Policy paper

Defra group equality, diversity and inclusion strategy 2020 to 2024

Published 1 June 2020

This strategy will take us closer to being the equitable, diverse and inclusive organisation we strive to be. We will continue to bring best practice to bear in achieving this goal, strengthening Defra organisations and putting ourselves in a better position to meet the challenges we face – whether day-to-day or those at the more extreme end of the spectrum such as Covid-19 or EU Exit.

This strategy builds on the last and on the great work delivered by networks, communities, champions and human resource teams. Over the last three years, we have increased the representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees as well as those who are disabled, female, lesbian, gay and bisexual and I look forward to working with colleagues to make even more progress over the next four years.

Like many organisations up and down the country, we are turning our attention to developing more inclusive cultures to build a strong foundation for our work on equality and diversity – we know that without this focus our effort to increase representation will not be as fruitful. Every employee across Defra has the right to feel included. This means every employee should feel a sense of belonging to the Defra family, that they will be heard, supported to bring their best self to work and have equality of opportunity to progress their careers and apply their unique insights to our vision of making the UK a great place for living.

Tamara Finkelstein, Defra Permanent Secretary

Introduction

Improving equality, diversity and inclusion to enhance our capacity to make the UK a great place to live.

Publishing this strategy during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic signals the importance Defra Group places on equality, diversity and inclusion.

At a time when employees are working remotely and grappling with uncertainty, there is an even greater need to ensure they are included, connected and feel supported to do their best work.

Whilst this strategy sets out what we will do over a four year period, we have prioritised actions to address this and the immediate concerns of employees.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day lives, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Defra group comprises the ministerial department and 33 agencies and public bodies. The department partners with all organisations across the group to deliver a shared vision of making the UK a great place for living by delivering on four strategic objectives:

• delivering a safe and ambitious departure from the EU, setting global standards in protecting and harnessing value from the natural environment
• passing on to the next generation a natural environment protected and enhanced for the future
• leading the world in food, farming and fisheries with a sustainable model of food production
• being an outstanding organisation focused on making a difference, with world class delivery capability

We encourage all our agencies and public bodies to adopt the approach set out in this strategy to improve equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) for the benefit of all employees, and citizens across the UK.

Our commitment and business case

Our commitment to EDI is grounded in, but extends beyond, our responsibilities under equality legislation.

The Equality Act 2010 sets a legal framework for improving equality across the UK. It requires us to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share protected characteristics
• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

Whilst we wholeheartedly comply with legislation, we focus on EDI because we know they are good, not only for our employees, but also for the work we are doing on behalf of the country. A strategic focus on increasing EDI means we will improve our capacity to attract, develop, progress and support employees from all backgrounds. This will enable our work to benefit from diverse perspectives and ideas, putting us in a good position to bring innovation and creativity to bear on addressing challenges faced by the UK over the coming years.

What is equality?

Equality relates to ensuring individuals and groups are treated fairly and have access to equality of opportunity. This involves taking into account the different experiences and needs of all, particularly in relation to protected characteristics^{[footnote 1]} defined in the Equality Act 2010.

What is diversity?

Diversity relates to the full range of human difference within the UK. This could be in relation to a protected characteristic or something else such as socio-economic background, working pattern or having caring responsibilities. It recognises that each individual is different and that diverse teams, boards and workforces produce better outcomes.

What is inclusion?

Inclusion relates to ensuring all people feel valued and supported. Without inclusion the benefits of diversity (such as creativity, innovation and problem solving) cannot be realised. For Defra, inclusion means:

• authenticity - feeling like you can be your authentic self at work
• belonging - feeling like you belong in your organisation and team
• voice - feeling like you have the opportunity to speak up

Our business case for EDI

Every day, Defra develops and delivers policies and services that impact the lives of people across the UK. We are accountable to the public for meeting the highest possible standards in what we do, and must retain trust and confidence in our ability to shape policies and services that meet the needs of diverse communities.

When people from diverse backgrounds are involved in creating policies and services, they bring an enhanced understanding of what the public needs so we get better services that work well for everyone.

Defra, its agencies and public bodies employ people with a range of skills and experience across the UK. It is essential that organisations are seen as great places to work to ensure they continue to attract and retain skills both now and in the future.

