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Indigenous Governance Toolkit Indigenous Governance Toolkit
Understand Indigenous Governance
MG Corporation: How their governance works
Mar 01 2023
Understand Indigenous Governance
MG Corporation: How their governance works

Helen Gerrard, MG Corporation Board Director (2012), explains how MG Corporation is governed She talks about how it’s changed over time and how it represents different groups through the Dawang Council “Wi...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
8 Elements Worksheet
Mar 01 2023
Understand Indigenous Governance
8 Elements Worksheet

In the attached document, you will find questions to discuss about your governance in the 8 areas Knowing the answers to these questions can help you keep your governance on track...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
How Yawuru cultural values and practices inform their governance
Dec 23 2022
Understand Indigenous Governance
How Yawuru cultural values and practices inform their governance

Nyamba Buru Yawuru (NBY) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Yawuru Native Title holders through a corporate group structure The company was the Category A Winner in the 2018 Indigenous Governance Awards In t...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
Effective Indigenous governance
Dec 23 2022
Understand Indigenous Governance
Effective Indigenous governance

  Effective governance means having rules, structures and processes capable of achieving your objectives We look at AIGI’s principles for effective Indigenous governance, and 3 other models that can be...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
Self-determination and governance
Dec 23 2022
Understand Indigenous Governance
Self-determination and governance

  Governance is a foundational structure that can be used to build strong self-determined practices We explore what self-determination means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and how it can br...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
Governance lingo
Dec 23 2022
Understand Indigenous Governance
Governance lingo

Governance and government sound really similar, but they are not the same thing We explain why We also explain the difference between organisational, corporate, community and Indigenous governance Governance is no...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
Indigenous governance
Dec 23 2022
Understand Indigenous Governance
Indigenous governance

  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been practising governance since time began What makes it Indigenous governance is the role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture plays We loo...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
Defining governance
Dec 23 2022
Understand Indigenous Governance
Defining governance

  Governance is the way that people organise themselves to achieve a shared goal We look at the 8 elements of governance that need to work together to be effective We also explain the different stages of gove...

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Understand Indigenous governance
Dec 23 2022
Understand Indigenous governance

  In this section, we explain what governance means and look at the different types of governance – Indigenous, community, corporate and organisational We explain what effective governance is and the import...

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Understand Indigenous Governance
Diagram of the Governance Truck
Dec 22 2022
Understand Indigenous Governance
Diagram of the Governance Truck

Download a diagram of the Governance Truck to print and share with your group...

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AIGI / Resource Hub / Managing and maintaining relationships with professionals
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Managing and maintaining relationships with professionals
  • Home triangle
    • Home
    • About the Toolkit
    • How to use the Toolkit
    • Toolkit Topics Overview
  • 01 Understanding governance triangle
    • 1.0 Understanding governance
    • 1.1 The important parts of governance
    • 1.2 Indigenous governance
    • 1.3 Governance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations
    • 1.4 Case Studies
  • 02 Culture and governance triangle
    • 2.0 Culture and governance
    • 2.1 Indigenous governance and culture
    • 2.2 Two-way Governance
    • 2.3 Case Studies
  • 03 Getting Started triangle
    • 3.0 Getting started on building your governance
    • 3.1 Assessing your Governance
    • 3.2 Mapping your community for governance
    • 3.3 Case Studies
  • 04 Leadership triangle
    • 4.0 Leadership for governance
    • 4.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
    • 4.2 The challenges of leadership
    • 4.3 Evaluating your leadership
    • 4.4 Youth leadership and succession planning
    • 4.5 Building leadership capacity to govern
    • 4.6 Case Studies
  • 05 Governing the organisation triangle
    • 5.0 Governing the organisation
    • 5.1 Roles, responsibilities and rights of a governing body
    • 5.2 Accountability: what is it, to whom and how?
    • 5.3 Decision making by the governing body
    • 5.4 Governing finances and resources
    • 5.5 Communicating
    • 5.6 Future planning
    • 5.7 Building capacity and confidence for governing bodies
    • 5.8 Case Studies
  • 06 Rules and policies triangle
    • 6.0 Governance rules and policies
    • 6.1 What are governance rules?
    • 6.2 Governance rules and culture
    • 6.3 Running effective meetings
    • 6.4 Policies for organisations
    • 6.5 Case Studies
  • 07 Management and staff triangle
    • 7.0 Management and staff
    • 7.1 Managing the organisation
    • 7.2 The governing body and management
    • 7.3 Managing staff
    • 7.4 Staff development and training
    • 7.5 Case Studies
  • 08 Disputes and complaints triangle
    • 8.0 Disputes and complaints
    • 8.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous approaches
    • 8.2 Core principles and skills for dispute and complaint resolution
    • 8.3 Disputes and complaints about governance
    • 8.4 Your members: Dealing with disputes and complaints
    • 8.5 Organisations: dealing with internal disputes and complaints
    • 8.6 Practical guidelines and approaches
    • 8.7 Case Studies
  • 09 Governance for nation rebuilding triangle
    • 9.0 Governance for nation rebuilding and development
    • 9.1 What is nation rebuilding?
    • 9.2 Governance for nation rebuilding
    • 9.3 Governance for sustained development
    • 9.4 Networked governance
    • 9.5 Kick-starting the process of nation rebuilding
    • 9.6 Case Studies
  • Governance Stories
  • Glossary
  • Useful links
  • Acknowledgements
  • Preview new Toolkit triangle
    • Understand Indigenous Governance Overview
    • Defining Governance
    • Indigenous Governance
    • Governance Lingo
    • Self-determination and Governance
    • Effective Indigenous Governance

