Read time: 4 mins
Based on Introducing Indigenist Critical Policy Analysis: A rights-based approach to analysing public policies and processes by Natalie Bryant, published July 2024.
When new policies are designed in Australia, there’s no concrete mechanism or framework that ensures that the rights of Indigenous peoples are protected. New ANU expertise attempts to bridge this gap by offering policymakers an approach to evaluate a policy’s impact on Indigenous rights.
Read time: 4 mins
Based on Introducing Indigenist Critical Policy Analysis: A rights-based approach to analysing public policies and processes by Natalie Bryant, published July 2024.
1
Indigenous rights need stronger protection in Australia’s policymaking process.
2
According to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, agencies must engage with Indigenous peoples and work with them in full and genuine partnership. But this isn’t happening consistently and methodically in practice.
3
The research outlines a new five-phase process for policymakers to assess how proposals affect Indigenous rights.
Governments need better ways to ensure Indigenous rights are upheld in the policymaking process, according to ANU research. But as a Productivity Commission report into progress on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap found, there’s a “stark absence” of strategies in place to achieve this.
While mainstream policy evaluation assesses whether policies and processes have met governments’ stated objectives, there are currently no effective and consistent means to assess whether policies uphold or violate Indigenous rights.
To address this gap, ANU expert and Pat Turner scholar Natalie Bryant has developed a framework for ensuring that the knowledge, skills and lived experience of Indigenous people properly lead and influence the policymaking process.
Indigenist Critical Policy Analysis is a five-phase approach that could help agencies fill this evaluation gap and ensure their policymaking not only respects but actions Indigenous self-determination. It centres Indigenous perspectives at every stage.
The five phases of Indigenist Critical Policy Analysis:
Orientation
In this phase, the policy process is broadly assessed to ascertain if it aligns in principle with Indigenous rights.
Close examination
In this next phase, the policy’s alignment with specific Indigenous rights is examined in detail.
Determination
The third phase ranks a policy or policy process as ‘silent’, ‘poor’, ‘uncertain’, ‘fair’, ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ against each indicator of Indigenous determination.
Strengthening practice
In the fourth phase, assessors provide practical feedback focused on Indigenous rights, values, and knowledge. Indigenous voices have the chance to identify areas needing improvement.
Indigenous final word
In the fifth phase, there’s a final evaluation of the policy or policy process’ alignment with Indigenous rights, through Indigenous representatives. It considers Indigenous engagement in the process and whether overarching policies like the National Agreement on Closing the Gap has been meaningfully incorporated. It gives Indigenous people an opportunity to provide a final, complete response.
Indigenist Critical Policy Analysis is a five-phase approach that could help agencies ensure their policymaking not only respects but actions Indigenous self-determination.
