Departments
Department of Education: Cultural Diversity Plan 2023–2027
Vision
DE’s CDP identifies four focus areas for delivering the department’s culturally sensitive services:
- early childhood participation
- student learning and wellbeing
- intercultural capability in schools
- workforce diversity and professional learning.
The focus areas bring together the department’s work under current strategic reforms to improve outcomes for children and young people with multicultural and faith backgrounds.
Goals
There are four objectives in DE’s CDP:
- early childhood participation – support improved participation in early childhood education for culturally diverse children, families, and carers
- student learning and wellbeing – foster a culturally safe and equitable school education system
- intercultural capability in schools – build the intercultural capability of school leaders, teachers and students
- workforce diversity and professional learning – support cultural diversity, equity and inclusion in our early childhood, school education and corporate workforces, and promote professional learning.
Governance and ownership
DE’s Culture, People and Integrity Committee and Executive Board oversee the CDP. DE has established a companion action register to track actions across the CDP’s focus areas. Each CDP action includes an acquittal measure to identify annual progress of CDP services. The acquittal of actions will also be considered collectively to assess the achievement of the CDP’s focus areas and objectives.
Cultural competence training
DE is committed to strengthening cultural diversity in its corporate workforce and leadership in alignment with equal opportunity and diversity practices across the VPS.
DE provides a range of information and resources to support staff to build their knowledge and capability around cultural diversity. This includes an internal collaboration page that is regularly promoted and online resources to support staff fostering cultural competency and tackling racism at work. These resources outline suggested actions, inclusive language techniques when communicating across cultures and information about DE’s e-learning courses.
DE’s professional development programs, such as its corporate mentoring program, have embedded diversity and inclusion as a key success factor. This program includes a specific focus on diversity and inclusion in training sessions for both mentors and mentees. It highlights additional hurdles in career development that people from minority groups may experience and the importance of culturally safe and sensitive conversations in mentoring relationships.
DE provides the Respectful Workplaces Program as a suite of e-learn modules as part of its induction program for all new staff (in corporate and schools) and encourages staff to complete these at regular intervals after induction. This includes the following e-learn modules:
- Respectful workplaces
- Human rights and responsibilities
- Equal opportunities
- Addressing workplace bullying
- Understanding the DE values.
The following modules are also offered to all staff to support inclusive workplace behaviours, inclusive recruitment practices and encourage staff to raise concerns when they have them:
- Sexual harassment
- Leading a respectful workplace, addressing concerns, complaints, and serious behaviours (for managers)
- Inclusive recruitment.
As demand for highly skilled early childhood and school education professionals continues to rise, DE is implementing workforce initiatives to support diversity, inclusion, and equity. These initiatives will continue to evolve over the life of the CDP to respond to complex needs across policy and practice.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DE has a register of community stakeholders and organisations for consultation on program and policy development. The department has established internal processes for consulting directly with multicultural community stakeholders and organisations.
DE also provides immersive placement experiences to develop intercultural capability of pre-service teachers. DE has committed to undergoing period reviews and evaluations of all programs, informed by best practice methodology. This includes incorporating the views of diverse or vulnerable groups in evaluation design and implementation.
Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action: Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2019–2022
Vision
DEECA aims to create a culture that embraces individual differences in all forms and fosters innovation and inclusion to support:
- liveable, inclusive and sustainable communities and thriving natural environments
- all staff to achieve their full potential and work in a flexible way that meets their needs
- a community charter that emphasises the diversity and inclusion values of building enduring and genuine partnerships.
Goals
The goals of DEECA’s CDP are to:
- improve service delivery and decision making through strong, inclusive leadership, and training and development opportunities
- foster attitudes and practices that better support diversity and inclusion
- create opportunities to recruit and retain staff from diverse groups in the community
- adopt an intersectional lens when developing key diversity and inclusion initiatives that are fit for purpose in addressing systemic barriers to social cohesion and equity.
Governance and ownership
The People and Culture Division consults broadly on decisions relating to the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy including proposed changes to whole of department policies, procedures and processes. Key departmental stakeholders include:
- DEECA’s six staff-led networks
- the Workforce People Partners Working Group
- People and Culture’s leadership team and Stewardship Committee
- the Executive Board.
The Manager, Diversity and Inclusion, drives key commitments in the CDP. A team leader and two staff from the Diversity and Inclusion team work on the CDP.
Two voluntary staff-led networks, Multicultural@DELWP and DEECA’s Women of Colour Network, inform and progress the CDP and action plans.
For an intersectionality lens, DEECA also consults with other staff-led networks including:
- Place of Pride
- All Abilities Network
- Emerging Professionals Network
- Aboriginal Staff-led Network
- Autism Success Network.
