Reconciliation Action Plans are about taking good intent and turning it into action.
The Black Lives Matter protests that have erupted across the globe have caused numerous 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, but the protests created new urgency to do something about them.
In July, the Australian government unveiled new Shut the Gap targets together with reducing Indigenous incarceration rates.
For organisations that really feel the urgency act there is one obvious solution – a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
In 2006, Reconciliation Australia introduced RAPs as a way for organisations to incorporate strategic reconciliation initiatives as a part of their business plans. The aim of a RAP is to create significant opportunities for your organisation to actively assist and recognise Indigenous Australians. Like many initiatives, reconciliation is a process that will evolve as you and your organisation begin to take action.
RAPs are broken down into 4 maturity ranges that mirror the place organisations are in their reconciliation journey. They’re: Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate. Each has a corresponding RAP type organisations can pursue. For example, the Innovate level is for organisations that already understand where they will improve on Indigenous points 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 team at Reconciliation Australia and find out which degree you’ll start at,” says Anthony. “The RAP group will send you a template that will define what it’s good to do. There are some fundamental compulsory actions required by Reconciliation Australia resembling celebrating national Reconciliation Day and growing knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. After that, it’s concerning the changes you’ll be able to make.”
Because loads of organisations will start on the Replicate stage, this guide will define the pillars it is advisable to establish to start your reconciliation journey.
Research
This is where it all begins.
It might probably assist to look into why RAPs are so important as well as the present issues facing Indigenous people. Reports equivalent to Close the Gap can provide context to your RAP and might show you how to with the next step.
Secure help
Part of a profitable RAP is establishing support for reconciliation initiatives across the entire organisation. In most cases this needs to start on the top.
“Most frequently I discover that if individuals are offered with the information, they stunning quickly get on board with wanting to be a 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 altering 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 worker 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 also solidifies your organisation’s commitment to creating 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.
Establish a working group
The next step is to form a working group that will oversee your complete RAP process. This group will need to 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 might want to consist of members who have some actual power 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 need involvement from members who work with customers or clients, so that people outside your organisation understand you are trying to make a difference.