Equity Action Plan Progress Report

Our Equity Action Plan in brief

Focus Areas

Community Engagement

• Community Engagement Framework and Strategy

Programming

• Programming reset to align with Community Engagement Framework and Strategy

Marketing

• Marketing strategy reset to align with Community Engagement Framework and Strategy

Policy

• Reconciliation Action Plan
• Board adoption of plan
• Regulatory & Policy reviews

Leadership

• Strategy development for more diverse representation

Employment & recruitment

• Recruitment process framework
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicant engagement

Outcomes

Community Engagement

• Increased trust and credibility
• staff capability
• organisational fluency in engaging with difference

Programming

• A safer, more resilient music industry
• a more broadly representative membership & customer base

Marketing

• Targeted and effective marketing to priority communities

Policy

• Increased transparency & accountability
• a documented approach, commitment and accountability to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples
• Industry leadership

Leadership

• Representation, resilience and inclusion in our governance framework
• greater membership participation

Employment & recruitment

• A workforce that is representative of the general population
• Greater awareness of APRA AMCOS within Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities

Our progress

Building staff capabilities

Throughout 2021 key staff were involved in training and mentoring sessions with external advisors, to ensure we are equipped to hold conversations and make decisions about engagement, data collection and ongoing actions.

Systems thinking for social change

From July to November, Advisor Erfan Daliri delivered Systems Change 101 training: a live online social change masterclass designed to empower teams with tools, insights, methods and realistic actions to create the change we want to make in the most effective way possible.

37 staff over 12 hours

“Erfan’s sessions provide a safe environment to share thoughts and express ideas without fear of retaliation or judgement”

“The sessions are a valuable way for us as a team to consider our approach towards engagement with our members and create safe spaces within our programs”

Leadership in action

In October, APRA AMCOS senior leaders participated in a Leadership in Action workshop, hosted by Support Act and Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia.

60 leaders from across the industry

The workshop helped to:

• raise awareness and understanding of gendered violence and inequality
• facilitate cross-industry conversations on how leaders could develop solutions to create and maintain safe and inclusive workplace cultures.

Bystander Intervention workshops

In November, staff were invited to attend Bystander Intervention workshops hosted by Support Act, to equip them with skills to call out and intervene when witness to derogatory comments, harassment or violent conduct. To raise the capability of our stakeholders, we also extended invitations to our APRA AMCOS ambassadors.

40 staff

Community Engagement

Throughout 2021 we worked to set the foundations for developing our Community Engagement Framework and Strategy, which will inform so many of our Equity Action Plan focus areas.

Cultural Engagement Framework and Principles

In September, anti-racism storytelling social enterprise Our Race facilitated a group discussion with a cross section of our members to provide insights and feedback on positive community engagement, potential barriers and solutions. The discussion marked the first in a series of conversations to form the foundation of our Community Cultural Engagement Framework and principles, which will see us move away from a consultation model towards a co-design/partnership model, where members’ voices are front and centre in our engagement strategy. Key themes that have emerged on what the foundational pillars might be include Accessibility, Safety and Representation, Freedom of Expression, Collaboration and Communication, Opportunities and Access, Remuneration.

This core group has undertaken to host conversations with other members within their networks to seek wider perspectives over next few months.

Core engagement group formed with cross section of our members to provide insights and feedback on positive community engagement, potential barriers and solutions

NATSIMO Outreach

The NATSIMO has been vital in progressing partnerships with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities and developing new internal initiatives to support the growth and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander songwriters and composers.

Jumbunna at UTS partnership

In July, APRA partnered with Jumbunna at UTS for the Galuwa program. The program, currently in development, brings Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander young people from regional NSW and NT to Sydney to experience university and hear from businesses about employment opportunities and pathways.

Indigenous Employment Forum insights

In October, our People & Culture team attended a two-day online Indigenous Employment Forum. The forum assisted in informing our recruitment, selection and learning and development practices so we can continue to progress towards increased participation by Indigenous people in our workplaces.

Embedding NATSIMO initiatives internally

The DARTS training and mentor sessions have led to discussions for new internal initiatives to back up the work of the NATSIMO in supporting the growth and development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander songwriters and composers.

Teams from Music Licensing Operations initiated meetings with NATSIMO to review data processing for Indigenous Film Festivals, so the revenue goes directly to the writers of the music from those films. This data processing review complements a targeted follow up process to ensure works are registered by their writers through our Works of Traditional Cultural Expressions process, currently being developed by NATSIMO and all departments at APRA AMCOS.

Developing our Reconciliation Action Plan

We've formed an external Advisory Council and an internal working group to guide the creation of our 'Reflect' Level Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2022.

Creating our 'Reflect' level RAP

In July 2021, APRA AMCOS registered with Reconciliation Australia, providing us with draft templates and framework material to create our ‘Reflect’ level RAP, due by June 2022.

Through the NATSIMO’s network and outreach, an external Advisory Council of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people and has been formed to guide this important work.

An internal RAP working group has also been convened. The group are now commencing conversations more broadly with staff to guide our approach to this work internally.

'Reflect' level RAP due by June 2022

Adressing Policy

We believe that involving all sectors of our industry is necessary to increase belonging and safety and reduce exclusion and sexual harm in our industry in the short and longer terms. No organisation or group can tackle these problems alone. We’ve developed an internal framework that underpins our approach to fostering belonging and safety within our own circles of influence and control.

APRA AMCOS framework for enabling belonging and safety

APRA AMCOS’ internal framework for fostering belonging and safety draws on leading edge practice and is informed by expert advisors. The framework was developed following consultation with Diversity Arts Australia and Full Stop Australia and took into consideration the recommendations of the Australian National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children 2010 – 2022, and the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report 2020.

The framework specifies measures APRA AMCOS can take within its own sphere of influence and control and focuses on how we engage with our staff, partners and our members.

Our Framework

1. Tertiary Prevention: interventions, restorative measures, consequences
2. Secondary Prevention: building capability, education, training, advice
3. Primary Prevention: policy, awareness, partnership with industry

APRA AMCOS Statement of Expections

Our Statement of Expectations is a primary prevention measure which was unanimously endorsed by both the APRA and AMCOS Boards in November 2021. The Statement outlines the standards of ethical conduct we expect for our members and other stakeholders who partner with us, participate in or attend any of our initiatives and events. The Statement, together with our Staff Code of Conduct, our Service Provider Code of Conduct, our Discrimination, Harassment & Bullying Policy, the inclusion and safety training we provide our staff and Boards, our Equity Action Plan and Reconciliation Action Plan, and our participation as a founding member of the National Music Industry Review, provide a sound foundation for APRA AMCOS to raise awareness, influence attitudes, enable accountability and foster belonging and safety within the broad scope of our own remit.

Read the APRA AMCOS Statement of Expectations