Creating Impact With First Nations Knowledge And Evidence

 

Karabena Consulting is a 100% Indigenous-owned, profit-for-purpose Aboriginal consultancy led by Professor Kerry Arabena.

We partner with government, community and industry to co-design strategy, research and evaluation; deliver cultural safety training and facilitation; and support programs that improve health, education, leadership and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.

Grounded in Indigenous science and evidence, our team brings end-to-end capability from policy and governance to monitoring and evaluation with a track record of collaborative, measurable impact.

Ready to work together on culturally strong, evidence-based solutions? Explore our services and recent projects or get in touch.

 

Current Projects

DFFH - SAFER Children Framework: First Peoples Evaluation

ACEM - An Indigenist review of the development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Emergency Medicine workforce in Australia: Recommendations for future-proofing success, not just parity.

Western Health - Cultural Safety Plan 2026-2030

DEECA - Evaluation of Pupangarli Marnmarnepu

Recent Projects

Featured
Cultural Awareness and Training
Cultural Awareness and Training

Karabena Consulting was commissioned by the VDWC to strengthen the relationship between the Commission and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community by embedding cultural safety and promoting inclusivity in its operations and service delivery. 

November 2024 - October 2025

Engaging and Supporting First Nations ECEC students
Engaging and Supporting First Nations ECEC students

This project sat within the broader context of the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life (BSBL) reforms, which aim to improve early learning outcomes and expand access to quality early childhood education. A critical pillar of these reforms is the workforce, ensuring that the sector attracts, supports, and retains early childhood teachers and educators who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve

May 2025 - October 2025

Australian Unity – Living Libraries Part 2
Australian Unity – Living Libraries Part 2

Karabena Consulting was engaged by Australian Unity to deliver the second phase of the Living Libraries cultural immersion program.

The project aimed to strengthen reconciliation commitments within Australian Unity by providing non-Indigenous staff with opportunities to engage directly with Aboriginal leaders and community organisations.


 July – September 2025

Evaluation of a Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network Model for Keeping Families Healthy Together
Evaluation of a Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network Model for Keeping Families Healthy Together

This project evaluated the Keeping Families Healthy Together model, an Aboriginal women-led model of care operating in the Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network (BHFLHN), with a focus on the Gawler region in South Australia. The model places Aboriginal matriarchal leadership, cultural governance, child centred practice and relational accountability at the centre of health and child protection service delivery.


January 2025 - August  2025

Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Navigate Their Cancer Journeys
Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Navigate Their Cancer Journeys

The Digital Cancer Navigation Service is a national initiative led by Cancer Council Australia to improve access to high quality and culturally safe cancer information and support for all people affected by cancer, with a focus on priority populations. 

Karabena Consulting was engaged by Cancer Council Australia to lead the First Nations component of the project, supporting the design and delivery of the service to ensure that the design and delivery of the service meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through culturally appropriate and community-informed approaches. This included work to enhance the cultural responsiveness of Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 Cancer Information and Support Line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.


November 2024 - June 2025

Child and Maternal Health Continuity of Care Protocol Program - Phase 2 Testing and Co-Design
Child and Maternal Health Continuity of Care Protocol Program - Phase 2 Testing and Co-Design

Karabena Consulting was engaged to evaluate the co-design process underpinning South Australia’s Child and Maternal Continuity of Care Protocols (CCP) Program. The project aimed to strengthen how Aboriginal voices inform the design of culturally safe, coordinated care for Aboriginal children aged 0–4 years and mothers of Aboriginal babies.


 July 2024 - June 2025

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