U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan

FY 2012–2016

Building a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace to 

deliver outstanding public service in the 21st century 

Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Office of Human Resources and Administration

March 2012
Table of Contents

Message from the Chief Human Capital Officer ......................................................... 1

Foreword........................................................................................................................ 2

Organizational Acronyms............................................................................................. 5

The Current State of VA................................................................................................ 6

Overview ...................................................................................................................... 13

Goal 1: A Diverse Workforce..................................................................................... 15

Goal 2: An Inclusive Workplace................................................................................ 17

Goal 3: Outstanding Public Service.......................................................................... 20

Applicable Laws .......................................................................................................... 24

Merit System Principles.............................................................................................. 25
Message from the Chief Human Capital Officer

Employees are the foundation of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the key to

its success, and there is an obvious connection between the quality of VA’s workforce 

and the quality of VA’s programs and services.

In order to ensure a continuous high level of care and service to Veterans, VA must 

recruit, retain, develop, and engage the best people possible. To do so, VA must 

cultivate a diverse workforce and an inclusive work environment—an environment in 

which all employees can contribute to the maximum extent possible to VA’s success.

VA’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) has the primary responsibility of providing 

leadership and guidance for the Department’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, and 

VA’s Diversity Council (VADC) serves as a forum to share best practices, consider new 

initiatives, monitor progress, leverage resources, and ensure accountability. Because of 

the important roles that they play, ODI and the VADC were tasked with revising the 

Department’s Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion, in response to the President’s 

call for a more comprehensive, integrated, and strategic focus on diversity and 

inclusion.

In the pages that follow are an overview of the current state of VA with respect to 

diversity and inclusion, along with goals, objectives, strategies, initiatives, and measures 

of progress for the Department’s revised diversity and inclusion strategic plan. Over the 

next few years, this plan will serve as a guide for the Department’s efforts to create and 

maintain a diverse, results-oriented, high-performing workforce; cultivate a flexible and 

inclusive work environment; facilitate outstanding service to our Nation’s Veterans; and 

ensure agency accountability and leadership.

John U. Sepúlveda

Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration

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Foreword

By the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity and Inclusion

In 2008, ODI embarked on a groundbreaking effort to change the dialogue about 

diversity and inclusion in the public sector and usher in a new paradigm linked to 

organizational performance. This new paradigm championed two inextricably 

intertwined precepts: equal employment opportunity (EEO) is foundational to an 

effective diversity management program; and diversity and inclusion are essential to 

high performance in the 21st century. VA remains unequivocally committed to ensuring 

equal opportunity in the workplace. We also understand that EEO is essential but not 

sufficient to create a high-performing organization in this millennium. 

VA defines diversity in its broadest context to include all that makes us unique: race, 

color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability status, culture, sexual orientation, 

gender identity, parental status, educational background, socioeconomic status, 

intellectual perspective, organizational level, and more. By doing so, we are able to 

harvest the full performance advantages our diversity offers. Inclusion is the means by 

which we harvest this talent. It is the deliberate effort to leverage diversity and 

empower all voices to contribute to the mission.

The change in paradigm began by restructuring and renaming our office to reflect the 

more proactive mission of the new Office of Diversity and Inclusion. That same year, 

ODI set out to lead the development of VA’s first strategic plan for diversity and 

inclusion. In 2009, the VA Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for FY 2009–2013 was 

published. The plan attracted the attention of other Federal agencies, as well as the

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM). A year later, OPM convened an interagency task force to develop 

the Federal sector’s first Government-Wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, 

largely modeled after VA’s Plan. This work culminated in President Barack Obama 

issuing Executive Order 13583, ―Establishing a Coordinated Government-Wide Initiative 

to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce‖ in 2011.

In addition to establishing a government-wide initiative, the Executive Order directed 

individual agencies to develop their own diversity and inclusion strategic plans

consistent with the government-wide plan, the agency’s overall strategic plan, human 

capital plan, applicable laws and Merit System Principles. The government-wide plan 

identifies three strategic goals—workforce diversity, workplace inclusion, and 

sustainability—along with associated priorities. The guidance for agency-specific plans 

directs Federal agencies to outline the actions they will take to achieve the priorities 

identified in the government-wide plan.

The VA Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for 2012–2016 represents the 

collaborative efforts and contributions of VA’s organizational components and 

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stakeholders to update VA’s plan to comport with the Government-Wide Diversity and 

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Inclusion Strategic Plan’s goals and priorities. The original focus on workforce diversity, 

organizational inclusion, and customer service remains, and new objectives, strategies, 

and measures have been added to reflect current and emerging priorities. This plan is 

not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to focus on higher priority areas in light of 

limited resources. At the same time, it is intended to be discrete enough to guide the 

operational efforts of all VA components.

The Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion

In the 2009 plan, we articulated the business case for diversity. This concept has since 

become well socialized in the public sector as Federal agencies increasingly understand 

that government also has a business imperative: fair and effective public service. Since 

2009, we have all witnessed the dramatic effects of an interconnected global economy

on the public and private sectors. We see with stark clarity that our effectiveness in

providing responsive public services is dependent on our ability to rapidly adapt to the 

changing dynamics of our global environment. 

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that in 2042, our Nation will no longer be 

characterized by one single demographic majority. Foreign-born people and people of 

color will constitute the majority of new entrants to our labor force. Currently, minority 

Veterans comprise approximately 20 percent of the Veteran population, and about half

of women Veterans are people of color. These numbers are expected to grow 

exponentially in the coming years. Therefore, for VA to properly serve its client base, it 

must also have a culturally competent and diverse workforce in all levels of the 

Department. This will require agility, innovation, and a world view to meet the complex 

demands of unprecedented societal diversity.

In the decades following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the field of EEO 

has evolved from an exclusively legalistic model to the more proactive, business-driven 

framework of diversity management. The globalization of the last decade spawned yet 

a new focus on inclusion, and its relationship to employee engagement and 

performance. Organizations realized that to remain viable in a global economy, it was 

not enough to recruit a diverse workforce, but they must also retain and leverage the 

diverse perspectives and talents of its human capital to sustain a competitive advantage 

in the marketplace. This too applies to the public sector. 

The Inclusion Imperative

Numerous empirical studies have shown a positive correlation between workforce 

diversity and organizational performance. Research tells us that diverse teams are 

more creative, perform better in problem-solving, and result in better decision-making 

than homogeneous teams. Racial diversity yields higher performance when diverse 

perspectives are leveraged as resources for product development. Similarly, gender 

diversity results in more effective group processes in people-oriented performance 

environments (Diversity Research Network, 2002). However, absent the facilitating 

conditions that integrate diverse perspectives in the organization, the aforementioned 

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outcomes are reversed. This is the inclusion imperative. Simply put, diversity without 

inclusion will not work.

Recent studies have shown that legal mandates for EEO and the presence of diversity 

are necessary but not sufficient to effectively manage organizational diversity (Herring, 

2009). Organizations must have conditions in place to ensure that diverse perspectives 

are heard and all contributors are empowered. To achieve, agencies must look

internally at their organizational cultures and the institutional processes that impact 

employees’ ability to fully participate and contribute to the mission. This requires 

examining and eliminating systemic barriers to inclusion in all aspects of the 

organizations. The aim is to build an inclusive organization as characterized by equal 

access to opportunity, culturally competent norms, transparent communications, 

participatory work processes and decision-making, constructive conflict management, 

leadership development, equitable rewards systems, and shared accountability. These 

inclusion characteristics are drivers of employee engagement and organizational 

performance; inclusion holds the key to actualizing the performance potential of 

workforce diversity.

Implicit in all this is the notion that diversity goes beyond our race and gender, to include

the diversity of thought that accompanies our human identity. It is the inextricable link 

between who we are and how we think that makes diversity such a potent ingredient in 

organizational performance. Viewed this way, the concept of inclusion galvanizes the 

field of EEO and diversity management by stressing inclusion of all employees, not only

legally-protected classes. It in fact strengthens the commitment to equal opportunity by 

expanding its stakeholders to the entire workforce, not just segments of it. Inclusion 

transcends parochial interests, and therefore is championed by all.

We are proud to lead the effort to build diversity and cultivate inclusion in the VA and 

beyond. We do so in collaboration with all our partners and stakeholders under the 

guiding principles of being people centric, results driven, and forward looking to provide 

the best service to our Nation’s Veterans.

Georgia Coffey

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity and Inclusion

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Organizational Acronyms

Center for Minority Veterans CMV

Center for Women Veterans CWV

Corporate Senior Executive Management Office CSEMO

National Cemetery Administration NCA

National Center for Organization Development NCOD

Office of Acquisitions, Logistics, and Construction OALC

Office of Diversity and Inclusion ODI

Office of Information Technology OIT

Office of Policy and Planning OPP

Office of Public Information and Affairs OPIA

Office of Resolution Management ORM

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization OSDBU

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VA

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC

U.S. Office of Personnel Management OPM

VA Learning University VALU

Veteran Employment Services Office VESO

Veterans Benefits Administration VBA

Veterans Health Administration VHA

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The Current State of VA

To provide the context for this strategic plan, the following information presents a

demographic analysis of the VA workforce (workforce diversity) and internal employee 

perceptions as revealed in organizational climate surveys (workplace inclusion), as of 

September 30, 2011. 