Managing and maintaining relationships with professionals

09 Nation building and development
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Tips: Managing and maintaining relationships with professionals

These are some general guidelines that your organisation, community or group can use when engaging external professional expertise.

  • Identify good experts. Check the professional websites of the people you want to engage so you can read and evaluate their code of conduct and ethics guidelines.
  • Use your existing networks and ask other communities to find out about people’s previous experience with the same professionals.
  • Above all, check references of the professionals you want to engage. Conduct a face-to-face interview where possible, and ask for samples of their previous work.
  • Choose someone who’s keen. Look for individuals who show a genuine interest in your organisation and community, who are committed to spending the time that you need on your projects, and who want a long-term relationship.
  • Engage people who have a proven track record in working on the issue, and in writing reports in a style that is easily accessible to your members.
  • Balance cost with efficiency. Remember that university academics—whose overheads are normally covered by their institutions—usually cost much less than consultants, but a consultant may work more quickly and efficiently.
  • Establish effective contracts or other forms of agreements. These may vary according to whether the work is voluntary or paid. You may have to call for competitive bids; however, you may get better value by engaging someone who costs more but has experience and expertise in dealing with a particular issue, or has worked with the community for a long time.
  • If possible, start with a small contract or project as a test run, with the understanding that good work and relationships will lead to larger projects or assignments.
  • Develop clear terms of reference in the contract right from the start, including specific deliverables, methodologies and timelines.
  • Keep the contractor fully informed. Give the expert the protocols that will be used when consulting with members or stakeholders, and your organisation’s policies and codes of conduct.
  • Get agreement on the content of reports. When a written report is required, ensure that the contract or agreement states that the expert should discuss the contents with management before writing the report.
  • Ensure that the costs of the work meet industry standards. Competitive bids may help but it is also wise to check daily rates and the time estimated for each task.
  • Check who is doing the work—senior or junior experts. Clarify in the contract the time allocated for the senior and junior experts. Also clarify how much they will contribute to training and mentoring people within your organisation or community.
  • State a maximum cost for the work. If there are extensions or additions to the work, make sure these are confirmed in writing and that a new cost is firmly established.
  • Make someone in your organisation responsible. Allocate a specific person in your organisation or group to monitor the contract or agreement.
  • Conduct a face-to-face exit interview. As well as a written report, it can be helpful to have a face-to-face exit interview with key leaders, management and the expert to discuss their findings.
  • Get feedback from the expert. When the work is finished, get feedback from the expert about the whole process and, if applicable, how they think it could have been improved. Also get feedback from the members of your organisation or community who were involved.

Adapted from Graham, J and Bassett, M. 2005. Building Sustainable Communities: Good Practices and Tools for Community Economic Development, Institute on Governance, Canada.

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