Intelligence Community: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen Workforce Diversity Planning and Oversight
Fast Facts
Recruiting, developing, and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce is part of the 2019 National Intelligence Strategy.
The Intelligence Community's workforce in FY2011-2019 had slight increases in the proportions of women (+.7%), racial or ethnic minorities (+3.3%), and persons with disabilities (+6.2%). But proportions of women and racial or ethnic minorities stayed below federal workforce benchmarks, and proportions of persons with disabilities didn't meet federal goals.
The Intelligence Community follows many leading practices for managing diversity, but we recommended doing more to enhance planning, measure progress, and assess barriers.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) reported that the representation of some demographic groups within the Intelligence Community (IC) workforce increased from fiscal years 2011 through 2019—the latest available data. Over this period, the proportion of women, racial or ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities changed by .7, 3.3, and 6.2 percentage points, respectively. However, the representation of women, racial or ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities remained below comparable benchmarks and declined among higher ranks in fiscal year 2019.
IC elements report taking steps to address leading practices for managing workforce diversity, but report gaps in diversity planning. GAO found that most IC elements report taking steps to address seven of nine leading practices for diversity management. For the remaining two leading practices—strategic planning and measurement—most elements report taking one or no steps.
Number of Intelligence Community (IC) Elements and the Steps They Report Taking to Implement Leading Practices for Workforce Diversity Management, as of August 2020
|
GAO leading practices |
Number of IC elements that report taking steps |
|
Leadership commitment |
17 of 17 IC elements report taking multiple steps |
|
Recruitment |
14 of 17 IC elements report taking multiple steps, and three IC elements report taking one step |
|
Employee involvement |
14 of 17 IC elements report taking multiple steps, two IC elements report taking one step, and one IC element reports taking no step |
|
Diversity training |
14 of 17 IC elements report taking multiple steps, and three IC elements report taking one step |
|
Performance |
12 of 17 IC elements linked diversity management with enhanced performance while five IC elements did not |
|
Succession planning |
9 of 17 IC elements report taking multiple steps, and eight IC elements report taking one step |
|
Accountability |
9 of 17 IC elements report taking multiple steps, seven IC elements report taking one step, and one IC element reports taking no steps |
|
Strategic planning |
3 of 17 IC elements have current and complete strategic plans |
|
Measurement |
6 of 17 IC elements have diversity-related performance measures |
Source: GAO analysis of IC element documents and GAO leading practices for diversity management. | GAO-21-83
Further, while all IC elements report having a process to identify barriers to diversity, nine IC elements report not completing required barrier assessments. Without fully implementing leading practices for managing workforce diversity and conducting routine barrier assessments, the IC may miss opportunities to develop effective and efficient diversity policies and programs.
ODNI's Office of Intelligence Community Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity (IC EEOD) is meeting seven of eight leading practices for enhancing and sustaining the coordination of diversity initiatives across the 17 IC elements. However, IC EEOD partially met the practice to reinforce agency accountability. Specifically, IC EEOD has not established IC-wide implementation objectives and timeframes to demonstrate progress. As a result, IC EEOD risks not holding IC elements accountable for enhancing workforce diversity.
Why GAO Did This Study
The 2019 National Intelligence Strategy states that the IC will recruit, develop, and retain a diverse, inclusive, and expert workforce to enable mission success. ODNI reports that the IC is taking steps to increase the representation of diverse groups, such as issuing new strategies to enhance workforce planning. However, barriers to establishing a diverse workforce exist across the IC, according to an ODNI 2017 analysis.
GAO was asked to review the IC's progress in enhancing workforce diversity. This report (1) summarizes ODNI annual demographic reports on the proportion of women, racial or ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities; and assesses the extent to which (2) IC elements report taking steps to address leading practices for managing workforce diversity and to identify potential barriers to maintaining a diverse workforce; and (3) ODNI is addressing leading practices for coordinating IC workforce diversity initiatives. GAO reviewed IC-wide and IC element specific policies and guidance; interviewed ODNI, and other IC officials; and administered a questionnaire to all 17 IC elements to obtain information on diversity strategies and challenges.
Recommendations
GAO is making seven recommendations, including that the Director of National Intelligence issue or update guidance to ensure IC elements maintain diversity strategic plans, assess and take steps to eliminate barriers to diversity, and establish implementation objectives and timeframes to hold IC elements accountable. ODNI agreed with the recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of the Director of National Intelligence |
Priority Rec.
The Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the department secretary or head of the IC element, as appropriate, and consistent with the Director of National Intelligence's authority, should issue new or update existing guidance to require all IC elements to maintain current and complete diversity strategic plans that contain specific objectives, timeframes, and responsibilities. (Recommendation 1) |
In its December 2020 response to our report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concurred with this recommendation and has since taken steps to address it. Specifically, in August 2023, ODNI noted that the Intelligence Community (IC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Office distributed a questionnaire to all IC elements in 2022 in which ODNI sought to determine whether the elements had a DEIA strategic plan that included goals, timelines, and responsibility allocation for developing and managing a diverse workforce. At the time, ODNI noted that eight elements responded that they had a current strategic plan, while six reported that their plans... were in different stages of development. ODNI noted that two IC elements did not have strategic plans but instead complied with the plan of their parent agency. ODNI further noted that the IC DEIA office developed an IC DEIA Maturity Model, which is a tool intended to help modernize, innovate, and advance DEIA goals across the IC and allow ODNI to take a more targeted approach for holding IC elements accountable for enhancing DEIA and providing needed resources and support. Lastly, in July 2024, ODNI issued its strategy entitled 2024-2027 Joint Strategy to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: Strengthening the U.S. Intelligence Community's Strategic Advantage. In the strategy, ODNI noted that the IC elements were to develop and maintain their respective DEIA strategic plans in alignment with ODNI's Joint Strategy. The strategy noted that the IC elements should include information on specific objectives, timeframes, responsibilities, performance measures, and stakeholders in their respective DEIA strategic plans, as well as how their goals and objectives focus on identifying and eliminating workforce DEIA barriers.
