Coordination Centres, as Government Engagement Officers and in other areas of FaHCSIA.
Advertising for recruitment of Indigenous Engagement Officers will commence immediately and continue over the next year until teams reach their full capacity. Indigenous Engagement Officers are expected to be a member of the community where they work, or accepted by that community, and must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background. They will be assessed on their understanding of government business, ability to engage with the community and whether they are able to perform the duties and take on the responsibility of the position.
Government Engagement Coordinators
Government Engagement Coordinators will be primarily at the Australian Public Service Executive Level1 level. There may be some opportunities for temporary performance allowance for more complex duties.
Government Engagement Coordinator positions will be advertised nationally.
A rigorous recruitment and assessment process will test four priority skills: cultural competence; community engagement; leadership and team work; and the ability to develop and support others.
Stronger Futures commitment to Aboriginal employment
The Australian Government is committed to developing the capacity of Aboriginal service delivery organisations and people and increasing the employment opportunities available to them. Aboriginal employment targets are being set for all Stronger Futures measures, including the Remote Engagement and Coordination measure.
The target is that by 2017, 20percent of the Government Engagement Coordinator positions will be filled by Aboriginal people, increasing to 50 percent by 2022. It is expected that 100 per cent of the Indigenous Engagement Officers will be local Aboriginal people.
Stronger Futures commitment to Engagement with Aboriginal people
The Australian Government is also strongly committed to changing the way it engages with Aboriginal people. All Stronger Futures measures are required to ensure services are responsive, effectively meet community needs and that agreed mechanisms are in place to provide for their ongoing feedback.
The Remote Engagement Teams will have an ongoing role in monitoring the effectiveness of services and will provide to and receive from the community regular updates about the effectiveness of the implementation of Stronger Futures.
Links to other programs
The Remote Engagement Teams element has strong links to all elements of the Stronger Futures package that involve engagement with and/or service delivery to Aboriginal people in the NT including the:
- Health Implementation Plan
- Schooling Implementation Plan
- Community Safety and Justice Implementation Plan
- Tackling Alcohol Abuse Implementation Plan
- Child, Youth, Family and Community Wellbeing Implementation Plan
- Housing Implementation Plan
The Remote Engagement Teams also have strong connections to the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Service Delivery which provides support to 15 priority communities in the NT to:
- improve Indigenous families' access to a range of government services;
- raise these services to the standard provided to other Australians living in communities of similar size and location;
- improve governance and leadership within the communities, including among Indigenous community organisations;
- achieve better coordinated government services; and
- increase economic and social participation wherever possible and promote personal responsibility and positive behaviours.
Funding and governance arrangements
The Remote Engagement and Coordination measure provides $427.4million over 10years to improve the way governments and communities in the Northern Territory work together. The Remote Engagement Teams element comprises a significant portion of these funds for the increasing number of staff on the ground. The funds are allocated to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs under Outcome 7.5: Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory.
Remote Engagement Teams / 2012-13 / 2013-14 / 2014-15 / 2015-16 / 2016-17 / 2017-18 / 2018-19 / 2019-20 / 2020-21 / 2021-22 / TotalGEC and IEOs staffing / $m
8.7 / $m
10.2 / $m
12.8 / $m
12.9 / $m
13.0 / $m
13.1 / $m
13.3 / $m
13.4 / $m
13.5 / $m
13.7 / $m
124.6
Other elements of the Remote Engagement and Coordination measure are outlined in the Remote Engagement and Coordination Implementation Plan, which has been developed with the Northern Territory Government as part of the National Partnership Agreement on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory. It can be found on the Federal Financial Relations website.
Evaluation, monitoring and review
Transparency and accountability is important for all Stronger Futures measures.
As outlined in the National Partnership Agreement on Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory, the Government will publish six monthly public reports on progress in implementing the package. Achievement against the Remote Engagement Team outcomes and outputs will be reported in the monitoring report. A mid-term and final evaluation of the Remote Engagement Teams will be undertaken in 201617 and 201920.
Each Remote Engagement Team will report regularly on what they have achieved for the information of communities and local organisations in their region. The Teams will meet with communities and organisations in their region at least every two months to discuss what they have been doing and what their priorities will be for the future.
Other activities, such as consultations with communities and feedback from stakeholders, will help to assess progress of the Remote Engagement Team outcomes. The Department will engage regularly with Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT and other interested Indigenous stakeholders in the Northern Territory to review the activities and effectiveness of the Remote Engagement Teams.
