Abstract

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the negotiation of the Murdi Paaki Local Decision Making Accord II (hereafter referred to as Accord II). The evaluation was conducted by researchers from the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), and its findings are based on their independent assessment of the data collected. 

This evaluation finds that the Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly (MPRA) is a model of strong governance. MPRA has been part of the Local Decision Making (LDM) program since its inception in 2013 and, in 2015, became the first Regional Alliance to sign an Accord with the NSW Government. This cumulative experience has resulted in increased community understanding of the function and importance of Accords negotiations. 

Self-determination, Aboriginal governance, genuine voice, and improved relationships are positives of the Accord negotiation process. While the pre-Accord negotiation phase could be better resourced, it is working well. This evaluation finds that progress is being made in implementing Accord II, although this progress is uneven across agencies. 

Contributors to this evaluation believe that identified improvements will enable the LDM process to respond to regional and local contexts and support local communities to determine their own priorities and make decisions which will ultimately achieve better outcomes for those communities. 

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