Getting Started

It can be hard to know where to start when planning a new policy, program or service focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes. The key part of collaboration is to start the conversation. 

Make connections, share openly and most importantly listen to what community tells you. Your plan may not follow the path you expect but by building trust and demonstrating respect you will be able to establish a plan that reflects the needs and priorities of the community relevant to the issue you are aiming to address.

Planning your engagement approach

Not every aspect of policy or program development requires true co-design. The engagement approach will vary according to what you are aiming to achieve, where the concept originated, and the time, skills and resources available.

When determining the appropriate level of engagement, be clear about what it is you are trying to achieve and why.  Be open and honest about any limitations that will restrict your ability to truly co-design the program and what’s driving them.  Ask potential partners what terms such as co-design and shared decision making mean for them and whether they have preferences around language to be used or avoided.

Some questions to ask yourself when determining whether co-design is the right approach:

• What / who has informed the plan to develop a new program or service?
• Was the initiative identified as a need by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations? 
• How much has already been decided and how much opportunity will there be to work with community stakeholders to design the approach and outcomes together? 
• Do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people agree to participate in co-design?
• Do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants in the co-design process have access to benefits that non-Indigenous participants stand to gain from the project (such as financial, academic, capability and reputational)?
• Is there support from your organisation to use a true co-design approach? Do you have the commitment, time, resources and flexibility to set goals and change direction based on community preferences? 
• Does your approach embed the key principles for best practice co-design? 

Maintaining a co-design mindset

A co-design mindset is about creating space and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander priorities, values and preferences to shape the process, regardless of what level of engagement you use. Do as much as you can to facilitate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander input and guidance to the greatest extent possible. 

A co-design mindset means:

• Building relationships before building projects.
• Starting with questions not solutions.
• Leading with humility. Be prepared to listen and learn along the way.
• Embracing uncertainty and being open to new ways of thinking and working.
• Being honest about constraints and challenges.
• Openly inviting feedback.
• Being flexible and open to change.
• Sharing data and information and respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data sovereignty.

Implementing different levels of engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples