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Negotiating Agreements (Accords)
Accord FAQs
Accord Process Information Document
Accord Negotiation Infographic
Signed Accords
The Accord is a negotiated decision making process. Neither government agencies nor the regional alliances are able to dictate or veto outcomes. Reaching a negotiated agreement through an Accord will rely heavily on problem-solving, questioning, communication and compromise.
To successfully develop an Accord, regional alliances and government agencies must be willing to negotiate, which will involve a willingness to consider new ideas and solutions, and to accept compromises and solutions which may not be the original goal of either party or be less than what either party hoped to achieve.
Roles and responsibilities in the LDM Accord Process
Role of the NSW Government
Aboriginal Affairs co-ordinates the Accord negotiations, provides assistance to regional alliances, documents negotiations and contracts the Independent Facilitator.
The NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) manages the participation of agencies and coordinates service re-design.
NSW agencies will negotiate openly and in good faith, with the objective of achieving positive outcomes.
Lead Negotiator NSW Government
The Lead Negotiator for the NSW Government represents the NSW Government in the Accord process and brokers collaborative responses to priority issues.
Lead Agency Negotiators
Agency Negotiators are nominated to work with regional alliances to negotiate Accords. Agency Negotiators have sufficient decision-making authority to respond flexibly and innovatively to the needs and aspirations of the regional alliances.
Executive Sponsors
Executive Sponsors are Secretary nominated senior representatives from government departments working in Local Decision Making. The Executive Sponsor helps to coordinate the Department’s engagement in Local Decision Making, works with negotiators to scope and broker policy innovations and to identify opportunities for co-design to significantly improve the quality of services delivered to Aboriginal communities in NSW.
Role of the Regional Alliances
Lead Negotiator Regional Alliance
Regional alliances may also choose to nominate a lead negotiator to represent them in the Accord process to broker responses to priority issues.
Regional alliance negotiation panel
Regional alliances may also choose to nominate a negotiation panel to represent them in the Accord process and will have the delegation to negotiate Accord commitments on behalf of their Board.
Role of the Independent Facilitator
The Independent Facilitator facilitates the Accord negotiations and ensures that the Accord process is fair, equitable and timely. He or she will also assure that negotiation protocols and principles are understood by the parties and are adhered to during the negotiation process.
The appointment of an Independent Facilitator must be approved by the Lead Negotiators for the NSW Government and Regional Alliance, and Aboriginal Affairs as the overall coordinator for Local Decision Making.
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