ACTION Leadership Demonstrable and visible leadership will realise the multicultural access and equity commitments set out in the Department’s Multicultural Access and Equity Action Plan 2016-19. Action Responsibility Timeline Target 1.1 Executive accountability 1.2 Department and agencies commitment Appoint a Senior Executive Service officer with overall responsibility for embedding multicultural access and equity in the organisational culture and ensuring that commitments identified in plan are realised and delivered. First Assistant Secretary Policy Analysis and Implementation Division December 2016 Senior Executive Service officer appointed. Identify a senior internal governance group to support the oversight and implementation of the plan. 1.2.1. Develop a strategy to raise awareness among staff about the aims of the plan. First Assistant Secretary Policy Analysis and Implementation Division Director Stakeholder Engagement December 2016 Group established. December 2016 Departmental and portfolio agency staff, are aware of the Department’s multicultural access and equity commitments.
Seeking feedback and measuring performance will assist the Department and agencies to continuously improve multicultural access and equity performance. Annual reporting and public accountability will help to signal the importance of this policy to achieving our mission. Action Responsibility Timeline Target 3.1 Performance indicators and reporting 3.1.1 Develop a set of KPIs that are: relevant to the Department’s core business, sensitive to cultural and linguistic barriers to effective engagement with clients and community. Assistant Secretary Policy Analysis and Implementation Division June 2017 KPIs developed in consultation with Division Heads and Heads of agencies included in this plan. 3.1.2 Report annually on these KPIs. Assistant Secretary Policy Analysis and Implementation Division June 2017 KPIs are approved by the Secretary on an annual basis. An annual snapshot of the plan’s implementation will be reported to the Department of Social Services as part of whole-of-government’s presentation to the Australian Multicultural Council (AMC). Action Responsibility Timeline Target
3.2 Feedback 3.2.1 Review current feedback mechanisms to ensure they capture feedback on the Department and agencies multicultural and access performance. Assistant Secretary Policy and Communications Branch December 2017 Any improvements identified in the review are incorporated in future feedback activities. 3.2.2 Consider relevant feedback from the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council (FECCA) - provided through DIAC - on perceptions by their members of the Department and agencies’ multicultural and access and equity performance. First Assistant Secretary Policy Analysis and Implementation Division December 2017 Feedback received and provided to relevant areas of the Department and agencies. Feedback responded to as appropriate. Capability
The work of the Department touches on every part of the Australian community and impacts more specifically on some culturally and linguistically diverse groups in areas such as the illegal trade in wildlife and work in Marine Parks as it affects commercial and recreational fishers. A more detailed understanding of these diverse groups and increased cultural competency will assist the Department and agencies to pursue its mission. Action Responsibility Timeline Target 4.1 Cultural competency 4.1.1 Incorporate reference to the importance of building employee capability to understand and value the perspectives of culturally and linguistically diverse groups in the Department’s learning and development strategy. Assistant Secretary People Strategies Branch June 2017 The Department’s Learning and Development Strategy 2016 – 2019 includes reference to the development of cultural capability of employees. 4.1.2. Include cultural awareness training in the Department’s learning and development program. Assistant Secretary People Strategies Branch December 2017 Cultural awareness training is made available and promoted to employees. 4.1.3 Encourage employees to disclose their proficiency in a language other than English. Assistant Secretary, People Strategies Branch December 2017 Regular reminders advertised through the intranet for employees to update their proficiency in a language other than English in ESS. 4.2 Research and data 4.2.1 Improve data collection by identifying opportunities to include information about language and ethnicity in surveys and other research. First Assistant Secretary Policy Analysis and Implementation Division December 2017 A process for inclusion of items about language and ethnicity in all appropriate data collections is established.
6.2 Data 6.2.1 The Department will make available cultural and linguistic data to other agencies and stakeholders. First Assistant Secretary Policy and Communications Branch June 2019 Appropriate data sets are shared with other government agencies in coordination with the Department of Social Services.