
The story.
The Diversity Agenda is a joint initiative from



Engineering New Zealand is a non-profit membership organisation that promotes the integrity and interests of its 22,000 members and the wider engineering profession.
The New Zealand Institute of Architects has around 4,000 members made up of architects working in New Zealand and overseas, architecture students and graduates, teachers of architecture and retired architects.
ACE New Zealand is the consultant’s champion. A non-profit membership organisation elevating the voices, preparedness, and professionalism of consultancy firms working in the built and natural environment. With firms ranging from large global firms to employee owned SMEs, ACE is the voice for professional services consulting and engineering in Aotearoa.
WHAT’S THE STORY?
We’re here to make engineering and architecture better professions for all.
The Diversity Agenda launched in early 2018 with an initial goal to see 20% more women engineers and architects. Over the past 12 months, the focus has broadened to include all facets of diversity, and the equally important role that inclusion plays.
Firms across both engineering and architecture, and firms that work within these industries, are encouraged to sign up as members to show they’re serious about diversity and inclusion, and to benefit from access to our resources, events, tools and tips.
The Diversity Agenda has grown since inception to almost 140 organisations across the country and is held in high esteem within both industries as an initiative with integrity and purpose.
We’ve achieved a lot so far:
- We’ve had countless conversations up and down the country with firms and individuals about the benefit of the Diversity Agenda.
- We were a finalist in the ‘Emerging Diversity and Inclusion’ category at the Diversity Awards NZ 2019.
- We’ve recruited over 165 organisations and held over 30 events across the country.
- We were awarded ‘Best Diversity and Inclusion Initiative’ at the FIDIC International Federation of Consulting Engineers Excellence Awards 2019 in Mexico City.
- We’ve published over 50 articles including interviews with industry leaders, profiles on individuals and programmes, reviews of workshops, and top tips to help businesses become more diverse and inclusive.
DIVERSITY AGENDA 2025 STRATEGY
To truly have sustainable impact we need to change the system and build a coalition of the willing. So, we’re proud to share our strategy through to 2025 and beyond…
In 2022, the Diversity Agenda Accord signatories came together at the Beehive for our annual Summit. The message received from our leaders was loud and clear. The work we have done through the Diversity Agenda and Accord has made an impact, but it is time to move to the next phase of action. And so, it’s time to refresh and revise our strategy, holding true to original intent and acknowledging the evolution of the diversity movement.
We committed to consulting with our existing members and our external parties to inform our work. It was through this consultation the Diversity Agenda Steering Committee and our founding organisations crafted the strategy and refined our priorities for greatest impact. It’s been designed to assist small, medium and large enterprises to contribute to sectors that are more diverse and inclusive.
ACCORD INDUSTRY IMPACT REPORT 2023
Of the Accord signatory firms who participated in our 2023 data submission, we’re thrilled to share our Annual Accord industry impact report with you, which showcases the progress we’ve made over the past 12 months. It highlights the work we still need to do to increase participation of Māori (2.42%), pacific peoples (2.13%) and women in leadership (29.67%).