The department also consults with broader VPS-wide networks.
Cultural competence training
DEECA delivered the following initiatives to support increased cultural competence:
- promoted diversity and inclusion learning opportunities to new staff through the new starter induction program
- Levels of Racism and Anti-racism training through the VEOHRC for executive staff
- Charter of Human Rights training and resources for all staff through the VEOHRC
- impactful inclusion training on intersectional gender equality for DEECA’s Bushfire and Forest Services Group
- the DEECA Women of Colour network mentoring program
- safe and respectful training for all staff including the Charter of Human Rights and diversity and inclusion principles
- Navigating Recruitment eLearn to embed knowledge of bias, discrimination, inclusion and diversity throughout the recruitment and onboarding process
- the Multicultural@DEECA staff-led network
- made available the SBS Inclusion and Cultural Competency training modules for all staff.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DEECA’s Community Charter helps the department build better relationships with stakeholders and communities through leveraging local networks, processes, tools and resources. This improves interactions and engagement in policy planning. It also informs delivery of programs and projects.
DEECA’s Engage@DEECA framework enables:
- more confident and effective engagement
- stronger relationships with multicultural communities
- more informed decision making.
The current framework is being reviewed. Once complete, the review will bring the framework in line with the VPS-wide engagement framework.
The department has also developed an internal gender equality action plan and conducts external facing gender impact assessments as part of key diversity and inclusion initiatives. These initiatives adopt a strong intersectional lens, considering multicultural perspectives and initiative impacts.
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing: Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022–2027
Vision
DFFH’s CDP vision states the following:
- We will be a proactive leader in diversity and inclusion.
- We will empower people to express their identity and belong.
- We will remove structural and systemic barriers so that everyone can reach their full potential in a safe, equitable and respectful workplace.
- We will create a department that embodies inclusive leadership, celebrates diversity of thought and reflects the diversity of the communities we serve so we can better support them.
Goals
DFFH’s CDP goals are to ensure:
- DFFH’s leadership profile, governance structures and workforce reflect the community’s diversity and all employees are accountable for creating an inclusive workplace
- the department empowers the voices of its diverse workforce, values diversity of thought and creates a workplace where all employees are supported to develop and progress their careers
- diverse people’s lived experience is core to policy, programs and services, to improve business practices and outcomes for the diverse communities it serves
- culturally safe actions are embedded into systems and practices as the norm
- work environments are accessible and safe, with prevention, early intervention and suitable responses to discrimination and inappropriate behaviours
- DFFH has transparency, accountability, and measurable targets to achieve its CDP outcomes.
Governance and ownership
DFFH has established an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee to focus on organisational diversity and inclusion in the department. This includes gender equality.
The committee:
- oversees the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Framework and Gender Equality Action Plan
- ensures DFFH is taking coordinated action and holds DFFH to account
- monitors progress on equality, diversity and inclusion and acts if progress is not being made
- provides a report to the DFFH Board annually against relevant outcomes, strategies and measures
- authorises changes to the Diversity and Inclusion Framework and implementation plan, in consultation with its diverse staff community of practice.
The committee comprises staff with lived experience of diversity and an accountable executive member who informs and influences decisions.
DFFH divisions plan and manage implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies and actions at the local level, tailoring actions to their workforce profile, needs, priorities and circumstances. Divisions are advised of high-level priority actions reflecting departmental priorities, ensuring a consistent approach across the organisation.
Implementation actions at the divisional level are managed and reported on through existing executive leadership teams, senior management teams and people committees.
Cultural competence training
All departmental staff must complete the mandatory Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion e-learning training. This course is designed to increase staff understanding and knowledge of key priority areas for building diverse workforces including:
- Aboriginal peoples
- people with disabilities
- people from culturally diverse backgrounds
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender-diverse, intersex, queer and asexual (LGBTIQA+) employee communities.
Unconscious bias training is given to staff in both e-learning and instructor-led formats. Anti-racism training is delivered to staff across the department in an instructor-led format. All executives have a diversity performance outcome in their personal development plans to improve diversity and inclusion across the department.
The following projects were completed in 2022–23 to support cultural competence at DFFH:
- a practical guide to creating a multifaith prayer space
- information on understanding Ramadan and how to support employees published and circulated to all staff
- DFFH’s Diverse Women in Leadership Fast Track Program supporting 10 diverse women working across the department at VPS5 and VPS6 (and equivalent) levels to gain valuable leadership experience for future manager and executive roles.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DFFH supports consumers, carers, communities, and patients from multicultural backgrounds to make decisions about their health and wellbeing through policies, guidelines and approaches.
