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Kigaruk Participants Information


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Indigenous men experience the poorest health and wellbeing of any demographic group in the Northern Territory population. It was recognised at the first National Indigenous Male Health Convention held at Ross River in 1999 that Indigenous men had to take responsibility for their own wellbeing and professional development. The Convention supported the concept of a professional development program designed specifically for Indigenous men.

It was envisaged that, through participation in an accredited leadership development program, Indigenous men would gain the skills and knowledge to be able to compete for positions at middle and senior management levels where they would have more of an influence on government policies and decision making processes. It was anticipated that this would ultimately lead to improvements in the delivery of
services and in the status of Indigenous male health and well-being.

The OCPE developed the Kigaruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Pilot Program in close consultation with a reference group of Indigenous men drawn from across a range of NTPS agencies. The pilot program commenced in June 2003 with 25 participants from Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and Cobourg Peninsula.

In May 2004 all twenty-five participants graduated at Charles Darwin University (CDU) with a Diploma of Business (Frontline Management). A second and much smaller Kigaruk program was conducted during the period July 2005 to May 2006 with a total of ten participants graduating.

Program

The program is intended as a formal learning experience that couples significant personal learning with organisational development strategies, designed around the principles and processes of Action Learning.

The Action Learning methodology has a number of features:

  1. Formal learning content is applied directly to the context of each participant’s workplace. The learning is presented in a format that allows time for reflection and application.
  2. Participants apply the aspects of learning that are most relevant and critical to supporting the requirements of their agency as well as contributing to their own personal and professional development.
  3. Individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for the learning needed to strengthen their own personal effectiveness.
  4. Components of Action Learning processes include:
    • formal learning units;
    • unit reflection;
    • mentoring support;
    • learning teams or networks – Action Learning Groups;
    • self and peer assessment.
  5. Academic support for participants is made available through the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS), which is part of the Indigenous Support Unit, Community and Access, at CDU.
  6. Learning advisers from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment are also on hand to support participants should they require additional assistance.

Further information on the Program is available in the Prospectus and Course Structure. 

Accreditation

The Kigaruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program is accredited as a Diploma of Business (Frontline Management) through CDU.

Presentation days

Three days are set aside for participants to engage in personal learnings discussions and group project presentations.

Personal learnings are assessed on an individual basis and participants submit a written account of their Kigaruk learning journey (adapted from their journals), as well as participate in an informal discussion of their learnings and successes with a small panel comprising Indigenous elders and academics.

Project presentations involve group written reports, as well as team oral and visual presentations of those reports to assessment panels comprising Chief Executives and other senior members of the various representative agencies. Participants also engage in discussion of their group learnings with members of the assessment panel.

Eligibility

Enrolment and participation in the Kigaruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program is through your agency’s formal nomination and selection processes. Participants will be drawn from across a range of NTPS agencies. Maximum number of participants is restricted to twenty so early nomination is recommended.