Your DEIA Maturity Journey

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Introduction to Strategic Planning

Creating a DEI strategy is about being intentional and willing to put in the work to reshape your organizational culture to one where inclusion and belonging are central to your success. Developing and implementing a strategic pathway will help you build the inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.

How to Design a DEIA Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide

This 4-phase, step-by-step guide will help you explore what should be included in your DEI strategy and how to implement your strategies into actionable inclusion efforts you can measure and deliver at scale. (The four phases include: Setting up your planning project infrastructure, Gathering and analyzing data, Defining your strategic priorities and Implementation)

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Designing a DEIA Strategic Plan

Introduction to Strategic Planning

How to Design a DEIA Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Designing a DEIA Strategic Plan

Overview

Meetings are the cornerstone of the strategic planning process. Include people from each relevant department, if possible. Let’s assume you’ve gotten the buy-in of the leadership team and you’re ready to move forward with strategic planning. There are a few things you’ll want to make sure you organize well. Just remember that the way it starts will set the tone and create a perception of the importance of driving the DEIA process within the organization.

Make sure to have a clear agenda prepared, so everyone knows what they can expect out of the meeting. The considerations you want to keep in mind are:

Who are the people you will be inviting to participate in the strategic planning process?
What are the agreements that will drive the interaction of the team (behaviors and communication guidance).
What are your objectives for this meeting? What is the overall intent of the meeting? What needs to be accomplished?
Is each agenda item for?
- Information only
- Feedback and input requested
- Decision to be made
- Discussion items should lead to actions, so be prepared to discuss action items with the committee.
- Is there information that should be sent in advance of the meeting so participants can prepare for the discussion?
- Agenda
- Pre-reading documents
- Reading assignments
Map out who will be speaking at the meeting and on which topic.

If it’s a virtual meeting, make sure everyone has the correct link, and test the link and ability for committee members to participate.

Make sure to communicate your expectations clearly so that everyone knows what is expected of them and why. Ultimately, your goal should be to align the team around a shared vision and mission so that you can move forward with a shared perspective.

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Participants

Key DEIA committee members

Members from departmental DEI, or equity committees
Senior leadership, including the Executive Director, CEO
Potentially a member of the Board of Directors
Individuals at all levels of the organization
Members from various departments within the organization
Individuals from the broader community who can provide a fresh perspective
You may want to consider including one or two people who have concerns about

Potential roles on the committee, to ensure it is managed effectively can be:

Executive Sponsor
Committee Chairperson
Vice Chairperson
Recorder

Strategic planning committee skills needed

While this group can be separate from the DEIA governance committee, there should be some overlap with the skills that are needed. Below are a few key skills needed by strategic planners:

Analytical skills: Strategic planners must be able to review information such as qualitative and quantitative data, demographic data at various levels of the organization and thru the intersections of peoples identities. Good analytical skills for strategic planners to possess include:

Systematic thinking
Logical thinking
Deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning

Communication skills: The strategic planning committee will need to share a lot of information, in an influential way. They must be able to effectively communicate their findings and the plan they’ve developed, along with the goals, key objectives and actions. They will also spend a lot of time listening to the views and opinions of others. Communication skills that strategic planners should possess include:

Active listening
Presentation skills
Collaboration
Influence
Public speaking

Leadership skills: Having leadership skills has nothing to do with the position you hold, it’s about your ability to inspire and motivate others. Strategic planners who are in leadership positions often oversee a strategy team and must be able to motivate and inspire their team to complete goals.

