Cultural Competency Framework

A key differentiator of NAAJA in our service delivery model is the emphasis, value and priority we place on developing cultural competency. We take this work seriously because Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory tell us how important this work is to them.

We understand that, as an organisation, if we are to say we are culturally appropriate then we must make a meaningful commitment to developing cultural competency. We must integrate this across our practice, and be accountable. We set ourselves a high standard in our commitment to developing cultural competency and put ourselves forward as a unique and distinct service working with Aboriginal people in this context. We aspire to be a leader in this field and serve as an example to other government and non-government services where Aboriginal peoples feature prominently.
We are a culturally appropriate organisation because we make a meaningful commitment to developing cultural competency, and because:

  1. We are managed and led by an Aboriginal board
  2. Aboriginal people serve senior roles across our practice and key roles across our workforce
  3. We provide a quality education and professional development program for staff
  4. We integrate learnings in cultural competency across our practice
  5. We are culturally responsive and adapt to local and regional contexts
  6. We are accountable in this work

The ‘Cultural Competency Framework 2020 – 2025’ outlines NAAJA’s approach to developing and integrating best practice cultural competency across our services for Aboriginal people of  the Northern Territory.

NAAJA Cultural Competency Framework

Guiding Principles

The following principles guide our work in aspiring to be cultural competent:

  • We value the importance of being genuine and authentic in this space, and have mechanisms across our practice to be accountable.
  • The cultural landscape in the NT is rich and diverse and we value this diversity.
  • We seek to be trauma-informed and embed these practices across our work.
  • We recognise cultural competency as a continual process and from an individual, organisational and systems perspective.
  • We are an Aboriginal organisation and must ensure every facet of our service delivery is culturally responsive and adequately meets the needs of the community we are funded to serve.
  • What we learn and experience at NAAJA will stay with us after we leave. Questioning why we work at NAAJA involves a long-term commitment to developing cultural competency and being meaningful in this work.