Preamble
Overview
This Partnership Agreement outlines the agreed arrangements for the formal partnership between the parties of the Closing the Gap Partnership Forum.
Partnership context
As a signatory to the National Agreement, the Victorian Government must uphold the National Agreement's strong partnership elements.
Shared vision
This Agreement acknowledges that real and sustained impacts are made through advancing First Peoples' self-determination.
Partnership responsibilities and commitments
Shared decision-making through First Peoples governance structures is crucial to ensure self-determining and culturally appropriate responses are provided for the Victorian Aboriginal community.
Accountability, monitoring and reporting
Governments must be held to account for implementing commitments and reaching targets set under the National Agreement.
Partnership Agreement Scope
The scope of the Partnership Forum will be limited to implementation of the National Agreement, consistent with the Implementation Plan.
Overview
This Partnership Agreement (Agreement) outlines the agreed arrangements for the formal partnership between the parties of the Closing the Gap Partnership Forum (Partnership Forum) across all targets and priority reform areas as outlined in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (National Agreement). This Agreement comprises a Preamble, outlining the Partnership Forum's partnership approach to implementing the National Agreement, and a Terms of Reference.
Ngaweeyan Maar-oo (representing the 13 elected Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sector representatives and Aboriginal Governance Forums) and senior executives of the Victorian Government comprise the Partnership Forum. Together Ngaweeyan Maar-oo and the Victorian Government are committed to partnership actions under the National Agreement, including policy partnerships, sector strengthening, place-based partnerships and data projects.
All parties to this Agreement acknowledge that ensuring Aboriginal voices and leadership are heard, respected, and acknowledged appropriately is key to achieving self-determination, as are transparent negotiation and data sharing, and tangible activities to ensure mainstream accountability.
The National Agreement is an ongoing Agreement, until replaced by a future National Agreement. The parties to this Agreement are committed to Closing the Gap implementation until 2031, in alignment with the timeframes for achieving the National Agreement's socioeconomic targets.
Partnership context
As a signatory to the National Agreement, the Victorian Government must uphold the National Agreement’s strong partnership elements outlined in clauses 32 and 22. This includes:
- partnerships are accountable and representative
- formal agreements are in place
- decision-making is shared between government and First Peoples
- adequate funding is provided to support First Peoples’ parties to partner with government.
The National Agreement also commits the Victorian Government to changing the ways in which it works with First Peoples communities and organisations. Victoria's Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2021-2023 (Implementation Plan) sets the groundwork for this necessary change by prioritising partnerships in decision-making between governments and First Peoples communities, and making mainstream organisations more culturally safe, responsive and accountable to the needs of First Peoples.
The Partnership Forum is responsible for the development, oversight and review of Victoria’s actions towards Closing the Gap, including the Implementation Plan and activities that support sector strengthening and priority reform areas.
The Partnership Forum is Victoria's sole formal implementation partner under the National Agreement.
Shared vision
This Agreement acknowledges that real and sustained impacts are made through advancing First Peoples’ self-determination. This Agreement focuses on advancing First Peoples’ self-determination through empowering Aboriginal community-controlled sector partners, promoting accountability of Victorian Government departments and mainstream service providers, and breaking down systemic barriers faced by First Peoples.
Through Victoria’s Implementation Plan, the partnership will drive progress on the National Agreement’s four Priority Reforms with a view to achieving and exceeding the National Agreement’s socioeconomic targets and outcomes. The Victorian Government will continue to transform the way it works with the ACCO sector to ensure First Peoples are respected to make decisions about their own lives.
The Agreement also represents a commitment to shared decision-making. The Victorian Government is committed to systems transformation and meaningful actions that address systemic inequality, racism and disadvantage by genuinely improving accountability and responding to the needs and aspirations of First Peoples. The Victorian Government is committed to continuously listening to the voices of First Peoples communities to focus on what they identify as priorities.
The Priority Reforms set out foundational enablers for changing the way government works, which includes embedding First Peoples-led approaches that are underpinned by self-determination and partnership. The Victorian Government recognises that improved outcomes can only be achieved through policy initiatives that are informed and guided by First Peoples communities. As the funder and provider of many of the services accessed by First Peoples, the Victorian Government must also transform its systems and structures to support self-determination and improve outcomes for First Peoples.
The National Agreement also commits the Victorian Government to sharing access to location specific data and information to support First Peoples achieve the National Agreement’s aims. It is important that the collection of data is done in a culturally appropriate way which empowers the ACCO sector to utilise their own data to make their own decisions. This requires leveraging technical and community expertise to conduct research, whilst ensuring adequate resourcing and capacity for ACCOs to partake in data collection and reporting against Closing the Gap targets.
Partnership responsibilities and commitments
Shared decision-making through First Peoples governance structures is crucial to ensure self-determining and culturally appropriate responses are provided for the Victorian Aboriginal community.
All parties are jointly responsible for overseeing Victoria’s actions to achieve the objectives of the National Agreement. In addition, Ngaweeyan Maar-oo’s sector representatives will also have responsibilities set out in funding agreements with the Department of Premier and Cabinet (per ‘Accountabilities’ set out below).
