Reconciliation Action Plan: Innovate

November 2024 – November 2027

2. Respect

PM&C respects and values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, cultures, knowledge systems and practices.

We acknowledge their long history and continuing connection to Country as the Custodians of the land. We admire the strength and resilience of those people who find themselves walking between two worlds. Establishing and maintaining a high standard of cultural safety and capability across the department is a foundational step towards ensuring we are a safe and inclusive workplace. PM&C has recently mapped existing cultural training offerings to ensure learning opportunities are available at foundational, expansive, and immersive levels for all staff. This work will continue under the new RAP to further explore and embed additional offerings and establish a formal ‘Cultural Learning Pathway’.

Focus areas:

Demonstrating ongoing respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures through:

  • building greater knowledge and understanding of the identity and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
    and reflecting this awareness in PM&C’s internal and external relationships
  • improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety in the workplace
  • building cultural awareness and capability of all staff and, in doing so, reducing cultural load on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff
  • observing cultural protocols and maintaining PM&C’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Protocol Guide.
ActionDeliverableResponsibilityTimeline
2.1 Increased cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at work.

2.1.1 Continue to embed provisions that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, including the Mara Network, a dedicated network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff

  • Indigenous staff liaison officers (ISLOs) in People Branch, to ensure First Nations employment continues to be prioritised and supported
  • Reconciliation and First Nations Champions, to ensure the priorities and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff are supported and advocated for at senior levels.
Lead: Executive BoardNovember 2024, annually
2.1.2 Ensure that PM&C’s induction processes consistently informs Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff on the support and entitlements available to them.7Lead: Chief People Officer
Consult: Mara Network		July 2025
2.1.3 Implement mandatory cultural competency training for all employees.8Lead: Chief People Officer
Consult: Mara Network, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders		March 2025,
annually
2.1.4 Promote awareness of the PM&C Enterprise Agreement provisions that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, including NAIDOC leave, ceremonial leave and cultural leave.Lead: Chief People OfficerMay 2025,
annually
2.2 Increased cultural capability and commitment to reconciliation at all levels.2.2.1 All merit-based SES recruitment processes to have ‘identified position’ selection criteria applied under the current approach set out in PM&C’s recruitment policy, consistent with the APS Indigenous Recruitment Guide.9Lead: deputy secretariesDecember 2024

2.2.2 Executive Board to consider and determine agreed outcomes in respect to:

a) A review of PM&C’s identified position criteria, including the assessment process and panel requirements; and

b) Whether identified position criteria be adopted for all non-SES merit-based advertised roles

Reflect agreed outcomes in PM&C Recruitment Policy and updated panel guidance material.

Lead: Executive Board
Consult: Mara Network		December 2025
2.2.3 Develop, implement and communicate a cultural capability learning pathway to provide a range of learning options for staff to grow beyond baseline competency over their career at PM&C, prioritising RAP Working Group members, senior leadership (SES), team leaders and managers.Lead: Chief People Officer
Consult: Mara Network, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders10		December 2025
2.2.4 Establish a dedicated cultural capability intranet page for easy access to cultural learning offerings for all staff. Links to the APS Academy Cultural Capability Hub.Lead: Chief People OfficerDecember 2025
2.2.5 Raise staff awareness of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, including the role and responsibility of all staff in achieving outcomes.11Lead: Assistant Secretary, First Nations Policy Branch
Support: Communications Branch; Fiscal Policy Branch		January 2025,
ongoing
2.2.6 Include a requirement for every PM&C employee to address their contribution to reconciliation and growing their cultural capability in their individual performance agreements.Lead: Chief People OfficerNovember 2024 (SES) August 2025 (non-SES)

2.2.7 Celebrate NAIDOC Week each year, and reflect in the PM&C Diversity Calendar.12 Host a minimum of 3 NAIDOC Week events each year in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.

  • At least one of these events will be to raise awareness and promote the Mara Network. At least one event will include external stakeholders with a focus on advancing reconciliation outcomes.
  • Encourage and support staff and senior leaders to participate in PM&C NAIDOC activities.
  • Create safe feedback channels identify and then remove barriers to staff participation in NAIDOC week.
  • RAPWG to participate in an external NAIDOC week event.
  • Promote NAIDOC events and resources (from NAIDOC organisation, PM&C and other relevant sources) to staff and the wider community (e.g. through social media).
  • Register PM&C’s NAIDOC events on NAIDOC organisation’s website.
Lead: Chief People Officer
Support: Communications Branch, Mara Network, RAPWG		July, annually
2.3 Increased cultural awareness through understanding our shared history and acknowledgment of past injustices.2.3.1 Develop a historical timeline documenting PM&C history with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, accessible to all Australians via the department’s public website.Lead: Assistant Secretary,
Communications Branch
Consult: Records Management; First
Nations Policy Branch		June 2026
2.3.2 Each PM&C business group to host one local reconciliation activity each calendar year to assist staff with understanding our shared history and how to embed reconciliation in their specific work outcomes.13Lead: deputy secretaries
Support: RAPWG		December 2025,
annually
2.4 Demonstrated respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by observing cultural protocols.2.4.1 Finalise the review, and promote awareness of PM&C’s First Nations Cultural Protocol Guide.14Lead: Chief People Officer
Consult: Mara Network		December 2024
2.4.2 Invite and remunerate Traditional Owners or Custodians to provide a Welcome to Country or other appropriate cultural protocols and services at significant PM&C events each year.15Lead: SES leaders
Support: People Branch		February 2025,
ongoing
2.4.3 Protocol and International Visits branch to engage with the Indigenous staffing liaison officer to formalise processes for international delegations engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Welcome to Country ceremonies.Lead: Assistant Secretary, Protocol and International Visits Support: People Branch Consult: First Nations Policy BranchMarch 2025
2.4.4 Update PM&C signature block guidance specific to Acknowledgement of Country and new RAP artwork, encouraging staff to identify what land they work on in their signature block.Lead: Assistant Secretary, Communications
Consult: Mara Network; People Branch		April 2025
2.4.5 Display Acknowledgement of Country in PM&C foyer and meetings rooms.Lead: Assistant Secretary, Business ServicesApril 2025
2.4.6 Increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art represented in PM&C buildings, including accessible information about the artist and artwork.Lead: Assistant Secretary, Business ServicesMarch 2027
2.4.7 Update RAP artwork in building, on security passes and lanyards.Lead: Assistant Secretary, Business ServicesApril 2025