Effective team members
Communicates effectively
Emotional Intelligence
Personal leadership awareness
Influential

Problem-solving skills: Most strategic planners need to assess the organization’s gaps and disparities impact inclusion, equity and feelings of belonging. In order to do that, they must be able to effectively look past symptoms or surface issues and drill down to uncover organizational concerns in policies, practices and programs. Good problem-solving skills needed by strategic planners include:

Decision making
Analysis
Creativity

Critical thinking skills: This refers to a person’s ability to analyze information and come to a viable conclusion based on objective judgment. Strategic planners have to evaluate facts and data and draw conclusions. Examples of critical thinking skills include:

Adaptability
Brainstorming
Inductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning
Quantitative and qualitative diagnosis

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Templates

Meeting Planning Agenda Template

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Key DEIA committee members

Members from departmental DEI, or equity committees
Senior leadership, including the Executive Director, CEO
Potentially a member of the Board of Directors
Individuals at all levels of the organization
Members from various departments within the organization
Individuals from the broader community who can provide a fresh perspective
You may want to consider including one or two people who have concerns about

Potential roles on the committee, to ensure it is managed effectively can be:

Executive Sponsor
Committee Chairperson
Vice Chairperson
Recorder

Strategic planning committee skills needed

While this group can be separate from the DEIA governance committee, there should be some overlap with the skills that are needed. Below are a few key skills needed by strategic planners:

Systematic thinking
Logical thinking
Deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning

Active listening
Presentation skills
Collaboration
Influence
Public speaking

Effective team members
Communicates effectively
Emotional Intelligence
Personal leadership awareness
Influential

Decision making
Analysis
Creativity

Adaptability
Brainstorming
Inductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning
Quantitative and qualitative diagnosis

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Four Stages of DEI

According to Deloitte, there are four stages of diversity. By developing, then evaluating your DEIA strategy against these four stages, you can identify how DEIA is embedded into the culture of your organization.

Level 1 – Compliance-Focused Diversity – focuses on compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity and the company’s Affirmative Action requirements. This may be a federal contractor or a state contractor who is just checking the box of what is needed to stay compliant in the workplace.

Level 2 – Programmatic DEI – focuses on increasing the representation of specific demographic groups, for example, women, or minorities. This is where companies accept that it is essential to do this, and that it takes time and money to improve diversity and inclusion, but they are willing to do it because the benefits outweigh the costs.

Level 3 – Leader-Owned DEI – has a high level of focus on equity for all employees by identifying and eliminating systemic barriers. Leadership is engaged in the mission, and managers are incorporating diversity into their strategy. This is where a government contractor takes their AAP off the shelf and uses it as a working system in synergy with its other DEI goals.

Level 4 – Inclusive Culture – where actions include and celebrates people from all backgrounds and influences. These differences are fully integrated into the business and all aspects of the organization –systems, structures and staff.

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Sometimes the terms “mission statement” and “vision statement” are used interchangeably or even combined into a single statement.

But they mean two very different things. Your mission statement is what your company is doing right now, while your vision statement is what you hope to achieve in the future – where you are in this moment versus where you’re going.

Mission
The DEIA mission statement should be embedded under the umbrella of the company’s larger mission, vision, strategy and values. It outlines all that your organization is currently doing and is your public declaration of your commitment and actions, and often the first impression your company makes and your intended impact, so it should be an honest reflection of the commitment and impact your organization is striving for. It should represent the voice of those that are underrepresented. Below are samples of other organizations mission statements. You can use these for inspirations.

Vision
Your vision statement describes what your organization is building toward the future. It will be aspirational and highlight your ongoing commitment and your long-range goals. For example, you may share what you want to achieve . It highlights your goal, which might include attracting, developing and retaining the best and brightest from all walks of life and backgrounds. This requires an organization to have a culture of inclusion where all individuals feel respected, are treated fairly, provided work-life balance, and an opportunity to excel in their chosen careers.

Policy

Your organization will establish this policy as a commitment to making diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion a priority within the organization. The organization commits to developing and supporting equity fluent leadership. This policy will also support the goals and objectives as stated in the DEAI Action Plan, which is a separate strategic document that outlines actions to implement reasonable and achievable DEAI initiatives throughout the organization.

What are the roles and responsibilities of people driving DEI?

