Priority Reform Three: Transforming Government Organisations

Outcome:

Improving mainstream institutions: governments, their organisations and their institutions are accountable for Closing the Gap and are culturally safe and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including through the services they fund.

Target:

Decrease in the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have experiences of racism.

Minister responsible

The Prime Minister and the Minister for Indigenous Australians

With agreement from all Ministers to maximise opportunities for achievement of Closing the Gap outcomes in their portfolios, with a specific focus on addressing Priority Reforms.

The path forward

The Commonwealth acknowledges that institutional racism is at the core of entrenched disadvantage and exclusion and contributes to intergenerational trauma for First Nations people and communities. It makes policies, programs and services that the Commonwealth develops, delivers and funds discriminative, culturally inappropriate and unsafe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These consequences thereby limit access to quality services and assistance that all Australians should receive and deserve.

The Commonwealth’s commitment to Reconciliation Action Plans is a necessary step towards creating a culturally safe environment. However, the Commonwealth acknowledges that the transformational change required to eliminate institutional racism in government organisations requires additional resources and efforts and will take time. The Commonwealth must and will do the heavy lifting to lead and action system-wide change to deliver greater outcomes under Priority Reform Three for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Commonwealth commits to:

• Enacting real and impactful structural change to eliminate racism and ensure government organisations and services are culturally safe and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Improving transparency and accountability through a Monitoring and Accountability Framework and stronger reporting and independent mechanism/s (i.e. Clause 67)
• Making practical changes to better enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement in decision-making and policy development.

Priority actions

Systemic and structural transformation

In 2023, the Commonwealth will introduce legislative amendments to the Public Service Act 1999 to support the Australian Public Service to embody integrity in all that it does. The responsibility of stewardship will be included as an Australian Public Service value.

The Commonwealth is also identifying how the Australian Public Service values and principles can be extended to other Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 agencies.Amendments will be informed by consultations, including with First Nations partners in the first half of 2023.

In the second half of 2023, the Commonwealth will explore further opportunities to review the Public Service Act 1999 and related legislation to embed the Priority Reforms. Making these changes to the legislative frameworks that govern how the public service operates will better enable government organisations, and the services they provide, to be culturally safe and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Strengthening accountability and transparency

By the end of 2023, the Commonwealth will develop a Monitoring and Accountability Framework (the Framework) in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander expertise and the Coalition of Peaks. This will measure and drive cultural, systemic and structural transformation across Commonwealth agencies. The Framework will be tested with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts and the Department of Social Services.

The Commonwealth commits to prioritising work to identify, develop or strengthen an independent mechanism(s) (Clause 67 of the National Agreement) which will support, monitor, and report on the transformation of mainstream agencies and institutions. Initial options for an independent mechanism(s) will be developed in partnership with the Coalition of Peaks and all levels of government for consideration by the Secretaries Board.

Developing and establishing these reporting and accountability mechanisms are critical to measuring and evaluating progress of the Commonwealth against Priority Reform Three of the National Agreement.

Changing government processes at the highest levels

Embedding the Priority Reforms in the design and delivery of new policies and decision-making at the highest levels of governments is pivotal to driving systemic transformation. The Commonwealth is committed to strengthening processes for the Australian Public Service to meaningfully engage throughout policy development in Budget and Cabinet frameworks to elevate consideration of First Nations impacts in all new policies. The Commonwealth will implement a First Nations Impact Assessments Framework to support Australian Public Service agencies to assess the implementation of the Priority Reforms in the development of new policies and programs, and effectively consider the impact on First Nations peoples.

Strengthening cultural capability and embedding cultural safety across the Australian Public Service

By mid-2023, the Commonwealth, through the Survey of Trust in Australian Public Service, in partnership with First Nations peoples, will include additional questions into the survey on understanding the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when engaging with Australian public services.

A new communication and learning strategy by 2023

The Commonwealth will work in partnership with the Coalition of Peaks to develop a communication and learning strategy to complement the national Joint Council Communication Strategy, with a focus on educating and mobilising Australian public servants to enact the Priority Reform agenda.

E-learning resources will be developed to support public servants in how they can continue to work differently to meet the objectives outlined in the National Agreement. Resources will also be developed for specific areas of focus, including cultural safety and the Commonwealth Engagement and Partnership Framework.

Boosting First Nations employment in the Australian Public Service

An action plan will be developed to support the implementation of the second half of the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce Strategy 2020–2024. This recognises the Commonwealth’s commitment to boost First Nations employment in the Australian Public Service, including in the Senior Executive Service, from 3.5 per cent to 5 per cent by 2030 through accelerated reforms to enhance the recruitment, retention and development of First Nations officers and the cultural capability of the Australian Public Service as a whole.

Defining key concepts for action

The Commonwealth, through the Partnership Working Group, and on behalf of all Parties to the National Agreement, will commission First Nations-led research to support a nationally consistent understanding of Priority Three transformational elements to better enable governments to deliver on their transformational commitments under the National Agreement.

National Anti-Racism Strategy

The Commonwealth is providing funding to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to lead development of a national anti-racism strategy, providing a coordinated, shared vision to address racism in Australia. In developing the strategy, the AHRC will conduct community-led consultation, prioritising cultural safety and accessibility.

Leading into 2024 and 2025

By 2024, the Commonwealth will implement a Priority Reform Three strategy to improve service delivery and policy development that genuinely takes into account First Nations perspectives and expertise. This will include identification of legislation, policies and programs due for review, undertaken in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners and experts, as well as identification of Australian Public Service-wide frameworks and templates to incorporate the Priority Reforms.

Government organisations and institutions will be supported to identify their history with First Nations peoples and facilitate truth-telling to enable reconciliation and active, ongoing healing. To support interpersonal change within the public service, the concept of allyship will be developed and introduced within broader capability building measures.

Summary of new actions

*A full appendix of new and existing measures being undertaken by the Commonwealth to support Closing the Gap efforts is on the NIAA website, at Closing the Gap implementation measures.