ABC Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan

Transcription

1 ABC Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan First report against the Plan, January December 2016 February 2016 Introduction This is the first annual report against the ABC Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan It covers the period from 1 January through 31 December The Plan is a Stretch RAP under Reconciliation Australia s RISE (Reflect, Innovate, Stretch, Elevate) framework and commits the ABC to meeting targets that build on its successes in its first ( ) and second ( ) RAPs. The Corporation has responded to the challenge of a Stretch RAP. All Actions have been achieved or are on track. ABC divisions are taking new and more focused action in relation to Indigenous employment and content matters. For example, Regional and Commercial reviewed their activities during the first half of the year and developed strategies to increase Indigenous content and employment. The Radio Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) actively considered recruitment, retention and content. It also conducted an audit of all radio content during a week in August 2016 to understand the use of Indigenous talent and, as a result, took steps to broaden the range of Indigenous speakers and topics on radio programs. The News division likewise continued work that it commenced in 2015 to examine the diversity of talent (experts, vox-pop interviewees, etc) in its stories, observing that active consideration of the question led to the inclusion of more Indigenous talent in stories. In September, the division held a facilitated two-day ABC News Indigenous Staff Summit. As a result of the Summit, the division committed to a range of actions in relation to stronger Indigenous coverage, personal and career development for Indigenous staff, and an improved workplace culture in the division. The outcomes will be incorporated into the KPIs of Senior Executives for During the year, the Radio and News divisions created senior Indigenous editorial roles: an Editor of the Indigenous Radio Unit in RN, and an Indigenous Affairs Editor News. Alongside the established role of Head of Indigenous in ABC Television, these appointments mean that three of the four content divisions now have a senior editorial manager responsible for overseeing Indigenous programming. Divisions and State/Territory branches worked on establishing or extending relationships with Indigenous communities and organisations. Likewise, divisions and branches built partnerships with a range of educational institutions in order to encourage Indigenous students to consider work at the ABC or in the wider media. This significantly reversed the decline in such engagement that followed the departure of the State and Territory Directors in mid The Corporation s Indigenous employment strategy continued to deliver outcomes. In December 2016, the ABC had 2.5% Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees. This successfully met the Corporation s annual target of 2.5% and represents a significant increase on the 2% target that it was pursuing in In 2017, the ABC will pursue a higher target of 2.7%. Likewise, the ABC continued to deliver a range of content by, for and about Indigenous Australians across all of its platforms, both domestic and international. A particular highlight was the launch of the major science-fiction television drama series Cleverman. 1

2 The ABC had a successful National Reconciliation Week 2016, with events in all of states and territories other than the Northern Territory, as well as a range of content recognising the week. Further, during the year, the Corporation declared NAIDOC Week to be a tent pole event that will be coordinated and promoted on a whole-of-abc basis. A cross-divisional group collaborated on preparations for NAIDOC 2016 and the event was, for the first time, supported by a dedicated, multiplatform marketing campaign. ABC Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan First report against the Plan, January December 2016 This report covers the period from 1 January to 31 December The status of each initiative has been graded into one of four categories: Achieved/continuing achievement On track/ developing p Not achieved/not on track Pending (e.g. dependent on a future event) Relationships Respectful relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the broader Australian community are important to the ABC as the national broadcaster, as we aim to support reconciliation and engender a better understanding of our shared history. 1.1 Continue to support the Bonner Committee, the ABC s Indigenous advisory group, which monitors and coordinates the ABC s Reconciliation Action Plan. Managing Director Director Corporate Affairs, Director ABC People, ABC Executive Quarterly June 2017 n The Bonner Committee will meet at least four times each year, including two face-to-face meetings. n The Chair of the Bonner Committee will meet regularly with the Managing Director, including to discuss RAP implementation. n Review the Bonner Committee biennially to ensure its effectiveness at providing wide representation, Indigenous networking and feedback to the Corporation. The Bonner Committee held regular meetings on 10 February, 8 June, 8 August, 10 October and 12 December The Chair provided the Managing Director with advice on the matters considered by the Committee. The Committee was supported by its Secretariat. In May 2016, the ABC welcomed a new Managing Director. The Managing Director attended the Committee s August meeting to discuss the work of the Bonner Committee and its role in implementing her vision for a more diverse ABC. During the year, triple j management sought advice from the Bonner Committee in relation to the date on which the annual Hottest 100 Countdown is held, and on appropriate Indigenous peak bodies, representative organisations and individuals to contact as part of a consultation process on the matter. 2

