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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website contains the names and images of people who have passed
This is an out of scope recommendation
318
Devolving responsibility for aspects of CDEP
That in view of the considerable demands placed on staff of ATSIC by the expansion of the CDEP Scheme, consideration be given to developing a mechanism for devolving to appropriate consenting Aboriginal organisations, in particular resource agencies, responsibility for some aspects of the administrative support of CDEP, including in particular:
a. Advising communities on the types of work which the community may wish to consider undertaking;
b. Advising communities on the potential for incorporating other types of funding for employment and enterprise development into a CDEP project;
c. Dissemination of information (collected by ATSIC) on successful schemes;
d. Financial and administrative support for management of a scheme; and
e. Assisting in the provision or co-ordination of training for participants and managers of CDEP.
Those Aboriginal organisations should be adequately resourced to carry out the tasks which are devolved to them.
Aboriginal Justice Caucus Assessment
The Aboriginal Justice Caucus confirmed that Recommendation 318 was the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government and outside the scope of this project.
Background
The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) heard criticisms that the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) Scheme lacked adequate support for community managers to make informed decisions about administrative functions and operation of projects in their local community.
The RCIADIC noted that in most of the communities it reviewed ‘non-Aboriginal people held the key administrative positions and community members did not possess the skills to administer their CDEP grants themselves. Devolving responsibility for administrative functions from governments to Aboriginal organisations was intended to create a community-centred framework and improve self-determination within the scheme.
Actions Taken Since Last Review
A new Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program (RJED) was planned to begin in the second half of 2024, as part of replacing the CDP. The CDP does not operate in Victoria.