• About
  • Toolkit topics
  • Resources
  • Case studies
  • Governance watch
  • Contact
  • Home
  • 01 Understanding governance
    • 1.0 Understanding governance
    • 1.1 The important parts of governance
    • 1.2 Indigenous governance
    • 1.3 Governance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations
    • 1.4 Case studies
  • 02 Culture and governance
    • 2.0 Culture and governance
    • 2.1 Indigenous governance and culture
    • 2.2 Two-way governance
    • 2.3 Case studies
  • 03 Getting started
    • 3.0 Getting started on building your governance
    • 3.1 Assessing your governance
    • 3.2 Mapping your community for governance
    • 3.3 Case studies
  • 04 Leadership
    • 4.0 Leadership for governance
    • 4.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
    • 4.2 The challenges of leadership
    • 4.3 Evaluating your leadership
    • 4.4 Youth leadership and succession planning
    • 4.5 Building leadership capacity to govern
    • 4.6 Case studies
  • 05 Governing the organisation
    • 5.0 Governing the organisation
    • 5.1 Roles, responsibilities and rights of a governing body
    • 5.2 Accountability: what is it, to whom and how?
    • 5.3 Decision making by the governing body
    • 5.4 Governing finances and resources
    • 5.5 Communicating
    • 5.6 Future planning
    • 5.7 Building capacity and confidence for governing bodies
    • 5.8 Case studies
  • 06 Rules and policies
    • 6.0 Governance rules and policies
    • 6.1 What are governance rules?
    • 6.2 Governance rules and culture
    • 6.3 Running effective meetings
    • 6.4 Policies for organisations
    • 6.5 Case studies
  • 07 Management and staff
    • 7.0 Management and staff
    • 7.1 Managing the organisation
    • 7.2 The governing body and management
    • 7.3 Managing staff
    • 7.4 Staff development and training
    • 7.5 Case studies
  • 08 Disputes and complaints
    • 8.0 Dealing with disputes and complaints
    • 8.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous approaches
    • 8.2 Core principles and skills for dispute and complaint resolution
    • 8.3 Disputes and complaints about governance
    • 8.4 Your members: dealing with disputes and complaints
    • 8.5 Organisations: dealing with internal disputes and complaints
    • 8.6 Practical guidelines and approaches
    • 8.7 Case studies
  • 09 Nation building and development
    • 9.0 Governance for nation rebuilding and development
    • 9.1 What is nation rebuilding?
    • 9.2 Governance for nation rebuilding
    • 9.3 Governance for sustained development
    • 9.4 Networked governance
    • 9.5 Kick-starting the process of nation rebuilding
    • 9.6 Case studies
  • Glossary
  • Useful links
  • Acknowledgements

5.3 Decision making by the governing body

 05 Governing the organisation, Topic

WYDAC’s board and decision making

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaTLcc5nU1E&feature=player_embedded

The Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC) board members make the decisions that shape the organisation. Nurturing good relationships between board members is a key dimension to ensure the effective governance of the organisation.

Decision making is central to governing. Informed decisions are an essential ingredient for effective governance.

5.3.1 Indigenous consensus approach

Decisions in Indigenous  nations, communities or groups are usually made through extensive collective discussion and consultation. These decisions are also often open to ongoing negotiation. This is called consensus decision making.

In resolving issues and making decisions by consensus, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people usually spend a lot of time hearing from those for and against the issue.

This process helps maintain harmonious relationships and allows people to share ideas and raise concerns. It also builds legitimacy for any eventual decision and actions taken.

5.3.2 Decision making in an organisation

A governing body’s decisions may be about long-term policy or strategic planning, or about everyday matters such as short-term projects or events.

Consensus decision making is possible within an organisational setting, but to achieve it, the chair of the governing body needs to take on the role of a facilitator, negotiator and mediator, rather than acting as someone making the final decision.

A decision by the governing body must be made collectively by a quorum; it cannot be made on the opinion of one person.

“We make decisions like a washing machine. First we just push it all around, everything round and round and have a good talk about every part of it. Then we come to a decision. Once a decision is made, Board members think it is important to stick to it … then we agree as one. Once a decision is passed, that’s it, it’s finished. Then we’re under one agreement, we get on with it.”

(Yarnteen Corporation Board member, quoted in Diane Smith, Yarnteen Board Self-Evaluation Report, 2006)

To gain a wider legitimacy that takes hold amongst group members, a governing body needs to consult widely beforehand and after making its decisions.

Most of the organisations that were finalists in the Indigenous Governance Awards said they always used or preferred to use consensus approaches to decision making. However, if they could not reach an agreement, they would use a western democratic process such as voting. Many used a mix of methods and approaches to making decisions.