3 1.2 Maintain formal groups at the divisional and state/territory branch level with responsibility for advancing reconciliation and relationships with Indigenous communities. Divisional Directors, State/Territory Executives n Ensure Divisional Indigenous Reference Groups (IRGs)/Diversity Groups (DGs) continue to meet and monitor progress towards divisional Indigenous employment strategies. n Ensure State and Territory Indigenous Working Groups (IWGs) continue to operate. All divisions of the ABC maintain or participate in Diversity Groups, which include consideration of Indigenous matters within their remits. The Radio and Television divisions also maintain specific Indigenous Reference Groups. These groups continued to meet during the reporting period. On 8 9 September, the News division held a facilitated ABC News Indigenous Staff Summit to examine coverage of Indigenous issues, the creation of personal and career development opportunities for Indigenous staff and the division s workplace culture. As a result of the Summit, the News Executive committed to a range of actions in these three areas and agreed to incorporate those outcomes into the KPIs of News senior executives for During 2016, the decision was taken not to reinstate the state and territory Indigenous Working Groups (IWGs), which had effectively lapsed following the departure of the ABC s State and Territory Directors in mid Instead, the coordination of local activities around Indigenous recognition, recruitment and community development was added to the regular responsibilities of the State/Territory Executive in each capital-city branch. 1.3 Create further opportunities to build strategic partnerships and projects with Indigenous communities, peak bodies and other relevant external organisations, with a focus on regional opportunities. State/Territory Executives, Bonner Committee Chair, Divisional Directors IWGs, IRGs/DGs Each January n Identify and develop a list of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations that ABC could build strategic partnerships with. n Establish an additional two partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and/or external organisations. n Meet with an additional five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, peak bodies and/or other related external organisations to explore potential future relationships. During the year, a number of areas of the ABC worked to establish or develop relationships and projects with Indigenous communities and organisations: ABC Regional partnered with First Languages Australia to produce Local Station idents in Australian Indigenous languages. The idents are spoken in the Indigenous language(s) local to each station s broadcast region. ABC Open Producers recorded sessions at three language conferences in Alice Springs, Gold Coast and Kalgoorlie, as well as additional idents and voxpops for NAIDOC Week to be used by radio and TV teams on all platforms. In October, the Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator the Hon. Mitch Fifield, launched new radio idents in Indigenous languages at the Artlands national Regional Arts Australia conference in Dubbo. At the end of 2016, 11 regional stations had produced clips. 3

4 In addition, the partnership with First Languages Australia led to the Mother Tongue project, which received more than 90 contributions from Australians, representing 50 First Languages. Videos from the Mother Tongue project were screened at Puliima 2015, WANALA Aboriginal Language Conference 2016 in Kalgoorlie, on Federation Square Screens in Melbourne, and in the iview and Arts Channel collections. ABC Regional also facilitated a partnership with Splash for First Languages Australia, the Marrin Gamu project, which encouraged schools to work with their local Indigenous community to translate the song Marrin Gamu into the first language of their area and record students singing it. ABC Regional and the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) began a skills-transfer program for staff from the ABC and CAAMA in Alice Springs. The project began in the second half of 2016 and will conclude by March Under the program, ABC Alice Springs provides a professional development placement for an Indigenous content-maker employed by CAAMA, while an ABC employee has the opportunity to work with CAAMA. The first exchanges were very successful. The Local Manager in Victoria held partnership meetings with the Boon Wurrung Foundation, the Koorie Heritage Trust, the Illbijerri Theatre Company and the Foundation for Young Australians World of Work program. Members of the South Australian State Executive held meetings and attended forums with a wide variety of Indigenous government and community bodies, including Tandanya Cultural Centre, the organisers of the annual Indigenous Spirit Festival, SA Aboriginal Health, the Aboriginal Business Forum, Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi (Kaurna language program) at the University of Adelaide, and the SA Film Corporation in relation to Indigenous co-production opportunities. The Western Australian branch established new ties with the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of WA and formed a new partnership with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs to create exhibitions of Aboriginal Art in the foyer of the ABC offices in East Perth. The current exhibition will run from November 2016 to March The Local Manager met with Generation One to discuss Indigenous employment, while the State Executive worked with the Aboriginal Workforce Development Centre and participated in the Deadly Jobs expo. The Tasmanian branch engaged with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC), the Tasmanian Regional Aboriginal Communities Alliance (TRACA) and the Recognise movement. The Digital Network division explored potential relationships with IDX (Indigenous Digital Excellence), which seeks to strengthen Indigenous participation, practice and entrepreneurship in the digital economy. The Director of ABC Commercial, who is also Executive Sponsor for the Northern Territory, explored opportunities to build strategic partnership with Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. ABC News met with Shared Path Indigenous consultancy, which has assisted content creators in identifying subject-matter experts with Indigenous heritage for expert on-air commentary. Future opportunities to collaborate were discussed. 4

