Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

OLMS Mission Statement

"We are committed to making the OLMS a workplace of choice that is characterized by diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will forthrightly and intentionally seek out and include individuals with unique experiences, perspectives, and viewpoints.  We will remain steadfast in our ongoing commitment to eliminating all barriers that may prevent our employees from feeling included, connected, and engaged.  To that end, OLMS will be positioned to serve as a model agency and will build the framework for a safe and more enriched organization with a shared understanding of our common mission.”

Vision

OLMS commits to ensure the sustainable integration of DEIA principles into the workplace, by creating an inclusive culture where every employee feels a sense of belonging, where differences are leveraged to harness innovative solutions that meet the needs of our employees and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility drive mission excellence.

Values

Collaborate: Create an open, inclusive work environment that is built on respect, communication, integrity, and collaborative teamwork.

Innovate: Encourage creativity and invest in innovation to build our future.

Learn: Pursue excellence through continuous learning and becoming more aware about what we understand, what we need to learn, and what we do in service for others.

Act with Integrity: Build trust by acting with honesty, fairness, and transparency.

Advance Diversity: Model diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility throughout the agency and expand participation by staff and management of all backgrounds in OLMS programs and decision-making.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Facilitating change by demonstrating inclusive and diverse behaviors.
• Promoting a positive influence on employee empathy towards individuals from diverse backgrounds;
• Creating changes in diversity and inclusion perspectives and obtaining buy-in from leadership.
• Raising awareness of the advantages of a culturally diverse workforce;
• Increasing participation in multicultural and multigenerational learning events and activities;
• Challenging stereotypical comments and assumptions in a tactful manner;
• Creating dialogues about diversity and inclusion;
• Motivating coworkers to participate in diversity and inclusion initiatives;
• Collaborating with leadership to implement diversity and inclusion strategies;
• Encouraging open dialogue about what it means to work in a diverse and multicultural environment;
• Facilitating discussions about the conflicts caused by generational, cultural, gender, and sexual orientation differences; and
• Sharing diversity and inclusion achievements with the Secretary's Office.

Overview

The Federal Government should serve as a blueprint of DEIA, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect, as the government is the largest employer in the country. Our greatest successes come about when varied viewpoints are used to address our greatest difficulties. We are at our most effective when we draw from all facets of society.

White House Executive Order 14035, which also gave federal agencies a deadline to carry out the DEIA purpose and vision, established the DEIA Initiative on June 25, 2021.

The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) are part of the DEIA Initiative Team, which oversees the Federal Government's efforts to integrate and prioritize DEIA in the workplace. This interagency collaboration is giving agencies the knowledge, tools, and framework they need to develop and carry out strategic plans that define exactly what needs to be done to advance DEIA.

Cohesive Structures

Strengthen DEIA frameworks that are vital for setting priorities, making connections, implementing DEIA, and monitoring its success.

Key near-term actions: Initiate a phased, multi-year DEIA framework that links goals with associated short-term and long-term actions and consider a framework that spans multiple working groups across the agency to advance pilots, share successes, and promote consistent implementation of DEIA strategies.

Shared Understanding

Agency-wide understanding of the imperative and value proposition of DEIA for the OLMS mission and vision, as well as understanding of OLMS’s DEIA plan.

Key near-term actions: We are in the process of developing a DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) website and demographics dashboard. The purpose of these tools is to provide a comprehensive view of our organization's current state in relation to our vision. By utilizing these resources, we aim to improve our understanding of our DEIA efforts. Additionally, we plan to enhance the DEIA training provided to our staff members, starting with our Leadership team. This training will focus on fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our organization.

Balanced Representation

Formulate and implement plans for recruitment, onboarding, and career development with the aim of addressing disparities in representation.

Key near-term actions: Implement initiatives aimed at attracting and recruiting personnel from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). Conduct pilot programs focused on workforce development, professional growth, and mentoring. Evaluate job postings to ensure inclusivity. Enhance training for recruiters and hiring managers. Expand recruitment efforts. Integrate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) into essential training modules.

Exceptional Experiences

Establish an inclusive environment that motivates a diverse pool of talented individuals to actively contribute their distinct perspectives and skills towards the organization's mission. Additionally, cultivate a consistent employee experience throughout the agency.

Key near-term actions: Continue integrating Core Values into everyday practice and decisions; promote accountability through OLMS planning and performance tools; include DEIA in onboarding and new employee orientation; ensure diverse representation in our agency and events; ensure managers are equipped with the information and skills to cultivate an inclusive, equitable, and accessible workplace environment.

Enriched Partnerships

Enhance strategies to develop and sustain diversity-oriented partnerships that enhance accessibility of OLMS resources to underrepresented entities as well as broader impacts. 

Key near-term actions: We will continue to evaluate the diversity of facility user applications and take proactive measures to engage with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) through targeted workshops and seminars. This approach aims to increase their utilization of our facilities and foster stronger relationships with these institutions. Additionally, we will improve our collaboration with national and local programs that are dedicated to enhancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). Furthermore, we will initiate pilot programs focused on developing topic-specific workforce pipelines.

DEIA Executive Order Focus Areas and Priorities

DEIA Executive Order Focus Areas and Priorities

Promoting Partnerships & Recruitment Utilizing Data Collection & Analysis Ensuring Safe Workplaces Providing DEIA Learning
	Advancing Professional Development Advancing Equity for LGBTQI+ Employee Expanding Employment Opportunities for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Promoting Paid Internships Creating Chief Diversity Officers Promoting Pay Equity Advancing Equity for Employees with Disabilities Training

Federal Policy and Resources:

DEIA Learning Community

Following the release of EO 14035, OPM worked with the other DEIA Initiative members to stand up a DEIA Learning Community and begin providing support to the DEIA community. Since then, the Learning Community has worked with 103 agency DEIA EO implementation teams, produced a newsletter with over 1,000 agency subscribers, provided feedback on 157 self­ assessments submitted by agencies, hosted 18 webinars, and held regular office hours with an average of 90 attendees per session.

The DEIA Initiative also surveyed agencies on existing DEIA promising practices across government and the extent of their adoption and efficacy and reviewed preliminary agency assessments of the current state of DEIA in their human capital practices and workforce composition collected under Section 4(a) of EO 14035. Most notably, the DEIA Initiative also issued the "Government-wide Strategic Plan to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce" on November 23, 2021.

Last Updated: 12-14-23