Checklist

Planning involves… (refer to Section 4)

• Researching the community, including the community history and any prior consultation
• Identifying key stakeholders, decision makers and appropriate community members
• Identifying and contacting other agencies with expertise and experience in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Identifying and contacting other agencies with existing relationships with the community
• Contacting the community through the appropriate channels
• Identifying and discussing issues for the visit, including purpose and objectives, proposed role of community, participants, date, time and venue, language issues
• Sending a letter to the community about the project and proposed meetings
• Identifying what is and what is not negotiable
• Identifying local resource needs and limitations
• Initiating relationships with community contacts and gaining support for the engagement activity

Visiting a community involves…

• Taking guidance from community contacts and being respectful of cultural issues such as land and sea, family and diversity
• Being flexible with timeframes to ensure full participation of community members
• Understanding and applying appropriate meeting protocols
• Gaining agreement of the purpose, expectations and format of the meeting before commencing
• Speaking clearly, actively listening and repeating the outcomes of negotiations
• Maintaining privacy and confidentiality appropriately
• Linking purposes, information and events to local culture and events
• Not making promises you cannot keep
• Being prepared to address multiple and interrelated topics
• Focusing on building partnerships and tangible outcomes

Providing feedback involves… (refer to Section 8)

• Demonstrating the agency’s commitment to delivering agreed outcomes and developing positive relationships
• Encouraging ongoing participation
• Improving relationships