National Security Diversity & Inclusion Initiative

The National Security workforce, comprises of more than 3 million people, including but not limited to the following departments, agencies, offices, and other entities (agencies) that are primarily engaged in diplomacy, development, defense, intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security: 1) Department of State: Civil Service and Foreign Service; 2) United States Agency for International Development (USAID): Civil Service and Foreign Service; 3) Department of Defense (DOD): commissioned officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian personnel; 4) the members of the Intelligence Community; 5) Department of the Treasury: Office of International Affairs and Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection; 6) Department of Justice: National Security Division and Federal Bureau of Investigation; and 7) Department of Homeland Security. 

 

Diversity and inclusion has been deemed as a national security imperative throughout recent years by everyone from the President of the United States, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and many other national security leaders.  

 

On February 14, 2019 the US Senate introduced the National Security Diversity and Inclusion Workforce Act of 2019, which requires each national security agency to report on its diversity and inclusion efforts. The bill defines "diversity" as diversity of persons based on gender, race, ethnicity, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and other demographic categories.

It also requires each such agency to:

• develop a system to collect and analyze applicant employment data to identify areas for improvement in attracting diverse talent, with emphasis on senior and management positions;

• conduct periodic interviews with a representative cross-section of the national security workforce to obtain workplace information;

• sponsor workforce members to participate in a Senior Executive Service candidate development program or similar program;

• implement performance and advancement requirements for the workforce;

• create opportunities for senior personnel to participate in outreach events and to discuss issues relating to diversity and inclusion; and

• expand training on bias in the workplace and flexible work policies.

 

The bill encourages agencies to expand professional development and career advancement opportunities that support their mission and to seek a diverse and talented pool of employment applicants by reaching out to educational organizations and professional associations.

 

In the Actions for Improving Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Defense – June 19, 2020, the DOD stated, “By July 2, 2020 USD(P&R) will establish the framework and tenns of reference for an internal DoD Board on Diversity and Inclusion to undertake a more comprehensive evaluation and assessment of military policies, processes, and practices to improve racial diversity in our ranks.”  In their Immediate Actions to Address Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity in the Military Services – July 14, 2020, some of the DOD’s immediate actions included education on unconscious bias, reviewing dress code policies for grooming and hairstyles for racial bias, and update the military equal opportunity and diversity inclusion policies, among others.

 

In the Intelligence Community’s Annual Demographic Report for Fiscal Year 2020 released on July 8, 2021 it states that one of the key goals is to LEVERAGE EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO DIVERSE TALENT. In this goal it states the following:

 

“Strategically invest in proven programs to accelerate hiring success. Establish new relationships and programs in partnership with academia, professional organizations, think tanks, government, and private sector organizations. 

• Build bridge programs to IC careers from K–12 and beyond, with special emphasis in STEM and professional fields. 

• Partner with diversity, human resources, security, and innovation partners to measurably increase hiring of women and minorities across the IC, with a goal of at least 2.0% by the end of fiscal year 2022. 

• Provide resources and training to collateral duty professionals in support of IC diversity outreach, including ERGs, alumni networks, and ICANs. 

• Develop and launch marketing campaigns and activities to more effectively brand the IC in targeted demographic markets, and increase education, awareness, and understanding of IC missions and career opportunities.”

 

The CIA in recent years established several diversity and inclusion goals, all of which they have met by implementing educational programs, reviewing job postings, and developing a more comprehensive recruitment process.  According to Sonya Holt, the Deputy Associate Director of CIA for Talent for Diversity and Inclusion, the “CIA must attract, develop, and retain a diverse workforce to ensure success in an increasingly complex global environment. By ensuring that every CIA officer is able to bring a full range of perspectives, experiences, and talents to our mission, the Agency will be better prepared to address intelligence challenges and support its customers.”

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The need for diversity in the national security community is evident and a priority. The National Security Diversity and Inclusion Initiative's focus is to be part of the solution in training, educating, and providing relevant career development experiences to talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. This is done to build a pipeline of diverse talent ready to tackle the critical issues of tomorrow.