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 a number of Australians to rethink the issues affecting Indigenous communities.
The health, wealth and employment gaps between Indigenous Australians and the remainder of the inhabitants are well known, however the protests created new urgency to do something about them.
In July, the Australian government unveiled new Shut the Hole targets including reducing Indigenous incarceration rates.
For organisations that really feel the urgency act there is one apparent 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 business plans. The goal of a RAP is to create meaningful opportunities to your organisation to actively support and recognise Indigenous Australians. Like many initiatives, reconciliation is a process that can evolve as you and your organisation start to take action.
RAPs are broken down into four maturity ranges that mirror where organisations are in their reconciliation journey. They’re: Replicate, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate. Each has a corresponding RAP type organisations can pursue. For example, the Innovate degree is for organisations that already understand where they can improve on Indigenous issues and have begun taking action to actively address them.
The first step for all organisations is to find out its maturity level. “Contact the RAP workforce at Reconciliation Australia and find out which degree you will start at,” says Anthony. “The RAP staff will send you a template that will define what you need to do. There are some fundamental obligatory actions required by Reconciliation Australia resembling celebrating national Reconciliation Day and rising knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. After that, it’s in regards to the adjustments you possibly can make.”
Because lots of organisations will start on the Mirror stage, this guide will define the pillars you should establish to start your reconciliation journey.
Research
This is where it all begins.
It can help to look into why RAPs are so important as well as the present issues facing Indigenous people. Reports corresponding to Shut the Gap can provide context to your RAP and would possibly enable you with the subsequent step.
Secure assist
A part of a profitable RAP is establishing assist for reconciliation initiatives across the complete organisation. In most cases this needs to start on the top.
“Most often I discover that if people are offered with the info, they pretty quickly get on board with desirous to be part of the reconciliation movement,”
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are three per cent of the population. They can’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 employee understanding of Indigenous issues, the Reconciliation Australia 2018 RAP Impact report found. This can have a stream-on effect. It makes staff more engaged with their community they usually usually choose 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 atmosphere, 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 kind a working group that will oversee all the RAP process. This group will should be made up of varied representatives from all sectors of your organisation.
The group is accountable for planning and implementing the RAP, so it might want to include members who have 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 profitable, you’ll need involvement from members who work with prospects or shoppers, so that people outside your organisation understand you are trying to make a difference.
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