Leadership and Staff: Both leadership and staff will be responsible for utilizing the DEAI Policy when implementing the activities and initiatives listed in the DEAI Action Plan.
Board of Directors: The role of the Board of Directors is to provide oversight of policy compliance and ensure that staff follow and integrate the DEAI policy within the agency’s programs, policies, and practices.
DEI Committee: The role of the committee is to provide comments, advice, and recommendations to improve or enhance DEAI initiatives.

Components you might include in the DEI Policy

Your organization’s commitment to DEIA

[Name of organization] has a vision of [enter the vision you have for the organization and the people in it as well as your stakeholders]. We recognize there are long-standing systemic barriers that impede the advancement of fair and inclusive policies and limit the full participation of historically underserved and disadvantaged communities, especially those that face the most adverse impacts from societal, economic, and environmental burdens. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] recognizes that we have an obligation to maximize our efforts to eliminate disparities and ensure that our programs, policies, and practices are inclusive and accessible for everyone.
[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] commits to making diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility a priority. We also firmly uphold anti-discrimination, anti-racism, belonging and justice as core values. The [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] team, including all staff, Board of Directors, committees, and community groups, is committed to this DEAI Policy. This policy is a foundation for operating our business with a DEIA lens.
The [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] DEAI Policy [NAME OF PERSON WHO WILL LEAD THIS EFFORT] will help guide our work in the DEAI space. This document outlines the definitions, application, details, responsibility, administration, and communication of the policy. As the DEAI Policy explains what the agency will do in terms of DEAI initiatives, the DEAI Action Plan will cover how the agency will integrate DEAI initiatives into our programs, policies, and practices and strive towards our mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by expanding access to sustainable and affordable energy solutions. Both the DEAI Policy and Action Plan are in compliance with [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME]’s operational policies.

Definitions/Terminology

Diversity: Diversity is the presence of differences in people within any community that may include, but is not limited to race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, or veteran status. An intersectional approach to diversity goes beyond merely counting different kinds of representation in a group, but also recognizes differences in power dynamics between different identities, and how to equitably include and empower individuals from different backgrounds to participate within groups, decision making processes, and social justice movements.
Equity: Equity acknowledges historical factors that created oppressive societal structures and recognizes that we do not all start from the same place and must make adjustments to imbalances by providing power or resources to historically oppressed groups and persons. Equity promotes justice, impartiality, and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems.
Accessibility: Accessibility means persons with disabilities are provided with equal opportunity to acquire the same information, visit the same places, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as persons without disabilities. Accessibility means a commitment to removing a variety of barriers, including institutional, physical, informational, communication, attitudinal, and cultural.
Inclusion: Inclusion outcomes are met when your institution, your programs, and you personally are genuinely inviting to all. It is based on the degree to which diverse individuals can participate as appropriate in the decision-making processes and development opportunities within an organization or group thus empowering them.
Belonging: Belonging is the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. It is when an individual can bring their authentic self to work. When employees feel like they don’t belong at work, their performance and their personal lives suffer. Creating genuine feelings of belonging for all is a critical factor in improving engagement and performance. It also helps support business goals.

DEIA Responsible Party

Every part of the organization is responsible for implementing this policy as described in Section 3a, Roles and Responsibilities. In addition, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will establish a staff-led [Name of DEAI committee] that will be responsible for operationally implementing this policy throughout the organization.

Policy Administration

The [INSERT NAME OF DEIA COMMITTEE] will monitor and measure all DEAI commitments and initiatives through the DEAI Action Plan and will be responsible for identifying areas of progress and areas needing improvement.
The [INSERT NAME OF DEIA COMMITTEE] will also oversee the implementation of the DEAI initiatives and report progress to the [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] Board of Directors and leadership team on a semi-annual basis.

