Develop and implement diversity policy
Read the instructions below and answer the questions for this part of assessment. After completing this part of the assessment, upload your answer via your student portal for the trainer/assessor for evaluation. Please allow 5 working days for the trainer/assessor to assess your answer. Check your student portal in regards to the outcome of your assessment and possible feedback from your trainer/assessor.
Instructions:
You are to complete the following written questions on developing and implementing diversity policy. Your answers will form part of the evidence gathered for this unit.
Use the following tips to help you answer the questions:
- Read each question carefully before attempting to answer it. Check with your trainer/assessor if you are not sure what the question is asking.
- Your response to each question does not need be to be lengthy - you should just aim to provide enough information to answer the question. In most cases, this can be done with just a few paragraphs. Some space has been provided in this document for your answer.
- Use the documentation principles that you have learnt throughout this course to respond to the questions. In particular:
Part -1:
Written Questions:
1. In order to gauge an understanding of diversity within an organisation an analysis of existing practices and the practices in other organisations should be undertaken. The views of stakeholders should be considered and the organisation's diversity policy should support business objectives. Describe steps that can be taken to address these points and the benefits in taking these actions.
2. Organisational diversity has many benefits to an organisation. Outline and discuss the benefits of organisational diversity.
3. Conduct research on legislation relating to equal opportunity within your state and write a brief summary on the implications of this law for employers and employees.
4. Outline five methods that can be used to include positive diversity practices in an organisation.
5. Diversity is relative and can relate to individuals in an organisation with a range of traits. These may include: disability, sexuality, ethnicity, physical appearance, age, background, personality and other traits. List five ways diversity can be acknowledged and embraced in an organisation.
6. There are seven identifiable steps involved in developing a diversity policy. For each step provide a description in the table below.
Developing Diversity Policy
1 Form a task group
2 Prepare for policy development
3 Develop the policy
4 Management reviews the policy
5 Communicate the policy
6 Implement the policy
7 Evaluate the policy
7. After drafting a diversity policy a review is usually undertaken. What is the purpose of this review and which individuals should be involved in this process? If there is a lack of agreement on the drafted policy what should occur?Instructions:
You are to complete the following Case Study on developing and implementing a diversity policy. Your answers will form part of the evidence gathered for this unit. You must complete and submit this assignment to your trainer for assessment by the due date provided by your trainer.
Part -2:
Case Study:
As part of this assessment you are required to access the simulated business of ‘Bayside Call Centre.' This business is a fictitious company and for the purposes of assessment can assume your Trainer is the CEO to clarify any company information or consult with as required.
Your role will be that of the Human Resources Manager. Your Position Description requires you to ensure that companies polices include and support diversity acceptance. There is an existing Bayside Call Centre ‘Diversity Policy'; however it is outdated and does not really support or reflect the diversity of the current staff members. The information within the current policy only identifies anti-discrimination issues and does not cover all aspects of inclusive diversity practices. You have identified that this is not appropriate and requires immediate review.
You can access all required information in the ‘Bayside Call Centre' Organisational Portfolio via the Resources for this unit of competency in your EZ learn. Relevant documents may include:
- Business Overview
- The existing Bayside Call Centre ‘Diversity Policy'
- Other policies and procedures, documents
Tasks
Part A
As the Human Resources Manager at ‘Bayside Call Centre' you are required to lead a review of the current Diversity Policy and practices and to make suggestions for improvement.
Produce a report outlining the process of the review and the results of your investigation.
The report should address the following considerations:
- Nature of consultation undertaken with key managerial staff.
Explain why you spoke to Bayside Call Centre's stakeholders (list who you spoke to). You need to identify that the current diversity policy discusses discrimination but does not clearly define what this is or what diversity will be embraced. It does not outline the processes where diversity will be encouraged and celebrated, or where discrimination will be not acceptable (i.e. in recruitment, work tasks, succession planning).
- Identify related policies/ documents that will require updating or rewriting
Polices/ documents that will require updating will/can be:
- The diversity policy
- Job descriptions
- Recruitment documents
- Induction documents
Current practices that do not support diversity are that which are listed in the Case Study overview.
- Legislation, codes of practice and national standards to be addressed in the policy as it relates to Bayside Call Centre
Give very brief description of these:
- Commonwealth Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act
- Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act/s
- Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act
- Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act
- Identify benefits of diversity to strategic and business objectives of Bayside Call Centre
Give detailed answer
- Access the policies from other organisations (similar and dissimilar) to gain ideas and knowledge of best practice
See Diversity and Inclusion Policy attachment. List the diference between current Bayside Diversity Policy and the policy you have found online. What is missing? What needs to be added?
- Suggest major operational changes and performance changes required to implement a new Diversity Policy at Bayside Call Centre
How will it affect day to day business? What outcomes do you expect from this? Give detailed answer.
Part B
You are now required to draft the new Diversity Policy.
As a guide, the following items should be addressed within the content of the policy:
- What problem was the policy designed to overcome?
- What is the overall goal and main objective of the policy?
- What makes a good diversity policy?
- Resource allocation
- What are the specific objectives that will lead to the achievement of the main goal?
