OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (ODI) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs August 2013

Mission The mission of the VA diversity and inclusion program is to build a diverse workforce and cultivate an inclusive workplace to deliver the best services to our Nation’s Veterans, their families, and beneficiaries.

Vision VA is a leader in creating and sustaining a high-performing workforce by leveraging diversity and empowering employees to achieve superior results in service to our Nation and its Veterans.

Values VA’s diversity and inclusion program adheres to the Department’s core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence (I CARE).

ODI’s Three Goals 1. A Diverse Workforce: Build a diverse, high-performing workforce that reflects all segments of society. 2. An Inclusive Workplace: Cultivate a flexible, collaborative, and inclusive work environment that leverages diversity and empowers all contributors. 3. Outstanding Public Service: Facilitate outstanding, culturally competent public service and stakeholder relations through effective leadership and accountability. To address these goals, ODI has three teams.

Deputy Assistant Secretary ODI Structure Workforce Analysis Team Manages the workforce planning and analysis system, conducts technical assistance and training, creates diversity tools for managers and supervisors, and prepares ad-hoc reports. Outreach and Retention Team Develops diversity and affirmative employment policy, manages special emphasis programs, provides guidance on diversity internships, produces a majority of the Department's annual diversity reports, conducts Technical Assistance Reviews (TARs), and facilitates outreach with community and VA supervisors to increase diversity awareness and opportunities. Georgia Coffey Deputy Assistant Secretary Training and Communications Team Provides diversity and inclusion training (online and onsite), distributes weekly diversity news updates and bimonthly newsletter, produces monthly video news program, and prepares various how-to guides and special reports, and maintains the ODI Web site.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs WORKFORCE ANALYSIS Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Functions Establish strategies and guidance for achieving diversity Department-wide Workforce planning and analysis Conducting technical assistance and training Create analytical applications for managers and supervisors to evaluate diversity initiatives Prepare ad hoc reports and analysis Responsible for the collection and analysis of information for the Department's annual EEOC MD 715 report.

Workforce/Barrier Analysis Less than expected participation Hires Promotions Separations Ethnicity/National Origin/Gender Veterans/Disabled Veterans Targeted Disabilities

OUTREACH AND RETENTION Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Responsibilities Provide affirmative employment policy Manage Special Emphasis Programs (SEP) Advocate use of diverse student internships, training and education Submit Agency Diversity Reports to the Office of Personnel Management, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and White House Initiatives. Prepare plans to address identified barriers in employment

Responsibilities Cont’d Prepare correspondence to inform Departmental employees of special events and initiatives Conduct Technical Assistance Reviews (TARs) Create partnerships with Affinity Organizations Support Affinity groups at National Conferences Provide training in Reasonable Accommodations and Schedule A.

Special Emphasis Programs Federal Women’s Program Disability Employment Program Hispanic Employment Program Black or African-American Program Asian American and Pacific Islander Program American Indian and Alaska Native Program Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBT) Program

Annual Reports/Plans Management Directive 715 (MD-715) Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) Hispanic Employment Program (HEP) White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) which includes Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI)

Diversity Recruitment Outreach, Development, and Retention Initiatives Reasonable Accommodation Centralized Fund Reasonable Accommodation Tracking System Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students and Recent Graduates with Disabilities Centralized Fund Secretary’s 3% Hiring Goal for Persons with Targeted Disabilities The fund operates on a reimbursable basis: offices purchase the accommodation and apply to ODI for reimbursement. The fund, used to reimburse offices that have paid for any approved reasonable accommodation requests, significantly reduces potential barriers to equal opportunity for people with disabilities within the workforce. ODI refunded over 85 thousand dollars for reasonable accommodations in fiscal year 2010, the inaugural year, and is expecting to receive a higher volume of requests this fiscal year. Additionally, the fund can be used to reimburse the cost of reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities to attend suitable training opportunities, including career development training such as Leadership VA and the LEAD programs ODI is currently working with the Administrations and a contractor to customize a reasonable accommodation (RA) tracking system that will allow VA to track and report various facets of the reasonable accommodation process. When completed, the system will allow ODI to track all information required by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), including the timeliness of decisions and provision of the reasonable accommodation.

Diversity Recruitment Outreach, Development, and Retention Initiatives Cont’d National Diversity Internship Program Diversity Training Workforce Barrier Analyses SES Performance Element Corporate Outreach and Recruitment Strategic Planning Work Group (CORSPWG)

TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Training Program Consultant services for VA clients nationwide seeking customized diversity and inclusion training Diversity and inclusion training for: New VACO supervisors VA managers and supervisors VA leadership development program candidates VA Senior Executive Service members and title 38 equivalents At request of VA organizations, ad hoc training customized to their specialized D&I needs

Communications Products External Web site NewsLink Diversity@Work newsletter Diversity News video

ODI Web site www.diversity.va.gov Internet site housing: Laws and regulations Policies and directives such as VA’s EEO Policy VA’s Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion EEOC Management Directive 715 software and reports Other EEOC reports and resources Diversity@Work newsletter Diversity News video Diversity calendar Diversity organizations Guidance from National SEPMs Diversity, Inclusion, and EEO Training National Diversity Internship program information

NewsLink Summaries and links to recent diversity-related articles, research reports, or other publications gathered from a variety of online sources that help managers and staff step outside of VA Monthly production; distributed Wednesdays Distributed via e-mail to subscribers 8,000 current subscribers Approx. 97 percent internal to VA Approx. 3 percent external to VA E-mail odi@va.gov with the words “Subscribe News” in the subject line to subscribe

Diversity@Work Newsletter Diversity news, calendar events, highlights of special activities, and information on practical tools that help managers and staff promote workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion Monthly production Distribution: Published electronically (www.diversity.va.gov/products/daw.aspx) Distributed via e-mail to subscribers Approx. 8,000 current subscribers Approx. 98 percent internal to VA Approx. 2 percent external to VA

Diversity News Video 15-minute video program on diversity and EEO news, studies, surveys, interviews, book abstracts, training seminars, special emphasis issues, events, and activities Bi-monthly production with support of Employee Education System studio and staff Distribution: VA Knowledge Network Communications Channel 2 (immediately following VA News) ODI Web site (http://www.diversity.va.gov/products/dn/aspx) DVDs (by special request)

Secretary’s Programs VA Diversity Council Corporate advisory body established in 2008 ODI provides technical and administrative support to Council Co-Chairs manage, monitor, coordinate SMC or ELB assignments to Council Council charter approved by Secretary on March 23, 2010 Vehicle to call for annual performance and accomplishments in alignment with VA’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan Secretary’s Diversity and Inclusion Annual Awards Program A panel of VA Diversity Council members review and rank nominations

QUESTIONS? Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (202) 461-4131 odi@va.gov