Guidance

Civil Service Race Forum

Updated 11 November 2024

The Civil Service Race Forum (CSRF) is a collaborative group of Civil Service BAME staff networks working towards advancing diversity and equality for ethnic minorities in the Civil Service, partner organisations and its arms-length bodies.

Our aims are to:

• identify race equality issues that affect civil servants and promote the resolution of these issues
• work collaboratively to test concepts, evidence and approaches that advance racial diversity and equality
• be a source of information and expertise about leading diversity practices, materials, products and tools
• liaise with stakeholders across sectors with a view to sharing resources and/or ideas regarding issues of race equality
• develop and support capability across Whitehall departments’ and agencies’ ethnic minority staff networks and their champions and sponsors
• provide support for each other’s wellbeing in the workplace
• support the delivery of Civil Service reform, capabilities and other Civil-Service-wide plans
• act in an advisory role to the leadership of the Civil Service on issues and policies addressing racial diversity and equality

The five principles of the Civil Service Race Forum

1. We will be honest with ourselves, with our sponsors and champions and with our stakeholders.
2. We will do things once, so our efforts can be shared widely for local adaptation and adoption.
3. We will take an evidence-based approach and promote leading practice wherever it is found.
4. We will act and speak with one voice.
5. We will uphold the Civil Service standards.

Leadership

Following the outcome of the CSRF elections in March 2020, Sharon Lo and Justin Placide (Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) were elected to Co-Chair CSRF. Grace Moronfolu (Crown Prosecution Service) was elected as Deputy Co-Chair of CSRF. They will serve for a one-year term of office, until March 2021.

Executive Committee

The CSRF is made up of an Executive Committee (ExCo) who set the strategic direction for CSRF and lead their workstreams. The ExCo comprises and Secretariat team leads for policy, capacity building, BAME support, external outreach, events, comms and secretariat.

ExCo positions will be taken up by the BAME Network Chair/Co-Chair or their nominated representatives.

CSRF membership

CSRF is open to membership for BAME networks of central government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies with civil servants.

You can stay updated with CSRF’s work by:

• registering your race network as a CSRF member (for chairs, co-chairs and deputy chairs of race networks), or
• registering to join the CSRF newsletter list (for individual members of race networks)

Quarterly network leaders’ meetings

Although the CSRF Terms of Reference call for quarterly meetings for network leaders, the CSRF leadership team aim to hold these sessions every 6 to 8 weeks for increased transparency and accountability.

These meetings are an opportunity for chairs and deputy chairs of departmental race networks to share best practice, discuss CSRF positions on various issues, network with one another, and hear from guest speakers.

News and updates

National Day for Staff Networks (13 May): our network of members across the Civil Service provide support to employees and constructive challenge to our respective departments. We are #addingvalue and #makingworkbetter for all staff.  .

Rupert McNeil blog (15 April): CSRF were particularly pleased to see Government Chief People Officer Rupert McNeil’s blog, which acknowledged the importance of staff networks, particularly in providing support during the coronavirus.

Contact

For any enquiries, please email csraceforum@beis.gov.uk.