Workforce Diversity

At the end of fiscal year (FY) 2011, VA’s workforce totaled 315,116 employees, 

including 19,657 temporary employees. The overall breakdown of the VA workforce in 

FY 2011 by race, ethnicity, and gender is depicted below:

VA’s FY 2011 Workforce

78,636

113,543

27,858

45,571

9,835

11,218

8,159

13,155

290 371 1,460

2,156

1,134

1,730

White Male

White Female

Black Male

Black Female

Hispanic Male

Hispanic Female

Asian Male

Asian Female

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 

Male

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 

Female

American Indian Male

American Indian Female

Other Male

Other Female

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EEOC requires that Federal agencies compare their workforce composition by race, 

ethnicity, and gender (REG) with corresponding groups in the Civilian Labor Force 

(CLF)1, and Relevant Civilian Labor Force (RCLF).

2

 Currently, this data is based on the 

2000 census. Compared to the RCLF, VA’s workforce is at, or above, RCLF 

representation in all areas except White males, and White and Hispanic females. For 

the purposes of this plan, we will focus on the barriers to groups with historically low 

participation rates. While White females have low participation rates when compared to 

the RCLF, they are the largest group in VA. The following graph depicts a comparison 

of the VA workforce with the RCLF for FY 2010 and FY 2011.

VA Workforce vs. RCLF (FY 2010 and FY 2011)

 

1 CLF reflects all individuals 16 years of age and older employed or seeking employment in the United 

States, excluding the Armed Forces.

2 RCLF is the CLF in occupations specific to VA.

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

FY 2010 FY 2011 RCLF CLF 

Less than expected representation

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People with Targeted Disabilities

VA continues to increase its representation of employees with targeted disabilities. As 

of September 30, 2011, people with targeted disabilities represented 1.65 percent of the 

VA workforce (temporary and permanent). Of the cabinet agencies, VA has the second 

highest ratio of this population. Beginning in FY 2009, VA reversed a decade long 

decline in the representation of people with targeted disabilities. For FY 2011, the 

Secretary’s two percent hiring goal for all of VA was nearly met, 1.90 percent of the total 

hires (permanent and temporary) have a targeted disability. An eleven year trend of the 

percentage of the VA workforce with a targeted disability is provided in the graph below. 

The government average for FY 2011 was not available at the time of this publication; 

the FY 2010 government average is 0.91 percent.

People with a Targeted Disability (percentage of total workforce) FY 2000–2011

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

FY 

2000

FY 

2001

FY 

2002

FY 

2003

FY 

2004

FY 

2005

FY 

2006

FY 

2007

FY 

2008

FY 

2009

FY 

2010

FY 

2011

VA

Government Average

VA Goal

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8
Senior Executive Representation

As of September 30, 2011, the Senior Executive Service (SES) and Title 38 SES 

Equivalent population was 456, an increase of 26 from September 30, 2010. The graph 

below provides the representation of the SES and Title 38 SES Equivalent population 

by race, ethnicity, and gender. In addition, the representation of the entire VA workforce 

is included in the graph for comparative purposes. Compared with the government 

average for SES, the representation of White and Black females in the SES and Title 38 

Equivalent population are above the government average. Similarly, the representation 

of the Hispanic and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander male SES population are above 

the government average.

SES and Title 38 SES Equivalent Representation in FY 2011

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

SES & Title 38 SES Equivalents VA Workforce Government Average (SES)

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9
Hires and Losses

The graph below provides the number of hires and losses (permanent and temporary 

workforce) data by REG. In FY 2011, VA hired individuals from each group at a rate 

equivalent or greater than their separations.

Hires and Losses by Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in FY 2011

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

Hires

Losses

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Comparison of Separations, Hires, and On Board Representation Rates

The graph below provides the representation rate of the workforce as of September 30, 

2011, and the losses and hires that occurred during FY 2011. White women and 

Hispanic women fell below their expected representation rate based on the RCLF. The 

hire rates for White and Hispanic women also fell below their respective rate in the 

RCLF. 

Separations, Hires, and On-Board Representation Rates in FY 2011

Workplace Inclusion

There are many ways of assessing workplace inclusion. One commonly accepted 

method is to examine employee perceptions based on their responses to inclusionrelated items in employee surveys. 

