Indigenious Engagement - Indigenous Stakeholders - Assessment Answer

Assignment Task

Discussion Paper to be presented as an essay:

Explain what 'Indigenous engagement' is likely to mean in natural and cultural resource management contexts.

Provide an assessment of the necessity of engagement by government agencies, business and NGOs with Indigenous stakeholders in land and sea management why do they needto engage?

What are the implications for natural and cultural resource management agencies of successful and unsuccessful engagement of Indigenous stakeholders?

Explain what 'Indigenous engagement' is likely to mean in natural and cultural resource management contexts

The term indigenous engagement refers to the democratic participation and ‘active citizenship’ of the marginalised communities. It is also termed as ‘relatively sustained and systematic interaction’ with marginalised communities based on ongoing process or conversation that builds trust and relationships. This fact is acknowledged that in the field of land and sea management there prevail high levels of unequal power relationship between parties (Hunt, 2013). The reviews and studies indicated the fact that land and sea management involves wide variety people working on shared goals. It requires joint determination and collaboration on the part of groups of people for accomplishing shared goals. In this regard, there are some specific categories or disadvantageous people facing persistent and intractable social problems making them heterogeneous and diverse.

In the last 30 years era of land and sea management, indigenous people or communities has struggled a lot for attaining recognition and ownership in the areas of land and sea continent. The majority of indigenous communities live in urban settings in present scenario; however, substantial numbers are residing in rural and remote areas. In this regard, nations across the world are working hard for implementing effective environmental management regimes and resource strategies on the indigenous estate. Currently, there are wide number of indigenous communities plans and strategies for involving and benefiting indigenous people (Indigenous Engagement Needs Strategic Leadership).

In this regard, there is term named indigenous engagement is coined for defining approach at national and international level demanding and supporting community based efforts for minimising adverse outcomes to indigenous communities and reducing vast differences and gap in social and cultural terms. While evaluating and understanding this term in natural and culture resource management contexts, it has identified that it is strived towards benefitting indigenous people in accord with their aspirations. They are having different set of aspirations as not all indigenous people expect to work and become as land mangers and conversely not all expect to work in the field of tourism or mines or any other mainstream employment. Indigenous land and sea owners are expected to clearly identify, establish, hearing and respecting expectations of indigenous communities for involving and engaging them (Falk, Wallace & Ndoen, 2011). The cultural interest principle requires recognising cultural vitality and resilience aspects essential to cultural philosophies in adequate manner. Cultural management context promote recognition and protection of indigenous cultural values and philosophies. However, there also prevails a narrow view of heritage management excluding indigenous people from conservation, sea and natural resource management activities.

The studies showed that engagement with marginalised groups appeared quite difficult in cultural and natural resource management contexts. This is so because these groups and people are having different capacities, or even the desire, for engaging with other groups. For this purpose, government agencies has invested huge amount in building the capacity of indigenous communities for participating through implementing programs like Stronger Families and Communities strategy of families housing, and community services and many more. These programs are managed and overseen by capable supporting government organisations for developing and ensuring strong relationships with the indigenous community (Worboys, Lockwood, Kothari, Feary & Pulsford, 2015).

Provide an assessment of the necessity of engagement by government agencies, business and NGOs with Indigenous stakeholders in land and sea management (why do they need to engage?

The study has adopted stakeholder analysis approach for identifying stakeholders influencing indigenous engagement in land and sea management. Under this approach, there is detailed identification of stakeholders and assessment of their interests and ways in which these interests are affecting government agencies’ indigenous engagement plans and strategies. The term indigenous stakeholders include personnel and entities having some level interest or stake in the indigenous engagement plans and strategies (Pieris, 2016).

It has identified that government agencies, business and NGOs strive towards developing and maintaining smooth relationship with indigenous stakeholders for conducting and implementing indigenous engagement strategies and plans smoothly, effectively and efficiently. As the literature has suggested that main reason behind this engagement is good risk management (Techera, 2013). In detailed terms, indigenous stakeholder engagement is a broader term and continuous process requiring government agencies and those potentially impacted to be adequately involved in the process.

It is worth mentioning that indigenous stakeholders’ engagement is required in wide range of activities throughout the entire life of the project and programs. The risk factor increases as indigenous communities involve different nature and background people analysing and interpreting engagement plans and strategies in different manner as per their knowledge and expertise. In this regard, there are higher chances that some stakeholders accept, understand and interpret engagement plans and strategies positively while others analyse it in negative terms (Hunt, 2013).