Leadership and Staff Accountability

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] leadership and staff are expected to support the DEAI Policy and be held accountable for upholding DEAI values throughout the agency.
Through the DEAI Action Plan, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] leadership and staff will establish a list of DEAI priorities and how best to measure results to improve the agency’s programs, policies, and practices. By doing this, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will be able to collect data to drive and assess the DEAI impact on the organization internally and externally. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will ensure that the priorities align with the Strategic Plan and ensure leaders are involved in setting DEAI goals. [Name of organization] staff will provide a semi-annual progress update to the Board of Directors on DEAI initiatives, and an annual report during the annual Strategic Plan update.

Human Resources and Employee Lifecycle

Recruitment, Promotions, and Retention

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will aim to recruit, promote, and retain a qualified diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve, especially workforce populations that are underserved and underrepresented.
Recruitment, promotions, and retention practices should be transparent and in compliance with [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME]’s human resources and operational policies.

Onboarding

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will expand the onboarding process to communicate the organization’s commitment to DEAI and support all employees to feel welcome and have the needed information to thrive at the organization. Additionally, during the onboarding process, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will inform incoming employees of how they can be involved in the agency’s DEAI efforts.

Compensation and Employee Performance Reviews

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] supports fairness in employee compensation and performance reviews.
[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will develop human resource practices to competitively compensate incoming and current employees through salary, benefits, and other amenities that appeal to a diverse workforce.
Additionally, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will enhance employee performance reviews and include DEAI metrics to measure employee accountability and development. These metrics will be tied to key performance indicators in the Strategic Plan and will be taken into consideration during compensation adjustments.

DEIA Learning and Development

Access to learning

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] understands the importance of involving employees in discussions regarding DEAI and ensuring that all employees have access to learn and develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities. All [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] leadership, employees, Board, and Citizen Advisory Committee members will participate in formal DEAI learning and development opportunities to expand their knowledge and awareness in the DEAI space.

Professional Development

All [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] staff will be provided equitable professional development opportunities, including DEAI specific learning in order to maintain, improve and strengthen their knowledge, expertise, and competence to perform their job duties and execute on the Strategic Plan.

Training

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] leadership will be required to participate in DEAI learning and development that includes education on how to hire and create an inclusive culture for people with disabilities as well as respond to accommodation requests made by internal and external stakeholders.

Supplier Diversity

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will make best efforts to encourage the participation and utilization of a diversity of suppliers and vendors on contracts and procurements. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will track and report on its progress regarding small, local, and diverse business entities spend amounts in its annual Supplier Diversity reports to [fill in] Additionally, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will conduct reasonable research to ensure that the companies that [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] works with are also committed to advancing and promoting equity.
[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] does not give preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] encourages minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, small, and local businesses to respond to solicitations. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] supports efforts to create supplier diversity and encourages contractors who may qualify to register with the CPUC Supplier Clearinghouse and the Department of General Services Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises programs.

Accessibility

Equitable access

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] is committed to providing equitable access and opportunity to individuals with disabilities in all programs, services, and activities. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] recognizes that in order to have equally effective opportunities and benefits, individuals with disabilities may need reasonable accommodations made to practices and procedures.

Accommodation Requests

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will respond to internal and external accommodation requests by providing equitable access to staff and the public. For internal requests, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will ensure reasonable accommodations are made for employees with disabilities so that they are able to perform the essential duties of their jobs without physical or procedural barriers. For external requests, [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will make a good faith effort to address accommodations by removing barriers to ensure stakeholders have access to public participation in [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] programs, services, and activities. Accommodation requests may include access to public meetings, interpretation/translation language services, large print outreach/program materials, closed captioning/live transcriptions, and accessible public facilities.

Website

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] websites must follow and be compliant with Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The websites should be accessible to people with disabilities and audited at least annually to ensure accessibility.

Communication and Marketing

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will utilize an equity lens when developing and distributing communication and outreach materials for programs and projects to improve informational awareness and increase inclusion and accessibility throughout the communities we serve.
Some examples of ensuring equity in [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] communications and outreach include, but are not limited to, providing outreach materials in languages needed to reach target populations, using imagery that mirrors the diversity of the communities we serve, using terminology that is gender neutral and respectful, and providing accommodations for people with disabilities and other accessibility needs.

