IEP’s approach is based on five principles:

• IEP supports Indigenous leadership to deliver their own strategies and vision;
  
  
• IEP aims to foster Indigenous economic and social development by request in a way that encourages people to take responsibility for their own lives;
  
  
• IEP seeks to build a network where Indigenous, government, corporate and philanthropic ideas can be shared;
  
  
• Where feasible and appropriate, IEP Directors and staff directly support and advise Indigenous organisations;
  
  
• Where IEP lacks the internal capability or capacity, we identify appropriate corporate or philanthropic partners and facilitate their engagement with the relevant Indigenous organisations.

Its development was driven by a group of individuals who were inspired by Noel Pearson's Our Right To Take Responsibility (1999) which articulated the existence of 'passive welfare' in Indigenous communities and the need to create a 'real economy'.

IEP has used this as their underlying philosophy. Our objective is to foster economic and social development, focusing on long-term, sustainable impacts that would help break the cycle of welfare dependency.

The vision of establishing partnerships between corporate, private philanthropy and Indigenous leaders was formed and Cape York was selected as the first trial site. In line with this approach, corporate and philanthropic partners began working through, and in line with, the strategies and aspirations of the Indigenous leaders and their organisations.

Recent Recognition

The contributions of IEP and our partner organisations, and the success of the IEP model have recently been reflected in our recognition in "The Business Guide to partnering with NGOs and the United Nations", the first global effort to recommend business partnership NGOs.

With a growing global focus on Corporate Social Responsibility, the report stems from companies repeatedly expressing how difficult it is to identify successful partnership models, and how well it works when they find a good match.

Published by Dalberg Global Development Advisors, the UN Global Compact and the Financial Times, the report surveyed 20,000 companies worldwide and recommended 85 agencies, including IEP, with a track record in establishing successful corporate partnerships.

David Bonbright, Chief Executive, Keystone, and a member of the board of advisors to the publication said: "In today's globalised world, companies need to make a profit and be responsible corporate citizens, but it is difficult to know who to partner with and how. This guide will help companies match their skills and contributions to organizations looking to build successful public private partnerships"

A preview of the report is available here. The full report including the profiles of these notable NGOs, UN agencies and other social actors can be ordered on www.csrwire.com/guide and www.dalberg.com/guide