Vision
Our vision is for a diverse and inclusive Victorian Public Service. It reflects the communities we serve. Our workplaces are safe, respectful and empowering. All employees feel valued, can express their identity and belong. Our structures apply intersectionality and remove systemic barriers to participation and opportunity. All employees can thrive and deliver fair, responsive and inclusive outcomes for all Victorians.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan has five focus areas to drive progress towards this vision.
Focus areas
- Leadership commitment
- Increase workforce diversity
- Improve wellbeing and engagement
- Career progression
- Capability to deliver for the Victorian community
These focus areas are supported by five outcomes. These outcomes measure success.
Outcomes
- Leadership commitment is sustained. There are clear lines of accountability to drive equity and inclusion.
- Diverse employees are represented at all levels of the VPS. They feel supported by their managers.
- All employees feel safe and supported in the workplace. They want to stay in the VPS for the long term.
- All employees have equitable access to career development opportunities and a meaningful VPS career.
- Policies, programs and services are inclusive and intersectional to better meet the needs of Victorians.
These outcomes are supported by cross-cutting and specific actions.
Cross-cutting actions
We developed cross-cutting actions (actions that apply across departments and apply to all employees). We focused on areas where change will have the greatest impact on reducing discrimination and inequality. This approach recognises that challenges can affect employees in different ways.
Barriers to inclusion often overlap and can compound each other. By addressing these shared issues through an intersectional lens, we can create system-wide change that benefits everyone.
- Leadership commitment
- 1.1 Leaders are accountable for diversity, equity and inclusion in their organisation.
- 1.2 Leaders model inclusive behaviours. They consistently build diversity, equity and inclusion into everyday practice.
- 1.3 Leadership and governance reflect the diversity of the community.
- Increase workforce diversity
- 2.1 Organisations implement recruitment practices, tools and resources that enhance diversity, equity and inclusion.
- 2.2 Organisations actively monitor workforce composition (who is in the workforce) and establish baselines (starting points for measurement) and targets.
- 2.3 Organisations and hiring managers have the capability to recognise diverse and lived experience and mitigate unconscious bias.
- Improve wellbeing and engagement
- 3.1 Organisations have safe, accessible, flexible and inclusive work environments, policies and processes.
- 3.2 Executives and managers are capable and accountable for providing safe and inclusive work environments. They also address negative behaviours.
- 3.3 Executives and managers recognise and engage the expertise of diverse employees and staff-led networks.
- Career progression
- 4.1 Executives and managers address barriers to career progression experienced by diverse employees.
- 4.2 Executives and managers are capable of empowering all employees to develop and progress their careers.
- 4.3 Organisations promote and facilitate career progression for all employees.
- Capability to deliver for the Victorian community
- 5.1 Organisations apply an intersectional lens to policies and processes, in line with leading practice, to deliver for all Victorians.
- 5.2 Organisations build inclusion maturity (how well inclusion is built into the organisation). They do this by embedding inclusive practice in organisational performance and planning.
- 5.3 Executives and managers provide opportunities for all employees to build their inclusion capability (skills and capability).
Specific actions
In addition to the cross-cutting actions (actions that apply across departments and apply to all employees), these actions provide a tailored response to specific barriers to inclusion.
- Disability
- 6.1 Workplaces are fully accessible. Universal design principles are built into policies, processes and practices.
- 6.2 Organisations monitor and review compliance with leading practice to champion people with disability.
Target: Increase representation of people with disability in the VPS to 12%.
- Carers
- 7.1 Organisations recognise and respect carers. They uphold the privacy and dignity of people receiving care.
- 7.2 Organisations embed and promote carer wellbeing through workforce planning, processes and communications.
- LGBTIQA+
- 8.1 Organisations continuously improve policies, procedures and systems to ensure inclusion of all genders and sexualities.
- 8.2 Organisations drive allyship and destigmatisation. They do this through safe reporting, inclusive communication and practical training.
- Gender equality
- 9.1 Organisations promote and monitor access to, and uptake of, flexible work, leave entitlements and career opportunities.
- 9.2 Managers and leaders are capable of addressing and reducing gender-based violence and other negative behaviours.
Actions contained in other strategies
Actions for staff who are culturally diverse are included in the VPS Cultural Diversity Strategy 2026–2029.
Actions for First Peoples are included in the Barring Djinang First Peoples Workforce Development Framework 2024–2028.
While specific actions are not included in this action plan, the cross-cutting actions have been informed by, and apply to, First Peoples and culturally diverse employees in the VPS.