Reconciliation Action Plans are about taking good intent and turning it into action.
The Black Lives Matter protests which have erupted throughout the globe have caused a whole lot of Australians to rethink the problems affecting Indigenous communities.
The health, wealth and employment gaps between Indigenous Australians and the remainder of the population are well known, but the protests created new urgency to do something about them.
In July, the Australian government unveiled new Shut the Gap targets including reducing Indigenous incarceration rates.
For organisations that really feel the urgency act there’s one obvious solution – a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
In 2006, Reconciliation Australia introduced RAPs as a way for organisations to include strategic reconciliation initiatives as a part of their enterprise plans. The purpose of a RAP is to create meaningful opportunities in your organisation to actively assist and recognise Indigenous Australians. Like many initiatives, reconciliation is a process that can evolve as you and your organisation begin to take action.
RAPs are broken down into four maturity ranges that mirror where organisations are of their reconciliation journey. They are: Mirror, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate. Every has a corresponding RAP type organisations can pursue. For instance, the Innovate level is for organisations that already understand the place they will improve on Indigenous points and have begun taking motion to actively address them.
Step one for all organisations is to determine its maturity level. “Contact the RAP workforce at Reconciliation Australia and discover out which degree you’ll start at,” says Anthony. “The RAP staff will send you a template that can outline what you want to do. There are some primary compulsory actions required by Reconciliation Australia reminiscent of celebrating national Reconciliation Day and rising knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. After that, it’s in regards to the modifications you can make.”
Because quite a lot of organisations will start at the Replicate stage, this guide will outline the pillars it is advisable to establish to start your reconciliation journey.
Research
This is where it all begins.
It could help to look into why RAPs are so vital as well as the present points going through Indigenous people. Reports comparable to Shut the Gap can provide context to your RAP and would possibly aid you with the subsequent step.
Secure assist
A part of a profitable RAP is establishing help for reconciliation initiatives throughout your entire organisation. In most cases this needs to start on the top.
“Most frequently I find that if individuals are introduced with the information, they stunning quickly get on board with eager to be part of the reconciliation movement,”
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons are three per cent of the population. They’ll’t do the heavy lifting when it comes to change and infrastructure change, societal change, or changing attitudes.
“RAPs are a way of stepping in and making meaningful change.”
Over 1,000 organisations have formalised RAPs, and their implementation has had a real impact on improving worker understanding of Indigenous points, the Reconciliation Australia 2018 RAP Impact report found. This can have a flow-on effect. It makes employees more engaged with their community and they often choose to donate to, or volunteer with, Indigenous organisations as a result.
A RAP additionally solidifies your organisation’s commitment to making a culturally safe work setting, 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 type a working group that may oversee the complete RAP process. This group will must be made up of assorted representatives from all sectors of your organisation.
The group is in control of planning and implementing the RAP, so it will need to consist of members who’ve some precise energy to make changes in the organisation, and members who understand it from a coverage and culture perspective.
Lastly, for the RAP to be really successful, you’ll want involvement from members who work with clients or shoppers, so that individuals outside your organisation understand you are trying to make a difference.
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