Section outline

  • Organisations should better use data, both quantitative and qualitative, to understand their racial justice challenges, their progress made, and to inform future anti-racist initiatives.


    Actions

    • use data to better understand the form, extent and impact of organisational racial justice challenges and the progress made. This can include applying a racial lens to general organisational data on employment representation (self-identified), retention, training participation and promotion; salary gaps; affirmative measures and reasonable adjustments; grievances; and exit interviews and surveys of sentiment on workplace flexibility, wellbeing, and inclusion. It can also include specific consultations with employee resource groups.
    • use this data to better inform the case and strategy for future anti-racist initiatives.
    • increase transparency of this data, and communicate freely about organisational anti-racist work, goals, challenges and progress.


    Example

    • Good Return developed and rolled out a Cultural Diversity Tracking Survey in order to gauge the cultural and ethnic makeup of the organisation, to interrogate different group perceptions of opportunities for promotion and professional development, and their sense of engagement.
    • ACFID has amended its Annual Statistical Survey of members to better benchmark racial diversity. In addition to asking about the existence of reconciliation action plans and other reconciliation initiatives with First Nations people, a new section of the Survey asks members about:
      • the existence of policies intended to counter racism, and mechanisms to hear from racially marginalised staff about their implementation
      • measurement of Board and staff diversity, and public reporting on these, and
      • representation of developing country stakeholders on the Board and other governance structures.
    • Oxfam Australia works to ensure continual visibility of its cultural fitness. Metrics are included in regular Board reporting and tied to the CEO’s performance assessment.
    • IWDA now have 50% women of colour on their Board. The first woman of colour has been appointed in the CEO role, increasing representation of Executive Leadership Team to 60%.

    Resources

    Leading for Change: A Blueprint for Cultural Diversity and Inclusive Leadership Revisited (2018)Downloads a Word document

    This resource from the Australian Human Rights Commission provides independent research to better illustrate the status of underrepresentation in diversity in senior leadership in private sector, politics, government and universities. The report also highlights what leaders and organisations are doing to support cultural diversity and inclusion.

    Credit: Australian Human Rights Commission
    Workplace Cultural Diversity Assessment Tool (2022)Downloads a Word document

    A free, 40-minute organisational assessment covering key initiatives in management, strategy, recruitment, selection, retention, inclusion and monitoring performance, as they relate to cultural diversity and anti-racism.

    Credit: Australian Human Rights Commission
    Counting Culture: Six Principles for Measuring the Cultural Diversity of Your Workplace (2021)Downloads a Word document

    The Diversity Council of Australia and University of Sydney Business School has developed a standardised approach for defining, measuring and reporting on workplace cultural diversity in a respectful, accurate and inclusive way.

    Credit: Diversity Council Australia
    BRIDGE: Benchmarking Race, Inclusion & Diversity in Global Engagement (2023)Downloads a Word document

    BRIDGE stands for Benchmarking Race, Inclusion, and Diversity in Global Engagement. BRIDGE is an institutional survey that explores diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) metrics, structures, and practices at the organisational level across US-registered organisations in the international development and humanitarian sector.

    Credit: Social Impact

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