The Partnership Forum seeks to ensure that community voices determine how Victoria meets its commitments under the National Agreement. Through Ngaweeyan Maar-oo, the partnership will undertake community engagement and work as an ACCO sector representative group. For the Victorian Government, this is a welcome opportunity to learn from our partners and transform the way we work together.
Principles needed to activate ‘self-determination’
| Principle | Description |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal-led | Community is the lead voice for Closing the Gap, with each ACCO sector and Aboriginal Governance Forum representative in the Ngaweeyan Maar-oo being an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person. Delegates will be chosen by the relevant organisation or Forum, free from influence from government. |
| Resourcing and remuneration | The Partnership Forum is appropriately resourced to undertake its function as Victoria’s formal implementation partner, per Clause 33 of the National Agreement. Investment to support the implementation of the National Agreement will be sustainable, flexible and appropriate. Under clause 33 of the National Agreement, funding will be made available to: engage independent policy advice; meet independently of government; support strengthened governance; and engage and seek input from First Peoples from all relevant groups. |
| Participation | Agreed governance for how decisions will be made is outlined below in the Terms Of Reference contained in this Agreement. Ngaweeyan Maar-oo members have time to consider and consult prior to making decisions. |
| Shared decision making | There is transparency in decision-making, with clear responsibilities for Ngaweeyan Maar-oo members and government members, and there are mechanisms to hold Ngaweeyan Maar-oo and government to account. Co-Chairs need to be present at each meeting, with protocols in place when co-chairing is not possible. Co-Chairs need to be accountable and supported in their decisions. |
| Integrations: services, geography, opportunities | The Closing the Gap sectors are not mutually exclusive from one another and need to be connected seamlessly. The principle of promoting and respecting self-determination drives all policy making. Following the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People is fundamental. |
Governance Model
This Agreement is supported by governance arrangements that ensure decision-making is shared between government and First Peoples.
This Agreement is supported by governance arrangements that ensure decision-making is shared between government and First Peoples and governance arrangements are consistent with clause 32 of the National Agreement.
The governance model for this Agreement has four elements:
- Aboriginal Leadership
- Cultural leadership, knowledge and expertise to advance the aspirations for Aboriginal Victorians and meet Closing the Gap outcomes.
- Equity
- Equity of opportunity, access to user friendly data sets at a regional level, investment in enabling Aboriginal Victorians to determine the spend on Indigenous Affairs, and accountability to community.
- Systems Transformation
- Communication and engagement, ACCO support and capacity building, economic development, community ownership, partnership and cultural protocols.
- Self-determination
- Process and practice, community voice first, Aboriginal Victorian led models for partnership, chairing and facilitating Aboriginal inclusions in policy, programming, and evaluation of Closing the Gap targets.
The governance for the Partnership Forum will also adhere to the Enabling Environment Standards outlined at Attachment A to help build trust, growth of the ACCO sector and learning that, if implemented, will ensure that First Peoples’ voices are heard, respected, listened to and acted on.
The parties recognise this partnership will evolve and mature over the life of the Agreement. To support continual improvements to the partnership, formal reviews of the Agreement will be undertaken periodically (with the first review to coincide with the end of the Partnership Forum’s first term).
The parties will endeavour in the spirit of co-operation, good faith, and mutual trust to resolve any difficulties or misunderstandings with respect to the Agreement.
The Agreement may be amended at any time by agreement in writing by all the Parties.
Accountability, monitoring and reporting
Governments must be held to account for implementing commitments and reaching targets set under the National Agreement. This includes identifying, developing or strengthening an independent mechanism that will support, monitor and report on the transformation of mainstream agencies and institutions consistent with clause 67 of the National Agreement.
Victoria’s independent mechanism will be progressed through Victoria’s Treaty process, in partnership with the Partnership Forum and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.
This Agreement commits the Victorian Government to work with Ngaweeyan Maar-oo to develop and agree additional accountability measures for Closing the Gap implementation. Monitoring and annual reporting against the Closing the Gap outcomes and targets is essential to accountability and ensuring that both First Peoples and the broader community have access to regular information on progress.
Partnership Agreement Scope
The scope of the Partnership Forum will be limited to implementation of the National Agreement, consistent with the Implementation Plan.
Terms of Reference
Attachment A
Enabling Environment Standards: First Peoples sectors and government partners
Enabling Environment Standards (EESs) lead to trust, growth of the sector and learning that, if implemented, will ensure that First Peoples’ voices are heard, respected, listened to and acted on.
They are applicable to:
- relationships between partners
- between partners and government
- built environments (i.e. places where meetings will be held and discussions take place)
- the social environment (ensuring Dadirri – deep listening practices, implementing cultural protocols)
- different groupings working on Closing the Gap goals and targets.
- at scale (local, regional, State-wide)
- task oriented (working groups, event planners, developing key policies and procedures)
- for individuals involved in the work.