Governance resources

The Awards themselves are only part of the Reconciliation Australia and BHP Billiton Indigenous governance program.

Since 2004 we’ve brought together learnings from our outstanding IGA finalists, as well as findings from the broad ranging Reconciliation Australia and Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research's (at the Australian National University) Indigenous Community Governance Project, to provide material to assist organisations, communities and groups to build and strengthen their governance.

The Indigenous Governance Toolkit

The toolkit stands alone as the only comprehensive and freely accessible online governance resource targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities. The toolkit takes you through key topics—from getting started on building your governance to dealing with disputes and complaints providing resources, templates and tools.

2012 will see us renovate and redesign the toolkit to make it even more useful as a governance training and support resource.

Visit the Toolkit.

Celebrating Indigenous Governance: Success stories of the Indigenous Governance Awards

The Celebrating Indigenous Governance handbooks are packed with real stories and real case studies from our finalists and winners. Each chapter deals with a critical governance topic—leadership, future planning, making and implementing decisions—providing tips and examples on how you can adapt effective practices to your organisation or initiative.

Click on images to download 2008, 2006 and 2005 Celebrating Success handbooks

Sharing Success workshops

In 2007, 2009 and 2010 governance workshops were held at sites around the country to help bring the learnings and success stories of the Awards to organisations on the ground. The workshops have attracted attendees from 104 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.

The Indigenous Community Governance Project

The community governance project, a partnership between the Australian National University's Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) and Reconciliation Australia, undertook research on Indigenous community governance with participating Indigenous communities, regional Indigenous organisations, and leaders across Australia.

The Project explored:

The current state of community governance on the ground, including its cultural, social, economic, legal, policy, service delivery, and historical contexts
The different models of governance that have been established and are emerging in communities, and the governance processes, institutions, structures, powers and capacities involved
The factors influencing culturally legitimate governance arrangements in Indigenous communities
The shortfalls in community governance skills and capacities, as well as the governance strengths, and
The wider 'governance environments' and policy networks within which community governance operates, including the role and impacts of State, Territory and Federal Government policy and service delivery on the effectiveness of community governance.
Case study research was undertaken at 13 varied sites across Australia, in collaboration with participating communities and organisations. The Project aimed to make research 'count' by using a participatory community-based approach, and by directly informing the work of Indigenous organisations, leaders and government agencies in their practical efforts to build better governance.

The Project depended on guidance from an Advisory Committee with a significant Indigenous membership, which comprised experts from across Australia as well as international researchers from the United States and Canada.

Research findings from the Project are available in a wide range of accessible formats to the participating Indigenous community governing bodies and leaders, and to project sponsors. In addition, the Project publishes papers, reports, and a newsletter, and presents its research at workshops and conferences.

Read the Year Two Research Findings.

Read the Year One Research Findings

Go to the Project's page at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research.

Contested Governance: Culture, power and institutions in Indigenous Australia

This publication edited by Janet Hunt, Diane Smith, Stephanie Garling and Will Sanders brings together a collection of papers examines the dilemmas and challenges involved in the Indigenous struggle for the development and recognition of systems of governance that they recognise as both legitimate and effective.

It is gradually being recognised by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that getting contemporary Indigenous governance right is fundamental to improving Indigenous well-being and generating sustained socioeconomic development. The authors highlight the nature of the contestation and negotiation between Australian governments, their agents, and Indigenous groups over the appropriateness of different governance processes, values and practices, and over the application of related policy, institutional and funding frameworks within Indigenous affairs.

Download Contested Governance

Honoring Nations and the Harvard Project for American Indian Economic Development

The Harvard Project for American Indian Economic Development “aims to understand and foster the conditions under which sustained, self-determined social and economic development is achieved among American Indian nations through applied research and service”. The Harvard project has its own awards program called Honoring Nations which recognises outstanding examples of tribal governance.

The Harvard Project for American Indian Economic Development

Honoring Nations