Communities and Justice

Disability Employee Network (DEN) Manager Program

Business area: Organisational Development and Learning

Directorate: People Branch

Division: Corporate Services

Project summary

For this project People will partner with the Disability Employee Network to design and implement a capability uplift program aimed at supporting employees with a disability who are in entry level manager roles, and also enhance career development opportunities of aspiring managers by building leadership capability. This program is planned to launch in 2021.

Focus Area:

  • Supporting access to meaningful employment.

Project objective

Empower existing and aspiring managers with a disability by providing them with the skills and experience to perform effectively in leadership positions. Increase the amount of leaders across DCJ who have a disability. Improve career development opportunities for employees with a disability. Improve the Access and Inclusion Index rating for DCJ. Improve feedback from the DEN on career development for employees with a disability.

The challenge

Feedback from the DEN and results from the Access and Inclusion Index have highlighted challenges for staff with a disability in progressing into leadership roles. Adequate representation from people with a disability in manager roles can lead to increased engagement, higher levels of inclusiveness, and improved outcomes and decision making. This project addresses the challenges faced by staff with a disability around career development, particularly moving into entry level manager roles.

Why is this important?

This project supports the NSW Government program of building a world class public service. By improving the career development opportunities people with a disability DCJ will be able to attract and retain the right skills, while also meeting the target of 5.6% of roles filled by employees with a disability.

Improving the development opportunities for employees with a disability will allow further career development and outcomes.

What will success look like?

Success would see the management capability of employees with a disability increase as well as an increase in staff with a disability moving into leadership positions and/or gaining more opportunities for career development. The Access and Inclusion Index of DCJ would also improve.

How will you measure success?

Success will be measured by reviewing internal recruitment data to identify the number of employees with a disability who are applying for manager roles.

Workforce profile data will be reviewed before and after the program to determine the number of manager roles filled with an employee with a disability.

People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) results will be used to measure if staff perceive their disability as a barrier to success within DCJ.

Participants will be surveyed before and after the program to measure whether their capability in their manager role, and/or access to career development opportunities has improved.

An improvement in the Access and Inclusion Index will also be a measure of success.

Summary of key stages

Key Actions Outcome Due date Status

Scope project

Project scope completed


Not started

Seek endorsement and budget

Endorsed project scope and budget


Not started

Create project plan for delivery

Project plan, schedule and other documentation completed


Not started

Run EOI to identify participants

Identified list of participants


Not started

Roll out program

Participants complete program


Not started

Review data / run surveys to assess program success

Project evaluation report completed


Not started

Status report

Current Status: Not started

Date: 20/11/2020

Status Notes:

Status Explanatory Note:

Status reports provided:

Last updated:

23 May 2023