Maps to Success: successful strategies in Indigenous organisations

This publication is intended for Indigenous communities and organisations, and aimed at promulgating successful management initiatives that could be adopted by other organisations working in similar fields. Indigenous communities can use this handbook as a practical source of ideas and an inspiration for adoption and adaptation.

Information is organised in this handbook as a tour through a typical organisation, starting at the front door and moving through the different areas or rooms. Readers can go directly to their main area of interest, such as the accounts department, read straight through or browse. The plans do not represent any particular organisation. At the end of the book, there are brief snapshots of the participating organisations. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to any issue. In fact, many organisations have found different solutions to the same problems. The road to success is always under construction.

The Success in Indigenous Community Organisations project, primarily funded by the Australian Collaboration, initially involved 13 case studies to assess initiatives in local Indigenous organisations that have helped to promote community wellbeing or to overcome disadvantage. The aim was to identify lessons that might be learned from these successes. Dr Julie Finlayson and Ms Jo Lunzer were the main authors. 

Funds were also provided by the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Poola Foundation (Tom Kantor Fund) for three additional case studies that looked at successful management of conservation reserves. Ms Toni Bauman and Dr Dermot Smyth studied Indigenous partnerships and joint management of the Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park, the Dhimurru Indigenous Protected Area and the Booderee National Park.

The project resulted in three major reports, this one (Maps to success), Organising for success: policy report and Indigenous partnerships in protected area management in Australia: three case studies.