Dr Jon Deakin

Building workforce capacity to address complex health, housing and social inclusion issues through critical systems thinking and practice

The ALGA and National Economics State of the Regions Report (2002/03) on benchmarking regions of Australia against American and European Regions shows that higher levels of local participation are linked with better socio-economic outcomes. However, increasingly, current consultation methodologies are being seen as producing an inadequate return on investment and are becoming burdensome while fostering scepticism and apathy within communities. Despite these concerns and the fear that governance will be paralysed by process, participation in Governance is increasingly being demanded and legislated for as a means to improve social inclusion.

This research to produce a dissertation is a component of an ARC Linkage Project, "Addressing Indigenous complex health, housing and social inclusion issues through critical systems approaches to build workforce capacity", initiated by an Aboriginal NGO in partnership with Flinders University, the University of South Australia, the SA Health Department and Anglicare.

In addressing the hypothesis that, "The greater the usage of knowledge management systems to address complex problems, the better the problem solving outcomes for humans service users and providers", this research, involving an action research study conducted with both the users and providers of indigenous human services, will investigate; the rationale for increased participatory governance, current consultative methodologies and the potential for knowledge management systems to enhance participation. The research will draw conclusions and make recommendations on methodologies to increase participatory governance, in order to improve social inclusion and assist people to break the cycle of disadvantage.

Jon Deakin (Flinders University)

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