Communication of Policy (see “Communication Planning”)

The [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] DEAI Policy will be posted and available on the [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] public website. [LIST OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION, INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.]

Program Design

[INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will adopt policies, programs, and practices to achieve equity for [who do you serve]. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will seek input and gain feedback from a wide and diverse set of community members when developing policies, programs, and practices. [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] will also ensure that programs are designed and evaluated through an equity lens to give underserved and underrepresented communities equitable access to [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] programs.
These efforts will be in compliance with [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME]’s operational policies.

Implementation

All employees are expected to understand and share the responsibility of upholding the [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] DEAI Policy. If an employee or community stakeholder notes that a section of the policy is not being upheld, they should bring it to the attention of [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME]’s [Job Title of person taking responsibility] or one of the members of the [INSERT NAME OF DEIA COMMITTEE]. After review by the Human Resources Director or a member of the [INSERT NAME OF DEIA COMMITTEE], concerns will be brought to the attention of [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] executive leadership and appropriate action will be taken.

Policy Review

The [INSERT ORGANIZATION NAME] DEAI committee will be responsible for performing an annual review of the DEAI Policy and modifying and updating the document if there are any major changes needed. The [INSERT NAME OF DEIA COMMITTEE] will present proposed updates to executive leadership and the Board of Directors for their approval.

RESOURCES

RESOURCE: Developing your DEIA Mission and Vision
RESOURCE: Sample DEIA Policy – word doc
RESOURCE: Sample DEIA Policy – pdf
RESOURCE: Developing your Policy Statement
RESOURCE: Sample Policy Statement from SHRM: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/policies/pages/diversitypolicy.aspx

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One of the first tactical steps in the strategy development process is data collection because it serves to provide information that will inform your process AND help you make decisions. Data collection is the process of gathering information from disparate places into one system of collection so you can analyze and look at information on an aggregate level, with information coming from multiple sources. The data you collect for purposes of strategy reporting will increase the chances of reaching your organization’s goals. Your goal is to capture data that will provide information regarding:

Voice of the Employees about their perception of the organization’s culture
Voice of the Employee about their perception of equity in company policies, practices, systems , structures ,and programs
Voice of the Employee regarding perceptions of inclusion (actions that signal the organization values their employees and makes them a part of decisions, process. development, etc.
Voice of the Employee regarding FEELINGS of belonging.,
Voice of the Employee regarding equity in external programs, marketing and more.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative data

Two types of data are used for strategic planning: quantitative and qualitative data.

Quantitative data can be counted or measured and given a numeric value. Because it is numeric, this type of data usually lives in databases or spreadsheets. Quantitative data is objective and relatively quick and easy to gather and analyze. But to get a more balanced view, you should also collect qualitative data.

Qualitative data (qualities rather than quantities) is an interpretation of something, usually as a result of observation. This includes ideas, opinions, and behaviors. Qualitative data is often used to help understand the root cause or contributing factors, or for telling the story behind quantitative data and gives you the context to why the number are what they are.

Goals, Objectives and Key Results (OKR)

Objectives and Key results (OKR) is a goal management methodology used to develop stretch goals. This framework requires regular check-ins, feedback, continuous learning, collaboration and problem-solving.

Goals are an achievable outcome that is generally broad and longer term.
An objective is shorter term and defines measurable actions to achieve an overall goal. While different, the two terms are often used in unison when working on a project.
Key Results quantify the objectives and break it down to specific metrics that can be used to measure the achievement of the objectives

Utilize KPI

For strategy reporting, there’s also another helpful way of categorizing data. These are called key performance indicators, or KPIs or Key Performance Indicators. KPIs have several important characteristics that differentiate them from other metrics:

They show if the organization is accomplishing its objectives. KPIs track measures that reflect your organization’s performance, specifically as it relates to a strategic goal. Not all measures drive business performance.
They are tied to specific business objectives. The main point of using KPIs is to ensure your organization reaches its highest-level objectives; therefore, you should link KPIs directly to strategic goals.

