Codesign in the Indigenous policy domain

 

Two of the most important and high profile current policy initiatives in the Indigenous policy domain are the development of an Indigenous Voice, which I recently blogged about (link here) and the development and ongoing implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (link here) and which I have also written about on this blog (link here and link here).

 

Both of these policy processes involve elements of codesign by both governments and Indigenous interests. Both are case studies in a recent Discussion Paper published by the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the ANU (link here). The paper canvasses the relevant international literature on codesign and collaborative governance; argues that codesign is more than mere consultation; and assesses the two case studies against a set of criteria drawn from the literature.

 

One of the key messages in the paper (consistent with its sub-title) is that while there are opportunities for both governments and Indigenous interests in pursuing codesign of policy development, each of these parties also face risks.

 

Another is that the design of the codesign process is crucial in ensuring the legitimacy and efficacy of the policy outcomes.

 

The Discussion Paper is recommended notwithstanding the author’s academic pretensions.