Organizational Strategic Planning for South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council

Success story

Impact:

“The workshop participants were impressed by Iwona’s professional and engaging delivery of the workshop and very happy with the high standard of outcomes achieved during the two days. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented volunteer.”

“We would like to commend Iwona for her outstanding contribution to the success of our project, which will ultimately result in strong governance standards for the Noongar corporations established as a result of the South West Native Title Settlement.”- Wayne Nannup, CEO, South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council

Context and Challenges

The South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) represents the Noongar people, the Aboriginal Australians of the southwest corner of Western Australia. Established in 2001 and incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006, SWALSC’s role is critical:

• Assisting the Noongar people with native title claims and Indigenous land use agreements

• Supporting Noongar culture, knowledge, and heritage

• Managing initiatives such as the Kaartdijin Noongar (“Noongar Knowledge”) website

With the rapidly changing environment, growing demand for services, and the historic South West Native Title Settlement on the horizon, the Council faced a pressing need to:

• Reinvigorate the entire organization

• Identify new strategic directions

• Strengthen governance and management systems

• Ensure long-term sustainability for Noongar corporations

Project Objectives

The two-day workshop was designed and facilitated to deliver the following outcomes:

• A clear understanding of the current state, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

• Development of a new vision, with clear purpose, values, and behaviors to guide future work

• Identification of strategic directions for the next 1–3 years

• Establishment of a management system structure, including policies, objectives, and scope

• Team engagement and commitment to work together and address the challenges ahead

Approach

A facilitative approach was applied throughout the workshop to ensure genuine participation and ownership of the outcomes.

Key elements included:

• Groundwork for collaboration – setting up processes that ensured every voice was heard

• Structured dialogue tools – to surface challenges, align perspectives, and prioritize issues

• Visioning exercises – enabling participants to co-create the future direction of the organization

• Action planning – turning big ideas into clear, practical next steps

The facilitator’s role was not to provide answers but to design an environment where participants could generate their own solutions, creating both clarity and buy-in.

Results

The workshop delivered:

• A renewed vision and purpose for the organization

• Clearly articulated strategic priorities for the next three years

• Agreement on a governance and management structure to support effective operations

• Stronger engagement and unity among team members, creating a foundation for future collaboration

Perhaps most importantly, the process built confidence and ownership among participants, ensuring that the strategies developed were not just words on paper but a roadmap embraced by those responsible for implementation.

Why This Matters

This success story highlights the power of facilitation in complex organizational settings. By creating a safe, structured space for honest dialogue, facilitators can help organizations:

• Clarify vision and strategy

• Strengthen governance

• Build team commitment

• Ensure sustainable impact for the communities they serve

  
  

In the case of SWALSC, the facilitative process supported not just an organization, but the future governance of Noongar corporations - a legacy of empowerment and self-determination.