competency The following key principles and actions set the foundations for working with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities and organisations, and for ensuring their participation in CMA projects and programs. We embrace Aboriginal What does this We will acknowledge culture and events and protect the integrity mean for the CMA We will listen to the voices of of Traditional Knowledge organisation? Aboriginal women and men and, when permitted, we will use it with respect We will work with Traditional We will integrate • Owners as they meet their Aboriginal obligations to Country engagement and participation in the planning, governance, implementation Key What does this mean for the individuals working for the CMA? and Our induction • procedures and training programs IMPORTANT AND engagement and engagement with and review of our We will work with Aboriginal Aboriginal people programs and projects OBLIGATIONS TO We will accommodate the groups that differences between our decision We will seek advice • COUNTRY ARE Our people will be have an interest in land and • making processes and those of the from people actively supported water management DIVERSE Aboriginal Groups we work with with experience to engage Aboriginal in Aboriginal communities and to Our workplace • engagement PROTOCOLS build partnerships arrangements will ARE support proper Our Aboriginal • FAIRNESS, participation approaches will AND SUPPORT EQUITY ON SHARED We will coordinate with other be well planned, AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING We will support agencies to integrate our tailored, targeted and Aboriginal groups in activities and reduce RESPECT AND CLEAR evaluated their pursuit of economic administrative burdens PASSING ON COMMUNICATION We will provide • opportunities and jobs in land TRADITIONAL meaningful and water management We will spend the time, We will provide meaningful opportunities for KNOWLEDGE IS effort and resources opportunities for Aboriginal Aboriginal people IMPORTANT necessary to facilitate groups to participate to contribute to participation strategies and initiatives We will acknowledge the We will prioritise • effects of people’s histories obtaining the free, We will work • ABORIGINAL on their capacity to prior and informed transparently and LEADERS participate consent of Traditional respectfully with HAVE Owners before we Aboriginal people, and THE HEALTH AND undertake projects MANY DEMANDS establish clear roles We will contribute to that affect their rights WELLBEING OF and expectations closing the gap in ON THEIR to lands or waters COUNTRY AND MEANINGFUL Aboriginal disadvantage TIME GOOD We will actively seek • PEOPLE ARE We will communicate in to involve Aboriginal ALL ONE plain English and we will ENGAGEMENT people in programs share information in and projects according TAKES TIME IS BASED ON TRUST DEPENDS meaningful ways to their interests
What does this mean for the CMA organisation? • We will integrate Aboriginal engagement and participation in the planning, governance, implementation Key and The following key principles and actions set the foundations for working with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities and organisations, and for ensuring their participation in CMA projects and programs. We will acknowledge We embrace Aboriginal culture and events We will listen to the voices of and protect the integrity of Traditional Knowledge Aboriginal women and men and, when permitted, we will We will work with Traditional use it with respect Owners as they meet their obligations to Country What does this mean for the individuals working for the CMA? • Our induction procedures and training programs competency and review of our programs and projects • Our people will be actively supported to engage Aboriginal communities and to build partnerships • Our Aboriginal engagement and We will accommodate the differences between our decision making processes and those of the Aboriginal Groups we work with PROTOCOLS ARE IMPORTANT AND OBLIGATIONS TO COUNTRY ARE DIVERSE We will work with Aboriginal groups that have an interest in land and water management • Our workplace arrangements will support proper engagement with Aboriginal people • We will seek advice from people with experience in Aboriginal engagement participation approaches will be well planned, tailored, targeted and evaluated • We will provide meaningful opportunities for Aboriginal people to contribute to strategies and initiatives • We will work transparently and respectfully with Aboriginal people, and establish clear roles and expectations GOOD MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT IS BASED ON TRUST DEPENDS TAKES TIME AND SUPPORT FAIRNESS, EQUITY ON SHARED AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING RESPECT AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION We will spend the time, We will provide meaningful effort and resources opportunities for Aboriginal necessary to facilitate groups to participate participation ABORIGINAL THE HEALTH AND LEADERS HAVE We will contribute to MANY DEMANDS WELLBEING OF closing the gap in ON THEIR COUNTRY AND Aboriginal disadvantage TIME PEOPLE ARE ALL ONE We will coordinate with other We will support agencies to integrate our Aboriginal groups in activities and reduce their pursuit of economic administrative burdens opportunities and jobs in land and water management We will acknowledge the effects of people’s histories on their capacity to participate We will communicate in plain English and we will share information in meaningful ways PASSING ON TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE IS IMPORTANT • We will prioritise obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of Traditional Owners before we undertake projects that affect their rights to lands or waters • We will actively seek to involve Aboriginal people in programs and projects according to their interests
aboriginal-participation-guideline-vic-cma.docx