5 The Radio IRG held discussions with the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in relation to training opportunities for Indigenous staff and with Koori Radio in Sydney about potential relationships. triple j Unearthed continued its partnership with the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) in Darwin to support a competition looking for the best emerging Indigenous musical act in the country. The service also launched the first Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative in collaboration with APRA Songmakers and the NIMAs. Awaye! presenter Daniel Browning chaired a number of events at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne, including a panel conversation about Aboriginal journalism in the digital age. He also judged the Victorian Premier s Indigenous literary award and the Black and Write award for the State Library of Queensland, and was a guest lecturer at Sydney and Wollongong Universities on issues relating to media and cultural identity. 1.4 Provide opportunities for ABC staff to participate in National Reconciliation Week each year. State/Territory Executives, Divisional Directors IWGs, IRGs/DGs 27 May 3 June each year n Host eight or more Reconciliation Week activities at least one in each division and or state/territory office. n Register Reconciliation Week events on Reconciliation Australia s web site. n Deliver Reconciliation Week programming on ABC content platforms. The ABC recognised National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2016 across its schedule and through activities in the states and territories. ABC Radio created a dedicated, week-long pop up NRW radio station that was broadcast on digital radio and streamed online. Content on the pop-up station included: Stan Grant s 2015 speech and an interview with Mr Grant by Larissa Behrendt; a selection of ANU Reconciliation lectures, including Kevin Rudd s 2015 speech; interviews from Speaking Out, including Auntie Elsie Heiss on reconciliation and the role of religion, and Andrew Meehan from ANTAR on the Sea of Hands initiative; historic archival material, including packages on the Freedom Rides, the Wave Hill Strike and subsequent land rights changes, the findings of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and the Apology; a range of Indigenous music. The station also functioned as a training opportunity for less-experienced Indigenous staff. All Radio networks also delivered greater levels of Indigenous programming during NRW. For example, each day of the week, the 774 ABC Melbourne Afternoons program with Clare Bowditch showcased the work of Indigenous musicians, including Alice Skye, Gawurra, Jessie Lloyd, Monica Weightman and Robert Champion. ABC Darwin covered the inaugural Garrmalang Festival, Darwin s first multi-day Indigenous festival, which featured many performers from the Larrakia nation. On 936 ABC Hobart, Emma Lee from the Milythina Tiakanawarrana Aboriginal Corporation appeared on Breakfast at the beginning of NRW to speak about the importance of finding new ways to tell Aboriginal stories. ABC Regional staff likewise created a range of content to mark NRW. Examples include a piece from ABC Far North on Indigenous nurses on Thursday Island, profiles of a member of the Stolen Generation and award-winning opera singer Deborah Cheetham, and an audio report on a visit to the Bulgandramine mission in NSW by a Cross-Media Reporter. Breakfast on ABC Kimberly featured live bands in the studio each day, including No Fixed Address and Mark Bin Barker, while ABC North and West in South Australia created a playlist of all-indigenous music. 5

6 The ABC invited employees to apply for funding to host their own NRW activities. A total of 11 applications were approved and all but one of the state and territory offices hosted an internal event in celebration of Reconciliation Week: The ACT branch joined with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AITSIS) and members of the local Indigenous community for a tour of the ABC offices at Northbourne Avenue and AIATSIS, followed by a barbeque. ABC Tamworth held a lunch with members of the local Indigenous community to officially launch the Acknowledgment of Country plaque in the ABC Tamworth office. The NSW branch held a lunchtime barbeque and Indigenous trivia competition for all staff at the ABC Ultimo Centre in Sydney. Also in Ultimo, ABC Television held an all-staff exclusive screening of the first episode of the new series Cleverman, followed by a Q&A with the writer and members of the cast. The Queensland branch held morning tea at ABC Brisbane for ABC staff, local Indigenous community members and students to extend networking opportunities and highlight career opportunities for students. The morning tea included a Welcome to Country and a smoking ceremony performed by a local Traditional Owner. ABC Port Pirie held an afternoon tea for ABC staff and the local Indigenous community to celebrate the unveiling of the Nukunu Country Acknowledgement Plaque in the Port Pirie office. ABC Port Lincoln held a morning tea for ABC staff and local Indigenous community members to celebrate the unveiling of the Acknowledgment of Country plaque in the Port Lincoln office. The South Australian branch held a flag raising and smoking ceremony at the ABC s Collinswood office in Adelaide, followed by a screening of a short film by SA Indigenous staff member Elton Rosas on Australia s first Indigenous Governor, Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls, and a morning tea. The Tasmanian branch held a morning tea at ABC Hobart office for ABC staff, guests from the local Indigenous community and other representatives to extend networking opportunities and highlight the reconciliation journey. The Victorian branch held a morning tea at ABC Melbourne Southbank for ABC staff in celebration of Reconciliation Week. Unfortunately, a Welcome to Country and a smoking ceremony arranged for staff in the new Southbank offices had to be cancelled on the day due to illness. The Victorian branch also invited an Indigenous elder to conduct a Welcome to Country at ABC Melbourne Elsternwick and share local stories about the community. The Western Australian branch held a morning tea for staff and Indigenous employees from neighbouring government departments at the ABC Perth office to celebrate Reconciliation Week and the installation of an artwork by Indigenous artist Lena Nyadbi. Indigenous Art storyteller Ron Bradfield Jr. spoke at the event and guests were given a tour of the building following the morning tea. 6