The Partnership for Public Service summarized the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey 

results by creating various indexes using different combinations of survey items. The 

collective indexes make up the ―Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.‖ This 

list ranks 308 total Federal organizations including 33 large agencies, 35 small 

White 

Male

White 

Female

Black 

Male

Black 

Female

Hispanic 

Male

Hispanic 

Female

Asian 

Male

Asian 

Female

Native 

Hawaiia

n/Pacific 

Islander 

Male

Native 

Hawaiia

n/Pacific 

Islander 

Female

Amer 

Indian 

Male

Amer 

Indian 

Female

Other 

Male

Other 

Female

Onboard 24.95% 36.03% 8.84% 14.46% 3.12% 3.56% 2.59% 4.17% 0.09% 0.12% 0.46% 0.68% 0.36% 0.55%

Hires 26.60% 36.43% 9.05% 12.62% 2.92% 2.70% 2.62% 4.11% 0.20% 0.20% 0.57% 0.68% 0.54% 0.77%

Separations 27.44% 38.83% 7.85% 11.52% 2.72% 2.95% 2.48% 3.74% 0.10% 0.16% 0.50% 0.73% 0.35% 0.62%

RCLF 25.13% 47.84% 3.13% 8.13% 3.11% 4.33% 2.39% 3.22% 0.03% 0.06% 0.31% 0.62% 0.34% 0.54%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

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agencies, and 240 subcomponent agencies.

The following table portrays VA’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results and VA’s 

ranking by the Partnership for Public Service for the past two years. From 2010 to 

2011, VA experienced the highest increase in the survey items related to ―Support for 

Diversity.‖

The Best Places to Work Ranking – VA Scores for FY 2011 and 2010

Index 2011 2010 Variance

Score Rank Score Rank

Support for Diversity 56.7 20 of 31 52.9 23 of 28 3.8

Effective Leadership - Supervisors 60.1 27 of 30 56.5 27 of 28 3.6

Effective Leadership 52.3 22 of 30 49.7 23 of 28 2.6

Strategic Management 58.1 11 of 30 56 18 of 28 2.1

Work/Life Balance 56.8 23 of 30 54.7 26 of 28 2.1

Performance Based Rewards and Advancement 43.7 23 of 30 42.5 23 of 28 1.2

Teamwork 62.8 24 of 30 62.3 21 of 28 0.5

Training and Development 61.4 13 of 30 61.3 13 of 28 0.1

Pay 53.3 30 of 30 53.2 28 of 28 0.1

Effective Leadership - Fairness 53.7 15 of 30 No Data No Data 0

Effective Leadership - Leaders 47.3 21 of 30 No Data No Data 0

Effective Leadership - Empowerment 45.1 22 of 30 No Data No Data 0

Employee Skills/Mission Match 80.7 5 of 30 81.7 2 of 28 -1

Family Friendly Culture and Benefits 25.7 29 of 30 26.7 28 of 28 -1

Source: Partnership for Public Service retrieved on January 20, 2012 at 

http://bestplacestowork.org/BPTW/rankings.

Customer Service and Stakeholder Relations

VA currently gauges customer satisfaction by examining the results of customer 

surveys. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) provides information on the 

satisfaction of some VA customers. For example, the ACSI measures the satisfaction 

of outpatients at VA clinics, inpatients at VA medical centers, relatives of Veterans 

interned at VA national cemeteries, and users of VA’s main Web site and the My 

HealtheVet Web site. By those measures, VA customer satisfaction is fairly high, 

especially for the National Cemetery Administration.

American Customer Satisfaction Index Scores for Years 2007 to 2010

2007 2008 2009 2010

VHA: Inpatients at VA medical centers 83 85 N/A 85

VHA: Outpatients at VA clinics 83 81 N/A 82

VHA: Users of the Civilian Health and Medical Program 82 N/A 88 N/A

NCA: Relatives or individuals responsible for interment 95 N/A N/A 94

VA Web sites 72 72 73 72

Source: http://www.theacsi.org

Note: Cells marked not applicable (N/A) signify that the identified dimensions were not measured for that 

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specific year.

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Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan

Overview

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).

Goals

To fulfill the diversity and inclusion program’s mission and vision, VA will pursue the 

following 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.

Implementation

The following pages identify the objectives, strategies, and measures designed to 

achieve the aforementioned goals. In cases where an organization has primary (but not 

exclusive) responsibility for the execution of a specific strategy, that organization has 

been identified in parentheses at the end of the strategy. In all other cases where there 

are joint or overlapping responsibilities, the responsible office may not be specifically 

identified. The VA Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan is intended to be a multi-year 

effort, and changing conditions, including budget constraints, may require refinement to 

the plan’s components. Implementation will be led by VA ODI, in partnership with VA’s 

three Administrations (VHA, VBA, NCA), and staff offices. Progress made pursuant to 

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this plan will be reported annually in the VA Diversity and Inclusion Annual Performance 

Report.

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Goal 1: A Diverse Workforce

Build a diverse, high-performing workforce

that reflects all segments of society.

