The problem Reconciliation Capacity Building addresses
Since the Australian government's apology to Indigenous Australians in 2008, there has been a concerted effort to address Indigenous disadvantage and reconcile with Indigenous peoples. This process has involved a growing recognition of the ongoing trauma and injustices resulting from centuries of colonisation, and a focus on improving the socio-economic outcomes for Indigenous Australians. A key element of this process has been the need for truth-telling, which requires acknowledging the truth about Australia's history of colonisation, including the violence, dispossession, and cultural suppression experienced by Indigenous peoples. Truth-telling has underscored the need for a significant shift in the approach to reconciliation, with an increasing desire among everyday Australians to share and celebrate Indigenous cultures.
Despite progress made towards addressing Indigenous disadvantage and promoting reconciliation in Australia in recent years, there have been instances where organisations and governments have rushed to implement solutions without proper consultation with Indigenous communities, resulting in unintended consequences and further harm. The implementation of Reconciliation Action Plans that provide organisational frameworks for achieving reconciliation are often a result of organisations wanting to do better. However, they are often focused solely on the external results of reconciliation actions and can disregard the organisational shift that needs to occur to achieve true reconciliation. These actions are macro in nature and are focused on shifting change in the organisation through forced, non-policy based outcomes built generally from external advice. The problem with this approach is that it neglects to identify the distinctiveness of the organisation and fails to understand the organisation's unique challenges in achieving reconciliation outcomes.
The quick implementation of reconciliation action plans often fails because it doesn't consider the internal enablers and blockers within the organisation, and it fails to recognise the importance of engaging the organisation's workforce as agents of change. In fact, nobody understands the internal enablers and blockers of an organisation better than its staff. Therefore, the only way to truly embed a long-term reconciliation action plan in an organisation is to involve its workforce in the design of the reconciliation action plan through a process known as Reconciliation Capacity building.
What is Reconciliation Capacity Building?
We appreciate the distinctiveness of each organisation and believe that the best way to improve reconciliation outcomes is to work closely with your people. Each workplace has its own atmosphere and culture, as well as individuals who are either familiar or unfamiliar with the reconciliation movement. It is important to note that Reconciliation Capacity Building training corresponds accordingly through understanding employees' perceptions of the organisation they work in to fashion a tailored framework that facilitates success by enabling long-term cultural transitions focused on achieving meaningful reconciliation goals.
Reconciliation Capacity Building (RCB) offers tailored solutions to help organisations achieve authentic, long-term reconciliation outcomes. RCB utilises data collected from open training sessions, individual interviews, and organisation-wide surveys to create a capability staircase that outlines the steps needed to implement lasting reconciliation within your organisation.
RCB is built on the frameworks of change management theory and is the process of preparing, planning, implementing, and monitoring changes within an organisation in a structured and controlled manner. It involves a set of tools, processes, and strategies that help organisations effectively navigate change and transitions.
The aim of change management is to ensure that changes are introduced in a way that minimises disruption to the organisation's operations, reduces resistance to change, and maximises the chances of success. Effective change management involves understanding the needs of the organisation, its culture, and the people affected by the change.
Some key elements of change management include:
Identifying the need for change: Determining why the change is necessary and what benefits it will bring.
Developing a change management plan: Identifying the scope of the change, the resources required, the timeline, and the risks and potential obstacles.
Communicating the change: Effectively communicating the change to all stakeholders and creating a shared understanding of the rationale for the change, its goals, and its potential impact.
Engaging stakeholders: Involving key stakeholders in the change process, including employees, customers, and suppliers, and ensuring their buy-in and support for the change.
Managing resistance: Anticipating and addressing resistance to change, and ensuring that employees are provided with the necessary support and resources to manage the transition.
Monitoring and evaluating the change: This involves monitoring the implementation of the change and evaluating its effectiveness, to ensure that it achieves its intended outcomes and benefits the organisation in the long term.
How will we create Reconciliation Capacity Building in your organisation?
RCB is a three-step process called enquire, recommendations and Implementation.
Stage 1 - Enquiry
The enquiry stage of RCB is where we work with your staff to develop an understanding of what they know about reconciliation, Indigenous Australian History, their vision for reconciliation, reconciliation holes in your organisation and their ideas for reconciliation change. We do this in three parts:
1. Organisation wide surveys.
Two surveys are taken across all staff. The first one is at the start of engagement and second is taken shortly after halfway. The surveys results are combined and presented in the concluding report. All surveys are confidential.
2. In house training
Our in-house training program offers a valuable opportunity for staff members to engage in a two-way learning experience that addresses both individual and workplace concerns related to reconciliation. Our highly skilled facilitator creates a safe and supportive environment where participants can delve into difficult conversations surrounding contemporary Indigenous and Australian issues.
We firmly believe that our in-house training sessions provide the most effective and fruitful method for gaining a deep understanding of an organisation's workforce and working collaboratively to identify solutions for reconciliation. To ensure an optimal learning experience, we limit our training groups to no more than 12 participants. We strongly encourage all members of the organisation's workforce to participate, recognising that in some cases, it may be necessary to conduct the training in smaller, more diverse groups.
3. Individual assessments
Individual assessments are designed to diversify the feedback and create a better understanding of the organisation. The personalised approach gives us the opportunity to speak with leaders across the organisation and understand their perspectives on reconciliation as an Individual and within their workforce.
Recommendations
At the end of the enquiry stage a report outlining the findings and recommendations are presented to the organisation. The report identifies what changes are required, how the changes will be implemented and what steps are needed to create the change required. A capability staircase with a realistic timeframe is presented as framework for achieving these goals within the organisation.
Implementation
Based on the change management framework through the use of a capability staircase the organisation will be able to implement the changes required to create reconciliation and provide pathways to embrace and embed Indigenous culture in its organisation. The implementation is designed to be organisationally driven, long term and sustainable.
