What is Diversity?

Workplace diversity relates to the positive recognition, valuing and use of the diverse skills and perspectives that people bring into the workplace because of their gender, origin, ethnicity, cultural background, disability, age, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. Diversity also refers to the myriad ways people differ in other respects, such as educational level, life experience, job function, work experience, socio-economic background, personality profile, geographic location, marital status, etc.

The Memorial's Diversity Policy

The Memorial recognises that the diversity of its employees is one of its greatest strengths. This policy intends to help employees recognise, respect, use and manage diversity within the workplace, to create an environment where the perspectives, abilities and experiences of employees are used to their fullest.

The Memorial's Diversity Principles

1. Workplace diversity is important to the Memorial in ensuring that all employees up-hold the values of the Memorial and the Australian Public Service to create and maintain a Service which is fair, free from discrimination and recognises the diversity of employees and the community. The Memorial's Diversity Principles are as follows:
2. The Memorial recognises that a diverse workforce provides a broader range of ideas and insights to draw upon in decision-making and policy development. It encourages all employees and volunteers to make their particular and valuable contributions to the workplace within the appropriate management and consultative frameworks.
3. The Memorial recognises diversity as an integral part of all policies and practices, in particular the Corporate and Business Plans and the Teamwork Agreement.  It emphasizes teamwork in encouraging all employees to make their particular and valuable contributions within the appropriate management and consultative frameworks.
4. The Memorial bases all long term and permanent employment decisions on merit, with the exception of redeployments and transfers to satisfy operational requirements.  Merit selection processes measure employees’ work-related qualities against those required for effective and efficient performance in the workplace.  
5. The Memorial recognises and values the advantages of having a workforce that reflects the demographics of the wider community. It encourages the recruitment and participation of members from the four target groups:
   1. Women
   2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
   3. People with a disability
   4. People from different cultural backgrounds
6. The Memorial recognises that a balanced work and personal life allows a productive and fulfilling workplace. It actively encourages employees to fully utilise opportunities to balance their work and personal life

How does Diversity apply in our Workplace?

Workplace diversity is intrinsic in all aspects of the Memorial's operations. It is fundamental to the Memorial’s pervasive emphasis on teamwork. It is inherent in the Corporate and Business Plans and in the AWM Teamwork Agreement. It is fundamental to the Memorial’s everyday operations. Some examples of how the Memorial applies diversity include:

• Recruitment and selection processes provide fair access to all potential candidates;
• Flexible working arrangements, including part-time work, extended working hour bandwidth and purchased leave provide opportunities to all employees;
• Flexible maternity and paternity leave arrangements provide opportunities to balance work and family needs;
• Indigenous employees may take leave for ceremonial purposes or to participate in NAIDOC Week celebrations;
• Leave for other religious observances will be given sympathetic consideration by supervisors;
• Peers and colleagues may draw on each other’s skills and abilities – for instance, people with language skills providing working translations to assist other staff, for captions, articles or other information.

The Diversity Program

The Memorial has developed a program to ensure its Diversity Principles translate into everyday business operations. This program aims to:

• Ensure relevant recruitment practices are based on merit, are open and consistent with diversity principles;
• Encourage employees to be aware of, and committed to, workplace diversity principles;
• Encourage employees to recognise the positive contribution of a diverse workforce to the workplace;
• Encourage employees to integrate workplace policies and principles in their day-to-day work;
• Create a harmonious and supportive environment sensitive to the diversity of its workforce, e.g. through the delivery of training in diversity;
• Ensure employees are afforded opportunities to fully develop their work skills;
• Ensure employees are afforded opportunities to develop and use their diverse skills in their work;
• Fully utilise Memorial programs to help employees balance work and personal life;
• Provide accurate information to the Public Service Commissioner on workplace diversity for the annual State of the Service report.

Diversity Coordinator

The Memorial has a Diversity Coordinator whose role is to promote diversity within the workplace, ensure policies are consistent with the Memorial's support for diversity and to provide an information and resource point for employees.

