DNI Clapper addresses first Intelligence Community Leadership Summit on building an African-American and Hispanic recruitment pipeline

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence hosted an intelligence community Leadership Summit on May 25 that brought together Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity professionals and members of the IC workforce to discuss how to build an African-American and Hispanic recruitment pipeline within the IC. The summit, sponsored by ODNI’s EEOD office, comes in advance of the release of ODNI’s Annual Demographic Report, which starting this year, will be unclassified. The report has been delivered to both IC oversight committees on Capitol Hill and within the next two weeks will be released online to the public for the first time.

While the percentage of minorities hired into the IC increased from nearly 21% in FY 2011 to almost 25% in FY 2015, DNI Clapper was unambiguous in his direction that much more work needs to be done. The IC workforce is only about 25% minority compared to the rest of the federal workforce at 35%. In addition, only 12% of the IC workforce at the senior pay level are minorities. “Going public with our demographics is a significant step, but by itself it’s not going to improve minority representation in the Intelligence Community,” DNI Clapper said. “I’ve got 240 days left in my tenure. I expect the outcome of today’s summit will include bringing something to me that I can act on, something I can take to the Intelligence Community component directors, something we can implement within 90 days.”

“If you need permission to think big or to think differently, I’m giving it to you right now,” Clapper said. Acting on the DNI’s call for developing a plan that can be implemented within 90 days, the summit’s workshops focused on three key areas: Outreach and Recruitment, Employee Resource Groups and Career Development and Advancement.

Other senior IC leaders at the summit echoed the DNI and recognized the importance of diversity to the success of the IC and the need for greater representation from minority populations. “Currently, the IC is not a reflection of the United States, therefore, that pipeline of diversity can’t be built in the last mile, it has to be built at the ground level,” said Bill Evanina, Director of the ODNI’s National Counterintelligence and Security Center.

For more information on the IC EEOD Enterprise Strategy, which provides a framework for collaboration across the IC and ensures that the IC fully leverages capabilities, resources, and authorities in a manner that drives innovation and sustainability, click here.

Source: ODNI