NSW Treasury First Nations Investment Framework

The First Nations Investment Framework is a guide to good practice for anyone working with First Nations people on the design or evaluation of policies and programs. 

At its heart, the framework believes that true progress happens when we listen to and learn from First Nations people who are involved or affected by these initiatives. The framework aims to improve outcomes for First Nations communities by forming genuine partnerships that benefit everyone.
It also aims to build a solid evidence base on what works, and increase transparency on spending.

Understanding and trust are key for genuine relationships with First Nations communities.

The First Nations Investment Framework provides guidance on how to create relationships that honour and respect the rich culture and history of First Nations people.

When you start engaging with a community, focus on understanding their perspectives, be flexible, and handle any contentious issues with care and respect.

Knowing the local governance structures and identifying key stakeholders to partner with lays the groundwork for lasting and impactful relationships. Building trust takes time and effort, but it’s important for maintaining successful collaboration throughout the life of an initiative.

Long-term, well-resourced relationships based on mutual trust, rather than transactional exchanges, ensure meaningful collaboration from start to finish. It’s also important to recognise that First Nations people should define what a genuine relationship looks like.

Cultural safety, ethical considerations, and a principles-based approach are at the heart of working with First Nations communities. Taking care to embed a First Nations-centred approach into everyday practice will lead to better outcomes.

Genuine partnerships involve shared decision-making with First Nations communities, which promotes self-determination.

The First Nations Investment Framework provides guidance on how to do this effectively, starting with early engagement.

There’s often a range of local governance bodies to consider partnering with. These governance structures can significantly influence your initiative. Actively collaborating with First Nations partners in decision-making can create initiatives that go beyond inclusivity – they become transformative – empowering First Nations communities through meaningful collaboration and shared leadership.

You should consider both formal and informal partnerships that amplify First Nations voices. Engage with the community and let them guide you on what and how it’ll work best.

This framework provides starting points for conversations around governance and shared decision-making. It includes guiding questions and case studies from across NSW, offering insights on formal and informal approaches for you to consider. Remember, each community is unique, so your approach may need to be different. It’s also important to allocate adequate time and resources to establish these partnerships.

When community representation and shared leadership are prioritised, the chances of achieving stronger, more successful outcomes with First Nations communities are enhanced.

Historically, policies and programs weren’t always centred on First Nations communities, their culture, aspirations or needs.

The First Nations Investment Framework aims to change this by promoting self-determination through community-led design.

Community-led design means First Nations partners share in the development of options to address specific community goals and aspirations, in a culturally safe way. This approach should be central to developing initiatives.

It’s important that the case for change is developed and defined by the First Nations community. This isn’t just about identifying a problem or opportunity – but also about what the community envisions as the path forward.

First Nations cultures can be a powerful driver that improves the effectiveness of a policy or program.

A holistic approach is important, covering economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects. Community-led design is fundamental to achieving outcomes and improving what works.

Collecting and analysing data is essential to understanding the potential outcomes and priorities of an initiative identified by a First Nations community.

Different communities will have different data needs. First Nations people are the custodians of their data. It’s crucial to respect their rights of determining how their data is collected, stored and used.

Understanding and embedding Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance principles into a project is key. It could involve establishing data sovereignty agreements, so that First Nations communities maintain control and ownership of their data.

Data collection and storage should be culturally appropriate, respectful and truly reflective of community perspectives. Use methods that are ethical and align with the cultural values and practices of First Nations communities. For example, consider an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research approach that centres self-determination and shared decision-making.

By embedding First Nations approaches to data collection and reporting, we can capture the rich stories, lived experiences, and cultural contexts that are vital to understanding the full impact of initiatives.

Transparency and accountability ensures that initiatives genuinely benefit First Nations communities. The First Nations Investment Framework provides guidance on how to share information and research findings to First Nations communities, decision-makers and the general public.

It’s important that information is useful, easily accessible, and available to First Nations communities. Rather than information being hidden away, it should serve as a foundation for better, culturally responsive initiatives and practice. Key lessons about what worked – and what didn’t – should be passed on to anyone developing new initiatives.

By transferring knowledge, publishing findings and being accountable, we not only respect First Nations cultures, but also ensure that the initiatives we create are truly aligned with community aspirations.

The technical appendix of the First Nations Investment Framework focuses on the importance of embedding First Nations perspectives into cost-benefit analysis.

Cost-benefit analysis is an important economic tool that informs government investment decisions. It goes beyond a financial analysis and compares options by considering their full range of benefits and costs.

While developing the First Nations Investment Framework, our research showed that the value of First Nations cultures wasn’t being incorporated consistently in economic evidence.

To address this, the technical appendix provides guidance for each step in cost-benefit analysis.

It explains how to capture the values, rights, interests and cultures of First Nations people. To do this well, genuine partnerships with First Nations communities need to be established from the very beginning of the process.

This collaboration is essential for defining the case for change and identifying options. First Nations partners are best placed to provide guidance on what culturally informed options might look like, and the full range of outcomes that they can help to achieve.

By embedding culture into cost-benefit analysis, we can better target investment to where it will have the greatest impact.