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

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Chapter 8: Midshipmen and Cadets are Young People and Future Leaders – Recommendations 16-18The Audit accepts that this is not a model which ADFA could implement alone. However, the modelrepresents an analysis of the life differentials, beyond those briefly raised and dismissed in the feasibilitystudy, in a creative and different way. The proposal is only in its inception and whilst there is noindication to date from ADFA or the ADF that it will be pursued the Audit welcomes this creative thinkingand the continuing development of options to meet the intent of the Recommendation. 25Recommendation 17: ADFA offer cadets a mentor, external toADFA who may be drawn from a non-military background, to providesupport and advice. Female cadets should be given the option to beplaced with female mentors. Workplace-based mentoring programstargeting women that operate through universities, including UNSW,should be considered as a useful template.Intent of RecommendationUndergraduates arrive at ADFA with different maturity levels and varied life experiences. In combinationwith the difficulties that undergraduates face beginning a career in the military, there is a strong case formentoring programs to provide support for undergraduates and to assist their development.Implementation actionsThe RIT has undertaken a review of existing mentoring programs and has provided the Audit with amentoring options paper outlining two proposed options for a new program. 26 The analysis of existingprograms contains a classification of the categories of mentoring at ADFA and a gap analysis todetermine where further mentoring is required. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) LucyMentoring Program has also been examined. 27 The options developed include:• Option one: a three day series of networking visits for female second year undergraduates. 28This involves three days of visits and face to face discussions with women in senior leadershippositions in policing, mining and other external organisations. Topics could include balancingwork and family, succeeding in male dominated environments, leading teams, when tocompromise, handling difficult situations, and support networks. 29• Option two: an annual networking forum for all second year cadets, male and female. 30This involves a visiting mentor to meet with all second year undergraduates, firstly to provide anaddress and secondly to be available for a series of focus groups and discussions with volunteersecond year undergraduates.The Audit has been advised, in response to Recommendation 10 b), that ADFA has begun a program offacilitating forums promoting women in the military. 31 This is addressed in Recommendation 10.70
Audit findingsThe analysis of existing mentoring programs and the development of further mentoring optionsdemonstrates a commitment by ADFA to address the Recommendation. The mentoring brief provided tothe Audit is evidence that a substantial amount of work has been undertaken, however, to date neitherof the developed options have been implemented. The delay means that enhanced mentoring was notavailable in 2012 and has not yet been agreed for 2013. 32With respect to the proposed options developed by ADFA, there are concerns about the differencesbetween the intent of the Recommendation and the proposed models. The Audit is concerned that:• Female undergraduates are not being provided with the option to be placed with femalementors• The UNSW Lucy Mentoring Program has been largely discounted as a template for the ADFAprogram due to a misperception that this is an employment based scheme and therefore notapplicable• There is a lack of regular and ongoing mentoring.ADFA and the RIT have commented that it is not practical to provide mentors to over 1,000undergraduates. 33 However, the Recommendation states that undergraduates be offered a mentor. TheAudit does not anticipate that everyone would take up such an opportunity.Further, according to the Recommendation, female undergraduates should be given the optionto be placed with female mentors. The Audit does not consider that it is impractical to offer eachfemale undergraduate a female mentor. According to data provided to the Audit, in 2011 womencomprised approximately 21% of the ADFA undergraduate population. In 2011, there were 75 femaleundergraduates in first year, 71 in second year, 53 in third year and 26 female advanced students. 34Given that not every female will necessarily take up the opportunity, and in light of these relatively lownumbers, ADFA may be able to offer female undergraduates the opportunity to be placed with a femalementor. ADFA may also wish to consider a more targeted approach whereby only particular year groupsare selected for a mentoring program.The Recommendation also states that workplace-based mentoring programs targeting women thatoperate through universities, including UNSW, should be considered as a useful template. ADFA hasexamined the UNSW Lucy Mentoring Program and has considered its application to ADFA. 35 WhileADFA has drawn on some of the applicable parts, it has dismissed large parts of the template on thebasis that the program is too focused on employment opportunities and therefore not relevant to ADFAgiven that undergraduates are already employed by Defence. However, the stated aims of the LucyProgram do not include finding employment for the mentees. The objectives are focused on diversity ofopportunities, the advantages of job satisfaction, providing an opportunity to work with senior womenand encouraging active decision making. 36The focus of the ADFA analysis is on barriers to implementation without adequately addressing thesimilarities and the extent to which the program may be applicable. 37 ADFA could also seek guidancefrom other external workplace-based mentoring programs that operate.While not explicitly stated in the Recommendation, the ADFA Report notes that “[i]n summary, cadetswould benefit from regular mentoring and advice.” 38 In contrast, the options for a new mentoringprogram involve either a three day series of visits or an annual event neither of which are based onregular mentoring.The Audit reinforces the importance of the ongoing nature of mentoring. 39 In line with the intent of theRecommendation, the chosen option and other existing mentoring options should facilitate ongoing andregular mentoring for undergraduates.Audit Report: Review into the Treatment of Women at the Australian Defence Force Academy • 2013 • 71
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ContentsA Message from the Commissi
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A Message from the CommissionerADFA
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Chapter 1:Audit ApproachThe Report
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Chapter 2: Summary of Audit Finding
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Further InformationAustralian Human
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