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Multicultural Planning and Reporting - Expectations of NSW public authorities

Information for ALL agencies

WHAT is required?

All NSW government agencies are required to:

have a current Multicultural Policies and Services Program (MPSP) plan, also known as a multicultural plan. Agencies may call on the Community Relations Commission (CRC) for assistance in their planning, if needed;
consider posting the multicultural plan on their agency web-site;
in their Annual Report, report on implementation of their multicultural plan. This report has both a retrospective and forward component (see How to report on a multicultural plan below), and
submit an extract of the implementation report to the Community Relations Commission (CRC), once the Annual Report has been tabled in Parliament. The CRC will assess the report for compliance with legislation, and report on the compliance (or otherwise) of all NSW government agencies in the annual Community Relations Report to the NSW Parliament.

When does it have to be done?

By 30 November each year:

Agencies should log on to Multicultural E-Advice NSW, and submit the multicultural extract from their Annual Report for the most recent reporting year, to the CRC for assessment.
Agencies should advise the CRC if the tabling of its Annual Report has been delayed, and provide the extract as soon as the Report is tabled.

WHERE does it say it has to be done? Policy and legislative foundation of Multicultural Policies and Services Program (MPSP)

Under the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000 the chief executive officer of each New South Wales public authority is required to implement the Principles of Multiculturalism within their area of administration (s.3(5)).

The Multicultural Policies and Services Program (formerly known as the Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statement, or EAPS, program) is the NSW government vehicle for the implementation of these Principles, administered by the Community Relations Commission.

The EAPS program has been in existence since 1983. In 1997 the Premier:

issued a Memorandum requiring all agencies to integrate ethnic affairs into their core business (Memo 1997-07, current), and
amended the Annual Reporting regulations to require all government agencies to report on EAPS progress and future strategies in their Annual Report.

Building on these developments, and following extensive consultation with government and the community, the NSW Government White Paper, Cultural Harmony The Next Decade 2002-2012 redefined a multicultural plan as:

‘a measure of agency performance where the needs of culturally diverse clients are fully integrated into core business, which in turn results in quality service delivery within the framework of the principles of multiculturalism and social justice obligations.’

Each agency’s multicultural, plan will set out how the agency will meet its public accountabilities in relation to a culturally, religious and linguistically diverse community.

The Community Relations Commission has the responsibility for oversight of multicultural policy directions in the State. As part of this activity, under the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000, it is directly responsible for working with government agencies in order to:

‘assist, and assess the effectiveness of, public authorities in observing the principles of multiculturalism in the conduct of their affairs, particularly in connection with the delivery of government services’ (s.13(1)(g)).

Firstly, the Commission works closely with up to 20 key agencies in their multicultural planning, and provides assistance and advice to up to 200 government agencies in New South Wales.

Secondly, the Commission assesses key agencies on the implementation of their multicultural plans (see following section), as well as assessing all government agencies on implementation of their multicultural plans, as reported in their Annual Reports.

For this reason, under the Annual Reports (Departments) Amendment (Multicultural Policies and Services Program) Regulation 2009 all agencies are required to include a summary report in their Annual Reports on the outcomes achieved in the reporting period against their multicultural plan. They are also required to indicate their multicultural priorities under their multicultural plan for the next reporting period (see How to report on a multicultural plan).

As a further public accountability measure, the Commission is required to report:

‘... on the state of community relations in New South Wales as affected by cultural diversity, including an assessment of the effectiveness of public authorities in observing the principles of multiculturalism in the conduct of the affairs’ (s.14).

Under this section, the Commission must present the Community Relations Report to the Minister by the end of March each year, for tabling in Parliament.

How to DEVELOP a multicultural plan – what has to be done?

To assist agencies to fulfill their legislated responsibilities, the Commission has developed the Multicultural Planning Framework.

All agencies are encouraged to use this Framework, together the accompanying publication, called Multicultural Planning – A Resource for Practitioners to guide their multicultural planning process. This will assist them to define the outcome areas and strategic considerations.

Agencies are invited to contact the Government Relations Division of the Community Relations Commission for assistance in applying the Multicultural Planning Framework within their business environment.

Once the multicultural plan has been developed and endorsed by the agency, it is recommended that its implementation be regularly reviewed and monitored by senior officers of the relevant business units within the agency. This will help ensure co-ordinated implementation of the multicultural plan within the organisation.

