Treasury's reconciliation action plan 2009-2010

Our vision

Consistent with our mission, the focus of Treasury's Reconciliation Action Plan is to assist in improving the wellbeing of Australia's Indigenous people.

• We consider that Indigenous Australians must have the capabilities to make informed choices about their lives and to take responsibility for managing their own affairs.

Indigenous disadvantage is a profound public policy challenge. Across most socio-economic indicators, Indigenous people are amongst the most disadvantaged in Australia. Meeting this challenge requires Government and communities to understand and address some complex social, cultural and institutional factors which limit Indigenous life opportunities.

• While Treasury seeks to bring economy-wide thinking, rigorous analysis and a central policy agency approach to our consideration of Indigenous issues, we also recognise that there continues to be much for us to learn. Treasury values and culture drive us to pursue further knowledge and understanding in order to contribute to significant improvements in the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians.

Treasury's public policy analysis is informed by the Treasury wellbeing framework. The wellbeing framework considers policy issues in the context of the creation of consumption possibilities in the economy, their distribution across society, and the management of risk. The framework also considers the level of complexity faced by all participants in the economy and the need to create key capabilities to provide people with the opportunity and freedom to participate fully in society — both economically and socially.

• Treasury's wellbeing framework helps Treasury officers to highlight the key elements and tradeoffs associated with various policy approaches.
• The framework also provides a touchstone for considering the entrenched problem of Indigenous disadvantage.

Our approach to reconciliation

Treasury is a central policy agency which — unlike many other government departments — does not have a substantial program delivery role. However, Treasury does have a range of relational roles in building Indigenous policy.

Treasury participates in the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Working Group on Indigenous Affairs, the Secretaries' Group on Indigenous Affairs, the Executive Coordination Forum on Indigenous Affairs, the Senior Executive Service Taskforce, our association with the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership, and is engaged in the Single Indigenous Budget Submission process. Through these and other networks, Treasury works with Commonwealth, State and Territory departments to help improve the collective knowledge base, and to develop policies aimed at Closing the Gap between the outcomes experienced by Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people.

• Treasury recognises the need to expand our understanding of Indigenous issues, and is looking to engage further with Indigenous leaders and communities, organisations such as Reconciliation Australia, and academics and others with interest and expertise in this area.
• As part of our broader engagement, Treasury has provided secondees to the Cape York Institute since 2005.

Treasury is seeking to address reconciliation in different ways, and a summary of this approach is set out in the attached table.

Our Strategic initiatives

Indigenous Policy Unit

In February 2008, Treasury established a dedicated Unit to focus on Indigenous policy. This Unit works to ensure sounds policy design in the context of agreed COAG targets and focus areas, having regard for the Treasury wellbeing framework. The Unit acts as Secretariat for the COAG Indigenous Reform Troika, a Commonwealth Officials' group; provides support to the COAG Working Group on Indigenous Reform; and works closely with Commonwealth, State and Territory departments.

Working with the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership

Treasury is working closely with the Cape York Institute to contribute to policy development and also assist us in increasing our knowledge in this area. Treasury has contributed to the Institute's welfare reform work, including through Steering Committee and reference group membership, and by providing two Treasury secondees annually to assist with Indigenous policy analysis.

Treasury also seeks to engage with other Indigenous organisations to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Indigenous issues.

Engagement with portfolio agencies and other departments

Treasury is involved in the COAG Working Group on Indigenous Reform. Treasury is also involved with a number of cross‑government and cross-jurisdictional teams focused on Indigenous affairs. This includes involvement in developing reform proposals on Indigenous Early Childhood Development, Remote Service Delivery, Indigenous Economic Participation, and remote infrastructure.

Treasury encourages the collection of comprehensive and higher quality Indigenous data through our liaison with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Productivity Commission and other Commonwealth data agencies. We are working with other departments and jurisdictions to develop improved performance indicators for Indigenous programs.

• Every two years, one of Treasury's portfolio agencies, the Productivity Commission, publishes the Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report. This report, commissioned by the Council of Australian Governments, contains key headline indicators and outlines seven strategic areas with associated strategic change indicators, to assist all Australian governments in establishing policy priorities to tackle Indigenous disadvantage.
• Treasury chairs the Steering Committee which is undertaking the task of establishing a National Indigenous Expenditure Framework. The Framework will provide governments with a better understanding of the level and patterns of expenditure on services to Indigenous Australians, and assist policy makers to target policies to Close the Gap in Indigenous disadvantage. In addition, it will enable the reporting of estimates of government expenditure on services to Indigenous people that will be comparable, relevant, reliable, cost‑effective and timely.

