Navigating Indigenous research collaborations with government and university

In 2018, the Australian Public Service Commission engaged the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) at the Australian National University to conduct research into the unique barriers and enablers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australian Public Service (APS) employment.

The project included an identified APS secondment to CAEPR to collaborate on the design, conduct and reporting of the research.

The project featured qualitative interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees nationally working at middle and senior ranked APS levels. Issues discussed included career progression to senior leadership, unique skills and values of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and Indigenous approaches to leadership.

In this presentation, we will outline the research process and results and reflect on the opportunities, benefits and potential risks of the collaboration. 

This research will contribute to ongoing discussions of partnerships in research between government and the university sector.