How to REPORT on a multicultural plan – what has to be done?

Under Annual Reports legislation in New South Wales, all Departments must include in their Annual Report:

A statement setting out the progress in implementing the Department’s Multicultural Policies and Services Plan, the key Multicultural Policies and Services Plan strategies proposed by the Department for the following year and information as to the Multicultural Policies and Services Plan strategies of any bodies reporting to the Department (Annual Reports (Departments)Amendment (Multicultural Policies and Services Program) Regulation 2009).

In short, all public authorities that are bound by the Annual Reports legislation must include an MPSP implementation component in their Annual Report. This must consist of a, retrospective and forward component as follows:

a statement outlining a summary of the multicultural outcomes achieved by the agency in the reporting year, including on-going strategies (retrospective component); and
a summary of the strategies and activities that will be implemented by the agency in the next reporting year, including on-going strategies (forward component).

Once the agency Annual Report has been tabled in Parliament, all agencies must submit the MPSP implementation report to the Community Relations Commission. The Commission will assess these reports for compliance with legislation. The annual Community Relations Report, prepared by the Commission, contains a compilation of compliance (or otherwise) of all NSW government agencies.

Information for KEY agencies

what is a key agency?

Under the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000, the Community Relations Commission is required to:

The Community Relations Commission works closely with up to 20 agencies, which are designated as 'key agencies' for the purposes of the Multicultural Policies and Services Program.

The designation of a 'key agency' is based on its functions and the importance of its programs in servicing the culturally diverse society of New South Wales and in carrying forward the multicultural objectives of the State.

Information for KEY agencies – what is required?

To ensure that the Commission can meet its legislated responsibilities, all key agencies are required to:

consult with the CRC at the outset of the multicultural forward planning process to:
- determine the level of detail required within the agency multicultural forward plan;
- develop cross referencing strategies between the agency plan and the Multicultural Planning Framework;
- consult on the nature of performance measures;
- agree on mechanisms for performance monitoring and review by CRC, and
- negotiate with the CRC on criteria of the Framework which do not apply to the work of the agency;
work with the CRC during development of the multicultural forward plan of the agency on strategies being developed;
submit the multicultural forward plan to the Commission for assessment;
consider publishing the multicultural forward plan on the website;
consider launching the multicultural forward plan; and
report either annually or biennially to the Commission (timeframe as negotiated with the CRC) on implementation of the multicultural plan.

See also Information for All Agencies – what is required? for common multicultural reporting requirements for all agencies.

Information for KEY agencies - WHEN does it have to be done?

At the beginning of their forward planning cycle, all key agencies should consult with the CRC, and by:

End October either annually or biennually, (according to timeframe negotiated with CRC)	Submit, the following information by logging on to the CRC portal, Multicultural E-Advice NSW): A multicultural forward plan - or detailed sub or annual plan - outlining the strategies, performance indicators and timelines to be prioritised in the coming year, and Evidence of implementation of the agency’s Multicultural Policies and Services Program (MPSP) plan during the reporting period.
30 November every year	In common with all agencies, submit multicultural extract from agency Annual Report to Community Relations Commission to be assessed. [see Information for all agencies – when do I have to do it?]

Key Agencies can log on to Multicultural E-Advice NSW to confirm when they must submit their reports to the Commission.

Redefining the forward planning process. How will the Commission work with key agencies?

Over the years the Community Relations Commission has worked closely with key agencies in the planning and review of the implementation of their multicultural plans.

In 2007-08 all government agencies had the opportunity to have input into the first significant review of EAPS operations after 25 years of operation. The review found that

‘...the EAPS program has stood the test of time ... as an important performance accountability system for over 25 years of public administration. EAPS was and remains a critical oversight and guarantor of government’s commitment to access, equity and participation with an increasing focus on cultural and economic opportunities for a socially diverse and dynamic community’ (page 30, 25 Years of EAPS)

The review also made 14 recommendations to revitalise the program, including its renaming – now known as the Multicultural Policies and Services Program.

A priority recommendation was that the Commission ‘trial new processes for the Commission to work collaboratively with EAPS key agencies on forward planning’.

The foundation for multicultural planning within key agencies has been the EAPS Standards Framework. The EAPS review recommended that this framework also be revised to ‘... adopt an outcomes based approach and develop performance indicators’. The Multicultural Planning Framework is the Outcomes-focused planning tool to replace the Standards Framework.

