ACIL Allen also acknowledges that First Nation’s peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their traditional knowledge. Ensuring First Nations communities are heard and empowered requires improvements in government policies, funding models, and service design and delivery. ACIL Allen strongly supports the Australian Government’s National Indigenous Reform Agreement (Closing the Gap) policy agenda.
ACIL Allen works with First Nations-controlled organisations, government, and partners to help facilitate meaningful change. We have worked in health, justice, education, training and employment, early childhood and youth development, economic development and community services to improve outcomes for First Nations organisations.
We work in partnership with First Nations peoples to undertake policy and program evaluations, strategic and organisational reviews, strategy development, and capacity building activities to provide tangible benefits to First Nations communities.
ACIL Allen ensures that First Nations peoples that contribute to our work receive a fair and equitable share of benefits arising from the use and application of their knowledge, practices, and innovative ideas.
Our approach aligns with national and international guidelines, building foundations of respect, trusting relationships, working through community leaders, being sensitive to community timeframes and priorities, and acknowledging cultural norms.
Services we provide include:
- assessing policy reform relating to First Nations health, education , housing and public safety
- reviewing and evaluating First Nations programs
- engaging with First Nations people in urban, regional and remote locations, adopting culturally appropriate and culturally safe engagement approaches
- analysing service coordination and community engagement
- collecting, analysing and synthesising input from a large and diverse range of stakeholders including First Nations communities, service providers, and local, state and territory governments, and the Commonwealth government.