Diversity and inclusion are essential in enabling us to apply a range of experiences and perspectives in all aspects of our decision-making and actions. This in turn helps us to respond in the most timely, appropriate and effective way to the challenges we face in our work.

We also recognise that it is right to promote and protect diversity, inclusion and equity. 

As an organisation we have adopted the following principles and are working to make them a reality in all aspects of our culture.

Our commitments

1. Creating a culture that promotes and fosters diversity and inclusion

2. Putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of our organisational planning

3. Providing accessible, inclusive recruitment processes

4. Supporting and promoting diversity and inclusion throughout all our team activities

5. Respecting and promoting diversity in the ways we work with others

6. Putting processes in place for continual improvement

Our culture

• Our Board commits to promoting diversity, inclusion and equity within the organisation, and ensuring this commitment is clearly communicated across the membership and public.
• Our Management Team commits to promoting diversity, inclusivity and equity in all aspects of our work, ensuring best practice and seeking continual improvement.

Our planning

• We commit to setting out our approach to become more diverse and inclusive in each planning cycle and budget.
• We commit to embedding diversity and inclusion in our policies, processes and contracts.
• We commit to building an environment that is tolerant, flexible and supportive of diversity, including by providing opportunities for our members to remain involved and add value at different stages of their lives.
• We commit to ensuring our commitment is public, clear and transparent, both inside and outside of MapAction. All language, imagery, media and publicity will be inclusive and representative of our diverse membership.
• We commit to celebrating the diversity that exists within our team, partners and beneficiaries through communications and awareness-raising.

Our recruitment

• We commit to constantly challenging and developing our recruitment processes in order to ensure equitable access to roles and to increase team diversity.
• We recognise that existing imbalances within the geospatial and technical industries (and, to some extent, communities) present challenges to recruiting a diverse workforce. We commit to supporting and influencing these groups to become more diverse and inclusive alongside our own efforts.
• Our commitments, expectations, and procedures relating to diversity, inclusion and equity will be clearly communicated to prospective team members as part of recruitment, induction, and orientation.

Our team activities

• We commit to providing an inclusive and accessible training environment for all current and future team members.
• We commit to providing training and awareness-raising for all team members, to ensure the development of appropriate knowledge and skills on diversity and inclusion.
• We commit to providing our team with opportunities to be involved in projects, groups and activities that allow members to add value in different ways, while also developing new skills and experiences.
• We will seek to ensure deployment opportunities and environments are accessible, representative and supportive of our team’s full range of skills, abilities and characteristics.

How we work with others

• We commit to involving our operational partners and beneficiaries in shaping, scrutinising and reviewing diversity, inclusion and equity across our services. We will encourage them to provide feedback and challenge our performance.
• We commit to providing regular, impartial and appropriate information on our progress towards these commitments with our operational partners, suppliers and the public, in accessible formats.
• We commit to advocating for diversity, inclusion and equity across our operational partners, and supporting them to enhance their own commitments and performance in these areas.
• We commit to ensuring our procurement of goods and services is informed by an understanding of our commitment on diversity, inclusion and equity.

Continual improvement

• We commit to maintaining continual dialogue on diversity and inclusion at all levels of our organisation, with our operational partners, and with industry stakeholders.
• We commit to maintaining appropriate processes for raising concerns and providing feedback on our performance on diversity, inclusion and equity. We will ensure these are accessible and well-understood by our team, operational partners and the public. All feedback and concerns will be documented, acted upon and responded to in a timely manner.
• We commit to reviewing progress against the Diversity and Inclusion Policy and approach set out in our Strategic Plan on a regular basis, and reporting to the Board on progress every six months.
• We commit to reviewing and communicating our performance as part of each year’s annual review, ensuring that diversity and inclusion are prioritised alongside our products and services.
• We commit to involving our membership in a participative and transparent review of our progress, performance and ability in relation to this Policy every three years, and updating the Policy based on our findings.

Feedback and grievances

If a MapAction team member or anyone connected to our organisation has concerns relating to discrimination, work relations or working environment (including concerns relating to equity and inclusion), they should contact the Chief Executive or Management Team or email whistleblowing[at]mapaction.org