Efforts to promote diversity and gender equality in the public service have been recognised in Canberra on Wednesday, with departments and agencies honoured for promoting inclusion and opportunity for all staff.
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, National Disability Insurance Agency, the Tax Office and Justin Lokhorst of the Australian Bureau of Statistics were winners in the Australian Public Service Commission's annual awards.
Mr Lokhorst won individual recognition for his personal contribution to promoting diversity and inclusion.
He has become a mentor and leader to his colleagues, using his hearing impairment to encourage open and honest discussion about public servants with diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
The Australian Taxation Office's ATOMIC LGBTI+ network, a group of public servants "making inclusion count", won the network award for actively supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and others in the public service.
The National Disability Insurance Agency won the department or agency award for acting as a role model of best practice in recruitment and employment of people with disability in the public service.
The gender equality award was presented to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for its Women in Leadership Strategy, described by judges as "ambitious and innovative".
DFAT secretary Frances Adamson said the strategy was designed to ensure women and men feel valued and supported to perform at their best at work.
"Our strategy draws from research, expertise and extensive staff consultation.
"It sets specific targets and actions to reach them. I have taken direct responsibility for the strategy's implementation and am pleased with what we have accomplished so far."
She said the department tracked specialist data, rewarded effective leadership and made female role models more visible in the workplace.
"As a result, we are seeing changes, with more women reaching our senior ranks and becoming heads of mission and positive changes in how women perceive their career progression.
"But there is more to do and I am determined to maintain momentum towards a more gender equal workplace," she said.
Acting Australian Public Service Commissioner Stephanie Foster said the award winners had set new benchmarks in their everyday work.
"I am delighted to acknowledge the commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated in the 85 award entries in strengthening diversity and gender equality in the APS," Ms Foster said.
"These awards provide a unique opportunity to showcase and celebrate the work of passionate APS staff and agencies. I congratulate the four winners that were announced this morning."
Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Martin Parkinson said the public service should seek to emulate the edge diverse and inclusive private sector organisations have.
"In the 2016 census, people born overseas, or who had at least one parent born overseas, made up almost half of our entire population," Dr Parkinson said.
"Think of the SES staff you know. Are half of them from a culturally diverse background? An even simpler metric: women are just over half the population. Are they half the SES you know?"
He called for the APS to address unconscious bias in the workplace and to provide visible leadership on diversity and inclusion.
