Background
Two Point Co., an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned and staffed consultation business, partnered with cross-government agencies to develop a Movement and Place Engagement Framework to support and promote fair and proficient community engagement practices with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders including the Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALC), and other community leaders. The content of this document sits alongside the Connecting with Country Draft Framework (2020) as a practice guide for engaging with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations.
Movement and Place recognise the existing practices that support and hinder engagement with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations. The following framework is informed by desktop research audit, social research methods and consultation with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff across government.
Vision
Movement and Place are leaders in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander engagement, providing inclusive, consistent, and this culturally proficient practices that are underpinned by the values of Culture, Competence, Confidence and Commitment. Movement and Place practitioners build culturally safe and sustainable relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Communities including, the Local Aboriginal Land Councils.
Cultural safety is everybody's business
This framework has been developed as a foundation to increase workplace cultural safety practices through collaboration, sustainable and comprehensive engagement with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders. The framework will support Movement and Place to achieve meaningful relationships with Traditional Owners, Native Title claimants, Elders, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, community groups, organisations, and Local Aboriginal Land Councils, limiting the need for external consultants.
To engage in culturally appropriate practices Movement and Place practitioners must develop proficiency in cultural awareness, cultural safety procedures and cross-cultural engagement practices. This is part of mapping realistic Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholder engagement goals and needs to begin at the earliest stage of the project. The aim is ongoing engagement with stakeholders through building meaningful respectful relationships.