Developing our Plan
How we developed our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan.
An intersectional lens
We recognise that different aspects of an individual's identity are linked and impact one another. This perspective helps us understand the full picture and develop more just, effective and resilient solution for all, especially for the most vulnerable. By using an intersectional approach, we aim to promote safety, respect and inclusion in the NSW Government and the communities we serve.
A human-centred design
We were able to problem-solve by actively listening to the experience and perspective of the people we employ and service. This process involved deep understanding, defining areas of opportunity and working together on ideas to effectively create solutions with impact.
During the discovery phase, we conducted various engagement and consultation activities with the community and stakeholders, including surveys, workshops, focus groups and interviews.
The insights gained from these activities helped us accurately define the problem statements, which guided the development of the Plan's actions through design workshops.
We will continue to seek feedback from NSW's diverse communities to further refine and evolve our Plan.
What we heard
Staff engagement
This information was collected from various channels such as discovery workshops, feedback surveys, workforce data and focus groups. We received 790 feedback survey responses:
- 2.7% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 42.3% carers
- 18.6% people with disability
- 16.9% LGBTQIA+
- 18.9% multicultural
- 2.5% non-binary
- 20.3% over 55 years old
- 59% women
- 1.8% veterans
- 15.6% under 35 years old
Community engagement
We received 91 feedback survey responses:
- 6% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 16% carers
- 20% people with disability
- 30% LGBTQIA+
- 34% multicultural
- 13% over 55 years old
- 52% women
- 3% veterans
- 26% under 35 years old
Our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion
| Aware: We understand it exists | Compliant: We comply by meeting standards | Program led: We change attitudes and behaviours through targeted programs of work | Integrated: We embed DEI in the way we do business |
|---|
We reach out to our community and staff to understand their needs. By being aware, we can identify and remove barriers, ensuring we meet standards. Once we have the basics covered, we can enhance our efforts with targeted programs to shift attitudes and behaviours. This journey will help us embed inclusion from the very beginning in everything we do and deliver.
Our actions
Outcome: Diverse communities feel respected, heard and at the centre of everything we do.
| Aware: We understand the needs of diverse people | Compliant: We engage in a way people feel safe, heard and included | Program led: We target diverse groups to make sure they are aware of how we can help them | Integrated: We put diverse people at the centre of services, policies and programs |
|---|---|---|---|
Action: Establish ongoing focus groups to engage with on the DEI Action Plan. Improve data collection. Establish formal employee resources groups (ERGs). | Action: Develop a guideline on how to incorporate inclusive and accessible communications and engagement options into communications and engagement strategies. | Action: Develop partnerships with community leaders and key community and advisory organisations. Strengthen partnerships with memberships and employee resource groups to inform best-practice people initiatives. | Action: Increase diversity in statutory boards and committees. Create a forum bringing employee resource groups and senior leadership together. |
What success looks like
- Increased membership with advisory organisations
- Evidence of co-design with other areas of NSW Government and advisory boards
- Formalised employee resource groups for diversity cohorts reflected in the Plan
- Expand the scope of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Group to include employee resource groups
- Evidence that diverse community consultation boards have been consulted on department services, programs and policies (including consultation with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, carers, people with disability, gender diverse people, LGBTQIA+, multicultural and multigenerational people, women and veterans)
Outcome: Diverse communities have access to information or services delivered.