Federal agencies are required to take appropriate actions to ensure there is equal 

opportunity in the workplace by identifying and removing barriers to EEO. Actions 

include comparing the demographic composition of the workforce to the demographic 

composition of the relevant labor market, removing internal barriers, conducting 

strategic outreach to communities and utilizing special hiring authorities for members of 

groups with less than expected participation rates. Building a diverse, high-performing

workforce will involve these established strategies as well as new, proactive strategies 

aimed at attracting broader, emerging aspects of our diversity.

Objective 1A: Eliminate barriers to EEO at all levels and in all occupations.

Strategies:

Implement the VA Diversity Index3to monitor the status of VA’s diversity and 

provide quarterly workforce diversity reports to leadership (ODI, VHA, VBA, NCA).

Identify barriers to EEO by REG, disability status, Veteran status, in hiring, 

promotions, separations, and career development; and by grade levels and major 

occupations annually in accordance with EEOC Management Directive 715 (ODI, 

VHA, VBA, NCA).

Establish baseline metrics and a reporting system to enable VA offices to identify 

and eliminate any barriers present in the processes used to recruit or select 

Hispanic, White female, and people with disabilities (PWD) applicants for initial 

employment (VA-wide).

Establish baseline metrics and a reporting system to enable VA offices to identify 

and eliminate any barriers present in the processes used to recruit or select White, 

Black, Asian, and American Indian females, and PWD for promotion (VA-wide).

Establish baseline metrics and a reporting system to enable VA offices to identify 

and eliminate any barriers present in the processes used to recruit or select women, 

Black and Asian men (groups with less than expected SES participation) for 

appointment to the Senior Executive Service (VA-wide).

Perform applicant flow/adverse impact analyses in recruitment and leadership

selection processes (ODI).

Implement EEO, Diversity and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) dashboard to 

provide real time status of EEO, workforce diversity and ADR usage (ORM, ODI).

Utilize staffing flexibilities and special hiring authorities (e.g., Veterans, Schedule A 

for people with disabilities, student internships, fellowships); use ODI’s Recruitment 

and Selection Best Practices Guide

(http://www.diversity.va.gov/products/files/RSG.pdf) (VA-wide).

 

3

The VA Diversity Index is a new metric developed by VA ODI that measures VA’s aggregate workforce 

composition by race, ethnicity, and gender as compared with the corresponding CLF/RCLF.

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Develop strategic partnerships with affinity organizations, professional associations, 

and educational institutions focused on groups with low participation rates to perform 

recruitment outreach (VA-wide).

Establish hiring and on-board goals for people with targeted disabilities (VA-wide).

Measures:

Report VA Diversity Index in quarterly workforce diversity reports and in Monthly 

Performance Review beginning in FY 2012 (NOTE: this Index is intended for use as 

an indicator of program impact and overall progress, not as a target metric).

Deliver timely, accurate quarterly workforce diversity analysis reports to leadership 

and annual reports to external agencies (EEOC Management Directive 715 Report; 

diversity reports to OPM) as appropriate.

Implement applicant flow/adverse impact analysis system by end of FY 2014 and 

increase representation of groups with low participation rates in recruitment and 

leadership development applicant pools.

Implement EEO, Diversity and Alternative Dispute Resolution dashboard by end of 

FY 2013.

Participate in a minimum of six national/local job fairs or events targeting outreach to 

groups with low participation rates.

4

Increase on-board representation of employees with targeted disabilities to 2.5

percent by end of FY 2016.

Objective 1B: Achieve diversity in the broadest context throughout the workforce.

Strategies:

Implement diversity-focused internship and fellowship programs, including

centralized Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), centralized National Diversity 

Internship Program (NDIP), and Career Pathways Programs (ODI, OHRM).

Work with VESO, CWV, and CMV to ensure that employment outreach programs 

target disabled, female, minority, and multigenerational Veterans and spouses of 

Veterans (VA-wide).

Measures:

Sponsor 20 WRP interns and 100 NDIP interns annually, budget permitting.

Increase on-board representation of Veterans to 40 percent of the workforce by end 

of FY 2014.

Increase participation in Veteran outreach events targeting demographic groups with 

low participation rates.

 

4

Page

Six outreach events by ODI and per Administration.

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Goal 2: An Inclusive Workplace

Cultivate a flexible, collaborative, and inclusive work environment

that leverages diversity and empowers all contributors.

In order to reap the benefits of workforce diversity, work environments must maintain 

the facilitating conditions that enable diverse perspectives to be heard and empower all 

participants to contribute. This requires deliberate efforts by leadership to provide 

flexibility with respect to where, when, and how work gets done; promote robust 

collaboration through teamwork, participatory work processes, and cross-functional 

work experiences; and engage all employees through cultural competency, leadership 

development, reasonable accommodation, and constructive conflict management. 

