Diversity, Equity and Inclusion The Partnership for Public Service is committed to building a culture of inclusion. Our organization believes there is no place for hate, violence or inequality in our economic, social and civil systems, nor in our workplaces, and we unequivocally disavow all forms of racism, bigotry and discrimination. Fulfilling our mission of building a better government and a stronger democracy means embracing diverse voices and perspectives within and outside of the Partnership. We believe that to pursue meaningful change for both the federal government and the millions of public servants who comprise it, we must uphold the nonpartisan values of fairness and equity—values rooted in our representative democracy—and engage in social discourse about how we can achieve equity in both our society and in our federal institutions. In 2020, the Partnership for Public Service released its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitment Statement to codify the values we have long held and the role we believe these tenets have in the foundation of our work to make the federal government more effective. The statement, crafted by staff members from every level of the organization, underscores the importance of DEI efforts for our organization. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitment Statement The Partnership for Public Service is committed to building a culture of inclusion in which a diverse workforce has equitable opportunities to contribute, succeed and grow. Ensuring employees’ psychological safety and inviting a wider range of viewpoints enables new and creative ways of thinking. This foundation expands our perspective, empowers better decisions and ultimately leads to higher organizational performance. We define diversity expansively: We seek to bring together people with different backgrounds and qualities, both visible and invisible. We value all experiences and also acknowledge the injustices suffered by specific communities. We recognize that racism, sexism, religious bigotry, homophobia, xenophobia, transphobia, ableism, classism and other forms of discrimination make the need for equity critical. Advantages are not universal and so we must dismantle barriers to ensure that everyone can succeed at the Partnership. We are also deeply committed to inclusion—creating an environment of belonging in which people with different personal histories, political ideologies, personality types and other attributes are valued and feel like they matter. We understand that the work of diversity, equity and inclusion is a challenging, continuous journey that demands humility, empathy and growth. We commit to realizing our vision, measuring our progress, and holding ourselves accountable, both in words and in action. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Framework Being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization requires deliberate action. To ensure we are implementing the vision set forth in our DEI Commitment Statement, we developed a framework that aims to: Minimize Partnership processes and policies that inadvertently create barriers to inclusivity. Strengthen internal procedures to encourage more direct conversations about non-inclusive behaviors. Increase the attention of both management and staff to diversity, equity and inclusion. Integrate the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into Partnership programs, initiatives and strategy. Our leadership wants everyone in the organization to feel as though they can and should contribute to DEI practices and policies—and to suggest ways to add to and amend them when needed. Our Workforce The Partnership strives to be an exemplary organization on diversity, equity and inclusion issues so we can attract, retain and develop talented individuals with a range of knowledge and perspectives. The Partnership’s DEI journey is ongoing. The management team supports and leads these efforts by soliciting staff members’ viewpoints and identifying and implementing strong DEI practices. The information below is part of our ongoing efforts to hold ourselves accountable to promote diversity, equity and inclusion at every level of the Partnership. Below are some of the identifiers we use to measure our progress on building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. They are based on statistically significant data available for our staff and showcase both our strengths and opportunities for growth in this area. 75.6 out of 100 Annual Best Places to Work score The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings measure employee engagement and satisfaction in the federal government. Our annual employee survey uses similar criteria to measure engagement in our workplace. 7.4 out of 10 Workplace belonging score Measures the extent to which employees feel supported, accepted and included in the workplace. How We Self-Identify Filipino-American • Independent • Generation Z • Catholic Bisexual • Person with invisible illness • Carib • Veteran Jewish • Caretaker • Introvert • Gay • Multiracial Neurodivergent • Woman of color • Adopted • Muslim • Parent Southern • Atheist • Non-native English speaker • Millennial DEI Council The Partnership’s DEI Council serves as a bridge for communication between staff and senior management to support the organization’s commitment to build a diverse, inclusive and equitable culture. Established in 2018, the Council plays a pivotal role in a range of activities and provides critical insight into the organization’s DEI efforts. Blogs Thumbnail for Chief Diversity Officer Bootcamp seeks to build a road to a more inclusive future Chief Diversity Officer Bootcamp seeks to build a road to a more inclusive future Established in 2023, the Partnership for Public Service’s Chief Diversity Officer Bootcamp convened current and aspiring chief diversity officers to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility principles into agency planning. The second cohort of the bootcamp, hosted by the Partnership, convened a group of 11 federal leaders from eight agencies in October to focus on… Read more Thumbnail for Tapping into the hidden workforce to build a strong pipeline of diverse talent in the federal government Tapping into the hidden workforce to build a strong pipeline of diverse talent in the federal government Hiding in plain sight is a gold mine of diverse talent that remains underused by the federal government: “hidden workers,” or individuals who are either unemployed or underemployed, including caregivers, individuals with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, second-career employees and community college graduates. Though not intentionally discriminatory, traditional federal hiring practices often exclude these groups of… Read more Thumbnail for Building community, connection and commitment for African American federal executives Building community, connection and commitment for African American federal executives February marks the annual observance of Black History Month, which recognizes and celebrates the culture, contributions and achievements of African Americans. To mark Black History Month, I spoke with Tyra Dent, president of the African American Federal Executive Association, a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 that is dedicated to preparing and supporting African Americans for… Read more Read more DEI blog posts
