Review into the treatment of women at the Australian Defence Force ...

The Audit provides a ‘point in time’ perspective. The facts and assessments are accurate as at endFebruary 2013. However it is acknowledged that further progress on implementation will be made in themedium and longer term.Implementation – Structure and ManagementThe implementation of recommendations of the ADFA Report is managed by the Australian DefenceCollege (ADC) Reviews Implementation Team (RIT) in collaboration with ADC and ADFA seniorleadership. The RIT reports to the Commander of the ADC (COMADC), the Chiefs of ServicesCommittee (COSC) and is represented on the Cultural Reform Networking Forum chaired by the ADF’sOrganisational Development Unit (ODU). The ODU was established by the Chief of the Defence Force(CDF) and the Defence Secretary to coordinate Defence wide implementation of recommendations inPathway to Change. 2The RIT works closely with ADFA to support the implementation of recommendations. The RIT meetswith the COMDT weekly to provide a written report to COMADC. The Vice Chief of Defence Force isthen briefed on key issues arising. On a six monthly basis the COMDT briefs the ADFA working group,which is a subset of the ADC Advisory Board. The COMDT also briefs the Chiefs of Service Committeeevery four months.According to the RIT, the goal is that all Review recommendations are implemented and embeddedas business as usual by 30 June 2013. The RIT has taken a holistic approach not only focussing oneach recommendation, but also embracing many other changes including existing initiatives, thosegenerated by Pathway to Change and recommendations from previous reviews. 3 The RIT assesses arecommendation to be implemented when what has been recommended has become ‘business asusual’. The RIT has been working to have policies changed and develop processes and tools (bothmanual and electronic) to sustain the recommendations. 4The Audit is aware of the efforts of staff and ADFA to build these changes into the everyday functioningof ADFA and of the many competing demands they need to manage.The Audit welcomes the holistic approach and the resources that have been invested into theimplementation of recommendations to ensure they are ‘complementary but mutually reinforcing’. 5 Thisapproach supports long term sustainability and will contribute to embedding the cultural and structuralchanges into the fabric of the operating environment through policies, procedures, practices, trainingmaterials, performance reviews and ongoing communications.The visible and ongoing support of the senior leadership is also clearly evident:The CDF and the Secretary are supporting us really well so that’s one of the points of leveragethat we have. As you know with cultural change, top level management support is crucial. If youhaven’t got that you’re never going to get anywhere. The CDF in particular has been really drivingthis and has taken a personal interest in all these things and that’s been seen by others. 6The senior leadership is supportive and therefore we have the ability to influence and haveentrees into areas that we might not have otherwise. 7We can go straight into organisations now and liaise directly and use the authority of theReview...And so we’re conscious of the fact that we are implementing recommendations whichwill now be beneficial across the entire Defence Force. 8The entrees that we’ve had into parts of the organisation that we never thought we could havebefore, simply by highlighting the fact that this has the top cover and the sponsorship, thepatronage of the senior leadership group in Defence and we’ve got to get it right. I also think thatbecause Pathways is coming in behind us it is more enduring. 9Audit Report: Review into the Treatment of Women at the Australian Defence Force Academy • 2013 • 17