These are more than retention strategies; they are strategies that engage and develop 

our human resources to their fullest potential so that they may advance the VA mission.

Objective 2A: Leverage workforce diversity and empower diverse perspectives 

throughout the organization through career/leadership development.

Strategies:

Develop workforce succession plans addressing barriers to EEO and diversity; 

analyze attrition by REG (VA-wide).

Incorporate diversity and inclusion in the curricula of all leadership development 

programs (ODI, VALU, CSEMO, VHA, VBA, NCA).

Aggressively market broad as well as targeted outreach for leadership development

and mentoring programs (Aspiring Leaders, Leadership VA, SES Candidate 

Development Program, Technical Career Field programs) (VA-wide).

Perform adverse impact analyses of leadership development application and 

selection processes (ODI).

Promote and utilize ADVANCE and MyCareer@VA (career mapping system) to 

facilitate career development and upward mobility (VA-wide).

Track training and development participation rates by REG in VA Talent 

Management System (TMS) (VALU, OHRM, ODI).

Support for broad participation in inter-office/inter-agency details and rotations 

including Inter-governmental Personnel Act Mobility Program (VA-wide).

Measures

Reduce ―regrettable losses‖ (non-retirement voluntary separations/resignations) by 

10 percent of current baseline for groups with higher than expected attrition rates by 

end of FY 2016.

Increase diversity in leadership development and mentoring program applicant 

pools.

Develop the ability to track training and development participation rates by REG and 

disability status in TMS by end of FY 2013.

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Objective 2B: Cultivate a flexible, collaborative, and inclusive organizational culture for 

all employees.

Strategies:

Implement VA Inclusion Index5to measure organizational inclusion (ODI).

Employ ORM’s Organizational Climate Assessment Programs (OCAP) in 

organizations experiencing high workplace conflict/per capita complaints (ORM).

Employ Civility, Respect, and Engagement in the Workplace (CREW) initiatives in 

organizations experiencing high workplace conflict/per capita complaints (VA-wide).

Analyze the results of VA’s All Employee Survey and Voice of VA survey and 

implement corrective strategies as appropriate (VA-wide).

Conduct EEO program technical assistance reviews in headquarters and field 

organizations (ODI, VHA, VBA, NCA).

Support special emphasis programs (SEPs), employee affinity and resource groups, 

and expand these groups to represent new, emerging aspects of diversity

(multigenerational; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender [LGBT]; etc.) (VAwide).

Modify existing electronic employee exit survey to include questions focused on 

diversity and inclusion issues (OHRM, ODI).

Implement work/life flexibilities (wellness, telework, flexible work schedules) as 

appropriate (VA-wide).

Support and participate in ADR processes and promote effective labor/management 

collaborations (VA-wide).

Implement and promote use of centralized reasonable accommodation funding and 

tracking system (ODI).

Ensure compliance with Sections 501, 504, and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, as amended, by monitoring accessibility of program delivery, physical 

infrastructure, and electronic/information technology (EIT) (OIT, ODI, VHA, VBA, 

NCA).

Measures:

Implement VA Inclusion Index by end of FY 2013 and determine baseline to inform 

future goal-setting.

Implement responsive action plans in accordance with the employee survey results 

annually.

Enhance standardized electronic employee exit survey to include questions on 

diversity and inclusion by end of FY 2014.

Increase work/life initiatives and telework usage for suitable positions by 10 percent

above current baseline by end of FY 2016.

 

5

The VA Inclusion Index is a new metric developed by ODI to measure organizational inclusion based on 

employee responses to empirically-validated survey items related to inclusion in the Federal Employee 

Page

Viewpoint Survey.

18
Increase overall ADR participation rate to 55 percent and resolution rate of informal 

EEO complaint rate to 50 percent by end of FY 2014.

Reduce per capita formal EEO complaints to below the government average by end 

of FY 2016.

Reduce per capita grievances by five percent below current baseline by end of FY 

2016.

Increase usage of wellness and telework programs by five percent above current

baseline by end of FY 2014.

Conduct a minimum of six technical assistance reviews annually.

Process 90 percent of reasonable accommodation requests in accordance with 

established timelines by end of FY 2016.

Perform compliance review of physical, EIT, and program accessibility standards in 

VA Administrations in collaboration with the Office of Information and Technology 

and Office of Acquisitions, Logistics, and Construction by end of FY 2016.

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Goal 3: Outstanding Public Service

Facilitate outstanding, culturally competent public service and

stakeholder relations through effective leadership and accountability.