Term of Implementation Plan
The Implementation Plan is for 10 years. It will be reviewed every three years by the Australian Government in consultation with stakeholders and communities.
Lead agency
The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs is the lead agency on the implementation of Remote Engagement Teams.
Contact and questions
If you have any questions about this plan pleasecontact the FaHCSIA Northern Territory Office on:
Ph: 08 8928 6100/ 1800 079 098
Attachment A
Proposed locations for Remote Engagement Teams from 1 July 2013
Regional teams and clusters
Proposed locations for GECs & IEOs under Stronger Futures – Northern Region
GEC locations / IEO locations / Total communities in cluster / ICC regionsDarwin: GEC Mentor / Darwin: IEO Mentor
Darwin / Darwin X 3 / Bagot
Gurdoorka
Belyuen
Amangal
Milgarri
Acacia Larrakia
Minmarama
Kulaluk
One Mile Dam / Darwin
Gunbalanya (RSD) / Gunbalanya
Minjilang
Warruwi / Gunbalanya
Minjilang
Warruwi
Maningrida (RSD) / Maningrida / Maningrida
Nauiyu (Daly River) / Nauiyu
Palumpa
Peppimenarti / Nauiyu
Palumpa
Peppimenarti
Wadeye (RSD) / Wadeye / Wadeye
Wurrumiyanga (RSD) / Wurrumiyanga
Pirlangimpi
Milikapiti / Wurrumiyanga
Pirlangimpi
Milikapiti
Borroloola / Borroloola
Robinson River / Borroloola
Robinson River / Katherine
Bulla / Bulla / Bulla
Amanbidgi
Timber Creek town camps
Jilkminggan / Jilkminggan/Minyerri / Jilkminggan
Minyerri
Kalkarindji / Kalkarindji/Daguragu
Yarralin / Daguragu
Kalkarindji
Yarralin
Pigeon Hole
Ngukurr (RSD) / Ngukurr / Ngukurr
Rittarangu
Numbulwar (RSD) / Numbulwar / Numbulwar
Wugularr (Beswick) / Bulman
Wugularr/Barunga / Bulman
Weemol
Barunga
Manyallaluk
Wugularr (Beswick)
Angurugu (RSD) / Angurugu / Angurugu / Nhulunbuy
Galiwin’ku (RSD) / Galiwin’ku / Galiwin’ku
Milingimbi (RSD) / Milingimbi / Milingimbi
Gapuwiyak (RSD) / Gapuwiyak / Gapuwiyak
Ramingining / Ramingining / Ramingining
Umbakumba (RSD) / Umbakumba
Milyakburra / Umbakumba
Milyakburra
Yirrkala (RSD) / Yirrkala / Yirrkala
Gunyangara
Proposed locations for GECs & IEOs under Stronger Futures – Southern Region
GEC locations / IEO locations / Total communities in cluster / ICCAlice Springs: GEC Mentor / Alice Springs: IEO Mentor
Alice Springs / Alice Springs X 2 / Alice Springs Town Camps
Amoonguna
Imanpa / Mutitjulu
Kaltukatjara (Docker River) / Mutitjulu
Kaltukatjara (Docker River)
Imanpa
Lajamanu (RSD) / Lajamanu / Lajamanu
Ntaria (RSD)
(Hermannsburg) / Ntaria
Areyonga / Ntaria (Hermannsburg)
Areyonga
Wallace Rockhole
Papunya / Papunya
Kintore / Papunya
Kintore
Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff)
Mt Liebig
Santa Teresa / Santa Teresa
Titjikala
Apatula (Finke) / Santa Teresa
Titjikala
Apatula (Finke)
Ti Tree / Willowra
Yuelamu
Laramba / Willowra
Yuelamu
Laramba
Ti Tree
PmaraJutunta
Nturiya
Yuendumu (RSD) / Yuendumu / Yuendumu
Nyirripi
Ali Curung / Ali Curung / Ali Curung
Tara
Imangara / Tennant Creek
Engawala / Utopia Homelands
Alpurrurulam / Utopia Homelands
Ampilatwatja
Alpurrurulam
Engawala
Atitjere (Harts Range)
Nil GEC – TNC ICC to manage / Elliott / Elliott
Owairtilla (Canteen Creek)
Wutunugurra (Epenarra)
NOTE: