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Last updated: 30 October 2006
Shared Responsibility Agreements
Improving Community Outcomes - working with communities – Shared Responsibility Agreements
As part of the broader strategic response to the Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage Report, the Australian Government is working with indigenous people and communities to plan and build for a better future. The development of Shared Responsibility Agreements (SRAs) is one way that indigenous communities are able to identify priorities for change and determine how they can be achieved. SRAs are co-ordinated through Indigenous Coordination Centres (ICCs) situated in 30 locations across urban, rural and remote Australia. ICCs bring together a range of skills and expertise from key Australian Government agencies involved in indigenous program development and delivery. ICCs are managed by the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC) within the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
ICCs are flexible in their formation and operation based on the varying needs of local indigenous communities. ICC managers have specialist skills including developing networks, interpersonal communication and cultural sensitivity. Centres may have representatives from member agencies co-located or in close geographical proximity to encourage greater levels of relationship development and provide opportunities for collaboration. Where agencies are not represented within the ICC – solution brokers provide the appropriate co-ordination within their agency. The role of the solution brokers is to have a thorough knowledge of their agencies’ mainstream programs and identify and tailor mainstream support to meet the individual community needs.
It is important that SRAs provide positive foundations for longer term strategies to bring about sustainable outcomes. SRAs to date have included a broad range of community outcomes including improving local employment, education, youth activities and nutrition. In addition to financial or in kind support from Federal, State and Local Government partners, SRAs can also include contributions from local businesses, corporate and philanthropic partners. The focus of many early SRAs was around building of trust and capacity in communities and developing an appreciation of and willingness to engage in measures requiring reciprocity, mutual obligation and shared responsibility. Early agreements usually focussed on one or two relatively simple issues however, more recently agreements have been moving towards more comprehensive approaches. Flow on effects have included the development of greater levels of positive communication with government and improved community capacity and governance arrangements at the local level. Agencies have also benefited from the collaborative processes in that they are now talking more openly with each other and looking to find new ways to streamline processes wherever possible.
Funding provided through SRAs is discretionary and all agreements include mutual obligations. Typically, in-kind support is also offered as well as ongoing support from the relevant ICC. It is important to note that mutual obligation needs to reflect the capacity of the community in question. For many the starting point is low and therefore the expectations for change need to be realistic. It is also important not to underestimate the impact that even limited mutual obligation can have on very dysfunctional communities. Participation in the SRA activities, volunteering and co-ordinating community resources are some examples of how communities are working towards achieving their priorities under the SRAs.
The performance of each SRA will be monitored and reviewed as set out in the agreement. Each SRA contains baseline data and tailored performance indicators that seek to measure behavioural change in communities. Formal independent evaluation for the first 30 SRAs is currently underway. This consists of two elements: monitoring the performance of individual agreements, and a systemic evaluation of the SRA approach. The key focus of these reviews will be on whole of government learning’s and ‘doing better’, and local arrangements and partnerships. The reviews will involve all parties to agreements and will be conducted by a panel of independent consultants.
To gain further insights into the work of the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination go to www.oipc.gov.au.
The majority of signed SRAs are available in full at www.indigenous.gov.au/sra.html.
Lessons Learned
Some of the SRAs that have evolved have provided positive examples of the benefits of collaboration and working together – both within and between governments, and also with the private and non-government sectors. Of the 187 signed agreements, 127 (68%) include Australian government investment other than OPIC, with many of these involving buy-in from multiple agencies. From an investment perspective, a total of $54.528 million has been invested to date including:
- OIPC $17.915 million (33%)
- Other agencies $25.547 million (47%)
- State/Territory $7.782 million (14%)
- Other parties $3.283 million (6%)
Australian government agencies are continuing to work to improve responsiveness and flexibility in responding to and addressing need in Indigenous communities. Looking to streamline funding and reporting processes is one way in which they are doing this.
From a whole-of-government perspective investment to date in Community development, School attendance and Education training and employment is consistent with the three priority areas identified by the Ministerial Taskforce in Indigenous affairs. Good formal and informal communication mechanisms between government agencies, communities and other partners in the SRAs are paramount to enabling communities to achieve their desired outcomes.