7 1.5 Raise internal and external awareness of the ABC RAP to promote reconciliation across the Corporation and sector. Bonner Committee Chair, Director Corporate Affairs June 2016 n Promote reconciliation through ongoing active engagement with stakeholders. n Communicate the ABC s RAP to internal and external stakeholders. The ABC promotes reconciliation in a number of ways, including as a member of the Media RING and through articles and content displayed on the Corporation s website and intranet. Following the formal launch of Stretch RAP by the Chairman of the ABC Board in February, the then Managing Director informed ABC staff of its adoption via his monthly all-staff newsletter in March. Printed copies of the new RAP were provided to the members of the ABC Executive and their IRGs/DGs for wider distribution within the Corporation. The ABC s commitments under the RAP are discussed at every divisional IRG/DG meeting. The ABC promotes its RAP externally through a number of channels, including its careers website, as an element of recruitment advertisements and in stakeholder newsletters. The Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment Manager speaks specifically about the ABC's reconciliation journey and successes when guest-speaking at events. Throughout the year, Corporate Affairs met with a number of government departments to discuss Indigenous matters and to promote the ABC s RAP. The Division supported and funded a joint stakeholder event with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in Perth to promote Indigenous art and storytelling. The Director of ABC Commercial presented the ABC s Stretch RAP to the publishing team at Harper Collins, which publishes the ABC Books imprint, in order to raise the publishing team s awareness of the Corporation s commitments and encourage a higher proportion of publication of Indigenous titles. 1.6 Highlight ABC Indigenous achievement and activity within the ABC. Director Corporate Affairs, Divisional Directors n Develop internal and external communications to improve awareness of Indigenous achievement and activity in the ABC. Thirteen articles relating to Indigenous achievement and activity in the ABC were published on the Intranet during the reporting period. The weekly Intranet feature The Ticker included articles about Indigenous staff members and internal initiatives, such as the Indigenous ABC News Cadetship. The Managing Director s monthly newsletter carried stories highlighting Indigenous activities during NAIDOC and Reconciliation Weeks. Corporate Affairs promoted ABC Radio station idents in Indigenous languages in the ABC's corporate newsletter, which is distributed to external stakeholders. The Director of Radio regularly reported to all divisional staff on Indigenous activity, including National Reconciliation Week and the work of the Radio IRG, through the divisional Turn It Up newsletter. 7

8 The regular News publication Backstory, which highlights the work of staff in the division, carried features on Indigenous Olle Scholar Bridget Brennan, Indigenous Darwin reporter Elliana Lawford s coverage of the Wave Hill 50th anniversary and the ABC News Indigenous Staff Summit. The News Director shared the outcomes of the Indigenous Staff summit with a detailed to attendees and another to all news staff with an overview of the outcomes. Respect Respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, cultures, land and history is important to the ABC because the ABC acknowledges the uniqueness and distinctiveness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and their rights to cultural expression. 2.1 Provide staff with ongoing access to training that enhances their knowledge and awareness of Australia s Indigenous peoples, cultures and history. Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment ABC People Each January December 2016 n Ensure all ABC employees have opportunities to participate in cultural training. n Ensure 30% of staff complete the ABC s Cultural Awareness workshop each year. n Ensure 30% of managers complete the ABC s Cultural Awareness workshop each year. n Ensure all managers of Indigenous staff have completed the ABC s Cultural Awareness tool and Employer Awareness workshop. n Evaluate the effectiveness of the Cultural Awareness program through staff surveys and refine as required. During the first half of the year, the Indigenous and Diversity Employment team completed work on the new Indigenous Cultural Awareness elearning tool on the ABC Connect, an education program for all ABC staff which demonstrates the ABC's commitment to engaging with Indigenous cultures. The elearning tool was formally launched during NAIDOC Week in July. It replaces the ABC s previous Cultural Awareness program. Following the launch of the elearning tool, the team began delivering a new, accompanying Indigenous Cultural Awareness workshop across the Corporation. Access to the workshop was offered to staff through their divisions, with priority given to ensuring all managers of Indigenous staff had received the training. The workshops were delivered by the Head of Indigenous Employment and Diversity. The roll-out schedule for the workshops has been planned to meet or exceed the target of providing training to 30% of staff each year over the next three years. At the end of 2016, a total of 223 ABC employees had completed the Indigenous Cultural Awareness workshop. Of those who had completed the training, 90% were a manager or supervisor of an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employee. Following the News Indigenous staff summit in September (see Action 1.2), the News Executive agreed that all members, including the Director, would undergo cultural awareness and unconscious bias training during the next 12 months and that this would be included in their 2017 KPIs. In addition, the Director, and where possible other members of the News Executive, will undertake a visit during the next 12 months to the community of an Indigenous staff member. To evaluate and improve the workshops, the Indigenous and Diversity Employment team asked participants to provide feedback. In response to feedback received, the team made several changes to the workshops, including virtual delivery of training for employees located interstate and tailoring the content to suit the location and division the training was being delivered to. 8

