Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cultural Capability mean?

There is no single definition. We adopt the Australian Public Service Commission understanding (18 March 2024) that:

Cultural Capability … can be articulated as the skills, knowledge, behaviours and tools needed to support individuals to design and deliver better products and services.

What does Cultural Capability look like?

It is the “integration of knowledge about individuals and groups of peoples into specific standards, policies, practices and attitudes to produce better outcomes for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples” (Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, 2018).

Cultural capability is observable, measurable, and clearly demonstrates outcomes for individuals, teams, managers, leaders, processes and systems in schools, early childhood education and care settings, and workplaces. It the continuous learning at the individual and organisation level across all 3 domains of effective practice, ‘knowing, doing, and being’:

• Knowing - Knowing and understanding history, culture, customs, beliefs and local circumstances.

• Doing - Culturally appropriate action and behaviour.

• Being - Awareness, authenticity, and openness to examining own values, beliefs and biases and their impact on others. Having integrity and cultural sensitivity in decision-making.

 Why Do We Need Cultural Capability?

For non-Indigenous people, cultural capability, competence and safety knowledge provides a strong foundation to support them to make culturally informed choices in how they undertake daily activities when engaging with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples. These choices will ensure policy, programs and services are culturally appropriate and meet the needs of Indigenous peoples.

The advantages of embracing an Indigenous way of life, in ‘being, doing and knowing’, promotes a broader perspective enhancing decision making at every level, empirically linked with improved financial performance of organisations.

Additional benefits for the social and community services sector workforce are staff equipped with cultural knowledge and skills are more confident in their activities, experience more work fulfilment and are more loyal to the employer who provided their training.

For Indigenous people, experiencing cultural capability and safety in our work, home or community environment promotes better engagement and activity outcomes, workplace retention and loyalty, promotes workplace champions for talent attraction and most importantly, facilitates a space in which we can reach our potential, whether in an employment role or recipient of support.

How Can I Build My Cultural Capability?

Recognising cultural capability as a lifelong journey of learning is a wonderful start!

We have services to help you gain awareness and knowledge of First Nations culture, language and values at an individual level or with your organisation.

What is a Cultural Capability Framework?

A Cultural Capability Framework provides a framework to organisations, agencies and management to identify policy, procedure, skills and protocols which can support and encourage positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

What is the Difference Between Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety?

Cultural competence indicates a possession of accurate knowledge and understanding with capability for appropriate application of knowledge and cognition.

Cultural safety indicates cultural capability is present and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are inherently safe within the relevant environment.