Want to co-design, with us?

Here are questions that Reef Traditional Owners suggest asking themselves, each other and funders of co-design to decide if and how to be involved.

Deciding

• How do I/we understand co-design? What are we making?

• What parts of the process am I/we being included in?
  Are we included from the beginning? For example, in co-planning, co-design, co-delivery, co-evaluation or something else. Do they only want us to give design feedback, or are there other steps?

• Can we lead co-design rather than government/institutions running the process?

• What decisions have already been made?

  For example, about priorities, timeframes, budget, roles, governance

• Is this a step towards our goals of looking after and caring for Country?

• Do we want to work with the government/this organisation?
  Who are these people to our communities? Do they understand our values and stories? Do we share the same vision/ purpose? Or, are we here to deliver something important to an organisation or department? Do they have a plan to involve us during the project? Are they willing to follow up on Country about the project? Do they account for benefits for communities?

• Do I/we think this topic requires co-design or something else?

• How will this project benefit me/my community?
  How are we being remunerated and recognised? What do I/we want out of this project/discussion? How do we use do-design to create generational wealth?

• What will I/we learn/share in the process?
  What is the depth of knowledge we’re willing to share?

• How will I/we be cared for, included and valued?

• How will I/we make decisions together?
  Can we work with these other Indigenous mob? How can I/we be included – ethically, respectfully and fully power share?

• Who will be our spokesperson and take charge and be the main contact for this project?

During

• Is my/our voice being heard?

  Is my/our time and resources being used efficiently? Is this the best use?

• Does this change anything? For example, how does co-design change the landscape/seascape for all involved?

Here are questions that Reef Traditional Owners want governments and organisations to ask themselves when considering co-design with Traditional Owners.

• What is our understanding of co-design?

  When should co-design should be used?

• Why is co-design important now?

• How do we know who to co-design with?

• At what point are we engaging Traditional Owners?
  For example, in co-planning, co-design, co-delivery, co-evaluation or something else. Do we only want Traditional Owners to design with us, or are there other steps? How can we include Traditional Owners in the whole co-production process from the beginning?

• Have we already decided on a project or objective?
  How will Traditional Owners benefit from this work?

• Whose objectives are we trying to deliver?

  What is our ultimate goal/aim? What decisions have we already made? Do we and Traditional Owners have a shared vision for this work? Are Traditional Owners fitting our agenda, or are we fitting into theirs? How can co-design help First Nations people create equity?

• Do we have enough time to co-design and work meaningfully together?

  Can we change processes, budgets and time constraints so that the co-design process with Traditional Owners determines the timeline? Are we prepared to work at the pace of our slowest partnership? Do we have all rightsholders and other stakeholders identified to be part of this project? What tensions might there be between parties that we must be aware of?

• What and whose principles and methods will guide our co-design and/or research?

  Does our organisation/department have a co-design policy, charter, methodology or set of principles we can follow? Does your research integrity training provide you with professional development in co-design? Have we done that learning? training? What code of ethics or values will we work from? Whose values are they? Have we considered the AIATSIS or other codes to understand some core values that can support co-design?

• What relationships do we have?

  What do we know about each Traditional Owner group? What Traditional Owner governance structure(s) could facilitate inclusion and ongoing participation?

• How will we resource and support co-design to succeed?
  How will we remunerate Traditional Owners on an equal footing to the other decision-makers in the process?

  Working together

• How will we make decisions in the process?

• What will we learn together?

• How will we recognise and care for the people we want to co-design with?

• Is there equity for all involved?