You may want to view this external video resource that provides an excellent explanation of KPIs and how they are used.

To provide an example that will be useful to you, the textbox below shows the difference between KPIs and the metrics that support them.

KPIs Vs. Metrics Example

For an example, consider X Company has a strategic objective to educate staff via online training (thru a learning management system) about DEI terminology. In this case, here’s what its KPI and associated metrics might look like:

KPI:Learning Management System traffic
KPI target:1,000 learners per month
Method for measuring:Track the number of LMS visits
Metrics that support the KPI:
- Time on site
- Completion rate
- Exit rate

If X Company doesn’t meet the KPI target, it is not attracting people to its LMS and will have difficulty achieving its goal. To understand why this problem is occurring, the company could dig into the associated metrics for clues.

To create effective KPIs, you must first start with a clearly defined business objective. Then you’re ready to begin developing your KPIs.

Identifying KPI activities

It’s important to define key performance indicators. But they’re not always easy to identify. Here’s a couple of tips:

if your goal is to increase training participation, but you don’t know which activity will make that happen, then simply measure “attendance.” This KPI will tell you how many people attended and if you reached your KPI target goal over a specific period of time.
NOW, you can look at contributing factors and identify different activities to see what actually does make an impact on attendance.
When you do find out which activity will drive better results, select that activity as your KPI. For example, if you know sales increase when your sales team makes more outbound calls, choose “# of outbound calls” as your KPI. You’ll know that if you hit or exceed your target for outbound calls, your sales numbers will also increase. You could have more than one KPI if both are strong leading indicators.

Make sure each KPI meets the SMART framework

Identifying the activities that have an impact on your DEIA objectives gets you closer to determining your KPIs, but an effective KPI should also be SMART:

Specific:Clearly defined
Measurable: Easily quantifiable
Attainable:Realistic to obtain
Realistic:Practical and pragmatic
Timely:Measurable by time

RESOURCE: DEIA Key Performance Indicator worksheet

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When an organization wants to evaluate its overall effectiveness, it might use a SWOT analysis, which identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats using an objective approach. Each aspect is applied to the current DEI practices to evaluate effectiveness, efficiency and readiness for change. The SWOT analysis addresses internal and external factors. The company’s strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors; the external factors are opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis is an effective tool to:

Provide a systematic way of identifying internal and external factors that impact DEIA
Give insight to where focus should be with your DEIA efforts
Develop a solid foundation to develop the DEIA strategy
Tie DEIA to the overall organization strategy
Look outwards to other organizations
Determine if policies, projects, programs have pros and cons that need to be addressed

Below is a guide to identify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats:

Identify STRENGTHS (internal to the organization)
1. Brainstorm the organizations strengths relating to the diversity of the organization, equitable policies, practices and programs, actions of inclusion and having an environment where there is feelings of belonging. Some questions to consider are:

What positive attributes are displayed with the diversity of our organization?
What achievements have we made?

What have we done well to accomplish existing DEIA goals?

What do we do well that our employees can identify?

Determine WEAKNESSES (internal to the organization)
1. It’s ok to look at the challenges within your organization. That’s the only way you can grow. You can gather insight from team members, customer experiences and other areas where feedback has been given. Some questions you can ask are:

What are some internal factors that might make it challenging to achieve DEIA goals?
Where can we improve?

What are we lacking to help us meet our goals (resources, tools, technology, commitment, etc.)?

Analyze OPPORTUNITIES (external from the organization)
1. Looking external to the organization can help you think broader and more creatively about opportunities to improve or resources that will help with your DEIA efforts. Some questions you might ask are:

What services and offerings are others offering?
What programs have focused on equity, inclusion and belonging that our organization can explore?

What are the market trends?

How does the community view our DEIA brand?

