Improving Governance in Indigenous Communities

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Improving Governance in Indigenous Communities
Building on eLearning Success
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Background

• Indigenous individuals and organisations need to
  be able to actively participate in todays
  rapidly changing, knowledge-based environment.
  Skills in business governance and leadership need
  to continue to be developed within Indigenous
  organisations, boards and individuals in remote
  Indigenous communities.

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Project aims

• to increase awareness of e-learning opportunities
  in Governance through participants positive
  experiences
• to develop and trial a recognition process for
  Certificate IV in Leadership using technology
• to customise resources for a further four core
  units from the Certificate IV in Business
  (Governance)
• to share resources and experiences of delivering
  Governance training across Australia through
  technology based communications (video
  conferencing)

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Project success factors

• The Champions
• - assist build capacity to delivery by supporting
  potential teachers
• The mentors
• - local support for learning, understanding,
  motivation, contact, technology and study skills
• Community consultation
• - critical

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Our Champions
Suraya Bin Talib - WA Suraya is a lecturer with
Kimberley College of TAFE involved with
Indigenous projects. In the remote geographical
location of the Kimberleys, it is critical to
ensure that all Indigenous people have quality
and timely access to vocational education and
training which is not limited to the traditional
means such as the classroom setting.
Lou Townsend NSWLou is a business teacher, and
was one of the first people to complete
Governance training, and continues to lead,
mentor and support other Indigenous people
through the learning process using a range of new
technologies.
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Project partners - NSW

• TAFE NSW, Western Institute

Deniliquin
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TAFE NSW Western Institute - committed to
training of Indigenous peoples

• Large Training Provider of the Year NSW 2006 and
  2007
• Large Training Provider of the YearAustralia
  2007
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of
  the Year Shilo Barker from Dubbo

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The Western Institute team
Rod Towney Jenny Kingham Kay Whitehall Lou
Townsend Teena Bonham Project Manager Project
Sponsor Project Coordinator Champion Teacher
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Project Partner Western Australia

• Kimberley TAFE

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The Kimberley team
Richard Agar Mark Manado Suraya Bin Talib
Champion
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Governance training in the Kimberleys

• five existing students also studying governance
• recognition pathway
• resources developed for two units
• files supplied to students on flash drive if no
  internet.

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Website for Governance resources

• An online accessible repository for Governance
  teaching resources
• http//governance.moodle.com.au

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Website for Governance resources

• Resources for seven core units now available
• http//governance.moodle.com.au

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Web conferencing

• Adobe Connect trialled with students seeking
  recognition in Leadership
• training for project team
• one-to-one consultation to identify and record
  recognition evidence.

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Challenges and solutions

• successful cross-state video conference link ups
  via ISDN
• ISDN link-up expensive due to prime time phone
  line costs between the Kimberleys and Sydney
• a change of WA Project Champion led to a delay in
  the project timeline
• the need to be flexible with training programs to
  allow for sorry times.

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Challenges and solutions

• the change of delivery locations for Western
  Institute, to include a group at Warren in the
  training rather than Ivanhoe as originally
  identified
• differing enrolment requirements in different
  states - Indigenous students in NSW are fee
  exempt when undertaking TAFE training in WA they
  are not.

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Students and locations

• KimberleysGovernance 5
• Broome
• Derby
• Fitzroy Crossing

• Western InstituteGovernance - 18
• Menindee
• Warren
• Leadership - 4
• Bourke
• Dubbo
• Menindee
• Deniliquin

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Governance Training in TAFE NSW, Western Institute

• Menindee community in far west NSW 12
  participants undertaking Governance training, and
  being mentored by a previous participant in the
  training
• recent Governance graduates, Teena Bonham and
  Darren Toomey, delivering weekly evening training
  sessions via video conference from Dubbo under
  the mentorship of Lou Townsend.

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Governance Training in TAFE NSW, Western Institute

• Warren in central west NSW - five participants
  undertaking Governance training and being
  mentored by a local current Governance student
• Lou Townsend delivering weekly training sessions
  via video conference from Gilgandra - six units
  completed. The students will complete the course
  by mid 2008.

Gilgandra
Warren
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Leadership RPL - NSW

• Certificate IV in Leadership - a new TAFE NSW
  course
• templates developed for recording evidence for
  key units from this course
• web conferencing (Adobe Connect) one-to-one is
  being trialled to use techniques such as
  discussion, recordings, question and answer to
  gather evidence for recognition of prior learning
• four students are participating, from Bourke,
  Warren, Dubbo and Deniliquin in NSW

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Testimonial

• June Cain - Governance student, Warren NSW

Our Business Plan sat in the draw for 12 months
after three weeks at TAFE I actually picked the
plan up to see what it was about that was a big
achievement for me!
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Testimonial

• June Cain - Governance student, Warren NSW

Before, I thought I wouldnt be able to do the
job with the new changes coming in, but now,
yeah, given the chance and more training, I
reckon I could!
This course has given me confidence that I
didnt have before now Im not scared to pick
up a document thats 10-foot thick!
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Testimonial

• Teena Bonham Governance teacher Dubbo, NSW

The experience of shifting from being a student
to a teacher was one of profound satisfaction on
a professional and personal level. I feel as an
ex student I bring that experience to the
classroom.
As a student the Certificate IV in Governance
course I got the opportunity to enhance my
existing skills and to develop new skills to
think differently about the way to conduct
business.
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Testimonial
Teena Bonham
It has been a rewarding opportunity to know that
I am helping to deliver and support board and
community members with vital skills that will
increase the sustainability of our Aboriginal
organisations.
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TestimonialAlistair Ferguson
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On behalf of TAFE NSW Western Institute and
Kimberley TAFE, we would like to thank Rhonda,
Michelle and staff for their invaluable support
with this project. We would like to thank the
Australian Flexible Learning Framework for its
encouragement and financial support. We would
also like to congratulate the other Indigenous
Engagement Project Teams on their successful
projects, and wish everyone peace and happiness
for the future.