9 2.2 Use appropriate cultural protocols, including Acknowledgement of and/or Welcome to Country, at ABC events. Director Corporate Affairs All staff December 2016 n Ensure the Indigenous protocols set out in the ABC s policy on Indigenous Cultural Protocols at ABC Events are observed at all significant ABC events. n Continue to invite a Traditional Owner to provide a Welcome to Country at significant ABC events. n Continue to include an Acknowledgement of Country in the commencement of all public ABC events. n Develop a list of key contacts for organising a Welcome to Country for all states in which the ABC operates. Indigenous protocols were observed at all relevant events, consistent with the Corporation s policy on Indigenous Cultural Protocols at ABC Events. Corporate Affairs has developed an ABC Protocol Handbook, which includes guidance on Indigenous protocols such as Acknowledgment of Country and Welcome to Country. 2.3 Apply Indigenous Content editorial principles in content making. Content Directors Ed Pols Group, Bonner Committee n Ensure the principles set out in the Editorial Policies Guidance Note on Indigenous Content are included in editorial training in all content divisions. A reference to the new Indigenous Content Guidance Note is included in the online editorial training course that is available to all staff, and information about the Guidance Note is included in face-to-face training at every opportunity. Towards the end of the reporting period, the Editorial Policies division appointed a new Head of Training to coordinate training across all divisions in Those plans will include Indigenous guidance. In late 2016, the Regional division created Regional Diversity Snapshots to provide its staff with a better understanding of the composition of audiences in different parts of Australia. As part of this exercise, Regional and Radio trainers were equipped to respond to questions as they occurred about Indigenous protocols and how to obtain information about them, with specific reference to the Guidance Note. 2.4 Recognise and participate in NAIDOC Week each year. Content Directors, Director Marketing, Bonner Committee Chair, State/Territory Executives, Divisional Directors ABC People (coordination), IWGs, IRGs/DGs First week in July each year n Deliver and promote coordinated NAIDOC Week programming across ABC content platforms. n Provide opportunities for staff to participate in ABC NAIDOC activities, including flag raisings, across the country. n Organise at least one internal NAIDOC Week event in each state/territory office. 9

10 In 2016, the ABC declared NAIDOC Week to be a tent pole event that will be planned and marketed in a coordinated, whole-of-abc way each year. To manage the delivery of NAIDOC 2016, the Corporation assembled a cross-divisional team comprising representatives from all content divisions. As in previous years, ABC Radio operated a pop-up radio station, ABC NAIDOC, throughout the week that featured a wide range of Indigenous programs, interviews and music. The station was available as a digital radio station in the mainland capital cities, and online through mobile apps and the ABC Radio website. Local Radio began the week with a nationwide program, Songlines, that explored the meaning and cultural significance of Songlines via live interviews and talkback. The program was hosted by sports broadcaster and Gurrindji man Charlie King and Maree Yoelu, from the Daly River region in the Northern Territory. The Rhythm Divine on RN featured a profile of blind Yolngu musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. On Wednesday, 6 July, triple j Breakfast was guesthosted by Indigenous hip hop artists A.B. Original. The station also announced the winner of the triple j Unearthed National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) competition and welcomed previous NIMA winner Robbie Miller to the studio for Like a Version. Indigenous music featured on triple j Unearthed and Unearthed High throughout the week. ABC Television ran a series of programs throughout the week, including an episode of Compass about the journey of Indigenous musician Vic Simms; the film Satellite Boy on ABC3; an episode of Australian Story about filmmaker David Batty, who filmed the series Bush Mechanics and has a long history of making programs with and for Aboriginal people; the program Over represented: A Vice Special on Indigenous Incarceration with Rapper and Yorta-Yorta man Briggs on ABC2; and the finale of the science-fiction drama series Cleverman. Throughout the week, Television also ran a range of Indigenous repeat programming, including The Gods of Wheat Street and episodes of Wild Kitchen, during the day. Video-on-demand service iview featured a curated collection of Indigenous programming, including the series premiere of Black As, as well as every episode of Cleverman. Throughout NAIDOC Week, the ABC Indigenous portal on ABC Online was reskinned with the Our Focus branding used for tent-pole events as an access point for curated multiplatform content. ABC News broadcast live crosses and coverage of the National NAIDOC Awards on ABC News 24, as well as stories and articles on television, radio and online news. Weekend Breakfast ran a package entitled Returning back to the bush about Aboriginal Elders taking their children and grandchildren back to the bush to teach them about bush tucker and culture. Stories from regional Australia during the week included a piece from ABC Western Plains about a didgeridoo teacher from Brewarrina in Western New South Wales; a range of stories and crosses from an cross-media reporter travelling in Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands in remote north-west South Australia, including a profile of an APY language teacher; and a story for the 7pm News about the Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, which is a partnership between the local Bunuba community and Melbourne independent school Wesley College. ABC News 24 ran a series of interstitial NAIDOC vignettes throughout the week and via social media platforms. 10

