Engaging First Peoples: A Review of Government Engagement Methods for Developing Health Policy

This second discussion paper commissioned by the Lowitja Institute follows on from the successful paper Legally Invisible - How Australian Laws Impede Stewardship and Governance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health(Howse 2011). Researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, La Trobe and Notre Dame conducted an analysis of national, State and regionally constructed engagement policies and strategies in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing to identify best practice examples and lessons learned. These learnings aim to support those working on the challenges of effective implementation of policies and programs within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health arena, and Indigenous affairs more generally. They have particular relevance for practitioners concerned with the difficulties of contributing to the achievement of equity in health and wellbeing for First Peoples in increasingly complex policy and community contexts.