Conclusions
Best practice case
study: Diversity
Champions – are
they working?
Diversity Champions
have been established
at Board level in each
of the Agencies. These
individuals are the
diversity leads and have
a key role in driving
forward the diversity
agenda. They ensure the
importance of diversity
is well understood and
emphasised at every level
of the organisation, and
that guidelines for fair
treatment are adhered to.
It is a vital leadership role
and we believe it should
be strengthened. Taking
on this role should ensure
greater kudos and stature,
ideally by granting the
Champions regular oneto-one personal meetings
with the heads of the
Agencies to update them
on progress. This role
should be a high-status
addition to a member of
staff’s career. Even if these
individuals are very active
‘behind the scenes’, they
need to be visible too.
60. Middle management. One of the messages that came out most
strongly in our first meetings at the Agencies was that while the top
and bottom of the organisation understand and are committed to
diversity, there is a tier at middle management level (referred to at one
of our meetings at SIS as “the permafrost”) that seems to have a very
traditional male mentality and outlook.
61. In terms of promoting gender diversity, and ensuring that all staff
are aware of the positive impact a more diverse workforce will have on
the organisation’s ability to deliver its business objectives (as opposed
to being just a tick-box exercise), it is the middle management level at
which there is a danger that the message is not getting through. This
tends to be the level where individuals have been in the organisation
for a while and change of any kind can be slower than at other levels.
However, it is this level in an organisation where change is most
important, as it is the staff here who are most visible to those lower
down the organisation and who tend to set the ‘tone’.
62. There does not appear to be as clear an understanding at this level
of the benefits to the intelligence Agencies of a diverse workforce:
rather, there still appears to be a sense of ‘this is the way it has always
been done’. Whilst those at the top of the organisation may be
personally committed to encouraging diversity, it is by managing and
tackling the behaviour of those at the middle management level that
they can best demonstrate that commitment.
63. It is not clear to the members of the intelligence Agencies who we
spoke to how this is being tackled. Whilst diversity strategies/policies
have been produced and mechanisms (Diversity Champions, women’s
networks, etc.) have been established, changing how people think
and how they work is much more difficult. We recognise that these
things cannot be changed overnight, but senior leaders must do more
to encourage the “slow melt of the permafrost” (as it was expressed
to us).
What can be done?
64. Embracing diversity at Board level, empowering junior staff
to address diversity issues and striving to recruit from the largest
possible talent pool are all important steps, but there needs to be a
focus on identifying and tackling the barriers that can exist at middle
management level, which will inevitably create glass ceilings and an
unsupportive team ethos. We have encouraged the use of Diversity
Champions at Board level and while these have been established and
the individuals are known, we have not been convinced that they are
visibly active on a regular basis in the Agencies.
65. Compulsory diversity training for all middle managers would be a
“… there still appears to
be a sense of ‘this is the
way it has always been
done’.”
step in the right direction. We noted in particular the former Director
General of MI5’s evidence that he and all his Management Board had
– visibly – taken the time to attend a new diversity training course on
the risk of unconscious bias: such leadership commitment is crucial.
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