View More |
| Office of the Director of National Intelligence | The Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the department secretary or head of the IC element, as appropriate, and consistent with the Director of National Intelligence's authority, should ensure that IC elements are making progress toward maintaining current and complete diversity strategic plans. (Recommendation 2) | In its December 2020 response to our report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concurred with this recommendation. In August 2023, ODNI provided an update on the status of this recommendation. ODNI provided documentation supporting the development of an enterprise-wide IC DEIA Maturity Model, which was developed by the Intelligence Community (IC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) office and which is a tool intended to help modernize, innovate, and advance DEIA goals across the IC. The model will to enable the IC to establish a baseline assessment of each IC element's status against requirements outlined in relevant Executive Orders, identify...
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| Office of the Director of National Intelligence |
Priority Rec.
The Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the department secretary or head of the IC element, as appropriate, and consistent with the Director of National Intelligence's authority, should issue new or update existing guidance to ensure that IC elements develop performance measures to assess the contribution of activities toward achieving diversity goals and overall progress. (Recommendation 3) |
In its December 2020 response to our report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concurred with this recommendation and has since taken steps to address it. Specifically, in August 2023, ODNI noted that the Intelligence Community (IC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Office distributed a questionnaire to all IC elements in 2022 in which ODNI sought to determine whether the elements had performance measures to assess progress in achieving the diversity and inclusion goals in their respective DEIA strategic plans. ODNI noted that ten elements responded indicating that they used performance measures, such as workforce demographic and DEIA...
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| Office of the Director of National Intelligence | The Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the department secretary or head of the IC element, as appropriate, and consistent with the Director of National Intelligence's authority, should ensure that IC elements are making progress toward developing measures to assess progress toward achieving diversity management efforts. (Recommendation 4) | In its December 2020 response to our report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concurred with this recommendation. In August 2023, ODNI provided an update on the status of this recommendation. ODNI provided a copy of the questionnaire that the Intelligence Community (IC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Office distributed to all IC elements in 2022 to obtain IC-wide inputs that would allow ODNI to identify DEIA challenge areas and develop solutions. In the questionnaire, ODNI asked the IC elements whether they had a system to measure or assess diversity management activities, initiatives, and programs. ODNI noted that seven elements...
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| Office of the Director of National Intelligence | The Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the department secretary or head of the IC element, as appropriate, and consistent with the Director of National Intelligence's authority, should issue new or update existing guidance to ensure that each IC element routinely identifies and takes steps toward eliminating barriers to workforce diversity. (Recommendation 5) | In its December 2020 response to our report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concurred with this recommendation and has since taken steps to address it. Specifically, in August 2023 ODNI noted that the Intelligence Community (IC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Office distributed a questionnaire to all IC elements in 2022 in which ODNI sought to determine whether they routinely identify and eliminate identified barriers to workforce diversity. ODNI noted that nine elements responded indicating their engagement in additional efforts to eliminate barriers, such as using barrier analysis working groups and creating internal review and...
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| Office of the Director of National Intelligence | The Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the department secretary or head of the IC element, as appropriate, and consistent with the Director of National Intelligence's authority, should ensure that IC elements are routinely completing required assessments to identify and eliminate barriers. (Recommendation 6) | In its December 2020 response to our report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concurred with this recommendation. In August 2023, ODNI provided an update on the status of this recommendation. ODNI provided a copy of the questionnaire that the Intelligence Community (IC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Office distributed to all IC elements in 2022 to obtain IC-wide inputs that would allow ODNI to identify DEIA challenge areas and develop solutions. In the questionnaire, ODNI asked the IC elements whether they completed the MD-715 assessments to identify and eliminate barriers to diversity. ODNI noted that twelve elements responded that they...
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| Office of the Director of National Intelligence |
Priority Rec.
The Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the department secretary or head of the IC element, as appropriate, and consistent with the Director of National Intelligence's authority, should establish specific implementation objectives and timeframes for the IC elements that support IC-wide diversity goals to ensure IC elements are held accountable for making progress. (Recommendation 7) |
In its December 2020 response to our report, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concurred with this recommendation and has since taken steps to address it. Specifically, in July 2024, ODNI issued its strategy entitled 2024-2027 Joint Strategy to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: Strengthening the U.S. Intelligence Community's Strategic Advantage. In the strategy, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) noted that the IC elements were to develop and maintain their respective DEIA strategic plans in alignment with ODNI's Joint Strategy. The strategy noted that the Intelligence Community (IC) elements should include...
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