It is intended that this new collaborative approach to forward planning within key agencies will result in greater clarity and efficiency in the process. Specifically it will result in:

an enhanced flow of information between the key agency and the Commission at this strategic part of the planning cycle
a clearer understanding of linkages with the CRC multicultural planning framework, as it applies to the core business of the agency
a common understanding of the range that is appropriate for the nature of the agency under the Multicultural Planning Framework
a common understanding of government expectations under the MPSP, and the role of the Commission in assisting and assessing agencies
an opportunity to discuss emerging issues relating to cultural diversity in New South Wales, and identification of opportunities to address this issue
discussion of good or innovative practice by government agencies, for consideration within the key agency multicultural planning process
the possibility of a more streamlined MPSP reporting and assessment process, following negotiation with the Commission.

What are key agencies expected to include in their forward plans?

Key agencies are expected to work closely with the Commission, at two stages of the forward planning to:

position the agency forward plan within the Multicultural Policies and Services Program (MPSP); and
seek advice from the Commission, along with other consultation mechanisms on the strategic direction of the forward plan.

Stage 1: Positioning the key agency forward plan
The agency is required to consult with the CRC at the outset of the multicultural forward planning process to:

determine the level of detail required within the agency multicultural forward plan;
develop cross referencing strategies between the agency plan and the Multicultural Planning Framework;
consult on the nature of performance measures;
agree on mechanisms for performance monitoring and review by CRC, and
negotiate with the CRC on criteria of the Multicultural Planning Framework which do not apply to the work of the agency.

Stage 2: Development phase of forward plan
During the development phase of the forward plan, the Commission will advise on:

linkage points to the Multicultural Planning Framework
emerging issues relating to cultural diversity in New South Wales
good or innovative practice by other government agencies, or opportunities for coordinated activity or partnership within public sector agency, to enhance cultural diversity outcomes
strategies requiring executive support, as well as oversight of multicultural plan by senior officers of the key agency from relevant business units
development of performance indicators which meet objectives of the Multicultural Planning Framework, and allow for assessment and evaluation by both the key agency and CRC.

CRC Assessment of Key Agency Forward Plan

Once the key agency forward plan has been submitted, the Commission will assess it for consistency with the Multicultural Planning Framework. The agency can then report directly against this plan, rather than the Commission’s Framework. As a result, the reporting process will have more relevance for the agency, as it is directly linked to the business of the agency.

Reporting to the CRC against key agency multicultural plan

Whilst there is a greater emphasis on forward planning, agencies are still required to report to the Commission on the implementation of their multicultural plan. This report comprises:

A multicultural forward plan, or detailed sub or annual plan, outlining the strategies, performance indicators and timelines to be prioritised in the coming year,
Evidence of implementation of the multicultural plan in the reporting period, and
A timeline for next multicultural forward planning cycle, whether this is integrated with the agency’s corporate planning cycle, and an indication when the Commission will be consulted.

Most key agencies will either report annually or biennially, under a timeframe negotiated with the Commission. Agencies can also log on to Multicultural E-Advice NSW to find out when their reports are next due.

As an assessment of the key agency report is included in the annual Community Relations Report, it is imperative that key agency reports are submitted before the end of October of the reporting year.

Extensions may only be granted on a case by case basis, following a written request and negotiation with the Commission.

How much detail is required in the report to the Commission?

The report on implementation should include comprehensive information about the outcomes achieved by the agency in the reporting period, and a more detailed version of the multicultural plan for the upcoming year (which also shows how ongoing strategies have been strengthened or modified over the period).

The Commission will assess the implementation report against the agency’s multicultural plan. The Commission will also review how an agency is progressing within the ranges of the Multicultural Planning Framework, and may offer feedback on how the agency can improve performance within or beyond the range.

In its assessment of the agency’s forward plan and report the CRC will look for evidence that all of the criteria streams have been addressed. Should an agency consider that some criteria streams do not apply to the business of the agency, this must be agreed with the Commission during the forward planning process (see Infomation for Key Agencies – what am I required to do?)

The Commission requests key agencies to indicate the relevant criteria stream and/or individual criteria code (eg C.3.5) with their plan and report, to facilitate the assessment process.

