ASD launches 2019–20 diversity and inclusion strategy

The Australian Signals Directorate has launched its 2019–20 diversity and inclusion strategy, which focuses on how it needs “people looking at the same problem from different perspectives” in order to accomplish its mission.

In a statement posted on the ASD website, Lieutenant-General John Frewen DSC, AM, the Directorate’s Acting Director-General, said, “I am committed to having a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is imperative for ASD to be an environment where our culture is one of belonging, and we recognise individual difference as fundamental to our success.”

Lieutenant-General Frewen said, “The future success of ASD and its mission is inextricably linked to our capacity to attract and retain the best possible talent. ASD recognises that diversity is about what makes each of us unique, including our background, personality, educational attainments, life experiences and beliefs.

“We are committed to ensuring that our employees can contribute their skills and abilities in an inclusive environment and we will achieve this by actively seeking to remove structural, attitudinal and behavioural barriers to inclusion.”

Lieutenant-General Frewen listed some of the Directorate’s diversity and inclusion achievements since it became a statutory agency in July 2018:

• Increased representation of women in leadership at the senior executive level, and through the Directorate’s graduate program.
• A strong commitment and investment in the future ASD workforce through a broad range of student opportunities.
• A partnership with the Girls Programming Network to help increase female representation in technology-based careers.
• Flexible working arrangements offered for all of civilian roles.
   

“Increasing diversity through our recruitment processes is simply not enough — we must also focus on the development, progression and retention of all people and hold ourselves and each other to account for our biases,” he added.

“We must work hard to identify and dismantle structural barriers, and challenge our old ways of doing things.”

The full strategy can be found on the ASD website.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/seanlockephotography