It is also said that there are many stakeholders and it is quite difficult for government agencies to involve all stakeholders with same level intensity and interest all the time. It is necessary on the part of government agencies and NGOs to be strategic and clear for identifying as which group stakeholder is engaging actively and why this engagement is critical. The stakeholder analysis provide practical handbook to government agencies for identifying and prioritising stakeholders, depending on what they are expecting and what interest they might have. All these aspects are necessary to figure out for sorting and finalising it adequately and involving stakeholders in most appropriate manner.

Another reason for engaging indigenous stakeholders in land and sea management is to design sustainable indigenous engagement plan. It is believed that indigenous stakeholders are in improved position for providing better insight about the degree of complexity of projects to government agencies and others (Falk, Wallace & Ndoen, 2011). The greater the involvement of indigenous stakeholders, who are directly and indirectly affected by land use and sea project, higher would be their interest in the project and influencing its outcome. Likewise, if goals and roles of stakeholders are identified and established, risk of project success can be minimised. For designing sustainable engagement plan, it is necessary to acknowledge stakeholders’ interest adequately.

In the field of land and sea management, risk not only exists in the form of project failure or higher total costs, soil degradation or any other natural calamity but also exists in form of conflicts. Conflicts occur when planners and managers fail or inadequately identify stakeholders, or refuse to acknowledge their interest in the project (Worboys, Lockwood, Kothari, Feary & Pulsford, 2015). Conversely, when planners and managers adequately identify and consult spectrum of indigenous stakeholders, there is higher chance of understanding diverse needs and priorities of stakeholders thereby designing sustainable plan with less likelihood of conflicts and tensions.

What are the implications for natural and cultural resource management agencies of successful and unsuccessful engagement of Indigenous stakeholders?

There is clear evidence that cultural and natural resource management agencies contribute to protection and management of key environment values and at the same time contributing to cultural maintenance, community health and well being and social development. All these initiative require regular support and involvement of indigenous stakeholders to cultural and natural resource management agencies. Talking in specific terms, it helps in gaining support by cultural and natural resource management agencies, getting opportunity of explaining plans and strategies on positive note, accessing their opinions and perspectives and adapting plans and strategies accordingly (Jackson & Douglas, 2015). While government, cultural and natural resource management agencies, require quantum of funding, diverse nature partnership with indigenous stakeholders leading mutual benefits and interest to all parties.

In this respect, stakeholder engagement theory asserts that successful engagement of stakeholders is visualised as a pathway to conduct indigenous communities plan in beneficial partnering manner. Other than this, it has also identified that cultural and natural resource management agencies are overburdened with the funding and excessive reporting and compliance processes. In the absence of successful engagement of stakeholders, legal authorities and regulatory regimes also act in stringent manner requiring agencies to face several kinds of litigations and cases (Berry & Crowe, 2009). Contrary to it, successful engagement of stakeholders develops a sense of confidence among legal and regulatory authorities regarding compliance mechanism and proper conduction of legal indigenous engagement plans and policies. In other words, formulation and implementation of plans and strategies move in confident and smooth manner with the active involvement and engagement of stakeholders (Gunstone, 2013).

On the other hand, unsuccessful engagement of indigenous stakeholders poses threat to the sustainability of plans and policies of natural and cultural resource management agencies. It can be said that sustainable plans and policies fall in backward terms as agencies fail in getting adequate support, involvement and confidence of stakeholders. The difficulties also arise in terms of resource accessibility, their usage and utilisation. The stakeholders are major providers of resources and funds thereby paving path of implementation of plans and policies. However, in the absence of stakeholders’ engagement, cultural and natural resource management agencies face difficulty in arranging required resources, facilities, and other aspects (Santoro, Reid, Crawford & Simpson, 2011). Moreover, success and feasibility of sustainable plans and policies also becomes doubtful in the case of unsuccessful engagement of stakeholders. All in all, it can be said that successful engagement of stakeholders is highly necessary and integral element of success of cultural and natural resource management agencies plans and policies. Therefore, it is feasible and worthwhile to put adequate efforts in this regard and ensuring successful engagement of stakeholders (O’Bryan & Rose, 2015).