ASPA 63rd National Conference Panel Session Monday 25 March 2002 Diversity

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ASPA 63rd National ConferencePanel Session
Monday 25 March 2002Diversity the UK Civil
Service Approaches and Challenges

• Randhir Auluck
• Centre for Management Policy Studies
• Civil Service College
• Larch Avenue
• Sunningdale Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 0QE
  England
• Tel [phone]. Fax [phone]
• E-mail randhir.auluck_at_college-cmps.gsi.gov.uk

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SynopsisHaving been virtually slumbering for
many years, diversity within the UK public
service has recently been subject to a dramatic
reawakening. This paper will provide an overview
of the UK governments approach to the management
of diversity. It will specifically describe the
main initiatives that have been rolled out to
support the implementation of the diversity
agenda. This includes diversity targets,
departmental action plans, mandatory diversity
awareness training, objective-setting, diversity
audits and so on. The paper will also explore
some explanations for why, despite significant
investment of resources, the impact of such
initiatives on achieving authentic change remains
shallow.
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THE GAUNTLET

• To make a dramatic improvement in diversity
  within the Civil Service

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THE VISION

• The public service must be part of, and not
  apart from, the society it serves. It should
  reflect the full diversity of society. At
  present it does not Addressing this is a top
  priority. The Government wants a public service
  which values the differences that people bring to
  it. It must not only reflect the full diversity
  of society but also be strengthened by that
  diversity.
• Modernising Government White Paper, March 1999

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FURTHERMORE . . .

• A truly effective diverse organisation is one in
  which the differences individuals bring are
  valued and used. Currently we tend to minimise
  differences and to expect everyone to fit into
  the established ways of working. We should not
  expect them to. We should be flexible to allow
  everyone to make the best contribution they can.
  This has to be reflected in our ways of working,
  our personnel practices, the way managers
  manage.
• Modernising Government White Paper 1999.

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BROADER CONTEXT FOR CHANGE

• UK legislation new Race Relations (Amendment)
  Act
• European Directives
• Political imperatives

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DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AGENDA
Peer reviews Staff surveys Diversity
benchmarking Equality in performance review
Reviews and Surveys

Development Support
Mentoring Shadowing Secondments Diversity
objective-setting Diversity awareness training
Sponsors/Champions
Target-setting
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BRINGING IN NEW TALENT

• An annual civil service Ethnic Minority Careers
  Fair
• Opening up more posts to direct recruitment at
  senior levels
• Interchange initiative to provide seconments for
  people from diverse backgrounds
• An outreach initiative to encourage more ethnic
  minority graduates to apply to the civil service
  Fast Stream

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BRINGING ON EXISTING STAFF

• A central development programme - Pathways -
  aimed at providing ethnic minority staff with an
  opportunity to realise their potential
• Elevator programme

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SOME RECENT CMPS DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

• Post graduate programme in Managing Diversity
• Emotional Intelligence Diversity programme
• Disability and Career Deficit research
• Institutional Racism and the Public Service paper
• Diversity Benchmarking Tools paper
• Culture Guide for Civil Servants

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HOWEVER RED HERRINGS AND POTENTIAL OBSTACLES

• Unclear vision
• Reactive v. proactive
• Engagement v. distraction
• Benefits v. threat

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MAKING DIVERSITY PROGRAMMES WORK

• Organisational culture
• Line manager attitudes
• Business pressures on line managers

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CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

• A continuous journey
• Political and leadership support
• Individual and organisational learning
• Integrated package of interventions
• Senior management/ reality check