Diversity in the public sector has become a fundamental focus in public sector reforms, with agencies seeking a workforce that better reflects the diversity of the communities they serve. This grew in prominence in 2009 when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development recognised its importance to achieving political and social government objectives.

In 2008, the government of Ontario set out, as part of its public sector modernisation, to implement a diversity management program to reflect the province’s rich and diverse culture and population, with the ambition to be a modern and innovative leader.

With over 60,000 staff, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is the second largest public sector employer in Canada and the first to implement a three year diversity plan. Over the years, public sector diversity has evolved from a focus on demographic diversity to creating an inclusive culture accommodating for all differences in the workforce – a key goal for the OPS. With this broader focus on diversity and inclusion, how has the OPS managed this?

A review was conducted by Professor Frank Ohemeng (University of Ottawa, Canada) and Professor Jocelyn McGrandle (Concordia University, Canada) on the Ontario Public Service to explore the prospects for managing diversity in the public sector, the challenges public sector organisations face and the opportunities for the future.

Ohemeng and McGrandle identified that successful diversity management is driven by a strong governance, change management and business integration.

Aim

The aim of the paper was to explore the challenges in implementing diversity and inclusion in the Ontario public service, along with the opportunities in creating a diverse workplace from business and social perspectives.

Method

Ohemeng and McGrandle’s case study is based on interviews conducted with Ontario public service staff, where interviewees told their stories about diversity management, challenges and opportunities for moving forward.

Findings

The researchers’ perspective of the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is that it has progressed significantly towards becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation by implementing a number of leading policies and initiatives. The study identifies three key factors that appear to have supported successful diversity management within the Public Sector:

1.  A well-established diversity management program that has been supported by strong governance

2.  A focus on organisational culture change to guide behaviours and policies promoting inclusion

3.  Integration and measurement of the impact created by diversity initiatives to enable sustainability.

Implications

From the review, the success of diversity management within the public sector is driven by a focus on fundamental management principles of strong governance and a focus on change management and business integration. The ‘OPS Inclusion Strategic Plan 2013-2016’ formally outlines the organisation’s success so far has been driven by:

1. Informed, committed and competent leadership

2. Behavioural and cultural change

3. Mainstream and integrate inclusion

4. Measurement, evaluation and reporting.

This approach to managing diversity can be applied across industry sectors to support a strong foundation for diversity and inclusion and build a case for diversity.

Going forward, the OPS’ strategy towards 2016 is focused on embedding inclusion in all levels of the organisation. Five goals have been designed to support inclusion:

1. Embed: inclusion into all policies, programs and services

2. Build: an accessible and healthy workplace

3. Reflect: the public they serve at all levels of the organisation

4. Level: the diversity of all staff

5. Respond: to the needs of a diverse Ontario population.

These goals demonstrate Ontario Public Service’s commitment to, not only make inclusion something that they do, but an important part of their organisational DNA.

To read the full article, see Ohemeng F.L.K., McGrandle J. (2014) “The Prospects for Managing Diversity in the Public Sector: The Case of the Ontario Public Service”, Public Organization Review. (Accepted)