11 The ABC s education portal, Splash, launched the Indigenous language song competition in partnership with First Languages Australia, which encouraged schools to work with their local Indigenous community to translate the song Marrin Gamu into the first language of their area and record students singing it. The Australia Plus international service ran a multilingual online feature about the history of cultural exchanges and trade between Indonesia s Macassans and the Yolngu people of Arnhem Land. To maximise awareness of the Corporation s NAIDOC Week programming, ABC Audience and Marketing coordinated a series of promotions for NAIDOC 2016, including: providing signage to all ABC state and territory offices; a 30-second television promotion launched on 23 June directly after the broadcast of Cleverman; national 30-second radio promotions across ABC Radio networks from 30 June; a media release on 30 June; and the curated Our Focus NAIDOC Week website featuring key cross-platform content, which went live on 30 June. The division also prepared a 10-second radio sting for use after all NAIDOC-related content throughout the week; in-language station idents for metropolitan and regional radio stations; an internal pop-up message that would appear on the computer screens of all ABC staff on Monday, 4 July; and an extensive social media campaign. 2.5 Maintain the Indigenous site on the ABC Intranet to provide a unified source of information in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and issues. Director Corporate Affairs Bonner Committee, ABC People, IRGs/DGs, All Divisions n Regularly publish new articles and other content on the Indigenous site on the ABC Intranet. n Review existing content on the site regularly to ensure its continued currency and accuracy. ABC People provides access to a set of unified employment information for Indigenous staff on the ABC Intranet. The pages were reviewed during the year and updated as required. At the end of the reporting period, options for expanding the information were being examined. As noted in 1.6, above, a range of articles about Indigenous staff and activities were posted on the Intranet during the year. 2.6 Install signage and other physical recognition of the traditional owners of land and the contribution of Indigenous ABC staff in the public foyers and reception areas of ABC regional offices. State/Territory Executives, Director Regional Facilities Managers December 2018 n Install Recognition of Country plaques in all ABC regional offices. During the reporting period, the Regional division identified additional 12 offices in which to install Recognition of Country plaques, namely Newcastle and Broken Hill in New South Wales; Cairns and the Gold Coast in Queensland; Broome and Geraldton in Western Australia; Sale and Ballarat in Victoria; and Renmark, Mt Gambier, Port Lincoln and Port Pirie in South Australia. Staff in those offices engaged with local Indigenous communities in relation to the plaques. 11

12 The Port Lincoln and Port Pirie Recognition plaques were unveiled during National Reconciliation Week (see 1.4, above). Regional has selected a further 12 regional offices in which to install plaques during in the first half of These installations are in addition to the nine Recognition of Country plaques installed in regional offices during the life of the previous RAP: Launceston in Tasmania; Albany in Western Australia; Alice Springs and Katherine in the Northern Territory; Mildura, Shepparton and Wodonga in Victoria; Tamworth in New South Wales; and Toowoomba in Queensland. By December 2018, Recognition of Country plaques will be installed in all ABC regional offices. An Indigenous artwork was purchased for prominent display in the ABC Perth building. It was unveiled during National Reconciliation Week (see 1.4, above). Opportunities Employment and Supplier Diversity Opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, organisations and communities are important to the ABC as we strive to comprehensively and fairly reflect the cultural diversity and national identity of Australia. 3.1 Implement the ABC Indigenous Employment Strategy Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment Divisional Directors, All ABC Managers, Bonner Committee December 2018 n Report regularly to the ABC Executive on progress against the Indigenous Employment Strategy. n Review the Indigenous Employment Strategy each year to ensure its effectiveness. n Renew the Indigenous Employment Strategy alongside the RAP. Throughout the reporting period, ABC divisions provided monthly reports to the Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment on their activities and progress against the ABC Indigenous Employment Strategy Each quarter, the Head of Indigenous Employment reviewed progress against the Strategy with the Executive. The Executive were also provided with updates on changes to Indigenous employment at every meeting. During the first half of 2016, the ABC Regional s Diversity Group established a dedicated Working Group to identify means for increasing staff diversity in the division. The division adopted a new employment strategy for Indigenous and diverse employees and an accompanying Action Plan in late June At the time of reporting, a review of the effectiveness of the Indigenous Employment Strategy was in progress. 12

