Promoting diversity is one of DFID’s core values. Working in a global environment means diversity and equality is at the heart of DFID’s business, both in terms of our workforce and the people whose lives we are working towards making better.
Poor people experience discrimination and social exclusion, for example most of the world’s poorest people are women, or people with disabilities.
What makes them poor is the discrimination they face because of their gender, or disability.
The current UK legislative duties placed on public sector bodies to promote equality and diversity do not technically apply in our work overseas but there is a clear and determined effort in all we do to deliver equality and value diversity. Increasing our capacity in understanding, valuing and applying diversity means we will do our business even better.
DFID’s commitment to diversity and equality means providing a work environment for all employees that is welcoming, respectful and engaging, with opportunities for personal and professional development.
By maximising the potential of everyone, we will bring diverse skills to the work place that in turn increase productivity, quality, creativity and innovation, and make DFID an employer of choice.
The Diversity Team has a predominantly strategic and developmental role in helping to drive the equality and diversity agenda forward.
We work with DFID’s Diversity Champions, Equity and Rights Team and HR Division to strengthen an organisation that values multiple perspectives, experiences and capabilities by driving the integration of diversity, equity and fairness into all practices and processes.
DFID is a member of the Employers Forum on Age.
You can contact the Diversity Team by emailing diversity@dfid.gov.uk
Our Diversity Strategy and the associated Delivery Plan for 2008-2011 sets out how we will deliver the aims of the Civil Service Diversity Strategy: 'Promoting equality, valuing diversity', and has been aligned to the new single UK 'Equality Bill' (to be seen in Parliament spring 2009) and DFID’s business objectives.
Our diversity delivery plan addresses both the organisation wide challenges and the diversity specific areas for action, based around four themes:
Diversity Champion: Andrew Steer, Director-General Policy and Research
I am delighted to take on the role of Diversity Champion. It’s an honour to represent DFID and work closely with others across Whitehall to implement the civil service Diversity and Equality Strategy over the next few years. Working in a global environment means that diversity is at the heart of DFID’s business, in terms of a more flexible and influential workforce, the people whose lives we are working towards improving and in communicating to the public. I am fully committed to the legal, economic and moral reasons to help develop DFID into a flexible, imaginative and diverse Department, which embodies diversity in how we do our work and is seen as being equitable and fair. Pending the publication of the new single Equality Bill, DFID's Equality Schemes for Disability, Race and Gender (see right hand column) have been extended to June 2010. The associated action plans will continue to be updated on a regular basis DFID People Survey 2009 In October 2009 over 340,000 staff from 96 government organisations completed Britain’s largest-ever employee engagement survey. For the first time all Government departments asked the same questions of all their staff. The results allow departments to compare themselves across the entire organisation and, by sharing the same system, reduced costs by around 35 per cent. The primary purpose of the survey was measure how engaged employees are with their work. Sir Gus O’Donnell, Head of the Home Civil Service said: Improving engagement is crucial to delivering better quality public services and better value to the taxpayer and will be one of the key leadership challenges the Civil Service faces in the next decade. The average employee engagement index score for the Civil Service is 58 per cent. In DFID the index score is 72 per cent. DFID also scored very well on: I am interested in my work (96 per cent positive) I have a clear understanding of DFID’s purpose (95 per cent positive) I understand how my work contributes to DFIDs objectives (91 per cent positive) I have the skills I need to do my job effectively (89 per cent positive) I am proud to tell others I am part of DFID (85 per cent positive). As noted on the Civil Service website the majority of departments need to focus on leadership and change management and DFID is no different. In line with other government departments DFID is publishing its results.
I am delighted to take on the role of Diversity Champion. It’s an honour to represent DFID and work closely with others across Whitehall to implement the civil service Diversity and Equality Strategy over the next few years.
Working in a global environment means that diversity is at the heart of DFID’s business, in terms of a more flexible and influential workforce, the people whose lives we are working towards improving and in communicating to the public.
I am fully committed to the legal, economic and moral reasons to help develop DFID into a flexible, imaginative and diverse Department, which embodies diversity in how we do our work and is seen as being equitable and fair.
Pending the publication of the new single Equality Bill, DFID's Equality Schemes for Disability, Race and Gender (see right hand column) have been extended to June 2010. The associated action plans will continue to be updated on a regular basis
In October 2009 over 340,000 staff from 96 government organisations completed Britain’s largest-ever employee engagement survey.
For the first time all Government departments asked the same questions of all their staff. The results allow departments to compare themselves across the entire organisation and, by sharing the same system, reduced costs by around 35 per cent.
The primary purpose of the survey was measure how engaged employees are with their work. Sir Gus O’Donnell, Head of the Home Civil Service said:
Improving engagement is crucial to delivering better quality public services and better value to the taxpayer and will be one of the key leadership challenges the Civil Service faces in the next decade.
The average employee engagement index score for the Civil Service is 58 per cent. In DFID the index score is 72 per cent.
DFID also scored very well on:
As noted on the Civil Service website the majority of departments need to focus on leadership and change management and DFID is no different.
In line with other government departments DFID is publishing its results.
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