Next Forward Planning Cycle

Key agencies should, as a rule, have a current multicultural forward plan. Key agencies should allow sufficient time to evaluate the current forward plan, and to develop and consult on the strategic direction of the subsequent forward plan, to ensure continuity of multicultural planning and implementation.

If the forward plan of the agency expires, the key agency must negotiate the mechanism and timeline to address this need with the Commission. If an agency does not have a current forward plan, this will be noted in the annual Community Relations Report. Some agencies may rightly delay the revision of their multicultural forward plan, in order to integrate the corporate and multicultural planning cycles. Agencies must advise the Commission in writing if their agency’s corporate planning cycle makes it difficult for the agency to comply with the standard Community Relations Commission reporting cycle (see WHEN does it have to be done?), and indicate timeframes for the development of the multicultural forward plan.

Multicultural Planning Framework

How is the Multicultural Planning Framework used?

The Multicultural Planning Framework is a tool to assist agencies (key and non-key) to structure their multicultural plans around common New South Wales Government priorities. The Framework identifies all of the areas the Commission expects agencies to address in observing the Principles of Multiculturalism.

The Multicultural Planning Framework has been designed to have three main entry points:

Activity area
Outcomes
Criteria Streams

Agencies can chose to structure their multicultural plan around any of these entry points, depending on the best alignment with the agency’s existing planning structures or preferred level of detail.

Three Activity areas have been identified to capture the main priority areas that should be addressed through a multicultural lens. They are:

Planning and Evaluation
Capacity Building and Resourcing
Programs and Services.

Seven broad Outcomes give a greater depth to the Activity areas, and model the expectation within the framework that agencies adopt a results-based accountability approach to multicultural planning and delivery. They are:
Planning and Evaluation:

Planning
Consultation and feedback

Capacity Building and Resourcing:

Leadership
Human resources

Programs and Services:

Access and equity
Communication
Social and economic development

For each outcome there are one or more Criteria Streams. The title of each criteria stream describes in more detail the types of activity that should be considered in planning (and delivery), across ranges of performance, which assist an agency to best address their business environment.

What other resources are available?

Multicultural Planning – A Resource for Practitioners is a guide for agencies on the implementation of the Multicultural Planning Framework. The Resource is structured around the criteria streams of the Multicultural Planning Framework, giving detailed advice about agencies can address the criteria within each range.

Using the Multicultural Planning Framework for planning

Before an agency commences development of their multicultural plan, it is useful to become familiar with the structure of the Multicultural Planning Framework (MPF)- particularly the three entry points and the concept of ranges of performance.

The Multicultural Planning Framework (MPF) can be used for both process driven planning and outcomes-focused planning.

Process driven planning

If an agency’s existing corporate plan and other strategic documents tend to adopt a detailed or prescriptive approach, outlining specific tasks or activities with well defined time frames, then the multicultural plan could be structured around the Criteria Streams. The individual criteria under the three Ranges give more detail about what is expected of agencies under each Criteria Stream, and the practitioner’s resource provides practical suggested activities.

Outcomes focused planning

If an agency’s existing plans concentrate on outcomes, goals or objectives, with less detailed information about how those will be achieved, then the multicultural plan could be structured around the framework’s Outcomes. The Outcomes describe, in general terms, the higher order impacts that result from effective planning and implementation. The agency can adjust these Outcomes to suit the specific business environment.

The Outcomes in the Multicultural Planning Framework are expressed as changes or impacts within the agency (systems based), but some agencies may choose to express the Outcomes as changes or impacts to the client group (client based).

Whichever structure an agency selects for multicultural planning, it is imperative that the agency can demonstrate linkages to the Multicultural Planning FrameworK and implement mechanisms to collect evidence which demonstrates effective implementation of the plan. It should also include strategies and performance indicators that assist the agency in reaching and demonstrating achievement of those.

What do the Ranges refer to?

Each Criteria Stream is divided into three ranges (Range 1,2 &3). Each Range represents a scope of performance in which an agency is operating.

The concept acknowledges that the nature of an agency’s obligations might not warrant, or allow, performance at the higher standards. The range concept facilitates agencies to stay within a particular Range, but is expected to demonstrate improved performance within the Range’s boundaries.

For example, an agency that has very little public contact may have limited occasions in which interpreters are required. Such an agency might legitimately operate at Range 1 on Interpreter Service Use criteria stream, and at Ranges 2 or 3 on other criteria streams. However, year to year that agency might update and improve their language services policy and procedures.