Victoria’s Partnership Forum on Closing the Gap Implementation

The Victorian Government is committed to partnering with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sector, formally recognised Traditional Owner Groups and existing Aboriginal governance forums to implement the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The National Agreement sets out best practice partnership principles that all signatories have agreed to support implementation of Closing the Gap.

In alignment with the National Agreement, the Victorian Government established a Partnership Forum on Closing the Gap in May 2022.

The membership of the Partnership Forum comprises:

• Ngaweeyan Maar-oo
  • Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sector representatives (as determined by the sector)
  • Aboriginal governance forum delegates (as nominated by the relevant governance forum)
• Senior Victorian Government departmental and agency executives.

ACCO sector representatives

Sector based membership is required to cover National Agreement targets and action areas. This includes a representative ACCO from each of the following sectors:

• health*
• social and emotional wellbeing
• education/skills
• economic development/employment
• housing
• justice/youth justice
• children and families services (child protection)
• family violence
• land and waters
• culture and languages
• disability
• youth
• elders and aged care
• early childhood care and development.

* Health sector representative: The National Agreement acknowledges in Clause 45(c) that an element of a strong sector is “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations which deliver common services are supported by a Peak Body, governed by a majority Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Board, which has strong governance and policy development and influencing capacity.” As such, the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), as the peak body for the Aboriginal health sector, will be the health sector representative, subject to any necessary endorsement from its members.

In February 2022, the Department of Premier and Cabinet engaged Aboriginal-led consultancy Karabena Consulting Trust to facilitate an independent, community-led process to determine sector representatives for the Partnership Forum.

Aboriginal governance forum delegates

The Victorian Government has many existing structures and mechanisms to partner with the ACCO sector, Traditional Owner groups and the broader Aboriginal community.

In alignment with the National Agreement, a delegate from each relevant Aboriginal Caucus of Victorian Aboriginal Governance Forums will also have membership on the Partnership Forum. This will ensure critical sector-specific and regional input is captured to build a coordinated approach to National Agreement implementation across relevant Aboriginal governance structures.

The Aboriginal Caucuses of the Victorian Aboriginal Governance Forums determine their own representative on the Partnership Forum.

Senior departmental executives

The Victorian Government is represented on the Partnership Forum by senior executives, including those who have responsibility for Aboriginal policy and program areas, from all departments and key agencies.

The Partnership Forum's current term runs until June 2025 in line with Victoria's Closing the Gap Implementation Plan.

Accountability requirements for sector representatives include:

• sector representative attendance at Partnership Forum meetings
• regular, open and inclusive engagement with sector-based Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to inform sector policy development, agenda items and discussion at Partnership Forum meetings
• if requested by a sector member, evidence of sectoral engagement
• publicly available written information on sector engagement, activity and expenditure.