The Treasury portfolio also has some involvement in Indigenous consumer policy. For example, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) are involved in implementing the National Indigenous Consumer Strategy at the Commonwealth level. The objectives of the strategy are to:

• improve Indigenous consumers' knowledge of their rights and obligations under consumer protection laws and achieve greater Indigenous access to consumer protection programs;
• improve the behaviour of traders, through education and compliance activity, to r
  educe detriment experienced by Indigenous consumers; and
• promote effective engagement and partnership between consumer protection agencies, Indigenous organisations, business and other government agencies to improve consumer outcomes for Indigenous people.

Previously, the functions and operations of the Financial Literacy Foundation were a division of the Treasury; however, these were transferred to ASIC from 1 July 2008. The Treasury is a member of ASIC's Financial Literacy Community of Practice, which is a discussion forum designed to strengthen links between all stakeholders who work on financial literacy issues.

Other initiatives

Treasury participates in a number of programs aimed at recruiting and retaining Indigenous people as well as programs to expose staff to Indigenous issues. The attached table provides more information.

Finally, progress against the Treasury Reconciliation Action Plan will be the subject of an annual report to the Executive Board of Treasury, and a report to Reconciliation Australia for publishing on their website.

Treasury's reconciliation action plan - at a glance

Our vision for reconciliation

The Treasury envisages an Australia in which all people are able to live happy, healthy lives and to control their own futures. A major part of this vision is to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. The Treasury considers that Indigenous Australians must have the capabilities to make informed choices about their lives and to take responsibility for managing their own affairs.

The Treasury believes in building an organisational culture that is culturally aware and responsive to Indigenous issues.

Our business

Our business is to improve the wellbeing of the Australian people by providing sound and timely advice to the Government, based on objective and thorough analysis of options, and by assisting Treasury ministers in the administration of their responsibilities and the implementation of Government decisions. The Treasury's work is centred on four portfolio outcomes — a sound macroeconomic environment, effective government spending arrangements, effective taxation and retirement income arrangements, and well-functioning markets.

Our RAP

Our RAP was developed by the Treasury Indigenous Policy Unit in consultation with the RAP Working Group (including Indigenous staff and senior staff). This RAP includes short-term actions which will help lay the foundations for Treasury's longer term targets.

1. Relationships

The Treasury believes that respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are important for effective policy development.

Focus area: Treasury will focus on building stronger relationships with academics and Indigenous organisations to assist robust policy development.

Action	Responsibility	Timeline	Measurable Target
Establish a RAP working group made up of Indigenous staff, Human Resources Division, Indigenous Policy Unit and other interested staff to develop and monitor the RAP.	Social Policy Division	August 2008	RAP Working group established
		February, July 2009 and February, July 2010	2 x RAP meetings per year
		October 2009 and October 2010	RAP Working Group report to Treasury Executive 1 x per year.
Engage with Indigenous leaders, organisations such as Cape York Institute and Reconciliation Australia, and academics with interest and expertise in this area, to assist our understanding and learning.	Social Policy Division	July 2010	Ensure every member of the Indigenous Policy Unit has had the opportunity to establish an ongoing formal two-way learning engagement with an Indigenous organisation/professional/leader. The learnings will be communicated within the Department.
Engage with relevant academics on emerging research and issues.	Social Policy Division	Ongoing	Arrange meetings with academics from a wide range of disciplines.
		June 2009	Develop an internal database for an Indigenous evidence base.
Participate in Indigenous Conferences and policy forums.	Social Policy Division	July 2010	Every member of the Indigenous Policy Unit has the opportunity to attend at least one Conference concerned with Indigenous issues.
Contribute to the Single Indigenous Budget Submission Budget Process.	Social Policy Division	May 2009 and May 2010	Seek to ensure that the Single Indigenous Budget Submission and COAG Reforms contribute to Closing the Gap.
Facilitate a whole-of-government approach to Indigenous policies.	Social Policy Division	Ongoing	Attend relevant interdepartmental committees.
Contribute to COAG's Indigenous reforms.	Secretary and Social Policy Division	Fortnightly during the COAG process	Chair the Commonwealth Troika for the Working Group on Indigenous Reform.
Facilitate the better collection of Indigenous data	Social Policy Division	December 2009	Chair Steering Committee to establish an Indigenous Expenditure Framework.
Explore alternative options to improve Indigenous financial literacy and access to financial products.	Corporations & Financial Services Division and Social Policy Division	December 2010	Provide input, discuss options and exchange ideas with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and other regulators.