Research has shown that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace are associated 

with greater organizational performance. The ultimate goal of having a diverse 

workforce and an inclusive work environment is to deliver better services to our 

customers (internal and external) and meet the needs of our stakeholders. The 

transformation of an organization’s culture to this end requires a long-term commitment. 

Effective leadership and accountability are critical to sustaining this organization-wide 

commitment. The following strategies and objectives are aimed at facilitating and 

sustaining the effort to achieve the ultimate goal. 

Objectives 3A: Provide outstanding, culturally competent services to Veterans, their 

families, and beneficiaries.

Strategies:

Deliver cultural competency, diversity and inclusion training to the VA workforce

(ODI, VALU).

Support implementation of patient-centered care (VHA).

Promote use of Small, Disadvantaged, Veteran-owned businesses (OSDBU).

Monitor customer service surveys and indicators and take action as appropriate 

(Staff Offices, VHA, VBA, NCA).

Target outreach to Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native, American Indian, and other 

indigenous/rural populations that historically do not avail themselves of VA services

(VA-wide).

Measures:

Establish baseline of employees completing cultural competency/diversity and 

inclusion training utilizing TMS by end of FY 2014.

Increase VA scores that fall below industry standards on customer satisfaction index

in all populations by end of FY 2014.

Increase timeliness in approval/certification of Veteran-owned businesses annually.

Meet or exceed OSDBU socioeconomic procurement goals annually.

Increase culturally competent services to Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native, American 

Indian, and other indigenous/rural populations. 

Objectives 3B: Strengthen relations with stakeholders.

Strategies:

Leverage, support, and coordinate with internal and external VA stakeholders, 

Page

including but not limited to the following:

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American Indian Science and Engineering Society

Asian American Government Executive Network

Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies 

Blacks in Government

Center for Minority Veterans 

Center for Women Veterans

Department of Defense’s Computer Assistance Program

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Labor’s Workforce Recruitment Program

Disabled American Veterans

Disabled Veterans National Foundation

Federal Asian Pacific American Council

Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Employees Organization

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

Hispanic Serving Health Professional schools

Human Rights Campaign

International Association of Latino Public Administration Executives

International Leadership Foundation

League of United Latin American Citizens

Minority Access

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education

National Coalition for LGBT Health

Office of Faith-based Initiatives

Office of Health Equity

Office of Rural Health 

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Office of Tribal Government Relations

Organization of Chinese Americans

Paralyzed Veterans of America

State Cemetery Grant Program

The Washington Center

VA Advisory committees

Veteran Service Organizations

Washington Internships for Native Students

White House Initiatives on Diversity Issues (Women and Girls, Asian American 

Pacific Islander, etc.)

Measures:

Increase participation in national/local outreach and partnership events involving 

stakeholder/affinity organizations to ten, budget permitting, by end of FY 2014

Meet or exceed OSDBU goals in contracting activity annually.

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Objectives 3C: Equip leaders with diversity and inclusion knowledge and skills to 

effectively lead their workforce.

Strategies:

Implement updated mandatory EEO, Diversity and Inclusion, and Conflict 

Management Training for all Senior Executives, Managers, and Supervisors (ODI,

ORM, VALU).

Implement and monitor mandatory EEO, Diversity and Inclusion, ADR performance 

standards in all leadership (SES and Title 38 equivalents) and supervisory 

performance plans (ORM, ODI, CSEMO, OHRM).

Measures:

Implement updated mandatory EEO, Diversity and Inclusion, and Conflict 

Management Training for Senior Executives by end of FY 2013.

Implement Executive Dashboard reporting EEO, diversity and inclusion, ADR 

performance metrics by end of FY 2014.

Achieve 95 percent timely completion rate on biennial mandatory EEO, Diversity and 

Inclusion, and Conflict Management Training for all managers and supervisors.

Increase overall ADR participation rate to 55 percent and resolution rate of informal 

EEO complaint rate to 50 percent by end of FY 2014.

Objective 3D: Institutionalize shared accountability for a culture of diversity and 

inclusion.

Strategies:

Issue a VA Diversity and Inclusion Annual Performance Report reporting progress 

made on the VA Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan (ODI).

Issue annual VA-wide diversity and inclusion policy directives and statements issued 

by the VA Secretary (ODI).

Implement standardized VA-wide diversity and inclusion performance elements and 

standards in all employee performance plans (ORM, ODI, CSEMO, OHRM).

Provide EEO, diversity and inclusion, and conflict management training for all 

employees (ODI, ORM, VALU).

Maintain VA Diversity Council, comprising representatives from all VA components,

reporting to the Secretary of VA (ODI).

Promote participation in Secretary’s Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards 

Program and in the Secretary’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Excellence Awards 

Program (ODI, ORM, VHA, VBA, NCA).