13 3.2 Progressively increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees at the ABC. Divisional Directors, Hiring line managers IRGs/DGs, Bonner Committee, Indigenous Employment and Diversity Team n Increase the proportion of Indigenous employees in the ABC workforce to: n at least 2.5% by the end of 2016 n at least 2.7% by the end of 2017 n at least 3.0% by the end of At the end of December 2016, 2.5% of the ABC s non-casual workforce were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees in line with the target. 3.3 Undertake activities to increase the number of Indigenous employees in contentmaking, editorial decision-making and management roles, particularly at a senior level. Divisional Directors, Hiring line managers IRGs/DGs, Bonner Committee, Indigenous Employment and Diversity Team n Increase the number of Indigenous employees in content-making, editorial decision-making and management roles. n Increase the number of Indigenous employees in such roles at a senior level. n Support those employees, including providing leadership training and mentoring. At the end of 2016, 46 Indigenous employees were in content-making, editorial decision-making and/or management roles. Ten of these employees held roles at a senior level. During the first half of the year, two Indigenous employees moved into senior positions one each in Television and Radio. In October, News created and filled the new senior role of Indigenous Affairs Editor. Many Indigenous employees at senior levels have participated in the ABC leadership program; all have access to mentoring opportunities. Following the Indigenous staff summit, News announced that it would create three new positions to support Indigenous coverage. In addition to the Indigenous Affairs Editor, who oversees planning and content co-ordination of all Indigenous coverage, News is recruiting a national Indigenous correspondent and an Indigenous digital producer/researcher. The division will also create a National Indigenous Coverage Team with staff identified in relevant state and territory newsrooms, Parliament House and in relevant program teams; it has allocated a central budget for travel and expenses to enable this coverage. Late in the year, News also appointed Indigenous presenters to triple j Breakfast and the Canberra 7pm News. During the year, Radio also provided content-making opportunities for a small number of Indigenous staff normally employed in other categories. The division hopes to convert at least one of these staff to content-making on an on-going basis. The News division s leadership and succession planning processes identified three key Indigenous editorial staff and a tailored leadership capability development plan was put in place for each of them. Senior Indigenous News staff who were given leadership training in the first half of the year led the working groups that organised the News Indigenous Staff Summit. 13

14 As part of their development plans, Indigenous staff in News were provided with training opportunities: two attended the ABC-supported Foundations of Leadership course, two attended a skills extension at the Investigative Journalism Masterclass, one was allocated a mentor through the News division s Mentoring Program and one was placed on a higher-duties secondment to develop their skills in investigative journalism. ABC Regional provided training for an Indigenous content maker in Western Australia. The Regional division s Indigenous employment strategy, adopted in June 2016 (see 3.1, above), includes initiatives to support the professional development of staff and to identify opportunities for up-skilling and career advancement. Behind the News hired and trained an Indigenous reporter who appeared in and narrated various BtN Newsbreak stories. Digital Network provided mentoring and skill-shadowing opportunities for an Indigenous intern who has been with the division since January Encourage awareness of potential careers at the ABC and in the wider media sector among Indigenous secondary and tertiary students. State/Territory Executives, Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment IRGs/DGs December 2018 n Increase the number of pipeline activities undertaken (e.g. work experience placements, representation at Indigenous careers expos and active strategic partnerships with schools, tertiary institutions and other relevant organisations). ABC People, the content divisions and the State and Territory branches continued to develop strategic partnerships and working relationships with secondary and tertiary institutions in order to encourage awareness of possible careers at the ABC and in the wider media sector. The Corporation continued to partner with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to offer placements through the Indigenous Cadetship Scheme. The ABC currently employs six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interns across the Corporation. The News Operations team in Darwin has formed a continuing relationship with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE). Key Indigenous ABC staff perform demonstrations of their work to students. Additionally, News Operations staff have attended the BIITE campus and talked with students about pathways to the ABC. During the reporting period, the Darwin Bureau accommodated three work-experience requests from Indigenous students. The Operations Group held meetings with the Nura Gili Centre for Indigenous Programs at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the Galuwa Engineering and IT Experience and the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). In May, News Operations interviewed students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) for possible internships in the Canberra or Sydney newsrooms. 14

15 Operations also sent information about the ABC s Technology Internship to an Indigenous student studying TV and Media at Northern Sydney TAFE contacted and offered work experience. News has created ongoing relationships with two partner high schools with high representation of Indigenous students, Matraville Sports High School (40% Aboriginal students) and Plumpton High School (6% Aboriginal and 30% Torres Strait Islander students). The division provides ongoing support to teachers and students across the key areas of leadership, media and communications, parent and community engagement, and professional development. ABC News has also developed an ongoing relationship with the La Perouse Indigenous Community via its work with Matraville Sports High School. Representatives of the division regularly attend the school to provide experiences to Indigenous students encouraging them to pursue a career in the media industry and ultimately the ABC. The News Training Manager has formed relationships with UNSW and Western Sydney University (WSU). She has spoken during lecture times at both universities and met with highpotential Indigenous students and provided them with casual, cadet or work experience opportunities at the ABC. News currently has three Indigenous casual or work-experience staff in the pipeline for permanent positions. The Darwin State Editor Cross established a partnership with the Clontarf Academy in Darwin, taking on a work experience student, who subsequently applied for an Indigenous Cadet Scholarship placement in the Darwin newsroom. News Operations staff in Adelaide partnered with TAFE SA to mentor Indigenous students in an Indigenous-identified camera-skills course. In Semester 1 of 2016, News staff helped students to create a video that was used to promote the work done by Indigenous staff at Monarto Zoo; this led to the creation of new Indigenous positions for women at the Zoo. The Tasmanian branch engaged with Claremont College to encourage students to pursue interests with work placements at ABC. 3.5 Provide career development planning support and opportunities for Indigenous employees. Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment, Divisional Directors ABC People Learning Advisers, Divisional line managers, Bonner Committee December 2018 n Provide all Indigenous staff with the opportunity to create a professional development plan upon commencement by the ABC. n Ensure at least 70% of Indigenous staff have a professional development plan. n Develop succession plans in line with job and training plans for all Indigenous staff in senior content-making, editorial decision-making and management roles. The Indigenous Employment and Diversity team regularly communicates with the ABC s Indigenous staff. This includes offering opportunities for professional development planning and providing one-on-one sessions to assist employees with planning their career goals and actions needed to achieve their aspirations. All new Indigenous staff were encouraged to complete a professional development plan upon commencement by the ABC. 15

