1. Remote Service Delivery March 2013 Brian Gleeson, Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services University of Canberra Guest Presentation

2. The lay of the land Closing the Gap A COAG initiative – targets and building blocks Remote Service Delivery A new way of working? Accountability - the Office of the Coordinator General for Remote Service Delivery A watchful eye Strengthening communities

3. RSD National Partnership Objectives  Improve the access of Indigenous families to a full range of suitable and culturally inclusive services.  Raise the standard and range of services delivered to Indigenous families to be broadly consistent with those provided to other Australians in similar sized and located communities.  Improve the level of governance and leadership within Indigenous communities and Indigenous community organisations.  Provide simpler access and better coordinated government services for Indigenous people in identified communities.  Increase economic and social participation wherever possible, and promote personal responsibility, engagement and behaviours consistent with positive social norms.

4. The question should not be, ‘why do women not accept the service that we offer?’ BUT ‘Why do we not offer a service that women will accept?’ World Health Organization 2005

5. Improved engagement … Better service systems … Stronger communities Remote Service Delivery: a new paradigm? Governments working differently by themselves and together looking at places rather than programs and levels of government eg 29 priority remote communities, Jurisdictional Boards of Management Governments and communities working differently together a proper partnership with joint decisions about what will be done and how is done eg Single Government Interface, Local Reference Groups Communities working differently being properly informed, making decisions, holding governments and service providers accountable eg Local Implementation Plans, baseline mapping, performance indicators

6. RSD Priority Communities

7. The Office of the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services  Key element of the new model  Independent  Drive reform  Accountability and reporting “ we need to convince communities that this is a new way of working and not just a new way of describing what we have always done” CGRIS second six monthly report Statutory officer established under the Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services Act 2009

8.  Oversee the implementation of the RSD partnership.  Formally report twice a year on progress, and ensure that all government agencies are held accountable for their implementation responsibilities.  Have the authority to work across agencies to cut through red tape and bureaucratic blockages and to make sure services are delivered effectively.  Work with the whole of government Regional Operations Centres established to coordinate services in communities and the single government contact points located within the priority communities. What do we do?

9.  Twice a year, the Coordinator General formally reports to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services & Indigenous Affairs.  The report ensures that all government agencies are held accountable for their implementation responsibilities.  Reports have been released in November 2009, September 2010, March 2011, September 2011, April 2012 and December 2012. Six Monthly Reports

10. Some of the issues raised: community governance and community development approaches; governance of governments; coordination; flexibility of funding; delivery of infrastructure projects; service availability, including renal services; ground up engagement, effective community participation in informed decision making; and integrated strategies. Key issues from reports to the Minister

11.  considerable effort to make sure that the development of the LIP was grounded in local context and community input  dynamic process which evolved as the community awareness and understanding increased.  the various family and clan groups in the community were mapped, identifying family leaders, traditional owners and elders who held positions of influence in the strong cultural context of the community.  the Men’s and Women’s Yarning Circles were enthusiastically embraced - some women’s sessions went for four to five hours with up to 50 women participating Mornington Island engagement

12. Local Year 12 students involved in the development of the Local Implementation Plan Some of their suggestions:  Football competition  Music room  Driving lessons  Youth Centre  Training centre Their suggestions were accepted into the Local Implementation Plan Gapuwiyak engagement

13.  Provision of in community dialysis services is a key community issue  OCGRIS coordinated various agencies to provide the following:  Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantakt Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation: nurse  NT Government: renal machines  Western Aranda Health Aboriginal Corporation: hosted the service  FaHCSIA: three demountables for office space  Department of Health and Ageing: purpose built relocatable renal facility  The new facility opened in September 2010 and provides nurse assisted renal dialysis six days a week. Ntaria renal facility Construction of Facility Completed Facility

14. Examples of ISD Government Business Centres  a space and place for government and communities to do business  planning underway for a trial Government Business Centre at Wurrumiyanga Remote Service Delivery Shopfronts  transaction hubs through which community members can connect with a range of government funded services  operated in Government Business Centres or within existing community infrastructure e.g. Shire Office, Human Services, or NT Housing Offices  a similar shopfront service delivery model has been proposed under the CYP and is being trialled in Coen and Aurukun  Territory Housing  Department of Children and Families  Traditional Credit Union  multi-purpose rooms  meeting room – could be used for community meetings, as a court room, as a training room

15. Summary – government’s role is to create an environment where communities can improve their own circumstances empower communities in their efforts to solve their own problems respond to priorities that lead to sustainable outcomes support capacity building efforts provide ongoing support and investment to meet community priorities Insanity : doing the same thing and expecting a different result Albert Einstein

16. Questions? Here is Edward Bear, coming down the stairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. (from A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh) cgris.gov.au