Australian War Memorial Workplace Diversity Program 2010 - 2012

OBJECTIVE	STRATEGIES	OUTCOME	SUCCESS INDICATOR
1. Ensure relevant recruitment practices are based on merit, are open and consistent with diversity principles, and recognise the four target groups: Women Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people People with disabilities People with different origins or cultural backgrounds	Ensure job advertising is inclusive, merit-based and supported by the appropriate information Encourage applicants to nominate any assistance needed to participate fairly in the process Monitor selection processes to ensure equity and merit Capture employee diversity data on commencement	Memorial is able to attract sufficiently diverse fields for advertised vacancies Target group representation meets or exceeds targets Applicants assisted through the process if necessary Memorial recognised as sensitive to and supportive of diversity Memorial responds to perceived employee and volunteers’ needs	All Memorial recruitment activities are completed as planned, utilizing all appropriate methods for attracting diverse fields of applicants Representation that reflects or exceeds the proportion of identified groups in the broader ACT community Number of requests from applicants for assistance Number of appeals against process Adjustments made to accommodate and utilise skills and abilities of people in target groups Assessed degree of self disclosure
2. Encourage indigenous employees to participate in National Indigenous Cadetship Project (NICP) and other recognised programs	Participation in National Indigenous Cadetship Project (NICP)	Participation of staff from target group meets or exceeds targets	Submission of applications by indigenous staff for participation in the program.
3. Encourage employees to be aware of, and committed to, workplace diversity principles	Appoint Diversity Coordinator to promote diversity principles using corporate communication tools All new employees informed of diversity principles during staff induction training and other courses Consult with employees to develop Diversity Plan and Program	Employees have access to a Diversity Coordinator for assistance and advice Staff recognise and support the principles of workplace diversity Employees have input to Diversity Plan	Policies and practices strongly reflect diversity principles Staff display a positive attitude to diversity and actively support associated initiatives Diversity Plan reflects employee input High level of awareness shown by staff
4. Encourage employees to recognise the positive contribution of a diverse workforce to the workplace	Involve all employees in development of the Corporate and Business plans and the Teamwork Agreement   Encourage employee input to corporate programs and committees	Memorial recognised as supporting diversity throughout all aspects of its business operations Memorial fully uses the skills and experiences of employees	Corporate management arrangements embody teamwork and diversity practices and values All relevant policies and practices reference the diversity policy
5. Encourage employees to integrate workplace policies and principles in their day-to-day work	Include teamwork and diversity performance assessments of employee in the Business Management and Performance Feedback Scheme (BM&PFS)	Employees recognised for teamwork and diversity performance	A culture within the Memorial that embraces and reflects Diversity principles Number of employees that are assessed as meeting this target in their BMPFs
6. Create a harmonious and supportive environment sensitive to the diversity of the workforce	Foster and use the diverse skills employees bring to the workplace Establish and promote Workplace Harassment Policy and Workplace Harassment Contact Officers Network (WHCO) Support WHCOs to achieve resolution of issues Maintain an Employee Assistance Program for all employees and their families	Diversity principles actively promoted Employees assisted in achieving appropriate outcomes Employees assisted in achieving appropriate outcomes Employees assisted in achieving appropriate outcomes	Articles in Corporate Chatter reporting on relevant programs, activities and events Statistics on grievances and WHCO activities Feedback from WHCO network satisfactory   Feedback and statistics from EAP provider support
7. Ensure employees are afforded opportunities to fully develop their work skills	Include people with diverse skills, and perspectives in project teams Match training, development and work provided to fully utilise employee skills	Employees provided with challenging and rewarding work Employees provided with appropriate training and development	Ability to quickly source people and skill sets to fill project jobs Annual Development Program delivers training against identified needs
8. Ensure employees are afforded opportunities to use their diverse skills in the job.	Encourage employee input to corporate programs and committees	Memorial utilizes the skills and experiences of employees	Employees take on additional tasks and support public events and ceremonies, apply for research grants, submit articles for Wartime Magazine and other external publications, present talks at Branch Forums and in the galleries, and apply for election to represent staff on the Workplace Relations Committee and the OH&S Committee and nominate to become WHCOs
9. Fully utilise Memorial programs to help employees balance work and personal life.	Encourage managers and peers within teams to promote programs and opportunities to achieve balance Support community and life-style programs	The Memorial facilitates opportunities for a balanced work and personal life Employees participate in  personal and community activities	Employees are aware of and utilise programs for flexible working arrangements Use of programs and services offered in-house including ongoing Health Awareness Program sessions etc
10. Provide accurate information to the Public Service Commissioner on workplace diversity for the annual State of the Service report	Capture relevant diversity information at commencement of employment and in census Encourage employee participation in APS wide survey initiatives	The Memorial meets legislative requirements for developing and implementing a Workplace Diversity Policy Employees' participation in wider APS programs	Statistical reporting systems and relevant records maintained and reports provided Employees contribute to APS wide research and performance reporting