- How does the policy link to other related policies?
- Strategies to be carried out by individuals including time frames in order to meet objectives
- Methods of determining the success of the policy and the review periods
- Consultation with key stakeholders for feedback on draft policy and action plan
- Evaluation measures - how the policy will be adjusted and improved over time
You are to submit your Draft Diversity Policy to your CEO for feedback and approval before being able to continue to Part C of the Case Study.
Use Diversity and Inclusion Policy attachment as your benchmark. Make sure you include everything you listed in Part A in your draft.
Part C
Task 1
Now that you have completed the draft Diversity Policy which has been reviewed and accepted by the CEO, your Diversity Policy will replace the existing one. The CEO has instructed you to proceed with the development of an action plan for implementation.
The Action Plan will address each key area within the policy and also clarify how the policy will be communicated to key stakeholders and staff members. In your plan consider the following:
- Communication strategies (at least one of the proposed methods must be written communication)
- How each key area of the policy is to be implemented
- Will extra staff recruitment be required?
- Who is responsible for implementing each key area and how it will be monitored
- A timeframe for the implementation of each key area
- Consultation to occur with key stakeholders for feedback on action plan
You need to create an appropriate action plan to implement the new diversity policy. The action plan could refer to the following communication methods with staff to introduce the new diversity policy: memos to staff; staff manuals; intranet; diversity considerations in language, accessibility etc.
The action plan created is to be detailed with appropriate steps to support implementation. This could also be documented in the flow charts to represent the timeframe for implementation of each stage.
Your trainer will assess your knowledge and ability to:
- Develop an action plan addressing each key area within the policy
- Clarify communication strategies (at least must be written communication)
- Explain how each area of the policy is to be implemented
- Identify whether extra staff recruitment will be required
- Determine person responsible for implementing each key area and how it will be monitored
- Allocate a timeframe for the implementation of each key area
- Plan for consultation to occur with key stakeholders for feedback on action plan
Task 2
You are to implement one of the written communication strategies that you outlined in Task 1. The communication strategy must promote the policy across the organisation.
The communication strategy must be in line with their answers for Task 1. A large amount of flexibility should be given regarding your creativity, as the presentation of the communication is not as important as the content provided. The information communicated with staff should be delivered clearly and concisely giving: a summary of the policy (briefly discussing the process and why it is being implemented), a summary of implementation (including timeframes and possibly a flow chart) and a summary of how the policy will be maintained.
Task 3
Revise the Bayside Call Centre policies and documents that require updating to meet the new diversity policy.
Polices/ documents that will require updating will include: job descriptions and recruitment and induction documents.
For example: In job description you will need add ‘All employees will need to follow new Diversity Policy'.
Part D
In previous tasks, you have developed a new diversity policy and planned the implementation requirements. You are now required to review your own diversity policy and complete a report on the long-term implementation requirements to ensure the policy will be embraced and encouraged in all workplace practices. The report should include the following topics:
- Ongoing consultation with a wide range of stakeholders - what was the level of support among employees?
Who did you speak to? How helpful were they? Eg: CEO, managers etc
- Impact of changes made
Who will/What will affect diversity policy changes? Eg: All the employees need to be given a copy of new policy. Explain
- What implications may arise as a result of implementation? I.e. will employees embrace the new policy?
List anything that can cause any kind of outcome. Explain
- What processes should be implemented to ensure the process of change is managed effectively for employees?
Explain in detail
- How will you measure and review if the objectives are being met? How will you know - how will they be measured?
It is up to you. Just give a detailed answer.
- Will the use of resources within the organisation increase or decrease as a result of implementation?
It is up to you. Just give a detailed answer.
- Ongoing evaluation - periodic reviews over time - timeframe for reviews in the future
The report must ensure that you are aware that the process of implementation will need to be managed and reviewed on-going.
- Who will be involved at each stage of the evaluation?
Managers? Employees? List and explain
- How will the ongoing reviews be documented?
Feedback/Meeting minutes etc. List and explain
- How will significant changes to the operating environment be addressed?
Meeting, newsletter etc. List and explain
- Any recommendations or changes that should be introduced immediately.
Recommendations of changes to be implemented to address the issues will be dependent on the diversity policy that you've developed.
Your trainer will assess your knowledge and ability to:
- Review your own diversity policy and complete a report on the long term implementation requirements to ensure the policy will be embraced and encouraged in all workplace practices
- Explain the ongoing consultation with a wide range of stakeholders - what was the level of support among employees?
- Summarise impact of changes made
- List implications that may arise as a result of implementation
- Outline processes that should be implemented to ensure the process of change is managed effectively for employees
- Explain the process of measuring and reviewing if the objectives are being met. How will you know - how will they be measured?
- Identify whether the use of resources within the organisation will increase or decrease as a result of implementation
- Provide for ongoing evaluation - periodic reviews over time - timeframe for reviews in the future
- Determine who will be involved at each stage of the evaluation
- Explain how will the ongoing reviews be documented
- Address significant changes to the operating environment
- List any recommendations or changes that should be introduced immediately
Attachment:- GUIDE.rar