The CSO’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) governance structure, comprising the EDI Steering Committee, Public Sector Working Group and staff-led network groups continued to meet regularly throughout 2025. This governance structure enhanced its collaborative approach during 2025 to improve communication, shared learning, and collective action across EDI and Wellbeing areas.
A strong EDI programme was delivered throughout the year, building awareness and inclusion through targeted training and events. One of the major achievements of 2025 was the CSO’s successful reaccreditation with the Investors in Diversity - Silver Award by the Irish Centre for Diversity (ICFD). The CSO achieved an improved overall inclusion score from its previous assessment, reflecting its ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, organisational learning, and fostering a workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. Our current inclusion score also indicates that we are ahead of both sectoral and national benchmark levels in this regard. Following the independent assessment conducted by the ICFD for this accreditation a range of future actions to progress was proposed to the CSO. These will form the basis for a two-year Action Plan currently being developed to continue our progress in this area.
The EDI team also continued to integrate inclusion into everyday practice through Day One induction, ensuring that all new entrants are introduced to EDI and Wellbeing supports from the outset. In addition, the CSO EDI and Wellbeing Roadshow travelled to offices in Cork, Dublin Swords and Ardee Road, providing staff the opportunity to see the full range of EDI and wellbeing services and supports in the organisation, meet network representatives and get involved in activities that promote inclusion and community across the organisation. Of note also has been the ongoing development of an EDI Strategy to guide the positive development of the CSO’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion across the organisation. The strategy will support the overall goals of the new CSO Statement of Strategy and Le Cheile – The People Strategy.
The CSO delivered a comprehensive Wellbeing Programme in 2025, structured around strategic themed quarters focusing on mental health, stress management, financial wellbeing, and physical health. The programme was designed to support colleagues at all life stages and included a diverse mix of online and in-person sessions, guest speakers, and peer-led initiatives. A dedicated Menopause Support Space is also being created to offer a confidential, solution-focused environment for colleagues to share experiences and access information. To underpin these and all wellbeing supports, a dedicated Wellbeing Strategy is under development in tandem with the Statement of Strategy and Le Cheile – The People Strategy.
The CSO Buddy Scheme continued to play a key role in promoting inclusion, ensuring that every new or returning colleague’s introduction to their work, the CSO’s culture and Office life is supported from their first day in the organisation. The programme is now mandatory for all new entrants and all line managers are required to engage with the scheme.
The CSO continues to promote a suite of flexible working arrangements to enable enhanced work-life balance and better support women in their career progression. The Right to Disconnect Policy for the Civil Service was launched in 2025 which highlights that employees have a right to disconnect from work outside of their normal working hours.
The CSO continues to integrate Inclusive Leadership practices into our CSO Management to Leadership Development Pathways. The CSO’s Management Development Programme (MDP), and Management Development Programme Plus (MDP+) as well as the Excellence in Leadership Programme have inclusive leadership at its foundation in recognition of our leaders’ pivotal role in engaging and supporting their staff to reach their full potential. These programmes have enhanced inclusive leadership capability by fostering diverse perspectives and empowering our managers and leaders with the skills to create an equitable workplace culture. In late 2025 we will be piloting the next part of the MDP Programme Accelerate and the new course ‘Step up to Management’ for those staff who aspire to management roles.
In 2026 the Learning and Development team will review the current Management to Leadership Programmes, incorporating further reference to gender and inclusion.
The CSO is committed to minimising the gender pay gap by implementing robust strategies across the hiring process to ensure the applicant pool is wide and encourages diverse applications. We continue to track and monitor recruitment data at all stages of the pipeline including candidate gender, to identify and address any potential bias. Blind shortlisting continues to be a feature of the recruitment process. This technique is used to ensure that selection decisions are based purely on merit and capability rather than on biases related to a person’s background, gender, or race. Furthermore, the CSO continues to use gender neutral language in job descriptions to ensure our process is inclusive for all and avoids bias.
To promote a fair and transparent recruitment/selection process, the CSO actively ensures gender parity on all selection boards. This is reinforced by providing all selection board members with mandatory effective training, focused on recognising and mitigating unconscious biases during the selection process.
This year saw the introduction of the capability framework which supports the Civil and Public Service in building the workforce of the future. The aim of the framework is to attract, empower, and develop a diversity of people, with the capability and talent to collaboratively deliver excellence. The CSO recognises that accurately assessing and developing capability requires careful consideration of the full range of human attributes including a person’s behaviours, skills, strengths, knowledge values, motivations, and interests.
In 2026 the CSO will continue to examine our recruitment and selection methods through a gender lens to proactively eliminate any unintended obstacles to female participation. We will continue to track and monitor recruitment data and in particular, gender data to identify and address any potential biases.
Continued rollout of the civil service capability framework in 2026 will ensure fair and transparent selection processes. This framework focuses on a holistic view of the person ensuring candidates are assessed on objective criteria for the role in recruitment, development, and progression.
The CSO continued to focus in 2025 on actions to promote the CSO as an Employer of Choice in terms of both attracting and retaining employees. Members of the HR Team participated in third level and industry career fairs to showcase the CSO as an attractive employer that offers exciting career opportunities for prospective employees. At these events, the CSO promoted itself as an organisation that values inclusion, learning, innovation and growth.
Internal career fairs were also conducted in 2025 across all locations, providing staff with insights into available opportunities, career pathways, and development resources.
In 2026 the CSO will continue to strengthen the online Learning and Resource Hub to enhance access to development opportunities, promote inclusive career progression, and remove barriers to advancement for our colleagues. The Learning and Resource Hub is a one-stop-shop for all things training. It includes all modes of training to meet all learners’ preferences and requirements. We will continue to explore and offer more personalised and flexible learning opportunities for staff to reach their full potential.
The Learning & Development team will continue in 2026 to monitor female participation rates in various learning interventions to identify any barriers to participation. The CSO is committed to encouraging our staff to avail of lifelong learning and development opportunities and supports.
The CSO reviewed its Coaching and Mentoring programmes in 2025, including a focus on how coaching and mentoring can support female employees in their career plans and goals. This included encouraging the participation of senior female managers in these programmes as coaches and mentors to provide positive role models for staff. We have developed a new Coaching Conversations Booklet which offers:
A new initiative currently being explored is the introduction of coaching supports to all staff returning from long-term leave, including sick leave, maternity leave etc. This initiative will be launched formally in 2026.
In 2026 we will be developing further our engagement with other Government Departments and offering our staff coaching and mentoring opportunities in the wider Civil Service.