While considerable effort and progress has been made, results from an informal employee survey indicate that training and career advancement continue to be challenges for the department. By using creative and innovative approaches, we must also develop and maintain adequate sources of funding to achieve our mission. New or alternative funding sources are also considerations. Goal To sustain or improve quality of services through a diverse staff, while addressing changing priorities and challenges. Objective 1 Increase diversity of employees, to mirror the population of Missouri, throughout the department.
Strategies Give priority to developing programs and policies that encourage cultural diversity.
Seek innovative alliances with diverse groups to expand and diversify our cultural and historic preservation effort and enhance preservation services to diverse communities. Expand recognition of the contribution of diverse groups and seek to involve all in every level of decision making from planning to implementation. Utilize certificated and other processes for vacancies that fall within under-utilized groups to ensure a diverse applicant pool. Recruit employees of all cultural and other backgrounds who value diversity in their work community. Continue efforts to encourage natural resource careers with minorities and females through interns, externs, scholarships, work study and mentoring programs to increase diversity in pool of potential staff.