CIA Director Brennan issues statement on Diversity in Leadership Study year one implementation

On June 30, CIA Director John Brennan made a statement to CIA’s workforce on year one implementation of the agency’s Diversity in Leadership Study.

Today marks one year since the release of the Diversity in Leadership Study (DLS) [PDF 752KB*], a candid, objective look at diversity in our agency’s senior ranks and the challenges our agency faces in this area. The study highlighted critical findings and provided an invaluable roadmap for CIA to develop a more diverse pool of future leaders.

Over the past year, we have taken significant steps to address the seven recommendations detailed in the study. Through the implementation effort, we have laid a foundation for the visible and meaningful change called for in the study.

Among the key highlights from Year One:

• The Talent Center’s Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO) rolled out diversity-focused performance expectationsfor all Senior Intelligence Service (SIS) officers. This is an important step in holding our senior leaders accountable for creating, maintaining, and sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment.
• The Agency released acomprehensive Diversity and Inclusion Strategy [PDF 639KB*]—CIA’s first since 2007—which ties together all of our diversity and inclusion initiatives and details specific actions toward our common goals.
• We updated our CIA Ethos, which makes clear the connection between a diverse and inclusive workplace and the values we embrace as Agency officers.
• The Talent Center published demographic details for the 2015 promotion cycle to the workforce, which improved the transparency in our promotion processes.
• Our entireSenior Leadership Team participated in Unconscious Bias training, as well as a diversity and inclusion seminar led by renowned experts in the field.

In addition to these corporate activities, the DLS Implementation Team launched seven action teams to fulfill key activities highlighted in the DLS Year One Roadmap. DLS will update the workforce on Year One accomplishments in the coming weeks.

I am proud of what we have accomplished so far, and I am particularly proud that CIA is on the forefront of these issues within the Intelligence Community. That said, there is more work ahead. The coming year presents tremendous opportunity for us to build upon the foundation that was laid this year and make great strides toward our ultimate goals. A CIA where:

• all officers are developed to their fullest potential;
• all can apply the whole of themselves, their talents and their skills to their work every day;
• all voices are heard and respected; and
• our ability to accomplish our mission is continually enhanced and renewed as the workforce becomes more vibrant and the environment more inclusive.

Together, we can and will achieve this vision. I encourage every CIA officer to get involved as we continue to incorporate these changes into the very fabric of our agency’s culture.

Source: CIA