Reconciliation Action Plans are about taking good intent and turning it into action.
The Black Lives Matter protests which have erupted across the globe have caused quite a lot of Australians to rethink the problems affecting Indigenous communities.
The health, wealth and employment gaps between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population are well known, however the protests created new urgency to do something about them.
In July, the Australian government unveiled new Close the Gap targets including reducing Indigenous incarceration rates.
For organisations that feel the urgency act there’s one obvious solution – a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
In 2006, Reconciliation Australia launched RAPs as a way for organisations to incorporate strategic reconciliation initiatives as part of their enterprise plans. The purpose of a RAP is to create significant opportunities to your organisation to actively support and recognise Indigenous Australians. Like many initiatives, reconciliation is a process that may evolve as you and your organisation start to take action.
RAPs are broken down into four maturity levels that reflect where organisations are of their reconciliation journey. They’re: Replicate, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate. Each has a corresponding RAP type organisations can pursue. For instance, the Innovate degree is for organisations that already understand where they will improve on Indigenous points and have begun taking motion to actively address them.
The first step for all organisations is to determine its maturity level. “Contact the RAP workforce at Reconciliation Australia and find out which degree you will start at,” says Anthony. “The RAP workforce will ship you a template that may define what you need to do. There are some basic compulsory actions required by Reconciliation Australia such as celebrating nationwide Reconciliation Day and growing knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. After that, it’s in regards to the adjustments you possibly can make.”
Because a number of organisations will start at the Reflect stage, this guide will outline the pillars you need to establish to start your reconciliation journey.
Research
This is the place it all begins.
It could help to look into why RAPs are so essential as well as the present points facing Indigenous people. Reports comparable to Close the Hole can provide context to your RAP and may assist you with the subsequent step.
Secure help
A part of a successful RAP is establishing help for reconciliation initiatives across your entire organisation. In most cases this must start at the top.
“Most often I find that if people are introduced with the info, they pretty quickly get on board with wanting to be part of the reconciliation movement,”
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are three per cent of the population. They’ll’t do the heavy lifting in terms of change and infrastructure change, societal change, or changing attitudes.
“RAPs are a way of stepping in and making significant change.”
Over 1,000 organisations have formalised RAPs, and their implementation has had a real impact on improving employee understanding of Indigenous points, the Reconciliation Australia 2018 RAP Impact report found. This can have a stream-on effect. It makes workers more engaged with their community and so they often select to donate to, or volunteer with, Indigenous organisations as a result.
A RAP additionally solidifies your organisation’s commitment to creating a culturally safe work environment, which expands your recruiting pool by making your workplace a more attractive employer to Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander employees.
Set up a working group
The subsequent step is to form a working group that can oversee the whole RAP process. This group will should be made up of various representatives from all sectors of your organisation.
The group is in charge of planning and implementing the RAP, so it will need to include members who’ve some precise energy to make adjustments in the organisation, and members who understand it from a coverage and tradition perspective.
Lastly, for the RAP to be really successful, you’ll need involvement from members who work with customers or clients, so that people outside your organisation understand you are trying to make a difference.
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