contribute to work designed to prevent and manage sexual harassment.
Dr. Linda Colley is Queensland’s first Special Commissioner, Equity and Diversity, appointed in late 2021.
Dr. Colley is a former Professor at Central Queensland University, former Chair of the Queensland Work Health and Safety Board and has worked in the public, tertiary, and finance sectors. She is an accomplished qualitative researcher with skills in policy and policy analysis as well as completing extensive research across all Australian jurisdictions in gender, public sector management, and employment policy and practice.
As Special Commissioner, Dr. Colley’s first year will focus on gender-based disparities and supporting the Queensland Government’s commitment to providing equal access to rewarding careers in safe and supportive workplaces for women.
The Special Commissioner, Equity and Diversity reports through the Public Sector Governance Council (PSGC) to the Premier. The Premier has approved a work plan that includes key initiatives to:
influence central laws, policy, and strategy
develop an equity and diversity evidence base and increase awareness
establish and monitor agency accountability measures
establish supporting architecture such as consultative advisory mechanisms
These key initiatives, delivered in partnership with Queensland public sector organisations, will model good practice for the broader Queensland labour market.
To understand and address equity and diversity issues the Special Commissioner, Equity and Diversity will work with sector organisations to understand:
inequalities that are occurring
causes of identified inequalities
how to best address inequalities.
All agencies will be supported to audit their current state and be given access to improved diversity data to inform priorities and future action.
The OSC has developed an equity and diversity audit process, to support better analysis of equity and diversity challenges. The process will include:
equity and diversity datasets provided to sector organisations annually
audit report requirements
2023 audit guidelines (PDF, 650.4 KB)
to assist sector organisations to interrogate and interpret equity datasets and translate the analysis into their 2024 audit report.
Where the OSC can provide support and guidance with the equity and diversity audit process:
Examples of how to write up an equity and diversity data analysis
Feedback on draft audit reports
Guidance on action planning processes, to help organisations understand the link between audit reports and analysis and planned measures and solutions
Organisation or whole-of-sector audit refresher sessions
Audit process check-in sessions for organisations
Special Commissioner conversations with executive leadership groups
Public sector chief executives’ obligations to address equity and diversity, respect and inclusion, are outlined in Chapter 2 of the Public Sector Act 2022.
A key lever for building a diverse workforce is through inclusive and accessible recruitment processes and practices. The updated Recruitment and selection (Directive 07/23) provides a progressive approach.
