Taking the next step – the ACA and the Innovate RAP
The ACA has recently begun work on our third Reconciliation Action Plan, and this time we are moving up to Innovate. ACA RAP Coordinator Emma Brain shares an update on where we are in our reconciliation journey and where we’re headed next.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Emma Brain for leading this important work.
The RAP program consists of four levels: Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate. We chose to remain at Reflect for two rounds, taking the time to ensure that the fundamentals of reconciliation were genuinely embedded across every branch and in all that we do.
Our vision for reconciliation remains unchanged:
The ACA’s vision is an equitable architectural profession, where reconciliation is a core professional value, embedded in how architects work, who they work with, and what they build. We place reconciliation at the heart of what we do.
We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and some of the highlights from our Reflect RAPs include:
- A presentation to the National Executive Committee by Rodney Dillon from the Prime Minister’s First Nations Referendum Working Group
- Publication of ‘Reconciliation, Accountability and Collective Action’ by RAP Working Group Member Annabelle Roper
- The launch of our Listening on Country interview series, which invites architectural practices with deep experience working alongside First Nations communities to share their knowledge respectfully and openly
- An empowered RAP Working Group with committed members from every branch across Australia, ensuring both national representation and local insight
- A position on the Architecture and Design RAP Ring as one of eight core organising members, strengthening our industry leadership and enabling engagement with more progressive reconciliation issues than our broad membership base might otherwise allow
- Highly successful webinars with First Nations consultants on effective consultation, meaningful Acknowledgements of Country, and First Nations competencies
- A growing First Nations Understanding portal, offering an extensive collection of CPD webinars, articles, audio recordings, podcasts and websites to support architects in understanding First Nations knowledge and designing with Country
- A partnership with the University of Sydney offering members a 20% discount on the Practising on Country course, making cultural education more accessible across the profession.
For our Innovate RAP, we will build on these foundations and respond directly to the insights from our 2024 First Nations engagement survey, which revealed that while awareness and intent are growing, the practical implementation of a RAP remains a significant challenge, particularly for smaller practices where capacity is stretched.
This is where the ACA has a clear and important role to play. We are uniquely positioned to act as a bridge between Reconciliation Australia and the architectural profession, providing the guidance, resources and professional community that help members meet these obligations.
We look forward to deepening our partnership with Reconciliation Australia, continuing to grow our reconciliation initiatives, and supporting members in making meaningful contributions to a more equitable Australia through their practice, their buildings and the environments they shape.
‘If Designing with Country and meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples are core competencies, then they must be defended collectively. We require collective mechanisms, through our peak bodies and representative organisations, that have both the scale and legitimacy to advocate where individual practices cannot. The question is not whether we have values; it is whether we will act together to uphold them.’— Annabelle Roper
The beautiful landscape image is by Isabelle Truong, courtesy of Unsplash.