Sir Mark Sedwill, The Head of the Civil Service, believes diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a ‘national security issue’. So today, he has launched a guide entitled Mission Critical, in partnership with The Cabinet Office, to explain why D&I is a matter of national security and what organisations can do to help.
Commenting on the report, Sedwill stated: “Diversity and inclusion are Mission Critical. The current national security environment is more complex than ever before. We face multifaceted threats from many corners of the world, facilitated by rapidly evolving technologies. To meet these challenges, we need a national security workforce of different backgrounds, perspectives and ways of thinking.”
MISSION CRITICAL
As a national security community, “we need to be truly reflective of the diverse population that we serve”, Sedwill explained. “We have made progress, but there is more that we can do. I, and other senior leaders in national security, have committed to doing all we can to improving diversity and inclusion in the national security community. Mission Critical was written by a team of volunteers. I commend their excellent efforts in helping us to be more inclusive, and encourage you to play your part too.”
According to the report, D&I is critical for a number of reasons, including better recruitment, improved performance, more innovation, better understanding of cultural insights and gaining public trust (as the chart below demonstrates).
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
As well as explaining why D&I is critical to the country’s national security, the report contains ‘a suite of simple and practical tools’ for organisations to help staff become more inclusive. It offers advice on how to encourage diversity in teams, as well as how leaders can actually improve their own understanding of D&I.
“It draws on what we know works effectively, from both within and outside Government. It is a practical guide, so dip in and out of it when you’re looking for support,” added Sedwill.
According to the report authors, “Mission Critical is a manual to enable anyone, not just senior managers or HR professionals, to make their workplace more inclusive, now.”
A copy of the report can be downloaded from the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789548/MissionCritical2019.pdf
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