EP#120: Collaboration Circle: Shaping First Nations initiatives in the APS
Sam Jeffries from the Australian Public Service Commission, Julie Hansen from the Department of Defence, and Stella Renagi from the Australian Taxation Office join us on this episode to discuss the Collaboration Circle, a new model centering First Nations experiences in the APS.
Effective engagement with First Nations peoples to ensure better recruitment, retention and advancement is a priority under the Australian Public Service Reform pillar ‘The APS as a model employer’. Collaboration Circle is a recent initiative under this pillar in line with Closing the Gap Priority Reform 3, designed to ensure that the experience of First Nations public servants is understood by the senior leaders of the APS.
On this episode, First Nations APS leaders Sam Jeffries, first assistant commissioner First Nations Systems Lead at the Australian Public Service Commission, Julie Hansen, Training Force WHS advisor at the Department of Defence and Stella Renagi, business strategy manager at the Australian Taxation Office, join host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, to talk about the how the Collaboration Circle initiative has evolved from pilot to a permanent mechanism in 2025.
Key tips
- Trust is the currency – it is the only thing that will help you build relationships to drive genuine change.
- Embrace the findings of the Collaboration Circle to support recruitment and retention of First Nations staff in your organisation. Bring it into senior leadership meetings.
- Recognise your privilege and bias, and that people’s lives can be very different.
Show notes
Stella Renagi
Stella Renagi has worked in the public and private sector for over 10 years including roles in service delivery, compliance, human resources, strategy development and policy design.
Stella is currently a business strategy manager in the Australian Taxation Office where she develops, implements, and reports on the agency’s reconciliation commitments. Stella works with business to deliver services and strategies to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples internally and externally.
Sam Jeffries
Sam Jeffries is a proud Mooraworri/Wiradjuri man from Brewarrina NSW, and he has spent most of his working life in and across Western NSW. Sam has had over four decades working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, starting out in the public service in the early 1980’s. He has held positions at the local, regional and national level.
He has joined the Australian Public Service Commission as first assistant commissioner in the inaugural First Nations Systems Lead role, to drive policy thinking under APS Reform, building cultural capability of the APS and genuine partnership with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People.
Julie Hansen
Julie Hansen identifies as a Torres Strait/Aboriginal woman. She has not been to Country, but lives within Mob in Logan City, QLD. She works at the Department of Defence as Training Force WHS advisor. Julie was part of the ATO’s Indigenous Staff Network. Once at Department of Veteran’s Affairs, working in Diversity and Inclusion, she became heavily involved in Indigenous recruitment, the Indigenous Staff Network and DVA’s Reconciliation Action Plan, as secretariat.