This includes:
- consulting with stakeholders on policy and program design
- developing in-language resources
- ensuring translators are provided where required
- supporting bicultural workers to engage with communities
- building the capacity of departmental staff to better engage diverse communities.
The department’s diverse staff community of practice meets bimonthly and provides an ongoing voice for diverse employees. The community of practice has nominated representatives with lived experience from DFFH’s diverse workforce to be on the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. Nominated representatives report to the committee on risks and issues around the progress of the Diversity and Inclusion Framework implementation plan.
The department also provides employment pathways for refugees and people seeking asylum, particularly through the CareerSeekers Internship initiative. This initiative brings people from diverse communities into the public service.
After the program, 75 per cent of participants secure ongoing employment at the department or in the health and human services sector. They provide valuable lived experiences that inform decision making.
Department of Health: Department of Health Multicultural Health Action Plan 2023–27
Vision
DH’s vision is that Victorians are the healthiest people in the world, as outlined in the Department of Health Strategic Plan 2023–27. To achieve this, DH has implemented a new Department of Health Multicultural Health Action Plan 2023–27. The vision of this plan is to ensure multicultural communities can access culturally competent health care and experience equitable health outcomes.
Goals
There are six improvement goals in the department’s plan:
- Invest in targeted policies, programs and services that improve health equity.
- Design and deliver accessible and culturally competent mainstream policies, programs, and services.
- Provide language services and accessible communications.
- Strengthen community engagement, capacity building and lived experience representation.
- Enhance cultural competency through workforce capability and inclusive leadership.
- Build evidence-based approaches through data, research, and evaluation.
Improvement goals are interconnected. Collective advancement across all goals is essential to improve health outcomes for multicultural communities and achieve the department’s vision.
Governance and ownership
The department’s Executive Board is responsible for overseeing the new Department of Health Multicultural Health Action Plan 2023–27, including ensuring the plan is embedded in the department’s core business.
Cultural competence training
DH implements workforce strategies that aim to build a diverse workforce that reflects the community they serve. These strategies also aim to create a positive, inclusive, and culturally safe workplace to create a comfortable and productive environment for all staff.
All departmental staff must complete Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion e-learning training. This course is designed to increase understanding and knowledge of key priority areas for building diverse workforces including:
- Aboriginal peoples
- people with disabilities
- people from culturally diverse backgrounds
- LGBTIQA+ communities.
Unconscious bias training is also given to staff in both e-learning and instructor-led formats.
All executives have a diversity performance outcome in their personal development plans to improve diversity and inclusion across the department.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DH supports consumers, carers, communities, and patients from multicultural communities to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing through a range of policies, guidelines and approaches. This includes:
- consulting stakeholders on policy and program design
- developing in-language resources
- ensuring translators are provided where required
- supporting bicultural workers to engage with communities
- building the capacity of departmental staff to better engage diverse communities.
The department also provides employment pathways for refugees and people seeking asylum, particularly through the CareerSeekers Internship initiative. This initiative brings people from diverse communities into the public service.
After the program, 75 per cent of participants secure ongoing employment at the department or in the health and human services sector. They provide valuable lived experiences that inform decision making.
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions: Multicultural Diversity Action Plan 2018–2024
Vision
- To foster a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the sectors and communities we work with.
- To provide inclusive service delivery to culturally diverse clients and communities that fosters greater inclusion in Victoria’s economy.
Goals
There are three goals under DJSIR’s CDP:
- Leadership: Our leaders will champion the CDP to foster engagement at all levels. We will all support cultural diversity through ownership at all levels.
- Information building: We will build our understanding of internal cultural diversity. We will build our understanding of the cultural diversity of the communities we work with.
- A culturally diverse workforce: We will support opportunities to grow cultural diversity at all levels of the organisation. Our workforce will reflect the communities we work with.
Governance and ownership
The Executive Director, People and Culture is accountable for the CDP.
The CDP is part of the department’s Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Framework. The framework’s progress is monitored and reviewed by the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Committee, a subcommittee of the Executive Board.
Cultural competence training
All staff are encouraged to develop their cultural competence through professional development opportunities.
In 2022–23 staff had access to many cultural competence training opportunities including:
- a cultural competence e-learning program on the DJSIR learning management system
- a suite of cultural diversity online courses from LinkedIn Learning
- presentations and panel discussions organised by DJSIR’s staff-led People of Colour Network.
