Northern Indigenous Pastoral Alliance (NIPA)

At the Yawuru trading floor in May 2004, an exciting new partnership was announced between the Kimberley Aboriginal Pastoralists Assn (KAPA) and the Northern Cattle Alliance (NCA) from Cape York. The Northern Indigenous Pastoral Alliance (NIPA), as the partnership is known, will, among other things, develop a franchise business model for IPE's.
NIPA believes that the franchise model can deliver the possibility of sustainable IPE's by providing all key stakeholders with the incentives, skills and mentoring necessary to direct and manage indigenous cattle enterprises.

The primary purpose and benefit of the franchising model is to address problems by providing a business oriented framework that has clear rules and guidelines to both protect and benefit all stakeholders. Franchising is not a business itself, but a way of doing business. Hence it can be adapted to benefit community owned enterprises such as IPEs in a way which complements the interests of the community as a whole. The model is a comprehensive system for the conduct of the business, including such elements as business planning, financial control, management systems, marketing, and quality.

An explanation of the franchising concept is set out in Peter McEntee's paper "Strengthening Land Community and Enterprise" at http://www.isx.org.au/projects/1082448615_30570.html.

At the Yawuru trading floor, NIPA was successful in gaining a $15,000 innovation grant from the Brotherhood of St Lawrence to further develop the franchise model, with the aim of having pilot franchises operating in the Kimberley and Cape within 12 months.

NIPA now wishes to set up a working group to steer the project for the next 1-2 years, overseeing the use of the BSL innovation grant and obtaining further funding. We are looking in particular, for persons and organisations with extensive networks and experience in:
. management and operation of large pastoral
businesses,
. business management,
. financial management,
. land management,
. a committment to Indigenous economic
development.
franchise business model for Indigenous owned pastoral enterprises (IPE's).

Lead Organisation/Agency

Current Partners

KAPA/ NCA/ Balkanu / Brotherhood of St Lawrence

Type of Support Needed

NIPA wants to establish a working group to assist it to develop the franchise model to implementation stage. Ideally the working group would comprise representatives from KAPA, NCA/Balkanu, the large pastoral houses, mining companies with operations on pastoral lands, other private sector expertise in franchising / legals/ finance/ marketing / business planning and Government. The working group would meet 3 or 4 times over the next 12 months.

Funding to assist with the costs of the group meeting would be welcome.

Some of the things that still need to be done include:
. A comprehensive feasibility study;
. Development of standard franchise agreements;
. A method for setting licence or franchise fees;
. A standard financial services package that can
be delivered independently of the IPE's;
. Development of best practice manuals for
animal, land, people and financial /
business management systems;
. Development of training and mentoring
programmes for these management systems;
. Policy & procedures manuals;
. Development of a Code of Conduct:
. Monitoring systems and processes, including
Economic benchmarking;
. Processes/criteria for identifying
communities/properties on which to pilot the
model;
. Business plans for each IPE;
. A selection process that enables the selection
of Franchisees who will succeed;
. A co-ordinated livestock marketing service;
. Resolution of any Intellectual Property issues.

Type of Mentoring Needed

Type of Investment Needed

Subject(s)

Region(s)

Most Recently Presented At

First Presented At

For further information

Contact	:	Peter McEntee
Phone	:	08 9192 5818
Mobile	:	0418 308 991
Fax	:	08 9192 5817
Email	:	msuac@bigpond.com
WWW	:	http://www.yoursite.org.au (N.B. must begin with http://)

Foundation members of NIPA at the Yawuru ISX

Kimberley Cattle Legend Sam Lovell, AO

Manager of Bohemia Downs, Alan Lawford