The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its first-ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan to underscore the Department’s commitment to creating a workplace that celebrates Americans of all backgrounds.
The plan outlines Departmental actions to sustain an inclusive and accessible work environment by strengthening recruitment, retention and promotion, while removing inequitable barriers to advancement and development opportunities. The plan represents the culmination of months of work at DOE to support President Biden’s Executive Order 14035, which reaffirms that the American workforce is at its strongest when it reflects the diverse communities it serves.
“President Biden has assembled an Administration that effectively represents the diversity of America and brings together people of various perspectives, cultures and backgrounds to ensure policies benefit those living in all corners of this country,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE is building upon the President’s priorities to advance equity by strengthening the Department’s potential to deliver transformative change across energy sectors and broaden the pipeline of talent who will ensure our clean energy future.”
President Biden’s executive order directed all Federal agencies to develop plans towards advancing DEIA in the Federal workforce. Led by the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, in partnership with the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, DOE’s DEIA Strategic Plan was informed by engagement sessions with staff and a team representing the agency’s varied missions, offices, and components. DOE will report annually on its strategy implementation and will work toward continuous improvement for advancing DEIA across the Department.
DOE’s DEIA Strategic Plan highlights include:
- Reestablishing a standalone Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and a DEIA Council at the DOE
- Addressing demographic underrepresentation and improving talent practices for outreach, recruitment, hiring, and promotion
- Requiring DEIA trainings for all hiring managers on equitable and inclusive talent practices and bias mitigation
- Advancing accountability through DEIA performance expectations for supervisors, managers, and the Senior Executive Service
- Establishing a new policy for gender identity and gender transition to support transgender and nonbinary colleagues
- Promoting recently revised and expanded policy for reasonable accommodations, as well as disability inclusion and accessibility
- Establishing a plan to respond to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey’s DEIA indices, including measures for supporting an inclusive work environment.