All departmental hiring managers must complete online unconscious bias training before conducting job interviews.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DJSIR’s CDP requires that all business areas consult with the community when evaluating programs and services. This is done by:
- consulting with culturally diverse communities and advisory boards when making decisions about programs, policies and services that directly affect culturally diverse communities
- using available demographic and service data on cultural diversity to support decision making for programs, policies and service delivery
- embedding cultural diversity considerations when designing, implementing, and evaluating policies, programs and services.
Department of Justice and Community Safety: Multicultural and Multifaith Action Plan 2023–2027
Vision
A justice and community safety system that is inclusive, equitable, culturally responsive and values people from multicultural and multifaith communities.
Goals
There are six goals under DJCS’s Multicultural and Multifaith Action Plan:
- Improving data – improve our collection and analysis of client and staff experiences to ensure evidence-based reform of systems, structures, and practices, and improve outcomes for people from multicultural and multifaith communities.
- Building capability and capacity – enhance departmental capability and capacity to create a more inclusive and equitable culture and environment for clients and staff.
- Equitable pathways to career development and leadership – support career pathways and opportunities for progression and development for staff from multicultural and multifaith communities.
- Creating a safer, empowering, and inclusive culture – build an organisational culture and justice and community safety system where people from multicultural and multifaith communities feel safe, respected, included and valued.
- Partnering with communities to build stronger policies and programs – partner with communities in a robust and appropriate way to ensure policies, programs and services are designed and delivered in a way that delivers the intended outcomes.
- Cultural responsiveness and inclusion are built into all programs and services – build inclusive and culturally responsive programs, services, and systems so the department achieves its intended outcomes for clients from multicultural and multifaith communities.
Governance and ownership
DJCS’s Inclusion and Intersectionality team (which is part of the People, Safety, Culture and Communications Group) is responsible for the Multicultural and Multifaith Action Plan. The team liaises with business units on development, monitoring and reporting against activities in the plan.
DJCS has established a new executive-level governance body to monitor implementation across all diversity and inclusion strategies to ensure intersectionality is embedded in the department’s practices. The Deputy Secretary of People, Safety, Culture and Communications chairs all related meetings.
Cultural competence training
All role-specific training such as induction programs, mandatory e-learning and professional development programs includes cultural competency and awareness training. Topics include:
- Aboriginal cultural awareness
- cultural diversity
- human rights awareness
- respect in the workplace
- the VPS Code of Conduct.
Cultural competency and awareness training is also available as part of regular induction for all Youth Justice custodial staff.
Also, the Centre for Multicultural Youth worked with Youth Justice in 2020–21 to develop a foundational training program for working with young people from multicultural and multifaith backgrounds for custodial and community staff. This training is ongoing as part of induction for all Youth Justice community staff.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DJCS has an engagement framework that supports its commitment to a just and safe Victoria. The framework is a strategic and practical guide for staff that outlines how, when, and why the department engages with its stakeholders. It ensures the department engages with its stakeholders in a consistent, meaningful, effective, and inclusive way. The framework reflects the department’s commitment to embedding partnerships in the design, delivery and evaluation of the Victorian justice and community safety system.
Department of Premier and Cabinet: Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2019–2021
Vision
DPC is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity to ensure all people:
- are treated with dignity and respect
- have equitable access to employment opportunities and outcomes
- have the ability to participate in all aspects of work life
- can achieve their full potential.
Goals
Across the various diversity and inclusion plans, the department aims for:
- visible leadership and accountability for diversity and inclusion
- attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse, gender-balanced and talented workforce
- creating a safe (including culturally safe), respectful and inclusive workplace
- facilitating and promoting a flexible and accessible workplace
- measuring, monitoring, and reporting on diversity and inclusion.
Governance and ownership
The DPC Board of Management oversees diversity, equity, and inclusion in the department.
The Board of Management appoints executive champions for all key priority areas including:
- gender
- disability
- LGBTIQA+.
Cultural competence training
DPC’s People and Culture team provides diversity and inclusion training programs to help employees to:
- understand their rights and responsibilities to create an inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment, and to identify discrimination and exclusion in the workplace
- understand their role in and strategies for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace
- understand the complex and varied experiences of diverse communities
- identify and address unconscious bias practices.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DPC engages with various networks including:
- Aboriginal Staff Network
- Enables Network
- Gender Equality Network
- LGBTIQ+ Network.
Department of Transport and Planning: Intercultural Action Plan 2023–2028
Vision
DTP commits to removing cultural, attitudinal, and systemic barriers that culturally and linguistically diverse people experience in our workplaces.
Goals
There are five key goals of DTP’s CDP:
- Our commitment – Leadership and accountability
- Our senior leaders visibly demonstrate their commitment to developing culturally inclusive and competent workplaces for people from multicultural and faith backgrounds and are held accountable for delivering actions outlined in the Intercultural Action Plan.
