The Chief Operating Officers Committee, supported by the Australian Public Service Commission, has been trialling a new and innovative way of working to build cultural competency and boost First Nations employment across the Australian Public Service, through the establishment of the Collaboration Circle.
The aim of the Collaboration Circle is to better position the APS as an employer of choice. It evaluates and recommends improvements to APS initiatives contributing to outcomes under the APS Reform agenda and Closing the Gap Priority Reform 3.
These include initiatives spanning cultural capability, systems and process, data and organisational capability, First Nations workforce, partnerships and engagement.
The pilot Collaboration Circle teamed up six COOs with 14 First Nations staff from across the APS.
They put forward six key recommendations to improve cultural awareness training:
- The COO Committee will provide yearly updates to the Indigenous Champions Network and Indigenous SES Network about the progress of the Collaboration Circle and other First Nations initiatives.
- The COO Committee will establish a baseline understanding of the current state of Cultural Awareness across the APS to guide future recommendations.
- By June 2025, the COO Committee will roll out guidance on the foundational elements of Cultural Awareness Training.
- Following the foundational guidance, the COO Committee will issue further criteria for advanced cultural awareness knowledge by December 2025.
- Consistent with the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workforce Strategy, the COO Committee will develop a three-year roadmap to build cultural capability within the APS.
- The Collaboration Circle will run a second pilot before the end of 2024, with a new focus. From 2025, it will become a formal sub-committee of the COO Committee.
These recommendations are based on a review of self-assessments from 41 agencies, which revealed a variety of approaches to cultural awareness training. Participants in the Collaboration Circle valued the opportunity to influence meaningful change in the APS.
One participant shared "I appreciated the open-mindedness and willingness of the COOs in attendance to really listen to the issues raised, and it fills me with hope that we’re moving in the right direction as an APS."
Following the successful pilot, the COO Committee is pleased to announce the Collaboration Circle as a permanent ongoing sub-committee.
The APSC will continue supporting the Collaboration Circle to implement the recommendations. A second topic kicked off in August 2024, where Agencies have been asked to provide information about retention programs for First Nations employees and statistics on First Nations retention rates.
By working together and sharing new ideas, the APS is making positive changes to further strengthen the public service. Listen to the Collaboration Circle podcast to find out more.