Incorporate broad-based diversity and inclusion content in agency branding and 

communication strategies (media outreach, public awards, various communications 

tools and vehicles, strategic communications, Web sites) (ODI, OPIA, OHRM).

Page22
Measures:

Issue timely and accurate VA Diversity and Inclusion Annual Performance Report

reporting progress made on VA Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan.

Implement on-line EEO, diversity, and ADR dashboard to report subject metrics, 

including VA Diversity and Inclusion Indices, to VA leadership, by end of FY 2014.

Update VA Directive 5975 (EEO and diversity management) and 5975.1 (reasonable 

accommodation) by end of FY 2013.

Issue timely annual EEO and diversity policy statements by the VA Secretary.

Implement standardized VA-wide diversity and inclusion performance elements and 

standards in all employee performance plans by end of FY 2014.

Increase nominations for Secretary’s Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards 

Program and the Secretary’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Excellence Awards 

Program.

Increase dissemination and readership of the Diversity@Work newsletter, NewsLink, 

Diversity News broadcasts, and other diversity and inclusion communications

annually.

Maintain updated content on the VA diversity and inclusion Web site

(http://www.diversity.va.gov) annually.

Page23
Applicable Laws

(not exhaustive)

Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended – prohibits employment 

discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin; the law also 

makes it illegal to retaliate against an individual because he/she complained about 

discrimination, filed a complaint, or participated in an employment discrimination 

investigation or lawsuit;

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended – prohibits 

employment discrimination against individuals 40 years of age or older;

Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended – prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in 

compensation for substantially equal work performed under similar working 

conditions;

Sections 501, 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended –

prohibits employment discrimination and reprisal against people with disabilities in 

the Federal government or applicants for Federal employment; Section 501 

requires reasonable accommodation for known disabilities; Section 504 requires 

that all Federal programs be accessible; and Section 508 requires that all electronic 

technology be accessible;

Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 – prohibits employment 

discrimination based on genetic information;

Title V, United States Code Section 2301 – provides that recruitment should be 

from qualified individuals from appropriate sources from all segments of society; 

selection and advancement should be determined solely on the basis of merit, after 

fair and open competition so that that all receive equal opportunity; and fair and 

equitable treatment in all aspects of personnel management without regard to 

political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or 

handicapping condition, and with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional 

rights;

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Title 1, and ADA Amendments Act of 

2008 – revises the definition of ―disability‖ to more broadly encompass impairments 

that substantially limit a major life activity. The amended language also states that 

mitigating measures, including assistive devices, auxiliary aids, accommodations, 

medical therapies and supplies (other than eyeglasses and contact lenses) have no 

bearing in determining whether a disability qualifies under the law. Changes also 

clarify coverage of impairments that are episodic or in remission that substantially 

limit a major life activity when active, such as epilepsy or post traumatic stress 

disorder. The amendments took effect January 1, 2009.

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Merit System Principles

(5 USC § 2301)

1. Recruitment should be from qualified individuals from appropriate sources in an 

endeavor to achieve a work force from all segments of society, and selection and 

advancement should be determined solely on the basis of relative ability, 

knowledge and skills, after fair and open competition which assures that all 

receive equal opportunity. 

2. All employees and applicants for employment should receive fair and equitable 

treatment in all aspects of personnel management without regard to political 

affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or 

handicapping condition, and with proper regard for their privacy and 

constitutional rights. 

3. Equal pay should be provided for work of equal value, with appropriate 

consideration of both national and local rates paid by employers in the private 

sector, and appropriate incentives and recognition should be provided for 

excellence in performance. 

4. All employees should maintain high standards of integrity, conduct, and concern 

for the public interest. 

5. The Federal work force should be used efficiently and effectively. 

6. Employees should be retained on the basis of adequacy of their performance, 

inadequate performance should be corrected, and employees should be 

separated who cannot or will not improve their performance to meet required 

standards. 

7. Employees should be provided effective education and training in cases in which 

such education and training would result in better organizational and individual 

performance. 

8. Employees should be--

a. protected against arbitrary action, personal favoritism, or coercion for 

partisan political purposes, and 

b. prohibited from using their official authority or influence for the purpose of 

interfering with or affecting the result of an election or a nomination for 

election. 

9. Employees should be protected against reprisal for the lawful disclosure of 

information which the employees reasonably believe evidences--

a. a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or 

b. mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an absence of authority, or a 

substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.

Page25
For more information,

please contact:

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Office of Diversity and Inclusion (06)

810 Vermont Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20420

Phone: (202) 461-4131

Fax: (202) 501-2145

odi@va.gov

http://www.diversity.va.gov