| Aware: We understand the barriers to accessibility | Compliant: We meet accessibility standards | Program led: We develop targeted programs to remove barriers to accessing information | Integrated: We ensure that all our services, programs, and policies are accessible before they are made publicly available |
|---|---|---|---|
Action: Establish information and communications technology (ICT) accessibility committee. Review intranet channels to identify barriers to inclusion and determine priority remedial actions to improve access. Cataloguing the services and products that Conservation Programs Heritage and Regulation group provides to better understand customer experience. | Action: Develop document accessibility check process and inclusive style guide to meet required accessibility standards (AUSLAN, Easy Read, plain English). | Action: Continue implementing the National Parks and Wildlife Service Accessible Parks Policy and enhance communication about its progress and achievements. Translate the DCCEEW Strategic Plan and DEI Action Plan into multiple languages. Continue developing easy-to-access information about accessible infrastructure across DCCEEW physical sites. | Action: Establish partnership and mentorship with NSW Telco Authority on the NSW Digital Inclusion Strategy improve digital access of services, policies and programs. |
What success looks like
- Increased use of AUSLAN services
- Increase in Easy Read published documents
- Increase in multilingual published documents
- Case studies of co-design and collaboration with NSW Telco Authority on the NSW Digital Inclusion Strategy
- Number of users accessing services online
- Evidence of increased level of awareness of available online resources
- Increased information sources for accessing services that meet the needs of diverse cohorts in our physical sites, including gender-neutral facilities and services for people with disability and carers
Outcome: Diverse communities have equal opportunity to meaningfully contribute to NSW.
| Aware: We understand the barriers to recruitment of diverse people | Compliant: We meet merit-based recruitment standards | Program led: We deliver programs to attract, and recruit underrepresented diverse groups | Integrated: We have inclusive process to develop and retain underrepresented diverse groups |
|---|---|---|---|
Action: Establish targets for diversity representation aligning to the demographics we serve. | Action: Promote disability confident recruiter accreditation. Promote flexible working options including job share and part-time opportunities. | Action: Target roles for underrepresented diverse groups. Targeted communication channels for diverse cohorts to support cultural research to identify attraction and retention strategies for diverse candidates. | Action: Build inclusive practices into the recruitment process. Enhance the MyCareer and My Development Plan process to support career-path mapping to learning opportunities. |
What success looks like
- Increase in workforce diversity across the department, including Senior Executive roles, through attraction and mobility
- Increase in part-time and job-share opportunities
- Reduce the gaps in pay and diversity representation in the workplace, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, carers, people with disability, gender diverse, LGBTQIA+, multicultural and multigenerational people, women and veterans
Outcome: Diverse communities receive what’s needed, when it's needed, so everyone can thrive.
| Aware: We understand it exists | Compliant: We comply by meeting standards | Program led: We change attitudes and behaviours through targeted programs of work | Integrated: We embed DEI in the way we do business |
|---|---|---|---|
| We map the needs of diverse groups. | We meet workplace and customer standards. | We create programs to improve economic opportunity for disadvantages people. | We have inbuilt mechanisms to get things right the first time. |
Action: Identify roles that require diversity and inclusion capability in their job descriptions for future recruitment. Identify roles that require cultural intelligence and trauma-informed approach training to deliver inclusive customer service. Review relevant policies, processes and systems to identify barriers to inclusion and develop a diversity and inclusion checklist to guide the development of new policies, processes and systems. Map generational needs of employees at all ages and life stages. Review Energy Social Program and provision of rebate to meet community needs. | Action: Implement Disability Review recommendations. Implement new workplace adjustments policy. Implement sexual harassment prevention policy department wide. | Action: Create pathways to work at DCCEEW (internships, volunteer opportunities and targeted diverse programs within male dominated sectors such as STEM). Roll out gender impact assessment across the department. Develop a learning framework to uplift DEI capability. Implement a financial wellbeing program for financially disadvantaged employees. Implement a women’s health program. | Action: Support the delivery and implementation of the NSW Digital Inclusion Strategy. Update briefing notes to include DEI impact statement. |
What success looks like
- Reduced number of customer relationship management tools across the department
- Centralised service mapping tool expanded across the department
- Increase in employee engagement
- Evidence of gender impact assessments
- Gender Equality Diagnostic Tool built into evaluation of the Plan
How we measure progress
| Task | Purpose | Audience | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | Understanding progress of actions |
| Twice a year |
| Reporting | Communicating progress on actions to staff and community |
| Annually |
| Evaluate and evolve | Review impact of actions through staff and community feedback to evolve the Plan |
| Annually |