Entrant manual
Important dates
· Nominations open: 1 September 2017, 8.00 am
· Nominations close: 29 September 2017, 7.00 pm
· Finalists notified: 9 October 2017
· Finalists to provide video submission: 25 October 2017
· Award ceremony: 8 November 2017
Introduction
The Australian Public Service (APS) Diversity and Gender Equality Awards recognise the many APS employees and teams that routinely go above and beyond their formal duties in promoting workplace diversity. The awards will showcase the best diversity employment strategies and provide an opportunity to promote innovative approaches to equality and diversity APS wide.
Award categories
Individual award
Nominations for the Inclusive Leadership award are open to all APS Staff who have championed diversity and equality in their organisation and who has shown vision and leadership resulting in genuine cultural change.
Department/ Agency award
Nominations for the Department/ Agency award are open to all APS Departments and Agencies who have made a significant contribution or progress to one, some, or all of the following areas:
· Indigenous employment: improving employment opportunities, experiences or outcomes for Indigenous Australians within an agency
· Disability employment: improving employment opportunities, experiences or outcomes for people with disability within an agency
· LGBTI employment: improving employment opportunities, experiences or outcomes for people who identify as LGBTI within an agency.
· Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employment: improving employment opportunities, experiences or outcomes for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
Network award
Nominations for the Network award are open to all APS internal and cross-agency employee networks that advance diversity and inclusion matters within the APS.
Gender Equality award
Nominations for the Gender Equality award are open to all APS staff, networks, and Departments and Agencies who have made significant progress or contribution to addressing gender inequality in the APS or within their agency.
Nomination process
1. Ensure you have read this manual thoroughly
2. Write a 1000 word submission. The submission should respond to the assessment criteria for your chosen award category.
3. Write an Executive Summary of your entry of no more than 200 words.
4. Fill out the application form, ensuring you receive sign off from an SES officer. Nomination forms can be filled out online or downloaded from the awards website.
5. Submit your application! You can upload your written submission and Executive Summary and submit your application online. Alternatively, you can email your completed nomination including your nomination form, written submission and Executive Summary to .
6. You will receive an email reply within one business day confirming your entry has been received.
Eligibility
· Entries are invited from all APS employees on behalf of themselves, their agency/ department, or their network.
· The commitments to diversity or gender equality that form part of the submission must have been active at some stage within the period of 1 July 2016 and 31 August 2017.
· All entries must be endorsed by a Senior Executive Service (SES) officer within the relevant agency, department, or network.
· You may nominate in more than one category, however entry in each category will require separate submissions including separate nomination forms. The same submission cannot be used across multiple categories. Each submission must be written to address the assessment criteria of the relevant category.
· No alterations to applications will be permitted after the date of submission.
· All finalists must produce a 30-60 second video showcasing their achievements, to be shown at the awards ceremony.
Assessment criteria
Individual award
1. Leadership
· How does the applicant/nominee champion diversity and inclusion?
2. Outcomes and benefits
· Who has benefited from the initiatives led by the applicant/nominee and how?
3. Commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace
· How does the applicant/nominee promote or drive an inclusive workplace culture?
4. Relationships and employee consultation
· How has the applicant/nominee demonstrated they have built cooperative and respectful relationships with others?
· How does the applicant/nominee seek input and involvement from all levels to respond to diversity challenges?
Department/ Agency award
1. Commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace culture
· How do the initiatives contribute to an inclusive workplace culture?
· Is the initiative well understood by/ supported by all staff in the agency?
2. Outcomes and benefits
· What have been the benefits/ outcomes of the initiatives?
· Who has benefited from the initiatives and how?
· What are the longer term goals of the initiatives?
3. Innovation for best practice
· How does the agency demonstrate innovation and best practice in Indigenous employment/ disability employment/ LGBTI/CALD employment?
· How might the initiatives be transferrable to other agencies?
4. Evaluation
· What systems does the agency have in place to evaluate the progress made under the initiatives?
· How often and how thoroughly are the initiatives evaluated?
Network award
1. Commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace
· How does the network foster a culture of inclusivity in the APS?
· How does the network promote and drive cultural change?
2. Outcomes and benefits
· What have been the outcomes/benefits to initiatives and activities led by the network?
3. Empowering and supporting members
· How does the network empower and support its members?
4. Sharing best practice
· What mechanisms does the network have in place for effectively sharing diversity strategies and resources?
5. Feedback
· What mechanisms does the network have in place for taking feedback?
· In what ways has the network responded to feedback in the past?
Gender Equality award
1. Commitment to a supportive an enabling workplace culture
· How does the nominee contribute to a workplace culture that is inclusive of all genders?
· How does the nominee drive cultural change?
2. Outcomes and benefits
· What have been the outcomes and benefits of initiatives driven by the nominee?
· Who has benefited and how?
3. Innovation for best practice
· How does the nominee demonstrate innovation and best practice in gender equality?
About the assessment process
Nominations will be received by the Diversity and Inclusion Policy team at the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC). The Diversity and Inclusion Policy team will review each nomination to ensure that all required information is included. Nominations that are not complete will not be assessed.
An evaluation panel at the APSC will assess the applications against the assessment criteria, and create a shortlist and report of recommendations for the independent judging panel.
The independent judging panel will make the final decision of winners in each category. This panel is designed to bring a balance of personal and professional expertise to the judging process, and to ensure that it is sound and impartial.
Finalists from each category will be notified that they have been shortlisted by Monday October 9.
All finalists must produce a 30-60 second video showcasing their achievements, to be shown at the awards ceremony. More information will be provided to finalists at this time.
For further information, please contact .