2. Respect

Treasury recognises that central to the concept of wellbeing is the opportunity and freedom that allows individuals to lead lives of real value to them. For Indigenous people, this opportunity and freedom is intrinsically linked to their land, culture and history. While Treasury seeks to bring economy-wide thinking, rigorous analysis and a central policy agency approach to our consideration of Indigenous issues, we also recognise that there continues to be much for us to learn. Treasury's values and culture drive us to pursue further knowledge in order to achieve improvements in the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians.

Focus area: Treasury will focus on staff development to increase knowledge of Indigenous culture and history. Increasing staff understanding of Indigenous issues will improve policy development and outcomes.

Action	Responsibility	Timeline	Measurable Target
Inform Treasury staff about acknowledgment of country protocols.	Fiscal Group and Human Resources Division	July 2009	Distribute acknowledgment of country protocols to appropriate staff.
Secondment Program.	Fiscal Group/ Department	October 2009 and October 2010	Secondments to the Cape York Institute, or similar.
Guest lectures on Indigenous issues by Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.	Fiscal Group	Biannually	Two lectures in 2009 and in 2010.
Recognise, celebrate and raise awareness of Indigenous cultural issues.	Human Resources Division	July 2009 and July 2010	Ensure regularly updated information is available to all staff via the Treasury intranet, including information on celebratory events such as NAIDOC week.
Include Indigenous issues in relevant training programs.	Human Resources Division	August 2009	Indigenous policy issues permanently included in training programs such as the Executive Leadership Program.
Provide staff with access to Indigeno us cultural awareness information/training as appropriate.	Human Resources Division and Social Policy Division	Annually - prior to deployment of secondees	Offer cultural awareness training to staff on secondments.
		December 2009	Information on Indigenous cultural awareness is included in New Starters' Induction material and is available on the intranet.
		December 2010	Access to cultural awareness training is offered and promoted to all Treasury staff.

3. Opportunities

Opportunity and freedom is a key component of the Treasury's wellbeing framework and mission statement. Treasury recognises that opportunity and freedom includes issues such as access, capability endowments and participation by Indigenous Australians.

Focus area: Treasury will focus on improving employment opportunities for Indigenous Australians within the department.

Action	Responsibility	Timeline	Measurable Target
Increase awareness of employment opportunities available in Treasury by: extending graduate recruitment activities to include the University Indigenous Units/Centres. advertising, as appropriate, in Indigenous-specific media such as Koori Mail.	Human Resources Division	July 2009	Indigenous Units/Centres, where available, will be contacted prior to applications closing for the cadet and graduate positions.
		July 2010	Trial and evaluate the advertising of positions in Koori Mail or National Indigenous Times.
		December 2010	Increase in the number of Indigenous applications for employment opportunities within Treasury.
Develop and implement an Indigenous Employment Strategy for Treasury.	Human Resources Division	December 2009	Strategy developed and implemented.
		December 2010	Three to five employment offers made annually through Indigenous graduate, cadetship, traineeship or other programs (subject to availability of suitable candidates).
Actively participate in and promote service-wide strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employees.	Human Resources Division	Annually	Participate in APSC Indigenous graduate and cadet selection processes. Participate in, and contribute to development of, other service-wide initiatives, particularly those which highlight the role of central policy agencies.
Monitor and report to Treasury Executive on attraction and retention data for Indigenous employees.	Human Resources Division	December 2009 and December 2010	Annual reporting to Treasury Executive.
Support capacity building and professional development of our Indigenous staff.	Human Resources Division	December 2009	Offer mentoring to all Indigenous staff. Offer career development training to all Indigenous staff. Promote and encourage Indigenous staff to participate in APS-wide learning and development programs and opportunities including initiatives developed as part of the APS Employment and Capability Strategy.

4. Tracking progress and reporting

Action	Responsibility	Timeline	Measurable Target
Monitor progress against each of the above targets	Social Policy Division and Human Resources Division	July, December 2009 and July, December 2010	Measure progress towards each of the targets and identify areas that may require further action.
Department Executive will oversee the implementation, reporting and further development of the RAP through the RAP Working Group.	RAP Working Group	Annually	RAP Working group to report annually to the Treasury Executive.
RAP to be distributed to all staff and made available to the public on the departmental website.	RAP Working Group	May 2009	RAP available on departmental website.
Register RAP with Reconciliation Australia.	Social Policy Division	May 2009	RAP Registered on Reconciliation Australia Website.
Provide Reconciliation Australia with annual RAP report and refreshed RAP.	Social Policy Division	December 2009 and December 2010	RAP Report and refreshed RAP provided to Reconciliation Australia at end of 2010.