ACH AANSW.
What is the ACH Information System?
The ACH Information System will be a digital solution that supports Aboriginal communities to track and manage their information on country and capture data that:
- Is culturally appropriate,
- Supports cultural heritage management,
- Works with government systems to allow for effective ACH processes, and
- Delivers big improvements to Aboriginal communities in ACH protection and conservation.
The project will identify the key needs of Aboriginal communities in managing their cultural data and give a solution. This will act as part of the broader Aboriginal Cultural Heritage (ACH) reform process.
The new system aims to let Aboriginal communities track and manage their cultural data and allow government and industry to proactively work with Aboriginal people.
What we heard from community
The project to date has sought to identify the key needs of Aboriginal communities in managing their cultural data and to deliver a digital solution.
In 2018, AANSW asked Aboriginal communities across NSW about their data management practices. The system at the time was the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS). Communities said that they could not effectively manage their data in AHIMS.
The ACH Information System will replace AHIMS and will also support the delivery of:
- Accessible, affordable and world-class services,
- Closing the Gap outcomes, including shared decision making and shared access to data,
- OCHRE, and
- Best practice principles such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Aboriginal Affairs NSW and Heritage NSW are working on research for a new information system (the system) for NSW.
The system will replace the AHIMS. It is a central element of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage reforms.
How is the System being designed?
ACHIS is being developed using Culturally Centric Design (CCD). CCD places Aboriginal communities first and foremost in developing ACHIS and places the culture of the community and individuals at the center of system design. Data sovereignty and the protection and safeguarding of Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) are at the heart of CCD.
The principles of CCD form the bedrock of the approach to ACHIS and are:
- Decolonisation of processes and systems,
- Free, Prior, and informed consent,
- Developing community capacity,
- Understanding community needs before thinking about solutions,
- Understanding solutions that work for Aboriginal communities in NSW before testing,
- Testing solutions before deciding, and
- Working with community as partners at every step after delivery.
How will the ACH Information System project work?
The project has several distinct phases, with the Aboriginal community as critical partners in the project at every stage.
Phase 1 – Discovery (Complete)
This phase focused on building a better understanding of the cultural data management problems through insights from engagement with users in the Aboriginal Community.
Phase 2 – Design (Underway)
Aboriginal Affairs NSW will engage Aboriginal technical experts to help design the system based on work in the previous discovery phase and test the solutions with you. This is an 'agile' method where we try, test, and learn to create digital solutions. We will come back to the communities working on the project to test what has been developed and get feedback.
Phase 3 – Delivery
Delivery is where the system is built, tested, and prepared for broader launch. Solutions developed in the design phase are built, and we will work with community to ensure that they work as designed.
Phase 4 – Deployment
This is where the system “goes live” and AHIMS is decommissioned, with additional features being developed and added over time.
Getting Involved
If you would like to provide input into how ACHIS could be designed, please use the link below to make a submission:
Further information
For all other enquiries related to ACHIS, please contact the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Reforms team at achis@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au.