In some cases, Australian and state government legislation allows for traditional decision-making procedures. This brings consensus decision making into the legal frameworks of governing boards.

5.3.3 What makes an effective decision?

Governing bodies are often under daily pressure to make multiple fast decisions about major issues that have important consequences for the future of their communities and nations.

Unfortunately, they often do so without the necessary information and without any risk assessment or consideration of other options.

They then proceed to choose and immediately implement projects without having a stable foundation of strategic priorities identified, ways of communicating to members, or monitoring and reporting processes to let them know if they are on track with getting outcomes.

Don’t agree to proposals or action you don’t understand. Effective governance means making informed decisions.

That requires developing workable decision-making procedures in your organisation.

Tips: An informed decision is one that is

Transparent Members and outsiders can follow the process and the reasons behind it.
Well considered It is based on sound information and inclusive consultation. Risks and assumptions are clarified by the governing body.
Consistent It is consistent with a set of agreed values, rules or principles.
Lawful People should record their dissent if a decision is illegal or may lead to insolvency.
Actioned The decision is implemented and followed through.
Building capacity It is made with increasing confidence through practice, experience and increased skills.

What can we do? Decision making processes

PDF View/download

Look at the different types of decision making and discuss what would work best for your organisation or community.

Template: Decision making

DOCX View/download

This resource provides some tips on procedures and questions to ask before making decisions and a template for recording decisions made at meetings.

5.3.4 Majority rules?

A common decision-making procedure used in meetings is ‘majority rules’.

This means that each individual on the governing body has the right to have their say and advocate (talk on behalf of) a particular position. But once a decision has been passed by a majority of the members, it is binding on all of them.

Majority decisions can be achieved as a result of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consensus process and do not necessarily need to have formal motions with a counted vote, so long as the consensus decision is recorded.

The important thing is that once such a decision has been reached, any person who was in the minority and voted against the resolution or abstained should respect and abide by the collective decision.

This can be problematic for some governing bodies when individual members believe that they can continue to voice their dissent outside of the meeting. That kind of behaviour undermines the authority of the governing body and can exacerbate conflict and rumours in the wider community.

5.3.5 Implementing your decisions

Good decisions that are not acted on are not good decisions.

Once decisions have been made, it is typically the job of your management and administration to implement them. This process should include feedback on the decision to community members and key stakeholders.

As the governing body, it is critical that you stay on top of monitoring the implementation of your decisions. You should expect your organisation to have processes to support doing this, and to receive regular ‘action updates’ at every meeting from your CEO and staff.

< Previous Next >

You can view this online or download the whole Topic + Resources as a PDF

Download Toolkit

Case Studies

NPY Women’s Council – strong culture, strong women, strong communities

  NPY Women’s Council (NPYWC) was set up in 1980 and incorporated in 1994.  The organisation was founded in response to the concerns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women throughout the APY lands.   The women were concerned about the …

Read more...

Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly

Self-determination and community control The Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly (MPRA) is comprised of the Chairs or representatives of 16 Aboriginal Community Working Parties (CWP’s) across the Murdi Paaki Region of NSW. MPRA see self-determination as the key success to their …

Read more...

NPY Women’s Council: Building your cultural guiding principles into your rulebook

The NPY Women’s Council became incorporated under new legislation in 2008. The council undertook a significant period of consultation with its members—spread across a large geographic region—in the lead-up to lodging its new rulebook (formally known as the constitution) with …

Read more...

News

ORIC Top 500 Report 2014-15

The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) released the 2014-2015 top 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations report in December 2015. This is ORIC’s seventh report on the top 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations. It collates and …

Read more...

Social Justice Commissioner launches 2014 Social Justice and Native Title Report

Mr Mick Gooda is the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. The Commissioner has a unique role at the Australian Human Rights Commission, responsible for advocating for the recognition of the rights of Indigenous Australians. As part …

Read more...

Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2014 Report

The Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report: Key Indicators 2014 (OID Report) was released by the Productivity Commission in November 2014. The OID Report measures the wellbeing of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. The report provides information about outcomes across a range of strategic …

Read more...

The Australian Indigenous Governance Institute

The Australian Indigenous Governance Institute is a unique Indigenous led national centre of governance knowledge and excellence. We know that practically effective and culturally legitimate governance is the staple building block for delivering real change.

We assist Indigenous Australians in their diverse efforts to determine and strengthen their own sustainable systems of self-governance by identifying world-class governance practice, informing effective policy, providing accessible research, disseminating stories that celebrate outstanding success and solutions, and delivering professional education and training opportunities.

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Copyright