In some ways the USA’s Tribal TANF program is very similar to the CDEP scheme. Participants must perform some work for the receipt of their welfare-equivalent incomes and such work can be locally defined and culturally relevant. But there are obvious major differences. Under TANF, tribes may elect to provide assistance other than cash to their clients; all recipients of social security within a designated region may participate; the governing body must carry out a comprehensive assessment of regional economic conditions and demand for skills; and substantial policy formulation responsibilities have been handed over in conjunction with service delivery.

But most importantly, the tribes have accepted responsibility for administering an entire component of welfare service delivery in a devolved jurisdiction. They have done so after carrying out comprehensive planning, after establishing a representative governing body and administrative structure for their identified region, after having consulted widely with their constituents, and after having obtained a mandate to operate the program. In other words, in the phase leading up to the jurisdictional devolution of service delivery, tribes have undertaken substantial work in governance, institution and capacity building. The program is still in its infancy and has not been without establishment difficulties, but is apparently making important inroads into welfare dependence and job creation in rural and remote Native American communities.

Jurisdictional devolution of welfare services has considerable potential to be an enabling framework for Indigenous welfare reform in Australia. However, it would require both governments and Indigenous Australians to think differently about how welfare is delivered in this country. Substantial added investments would be required from government for Indigenous education, and local training and job creation, and Indigenous people and their leaders would have to develop, as a matter of priority, stable and depoliticised governing institutions, and the capacities needed to administer such a devolved responsibility.