In March 2020 we launched our 10-year CHANGE action plan which set out the ambitious but important aim of improving the planning profession; working towards making it is as inclusive and welcoming as it can be. The planning profession needs to be a place where all can thrive and achieve their full potential and one that is, as a result, a career choice(s) for young people.
If we are to successfully deliver this plan, we need to make sure that we have as clear a picture of the profession as possible. This includes as much information as possible about the racial and ethnic diversity of the profession, as a strong evidence base is essential to drive forward the CHANGE action plan.
That’s why I’d encourage you to complete a survey for the BAME Planners Network, the first of its kind for the profession. It’s an opportunity for all planners to have their voice heard and let us know what the profession looks like. This is a chance for planners to not only share examples of good practice and success stories but also a chance to share issues and challenges that they have witnessed or faced.
This information will enable us alongside BAME Planners Network to initiate and develop policies, strategies and interventions which accurately reflect the diversity of the profession; to more accurately target and tailor our actions to the needs of the profession and our members.
As broad a range of responses from as many people as possible will greatly improve the quality of the data so we would welcome your participation in the survey. It is open to employers and employees of all backgrounds in the UK in both private and public sectors.
The Diversity and Inclusion Survey was launched by BAME Planners Network on 21 June and is open until the 23 July. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, is confidential and can also be completed anonymously. Please use links below to complete:
Employees: https://lnkd.in/drq-C_m
Employer: https://lnkd.in/dBw6q2R
About the BAME Planners Network:
The Network is a friendly platform for engagement and at the heart is an acceptance that BAME is not one homogeneous group, BAME planners are diverse, work in various sectors and are representative of the diverse multi-cultural multi-racial society in the UK and Ireland.
The Network’s main focus is on raising the profile and visibility of BAME planners; providing support for members to achieve their professional goals; encouraging more BAME into the planning profession; and to collaborate with other organisations to eliminate discrimination within the workplace.
The Network is free to join and is for anyone who works or would like to work within the planning industry in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Anyone who seeks to support the aims of the network is welcome to join.
