key success factors included leadership, awareness, culture, strategic alignment, recruitment and selection, retention, monitoring, and reporting. The evaluation considered the extent to which these eight factors were being demonstrated in a sample of five public sector authorities. These authorities included the Department of the Attorney General (DotAG), Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD), Legal Aid WA (LAWA), Disability Services Commission (DSC) and Kimberley Training Institute (KTI). The five sample authorities were selected to participate in the evaluation to for a cross section of agency functions, agency sizes and Aboriginal representation rates. Appendix A provides an overview of the five authorities across the selection criteria. An internally developed desirable controls model was adopted as the primary assessment tool for the evaluation. The desirable controls model identified a total of 43 ’desirable controls’ across the eight key success factors (see Appendix B). Each authority was assessed against four of the eight key success factors. Consideration of which four key factors to be assessed was dependent on the type of initiatives and programs ‘developed’ in each authority (see Table 1). The following evaluation questions framed the development and implementation of the desirable controls model: Is there strong visible leadership and high level sponsorship at executive level? Is there strong understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity? Does the authority promote an inclusive and welcoming work culture? Does the authority have strong alignment between strategic objectives and Aboriginal employment outcomes? Does the authority have clear recruitment strategies that support the employment of Aboriginal people? Does the authority provide a work environment that is flexible and supports career development opportunities for Aboriginal employees? Does the authority regularly review and analyse Aboriginal employment initiatives through a continuous improvement cycle? Does the authority collect and use data to report on the alignment of core business with Aboriginal employment? The maturity of the desirable controls within the sample authorities was considered through: obtaining the views of human resource managers, Aboriginal employment officers and workforce planners within the five authorities through face to face meetings considering the nature, sophistication and status of relevant strategies referenced in equal employment opportunity management or integrated workforce and diversity plans observing the Aboriginal employment agenda in corporate documentation.
Appendix A – Authorities chosen for the evaluation Authority Commission’s employee survey last conducted Authority size Authority type Authority function Authority’s EEO management plan status Authority’s Indigenous Australian employment target Authority’s Indigenous Australian representation rate 1 DSC 2009 Large – 1898 Department and SES organisation Policy, development and coordination Workforce and diversity plan 2012-2016 3.2% 1.1% 2 LAWA 2013 Medium – 342 Non-SES organisation Service EEO management plan 2013-2015 3.2% 1.5% 3 DTWD 2010 Medium – 521 Department Service Workforce and diversity plan 2012-2015 3.2% 3.1% 4 DotAG 2013 Large – 1,745 Department Service EEO management plan 2010-2014 4.5% 4.0% 5 KTI 2014 Small – 202 SES organisation Service Integrated Plan 2012-2015 11.0% 11.4%