Evidence of the benefits of EDI continue to grow. Research shows that:

• diverse teams bring an advantage in relation to increased customer insight – intelligence that will help us meet the needs of a diverse population that is constantly changing
• inclusivity increases productivity in the workplace, as employees are more likely to be engaged with their work when they feel valued
• diverse views around the table lead to greater innovation, creativity and problem solving
• increasing EDI enhances opportunities to attract and retain employees
• there is a 70 percentage point difference between the extent to which employees with inclusive leaders/managers feel included and those without^{[footnote 2]}
• employees who feel included report higher levels of engagement and wellbeing

Our strategy

This strategy is for all Defra group employees, at all levels, whatever they do and wherever they work. It:

• builds on the 2017-2020 Defra Group EDI Strategy by extending our focus on equality and diversity to more explicitly address developing inclusive cultures where all employees thrive
• reflects feedback from employees across Defra group
• focuses on improving EDI across internal workforce and external facing policy making and service delivery
• includes measures against which we will track our success
• is developed with reference to the legal framework set out in the Equality Act 2010, and Civil Service D&I Standards and Practice Expectations which codify good practice in support of its ambition to be the most inclusive employer in the UK^{[footnote 3]}

As we focus on becoming more inclusive, we will not lose sight of our duties or the need to actively support the inclusion of those from underrepresented groups – whether in relation to our employees or UK citizens.

Our vision

All Defra organisations strive to be:

Diverse and inclusive organisations where every individual has equality of opportunity to progress and to apply their unique insights to making the UK a great place for living.

This vision recognises equality of opportunity as a critical factor in moving us towards our aspiration of becoming more diverse and inclusive. It applies to everyone across the Defra group by recognising that everyone needs support to thrive. It also links EDI in our workforce with our ability to achieve our wider business vision of making the UK a great place for living. We are committed to leveraging different perspectives to stimulate innovative and creative solutions to address some of the biggest challenges the UK will face over the coming years.

Our strategic objectives and priorities

We will achieve our vision by delivering actions against these five objectives and will track progress according to measures set out below. We will collaborate across different parts of the Defra group to develop our capability, capacity and confidence to deliver EDI in all we do.

Our strategic objectives are to:

1. Create more inclusive cultures by extending action on equality and diversity to explicitly developing environments where employees from all backgrounds thrive.
2. Build and sustain a diverse workforce across Defra that reflects the diversity of the UK working age population.
3. Enhance our capability to make the UK a great place for living by using insights from our diverse stakeholders, customers and employees to inform development of external policies, services and programmes.
4. Improve our capability and confidence to proactively address EDI opportunities and challenges.
5. Communicate to raise awareness and share progress with a focus on celebrating our successes and highlighting challenges that need addressing.

These objectives are underpinned by:

• a governance framework with clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities
• a communication plan which includes objectives, key messages and the sharing of good practice across the Defra group
• the Civil Service D&I standards and practice expectations
• frameworks for monitoring and reporting against strategic objectives

Priorities

Whilst the strategy is comprehensive and encompasses all areas of inclusion, we have defined a small number of specific priorities, to give greatest focus to improving outcomes in the areas where evidence from both statistical indicators and staff views suggests we most need to deliver improvement:

• Black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) employees
• disabled employees
• a cross-cutting priority on respect at work

Prioritising these areas is not to the exclusion of other areas of initiative such as social mobility, LGBT+, age, faith and belief. The priorities will be delivered in context of an inclusive approach which includes everyone but resource and effort will be targeted on these three priority areas.

These priorities stand for the whole Defra group although individual organisations can add further priorities where they feel they face particular challenges.

Our actions, outcomes and measures

Below are the actions we commit to taking, the changes we hope to see as a result, and the measures we will use to track and assess progress. All Defra group organisations are encouraged to take collective action in line with priorities and other individual action to address local EDI challenges, and to track their progress using similar metrics.

Together we will become a diverse and inclusive organisation where every individual has equality of opportunity to progress and to apply their unique insights to our vision of making the UK a great place for living for all.

1. Create more inclusive cultures

Actions we will take:

• developing an evidence base on the lived experiences of employees from different backgrounds through surveys and in consultation with employees from different backgrounds
• engaging with our employee EDI networks, forums and groups to ensure everyone can feedback and influence decisions that affect them
• equipping line managers, leaders and employees to take action to create more inclusive cultures across Defra
• sharing examples of how our focus on inclusion extends to all employees

Outcomes from actions will be that:

• similarities and differences in our lived experiences are understood and respected
• clarity on what good practice on inclusion looks like – as well as what excludes
• all employees have the opportunity to influence decisions that affect them
• our policies and practices reflect and develop our inclusive culture
• our employee EDI networks support our inclusive culture
• we are recognised as an inclusive employer
• our leaders inspire and enable an inclusive culture

Measures we will track:

