Intensifying Aboriginal Voice Integration and Diffusion in Public Health Governance

Dr Mark J LockAustralian Research Council

Discovery Indigenous Research Fellow

Encoding Social Values

“moral values and resource allocation cannot be isolated from the social interactions through which these are realised”

Anderson, I. (1997). The Ethics of the Allocation of Health Resources in Race Matters: Indigenous Australians and ‘Our’ Society (pp. 191-208). Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.

Is there a governance wedge?

• Argument: an intensification programme needs to consider the role of governance in Closing the Gaps

• Theme: multiple points and pathways for encoding of social values into routine governance processes

• Concepts: participation, governance, integration

Governance

1. Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (2004-2008). “Indigenous Community Governance Project”. Online.

2. NSW Auditor-General (2011). “Governance Lighthouse – Strategic Early Warning System”. Online .

3. NSW Auditor-General (2011). “Corporate Governance – Strategic Early Warning System”. NSW Auditor-General’s Report Volume Two 2011. Online

4. NSW Auditor-General (2015). “Governance Lighthouse – Strategic Early Warning System (Checklist)”. Online.

“the evolving processes, relationships, institutions and structures by which a group of people, community or society organise themselves collectively to achieve the things that matter to them”1

2-4

Aboriginal Voice Integration & Diffusion in Public Health Collaboratives (AVID Study)

@MarkJLock, @StudyAVID, www.avidstudy.com

1) Lutschini, M. (2005). Engaging with holism in Australian Aboriginal health policy – a review. Australian and New Zealand Health Policy, 2:15. Online.

2) Lock, M. (2007). Aboriginal holistic health: A critical review. Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health. Online.3) Lock, M. et al. (2011). Indigenous participation in an informal national Indigenous health policy network. Australian Health

Review, 35(3): 309-15.4) Lock, M. (2012). The bright sides of assimilation. Med J Aust, 197(7):417-418. Online.5) Lock, M. (2015). I want to end meaningless rhetoric in Indigenous politics. Online.6) Lock, M. (2015). Shame and disgrace in the governance of food and nutrition policy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Peoples. Online.7) Lock, M. (2015). Meet the Mob: Mark Lock. Online

‘there should be collaboration between and within Governments at all levels, their agencies and funded service providers to effectively coordinate services and programs’

Committees

• A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours (Milton Bearle)

• Committees are key integration structures

Single committee solution: I + C(p) > R

Committees as Knowledge Diffusion Networks

Governance Complexity

• AVID Website Governance Visualisation• Corporate Governance and Accountability Compendi

um • Corporate Government Matrix• Policy Context and Strategic Alignment• The most effective committee consists of

three members two of whom are usually absent (after Robert Copeland)

Governance Chain - BUFI

• Committee (bubble):organisation (umbrella):social system (framework):acts/legislation (institution)

• CRG/CCF/CF > CESC > MNCLHDGB > MNCLHD-ELT > NSW-SEF > MoH-ELT > MoH > Cabinet > Parliament > Governor-in-Council

HNELHD Governance Chain

A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled (Sir Barnett Cocks)

A Governance Formula

A/Li+1 [SDFn+1] > (COt+1) > (CRn+1) > [BoDd+1 : (CAC; CPC)]: Eco : ORn+1 : OPn+1[RA/L+1] : OSn+1 [OSt+1]

Organisation perspective:

CtG Intensification

• multiple points and pathways for encoding of social values into routine governance processes.

• Practical steps – much excellent work already being done by MNCLHD.