16 At the end of 2016, 25% of Indigenous staff had a current professional development plan. The Indigenous Employment and Diversity team projects that the ABC will reach the 70% target by the end of The development of succession plans for Indigenous staff in senior content-making, editorial decision-making and management roles is now generally undertaken and managed by ABC divisional managers. As a result of the News Indigenous Staff Summit (see 1.2, above), News Executive performance agreements for 2017 will include KPIs for Indigenous retention and professional development. 3.6 Maximise retention of Indigenous employees. Divisional Directors, Hiring line managers Indigenous Employment and Diversity Team, IRGs/DGs December 2016 December 2018 n Review Indigenous staff retention framework and refine as required. n Ensure at least 30% of Indigenous staff participating in a formal mentoring program. n Ensure all pending staff exits referred to Divisional Directors and Managing Director. n Ensure all exiting Indigenous staff offered exit interviews; results discussed with Directors, Managing Director and, where necessary, the Executive. During the year, the Indigenous Employment and Diversity team reviewed the staff retention framework during the year and found it to be fit for purpose. Exit interviews are offered to all staff leaving the ABC and/or moving into a different position internally. The Head of Indigenous Employment and Diversity shares the results of such interviews with divisional managers and, if necessary, the Managing Director to assist with improving the ABC s workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. At the end of 2016, 13% of Indigenous staff were actively participating in the ABC s mentoring program. The Radio division identified the issues of cultural awareness, unconscious bias and cultural safety as key factors in maximising retention. It is seeking to ensure that managers especially the direct managers of Indigenous staff undertake cultural awareness training (see 2.1, above). The Radio and Regional Training Unit also began to incorporate unconscious bias material into general training courses. ABC Regional s Indigenous employment strategy, adopted in June 2016 (see 3.1, above), includes strategies for retaining existing Indigenous employees. The division provided a number of training opportunities for Indigenous staff and Regional managers worked with ABC People to ensure strategies are in place to retain Indigenous employees on short-term contracts. The News Indigenous Staff Summit (see 1.2, above) included a panel discussion in which senior correspondents and producers discussed their careers and experience and encouraged Indigenous staff to seek their help and support. As a result of the Staff Summit, News Executive performance agreements for 2017 will include KPIs for Indigenous retention and professional development. 16

17 3.7 Contribute to the growth of Indigenous employment opportunities in the wider media industry. Content Directors, Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment n Report on the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons engaged externally as a result of ABC-funded television and other content productions. n Report on the number of Indigenous staff leaving the Corporation for media-sector jobs that draw on their ABC experience. It has proved difficult to fully report on the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons engaged by external media companies as a result of ABC-funded productions, as the Corporation is dependent on external producers for the relevant information. Available figures for television productions that aired during the reporting period show that Black Comedy had 24 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cast members and 74 crew, Black As had three Indigenous cast and 10 crew, and seven Indigenous people worked on Destination Arnold. During the year, six Indigenous employees left the ABC for positions within the media sector. 3.8 Increase opportunities for Indigenous suppliers to work with the ABC. Chief Operating Officer, Director Business Services, Head of Indigenous and Diversity Employment All Divisions December 2016 n Review and revise the ABC s policy on the use of Indigenous suppliers. n Benchmark and increase number of procurement contracts with Indigenous suppliers with an objective of achieving 3% procurement from Indigenous suppliers by 2020 (excepting major technical and broadcast contracts). The ABC became a member of Supply Nation in July In the second half of the year, the Corporation s Procurement team worked with Supply Nation to develop capability, took advice on procurement policy and practice, and used the Supply Nation supplier database to identify appropriate Indigenous businesses for invitation or involvement in ABC tender opportunities. For example, in light of the strong representation of facilities management suppliers in the Supply Nation member database, ABC Property was provided with information on potential Indigenous Suppliers to inform planning and alert lists for future national and state-specific facilitiesmanagement tenders. The ABC worked its office supplies provider to bring the Muru Indigenous range of products into the catalogue that is available to ABC staff for purchasing. During the year, the Operations Group also undertook a major review of the ABC s approach to procurement. A new ABC Procurement Policy arising from that work was approved by the ABC Board in December The new Policy includes prominent recognition of the Corporation s encouragement for Indigenous procurement. It is supported by new guidance notes, including specific guidance in relation to Indigenous procurement that refers to the ABC s RAP targets, its Supply Nation membership and the tools available to ABC staff to identify Indigenous businesses that might be involved in ABC procurements. 17