• reporting on lived experience across different groups in people/employee surveys
• feedback from our employees and EDI networks

2. Build and sustain a representative workforce across all parts of Defra

Actions we will take:

• encouraging all our employees to declare their diversity data
• taking action to meet stretching diversity targets on representation at all levels
• reporting data and insights to support taking more evidence-based action and to track our progress
• reviewing outcomes of our HR policies and practices (such as recruitment, performance management, promotion, development and working pattern) and taking action to improve where necessary
• taking action (including positive action) to ensure that the diversity of our workforce across all grades and areas reflects that in the UK working age population, as a minimum
• improving the provision of workplace adjustments for our employees to support positive experiences at the point of recruitment, employment and when moving between roles or locations

Outcomes of actions will be that our:

• staff are confident to declare their diversity and we use this for targeted evidence-based action
• gender pay gap closes year on year
• workforce diversity reflects the UK working age population
• employees are developed to reach their full potential

Measures we will track:

• workforce profile against diversity in UK working age population
• self-declaration of diversity across characteristics
• outcomes of people policies (like recruitment, leavers, starters and promotions)
• reduction in our gender pay gap
• performance against targets for senior grades
• diversity of participants on development programmes

3. Enhance making the UK a great place to live for all citizens

Actions we will take:

• taking account of the needs our diverse stakeholders, customers and service users in making decisions about policies, services and other activities that impact them
• improving our processes to ensure it is clear throughout the policy development process, how we have paid due regard to EDI in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty
• proactively engaging our diverse employees and stakeholders to deliver policies, projects, programmes and other activities that meet the needs of all UK citizens

Outcomes from actions will be that we:

• have increased understanding of which of our policies, services and projects are likely to have an impact on EDI
• deliver more effective policies, projects and programmes that meet the needs of the diverse UK population
• improve processes that underpin compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty
• benefit from the innovation, creativity and problem solving of our diverse workforce

Measures we will track:

• public appointees by gender, ethnicity and disability
• number of policies reviewed in line with Public Sector Equality Duty
• number of policies developed with input from diverse customers, service users or stakeholders

4. Improve EDI capability and confidence

Actions we will take:

• developing confidence between employees and people managers to discuss issues in a way that strengthens relationships
• signposting tools, guidance and learning resources to improve EDI at all levels across Defra
• integrating EDI into mainstream learning and development programmes to ensure the skills, knowledge and experience of all those responsible for delivering EDI are improved
• developing the capability and capacity of employee EDI networks and champions to contribute to progress, share good practice and collaborate

Outcomes of action will be that:

• employee D&I concerns/issues are addressed in a timely manner and escalation minimised
• there is improved awareness of what is likely to amount to BHD and what is not
• the number of BHD related grievances and sickness absence reduces
• employees experience high levels of wellbeing
• employees demonstrate increased EDI capability and confidence
• employee networks are equipped to effectively support EDI

Measures we will track:

• reduction in people/employee survey bullying, harassment and discrimination scores
• increase in people/employee survey engagement scores
• increase in people/employee survey inclusion and fairness treatment scores
• reduction in the number of BHD related grievances
• employee participation in EDI learning and development

5. Communicate, raise awareness and report progress

Actions we will take:

• communicating and sharing our 2020-2024 EDI strategy to highlight the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce and galvanise action across our organisations
• delivering on an EDI communication plan
• sharing and communicating data and insights on the progress and experiences of diverse employees and potential barriers to their inclusion and progression
• using national dates as a springboard for sharing EDI messages, progress and good practice
• empowering employee EDI networks and champions to celebrate EDI

Outcomes from actions will be that:

• key messages and strategic direction are understood
• employees and EDI networks across Defra contribute to EDI reporting and communication
• barriers to progress for different groups at different points in their time at Defra, and at different career stages are shared and understood
• communication is effective in sharing Defra’s EDI journey

Measures we will track:

• employee awareness of Defra group EDI strategy and objectives
• EDI Intranet page views
• number of EDI awareness campaigns delivered
• number of internal reports on progress – including barriers and challenges
• annual reporting on progress internally and externally

1. Protected characteristic – the Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against anyone because of their age, gender reassignment; being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, disability, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation ↩

2. The D&I Revolution, Deloitte, 2018 www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/4209_Diversity-and-inclusion-revolution/DI_Diversity-and-inclusion-revolution.pdf ↩

3. A Brilliant Civil Service: becoming the UK’s most inclusive employer www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-brilliant-civil-service-becoming-the-uks-most-inclusive-employer ↩