Accountability

Focus within the accountability domain

Accountability is key to ensuring the government’s commitment to self-determination is translated into meaningful action. DPC’s goal is to establish transparent, Aboriginal-led accountability of government and government-funded organisations. This will ensure that policies and programs are responsive to Aboriginal needs, priorities and aspirations, and that government action is consistent with the self-determination enablers and guiding principles. The treaty and truth and justice processes currently underway will scrutinise government’s accountability and heighten expectations on government to deliver on its commitments.

Overview of progress within the accountability domain

DPC’s primary contribution to the accountability domain is through leading the development of the VGAAR. The VGAAR is published annually to monitor progress on improving outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians across the VAAF’s six domains. This fulfils one of DPC’s BP3 commitments, and ensures government is accountable to Aboriginal Victorians when progressing its commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. DPC also coordinates annual reporting through the SDRF to monitor departmental progress of actions related to the VAAF’s self-determination enablers. Work towards obtaining and publishing disaggregated data and future upgrades to the Aboriginal data dashboard, will further improve community access to local level data. This will enable communities to hold government to account for outcomes in their local area and to drive place-based decision making.

DPC drove a number of new and significant accountability processes, including establishment of a Stolen Generations Reparations Package and leading the whole of government response to the historic Yoorrook Justice Commission, in line with Victoria’s commitment to address historical wrongs and ongoing injustices. During this reporting period, DPC established the Yoorrook Justice Commission Response and Engagement Branch to support the State’s engagement with the Commission. Over the coming years, treaty and truth will shape what accountability looks like and show us how we can further strengthen government’s accountability to community.

The establishment of the Subcommittee (see Section 2.2.1) is another important step in strengthening DPC’s accountability to self-determination reform. The Subcommittee will support accountability across all areas of the department by improving internal systems, policies and processes to enable self-determination.

2.4.1. DPC’s contribution to government accountability

Publicly measure progress against the VAAF through the VGAAR

Resposible DPC Group	FPSR
Progress	Ongoing
Enablers	Transfer power and resources to communities
Progress and impacts	This work intersects strongly with both the outcomes and accountability SDRF domains (see action 2.3.1 for progress and impacts).
Future commitments

Lead an approach with departments to disaggregate annual VGAAR data

Responsible DPC Group	FPSR
Progress	In progress
Enablers	Transfer power and resources to communities
Progress and impacts	FPSR is working with all departments to source disaggregated data, where possible.FPSR is working with the Commonwealth to source disaggregated data under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap’s reporting arrangements. This will enable community access to local level data, in turn supporting their self-determining right to place-based decision making and progressing towards data sovereignty.
Future commitments	Commence data dashboard upgrades to increase disaggregated localised data and improve dashboard accessibility. Collating and publishing disaggregated VGAAR data will further enable the Victorian Aboriginal community to hold government to account for outcomes in their local area and place-based decision making from 2022.

Progress Stolen Generations Reparations

Responsible DPC Group	FPSR, supporting Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS)
Progress	In progress
Enablers	Address trauma and support healing
Progress and impacts	Throughout the first half of 2021, FPSR supported the Stolen Generations Reparations Steering Committee, comprised of Stolen Generations, family members and service delivery organisations, to undertake community engagement on the Stolen Generations Reparations Package’s (Reparations Package) design. The Steering Committee engaged over 400 Stolen Generations to produce its Final Report to government in July 2021. In mid-2021, DJCS assumed responsibility for implementing the Reparations Package. DJCS and FPSR have since worked together to establish the Reparations Package in accordance with the Final Report, to ensure it is culturally safe and responsive, and can contribute to genuine healing for Stolen Generations. The Reparations Package is a significant contribution to government accountability as it acknowledges and addresses the role of past governments in forcibly removing Aboriginal children from their families. It will also enable self-determination by addressing trauma and supporting healing.
Future commitments	Continue work with DJCS to ensure the Reparations Package is rolled out in a timely manner.

Progress the truth and justice process to reckon with injustices perpetrated against Aboriginal Victorians

Responsible DPC Groups	FPSR
Progress	Ongoing
Enablers	Address trauma and support healing Adress racism and promote cultural safety
Progress and impacts	FPSR played a central role in supporting the Yoorrook Justice Commission and its inquiry by: working in partnership with the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to establish the Commission, including working together to develop the terms of reference supporting the appointment of the five Commissioners through an open and transparent nomination process ensuring government’s response to and engagement with the Commission aligned with the State’s commitment to transparency throughout the treaty process assisting the Commission to achieve its truth-telling objectives.
Future commitments	Coordinate the State’s response to the Commission, including providing information, developing of policy submissions and responding to the Commission's interim and final reports.

Implement the four priority reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap within DPC and across government.

Responsible DPC Group	FPSR
Progress	Ongoing
Enablers	Transfer power and resources to communities
Progress and impacts	Victoria's Implementation Plan outlines a comprehensive set of actions demonstrating how government will progress the four priority reform areas set out in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Key commitments include: annual reporting of progress on outcomes and targets through the VGAAR further consideration of priority sectors for strengthening, guided by data (including family violence and child protection).
Future commitments	Continue to implement the priority reforms as outlined in the Implementation Plan in 2022.

Improve the arrangements of governance groups to increase Aboriginal representation and accountability to the sector

Responsible DPC Group	FPSR
Progress	In progress
Enablers	Address racism and promote cultural safety Transfer power and resources to communities
Progress and impacts	FPSR has listened to concerns from the Aboriginal community regarding Aboriginal representation and accountability across various governance group and forums. FPSR worked with ACCOs to better enable Aboriginal involvement and leadership.
Future commitments	Continue to work with Aboriginal organisations to increase engagement with and a level of accountability to the ACCO sector across governance groups and forums. Coordinate work to establish a new sector-based partnership forum to enhance the self-determined nature of government’s Closing the Gap partnership. This new partnership forum will have members representing all service sectors relevant to Closing the Gap and will respond to community concerns around representativeness and accountability in existing governance mechanisms. Note establishment of the new Closing the Gap Partnership Forum, including its independent election process, will be detailed in DPC’s 2022 Report.

CASE STUDY 2.4.1: Establishment of the Yoorrook Justice Commission

The Commission is inquiring into historical and ongoing systemic injustices committed against Aboriginal Victorians by State and non-State entities since colonisation.

The Nation’s First Truth and Justice Process

The Victorian Government established the Yoorrook Justice Commission on 12 May 2021, following 10 months of work in partnership with the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to develop the terms of reference for a truth and justice process. Funding of $58 million over four years was allocated to the truth and justice process in the 2020/21 State Budget, including $44 million for the establishment and operations of the independent, Aboriginal-led Commission.

Since its establishment, the Commission has developed the strategic priorities for its inquiry and begun work towards its three key goals of: creating a lasting public record of the truth; generating better understanding of the impacts of colonisation in the broader Victorian community; and making recommendations for changes to laws, institutions and systems to remedy injustices.

DPC established the Yoorrook Justice Commission Response and Engagement Branch to support the State’s engagement with the Commission and prepare departments to assist the Commission with its inquiry.

Next steps

The Commission will provide its interim report to by 30 June 2022 and continue its inquiry to support the development of its final report, due by 30 June 2024. The Commission's interim report may detail progress to date, emerging themes and issues and, if available, any initial findings that should be considered through the treaty process. DPC will lead the government response to these reports.

DPC will continue its open, transparent and genuine engagement with the Commission, including by providing documents and other information requested by the Commission and responding to the interim report.

Updated 22 May 2023