EP#135: Giving better: holistic community engagement with Michelle Steele
On this episode, Michelle Steele from the Paul Ramsay Foundation talks us through community engagement from a philanthropic and public sector perspective, highlighting the value of listening instead of coming with solutions.
When governments engage with communities, it’s usually about a specific program or policy – but what if the first goal was to genuinely listen to the community’s broader needs?
On this episode of Work with Purpose, led by host David Pembroke, CEO of contentgroup, Michelle Steele, Chief First Nations Officer at the Paul Ramsey Foundation, draws on her experience working in the public service and philanthropy to explore what the sectors can learn from each other. Michelle also uncovers the power imbalance between funders and communities, and why positive dissent can be crucial to having genuine conversations and slowing down when it’s most needed.
Key tips:
- The philanthropic sector can derisk and scale ideas – make sure to learn from their case studies
- Frank and fearless advice applies in community engagement, too. When you engage, make sure you’re open and allow others to be open as well
- When you try to build consensus, pausing and slowing down isn’t always a bad thing. Make sure you stop to listen.
Guest:
Michelle Steele
Michelle is a Kamilaroi/Gomeroi Yinarr from Moree, NSW, and is the Chief First Nations Officer at the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF).
Prior to joining PRF, Michelle worked in the public sector for more than 18 years, leading in key policy areas delivering for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly in health and aged care.
During the pandemic, she led the COVID-19 Indigenous and Remote Policy and Implementation Branch, supporting the pandemic response and vaccine implementation program through a strong partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector – made possible through genuine and respectful partnerships forged through the advisory group.
Michelle has represented Australia at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She is also an inaugural Fellow of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program, an Indigenous-led lifelong collaborative fellowship program and platform for systemic change. She holds an Executive MBA from QUT.