Cultivating indigenous capacity building through leadership development
Creators: name: Kennedy, Helen
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024

description: This research explored how my own life experiences and leadership journey have informed my professional practice in Indigenous capacity building. The relationship between Indigenous capacity building and the promotion of Ieadership development is the underlying basis of my research. This is an increasingly important area in Aboriginal Affairs and public policy given the currency of debates around Indigenous capacity building as a strategy towards overcoming entrenched disadvantage experienced by so many Indigenous people. This is juxtaposed with the increasing recognition of the need to promote new and emerging Indigenous leadership as a strategy to ensure the future survival and growth of strong, self-determining Aboriginal communities.<br><br>A key element of my research is the development and construction of a model which describes the key characteristics or determinants of Indigenous capacity building through developing Indigenous leadership. This has been constructed from my own experiences, research and analysis and reflects the primacy of leadership in debates around Indigenous capacity building. <br><br>The model demonstrates that there are three key separate yet interrelated components of Indigenous capacity building through promoting leadership development. Interwoven through and between each of these components is the importance of culture which is the all permeating centre of the model and cannot be underestimated. <br><br>The first component in the model focuses on the importance of internally based capacity building which I have described as 'intra capacity building.' This represents a cluster of interdependent characteristics that combined together, contribute towards building stronger 'internal' capacities as a necessary strengthening factor which builds resilience and are all essential leadership qualities. They includes attributes such as the development of self knowledge, self confidence and self awareness, cultural identify and healing from the impacts of colonisation. The second component in the model focuses on the importance of the more externally developed 'inter capacity building' which explores the importance of connection to supportive and quality relationships, an increase in the building of networks and their application to the workplace as well as pathways to employment and education. The third component of the model focuses on the combined impact of intra-personal and inter-personal capacity development on the broader Aboriginal community through contributing towards growing and sustaining the leadership base and ensuring on-going community engagement through governance arrangements. <br><br>This exegesis will provide a major contribution to the growing amount of work on Indigenous capacity building and recognition of the integral role of leadership development in this context. The project element of my research will further contribute to this by promoting key learnings from my research by making available a training resource guide for use in education, training and community settings. <br><br>My conclusion acknowledges the significant life experiences and leadership journey I have personally experienced, which are parallel in nature to the experiences of the many Koorie leadership participants.