Sir Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, today unveiled a 10-Point Plan to raise the pace towards a representative workforce. The Plan introduces a major programme of change aimed at achieving a diverse workforce at all levels of the Civil Service, including the most senior. It reaches further than previous work by embedding diversity as a key measure of performance for Permanent Secretaries.

Speaking at today's launch, Sir Gus said: 'I want the Civil Service to be a beacon for change and a model of best practice for all organisations. A truly representative workforce, including at the most senior levels, will enable policies and services to be developed in ways which will result in better outcomes for everyone in society. That is why this must happen.

'Diversity is a key part of the wider Civil Service reform programme. Together with improved leadership and professionalism, improved diversity is essential to build the Service's capacity to deliver.

'I can also announce that I have appointed Bill Jeffrey as the new Civil Service Diversity Champion. He will have a leading role in making this plan work.'

The 10-Point Plan was developed following a review of diversity and equality in employment across the Civil Service. Implementation of the plan will be driven by the Diversity Champions' Network, which is chaired by the Civil Service Diversity Champion. It commits to a programme of significant change in 10 key areas including:

• maximising use of positive action in recruitment practices, including equality-proofing recruitment panels;
• making all Senior Civil Service and feeder grade posts available on a flexible working pattern basis wherever possible;
• development schemes in Departments to build a diverse talent pool and
• meaningful diversity objectives for all, linked to reward.

John Hutton, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, also speaking at the launch, said: ' The Civil Service has made good progress towards increasing diversity at senior levels. However, as our 2005 targets show, more work needs to be done and the 10-Point Plan will build on this progress and towards the 2008 diversity targets.

'The Civil Service is key to driving wider Public Sector Reform and to be able to do so it needs to be in touch with the diverse communities it serves, to develop policies that include everyone in society and to deliver services in ways appropriate and sensitive to all.'

DIVERSITY TARGETS

As part of the Spending Review 2004, the Government committed to new diversity targets for the Senior Civil Service (SCS accounts for the top 4,000 posts) to achieve by 2008. All four targets were set and will be measured using Cabinet Office workforce data on the SCS. The Cabinet Office will publish progress towards the 2008 targets every six months. Current published figures show:

ABOUT THE DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS' NETWORK

The Diversity Champions' Network is a network of senior people with responsibility for leading on diversity issues in their organisations. It is chaired by the Civil Service Diversity Champion and supported by the Chief Diversity Adviser, Waqar Azmi. The Diversity Champions' Network will report on progress annually to the Civil Service Management Board.

The role of the Civil Service Diversity Champion is to be an advocate and guardian of the aspiration to achieve a Civil Service where equality and diversity are embedded in our behaviour and in the quality of the services we deliver. The Champion leads the Diversity Champions' Network. The Champion is accountable to Sir Gus O'Donnell, Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service.

Further information about equality and diversity in employment in the Civil Service can be found at: www.diversity-whatworks.gov.uk

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