Enora Richard is studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics at UWA, and recently undertook a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship with the Department of Communities, supporting work to improve collaboration between government agencies and Regional Noongar Corporations.
“I worked on a project aimed at providing additional support to the State Government initiative of District Leadership Groups (DLGs); DLGs bring together different government agencies to tackle local issues,
“The Southwest Native Title Settlement requires that the DLGs collaborate with Regional Noongar Corporations (RNCs) in order to achieve their obligations under the settlement, which aim to improve outcomes for Noongar people. My work was to research and provide advice and templates for the DLGs and RNCs to use in their strategic planning and evaluation,” Enora said.
“When creating strategic planning and evaluation templates, I included what I had learnt through my research on how to include Noongar voices in processes, how to be culturally safe in strategic planning and strategy implementation, and how to respect Indigenous rights when conducting research for evaluation,
“What I achieved in my internship will hopefully inform the way the DLGs operate in the future and lead to them working in a culturally sensitive and inclusive manner that will allow Noongar voices to be heard, and ultimately improve outcomes for Noongar people,” she said.
Melinda Ashley, Principal Project Officer with the Department of Communities, supervised Enora’s contribution to the project and said that her efforts had been very helpful in supporting the work of the project team.
“Enora’s perspectives were really useful, and it was wonderful to have someone working on a distinct part of our project who could spend time researching and thinking through the issues,
“Enora asked lots of questions, which helped us to clarify our thinking around the project work and how to progress to the next stage,”
Enora said the internship experience opened her eyes to social issues in WA and work being undertaken to tackle them, and gave her unique insight into working in the public service.
“The research I conducted and the discussions I had with my team opened my eyes to the complexity of solving issues; specifically, the complexity involved in getting diverse groups to collaborate and work together effectively,
“The research also gave me an understanding of processes that can help ensure that Indigenous voices and stories can be amplified and better understood,” she said.
“The McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship is a great opportunity to make a difference - it is an opportunity to use the skills and knowledge you have gained throughout your degree to contribute to projects that will have tangible outcomes for the community.”