A FIRST NATIONS APPROACH TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

Community First Development is proud to share our latest publication with you, A First Nations’ Approach to Community Development: our community development framework. This guide brings together over 20 years’ experience and practical guidance on developing strong and productive partnerships with First Nations’ organisations, businesses and communities. As a First Nations’ organisation, we are pleased to share our knowledge with you through the insightful learnings in the stories and the framework.      

Community First Development’s framework is an essential guide in genuine co-design, partnership and economic and community development, both in Australia and internationally.  This guide is unique because it was developed by a First Nations’ organisation with over 20 years' experience working grassroots with First Nations’ people across Australia.     

This practical and ethical guide is the culmination of conversations shared, relationships nurtured, and activities facilitated. The Community First Development framework will be extremely valuable for government and policymakers, practitioners and anyone working with, or considering working with, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.        

At Community First Development, we operate with the highest ethical intentions and actions, and our approach is one that firmly places Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the centre. These are key factors in the organisation’s success in building powerful and transformative relationships with First Nations’ businesses, organisations and communities.       

Over the last decade, governments and other institutions have committed to improving their engagement with First Nations’ people. This includes working in partnership with us, learning from us, elevating our voices and co-designing initiatives and solutions. Community First Development’s guide is essential for governments, non-Indigenous organisations, academics and the broader public to learn from the experiences of a First Nations’ organisation working meaningfully with First Nations’ people.         

Community First Development is actively involved in First Nations’ communities and is established as a thought leader in First Nations’ community and economic development, research, monitoring, and evaluation.  We are committed to supporting First Nations’ communities to achieve their dreams—and this work represents part of that commitment.  

Download and read the framework here. 

You might like to watch our webinar yarn with community partners and special guest Ms Pat Anderson AO, where we launched our framework here.