- Our environments – Systems, processes, premises
- DTP’s workplace systems, processes and spaces are inclusive and appropriate for all. Where employees of multicultural heritage are safe to self-identify and express their authentic selves including their cultural and faith identity, and are valued, recognised, and supported to reach their full potential.
- Our culture – Attitudes and awareness
- DTP workplaces have intercultural and anti-racism principles embedded within them, openly celebrating the diversity within its workforce, and sharing the commitment to mature our intercultural competency as an organisation.
- Our talent – Recruitment, development, promotions
- Increase multicultural and faith talent representation across all levels of DTP’s workforce, ensuring all talent has equitable access to career development and promotion opportunities.
- Become an employer of choice for people with multicultural and faith backgrounds over the life of the Intercultural Action Plan.
- Our community – Inclusive customer service interactions
- Leverage the diversity of DTP’s workforce to meaningfully connect and provide quality and appropriate service delivery to Victoria’s diverse and wide-ranging communities.
Governance and ownership
The Deputy Secretary, People and Business Services, along with the Executive Director, People and Culture, have overall responsibility for implementing the department’s Intercultural Action Plan 2023–2028. All areas of the business are responsible for implementing the actions in the plan.
An Inclusion and Diversity Council also influences, advises, oversees, and tracks progress against the plan’s implementation measures. The council is chaired by the Secretary and met twice in 2022–23. In 2023–24 a quarterly Inclusion and Diversity Implementation Steering Committee will be established to oversee the operational delivery of DTP’s Inclusion and Diversity Strategy and related action plans, including the Intercultural Action Plan 2023–2028.
Cultural competence training
From July 2020 onwards, core foundation training called Inclusion Fundamentals and Unconscious Bias has been delivered to DTP employees. This five-hour training includes modules on:
- unconscious bias
- bystander action and inclusive leadership
- fostering cultural humility
- cultural awareness
- the impact of racism on culturally diverse staff in the workplace.
DTP also encourages staff to complete e-learning modules on cultural competency, which have been provided by SBS.
In March 2023, 50 people leaders and executive leaders attended a one-day Courageous Conversations on Race workshop. This provided DTP’s leadership with an opportunity to explore their place as they strive to lead a truly inclusive, equitable and culturally responsive workplace and organisation. Executive leaders explored racial equity and the power of authentic engagement.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
Community engagement is designed and implemented to be inclusive of multicultural communities that are affected by departmental decisions. DTP uses the International Association of Public Association’s spectrum of public participation and a range of engagement methods including:
- social media
- website project updates
- surveys
- community meetings
- consultation committees
- translator services.
In developing policies, processes and programs, DTP seeks feedback and contributions from a culturally diverse Employee-led Network Working Group to ensure lived experience informs the final products.
- Our commitment – Leadership and accountability
Department of Treasury and Finance: Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2021–2025
Vision
DTF’s Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2021–2025 aims to embed a diverse and inclusive culture across the department that reflects the diversity of the Victorian population.
Goals
The framework complements other whole-of-Victorian Government initiatives including the Getting to Work disability employment plan and the Barring Djinang Aboriginal employment plan.
There are six goals under DTP’s Diversity and Inclusion Framework:
- acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land across Victoria, value self-determination for Aboriginal people and support reconciliation
- remove barriers so people with disability can fully participate and excel
- promote a culture of gender equity, diversity and respect where people of all genders are supported to succeed
- ensure the LGBTIQA+ community is visibly recognised and included
- celebrate cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, and create a workforce that reflects the diverse Victorian community we serve
- enable people of all ages to participate and pursue career development opportunities.
Governance and ownership
The Diversity and Inclusion Framework is overseen by DTF’s People Committee, which reports to the DTF Board.
Cultural competence training
Cultural competence training is embedded in DTF’s Diversity and Inclusion Framework. The framework is included in DTF’s induction program.
All staff complete mandatory training on diversity and inclusion as part of their corporate induction. The department supports its staff to participate in VPS employee-led networks, which give employees an opportunity to connect with peers across the public service and improve cultural capabilities.
DTF has also established:
- inclusive recruitment and selection processes
- a variety of employment programs to increase cultural diversity including diversity scholarships and the Aboriginal Pathway to the Victorian Government graduate program.
Decision-making processes and program evaluation
DTF has a Diversity and Inclusion Committee that meets quarterly to monitor the Diversity and Inclusion Framework’s implementation plan.
DTF consults with key stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to monitor and evaluate programs.
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