What is a Multicultural Policies and Services Plan?

A Multicultural Policies and Services Plan (formerly an EAPS Forward Plan) is a planning document, which shows how an individual government agency will address the needs of a culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse society, according to its charter.

The White Paper Cultural Harmony: The Next Decade 2002 - 2012 contains a definition of the Multicultural Policies and Services Program (formerly named EAPS), on page 66, viz:

"EAPS is 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."

A Multicultural Plan usually shows how the agency will:

• deliver services, which are appropriate to a culturally diverse client group, as part of their core business;
• put in place flexible and inclusive consultation processes that are integrated into agency planning;
• provide training for staff on cultural diversity issues;
• provide language services and information in ways that will reach all clients.

The formerly named EAPS program was launched in 1983, and has had a long and proud history in the State. Many of the achievements of the EAPS program are now part of core government services.

The Community Relations Commission monitors and assesses the performance of government agencies under the Multicultural Policies and Services Program. However, in accordance with the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000, the Commission is also challenging agencies to do more, and to develop 'good practice', as appropriate to each of their agencies.

Click here to view the milestones of EAPS/Multicultural Policies and Services Program.

Role of the Community Relations Commission

In 2000, the NSW Government strengthened the Multicultural Policies and Services Program, through amendment of the guiding legislation with the enactment of  the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Act 2000.

As a result, the Community Relations Commission now has greater responsibilities 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'.

The Commission reports on its findings within the annual Community Relations Report, which is tabled in Parliament. In addition to assessing agency performance, the Commission also encourages agencies to develop models of good practice in multicultural policy development and services implementation.

How to Develop a Multicultural Policies and Services Plan

Some of the important steps when developing a multicultural policies and services plan (formerly EAPS forward plan) are to:

• Read key New South Wales Government legislation and policy documents on multiculturalism;
• Ask to examine a multicultural policies and services plan of an agency with similar objectives or operations;
• Consult your corporate and business plans to identify how the Principles of Multiculturalism are currently being implemented;
• Consult the Multicultural Planning Framework 2009, and the Multicultural Resources Manual for CEOs, Senior Managers and Practitioners;
• Identify the core areas for your agency, as they relate to cultural diversity;
• Integrate multicultural policy objectives into your corporate planning;
• Identify multicultural intended outcomes against resources, time-frames, managerial accountabilities and well-defined performance measures;
• Regularly monitor and report on multicultural policy and services implementation to senior management;
• Summarise multicultural policy and services implementation progress in the past year, and identify key intended outcomes for the following year(s), for inclusion in your  agency's Annual Report (as required by the Annual Reports Act);
• Submit electronically the cover and multicultural pages of the agency Annual Report to the Community Relations Commissions Multicultural e-Advice NSW.