Identify THREATS (external to the organization)
1. Threats are external to the organization, so it’s most likely that these haven’t; negatively impacted the organization. However, it’s important that you identify what MIGHT eventually have a negative impact on your people or your process. This way you can be proactive in developing a plan to mitigate or eliminate any negative effects. Think about social concerns, laws that highlight or increases inequities, organizations within your industry with negative marketing efforts, etc. Some questions you can ask are:

What is the social environment that impacts your employees?
What could put the organization at risk?

How do our employees view us in the marketplace?

Are our external facing programs losing their relevance in serving to diverse audiences?

The results generated by a SWOT analysis makes up part of your business planning. It can also help you to:

better understand your DEIA culture
identify areas that need improving
understand your market and competitors

Limitations of the SWOT

A SWOT analysis:

will not prioritize issues—it must be reviewed to produce meaningful results
will not provide solutions or offer alternative decisions—you must look at the issues noted and work to generate solutions
can generate too many ideas but will not help you choose which one is best—when this occurs, try to limit the scope of the analysis to only a few solutions
can produce a lot of information, but it may not all be useful—you must review the data generated to determine what is relevant.

Resource: SWOT Analysis pdf

Systems

Organizational hierarchy considerations
- How has the organizational leaders positioned themselves to show their commitment to DEIA?
- What are the demographics of the leadership team, and does it show their commitment to DEI? What’s the perception from the employees’ viewpoint?
- How are the policies, practices, procedures, and programs developed? Top-down? DEI doesn’t drive these but should be interwoven into their development and framed with an equitable lens.
Culture Considerations
- Does your organizational culture (the values, expectations, and practices that guide and inform the actions and behaviors of all team members) show, by action, that they are strongly held and widely shared set of beliefs ?
- Is your organization’s culture supported by strategy and structure?
- Is there a culture of psychological safety that exists?
- Do your employees know how top management wants them to respond to when DEIA concerns arise?
- Do employees know and believe that it is unacceptable when they demonstrate something that goes against the organization’s values? How is this shown?

Communications Considerations
- What communication vehicles currently exist at your organization and how effective are they?
- How might they be used to support your strategic DEIA strategic plan?
- What communication gaps currently exist at your organization and are they being closed?
- Does feedback flow freely throughout the organization?
- Is your organization’s communication filtered with a DE&I lens? If not, why not—and how can this be addressed?
- Does your organization have a communications strategy that is used to
- How does your organization communicate what they are doing well relative to the DEIA journey? How often?
- Does your organization consider change management when developing their communication?
  - RESOURCE: Communications actions you can take

Branding and Marketing Considerations
- How does your organization currently review branding, marketing and advertising with a DEIA lens to ensure it reflects the organization’s values?
- How do you ensure the messages in your marketing and advertising activities do not contain any negative or overly slanted cultural biases?
- Does your organization currently participate in targeting specific communities? Why?
  - RESOURCE: Branding and Marketing actions you can take

Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) Considerations
- What are your organization’s key corporate and social responsibility objectives?
- What CSR activities are currently underway in your organization? How might your diversity and inclusion efforts benefit from already existing CSR efforts?
- What communities are you intentionally targeting, attracting, recruiting, and sourcing information, work or feedback from? Does this provide a culturally broad or narrow focus?
- How might these CSR efforts benefit the community?
- How might CSR efforts help to promote your organization within these target groups?
  - RESOURCE: Corporate and Social Responsibility actions you can take

Structures

Policy Considerations

Overall HR policies (Example: Pay equity policy considerations)
- Do you utilize a subjective evaluation-based compensation model or utilize only objective measures (experience, education, geographical location)?
- Has your organization conducted a pay equity assessment to ensure there are no disparate impacts on people based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, ability status and more?
- Are there written policies that outline decisions for pay differentials?
- Is there pay transparency in the organization?
Supplier Diversity policy considerations
- Does your organization have an established process to ensure supplier diversity and equity?
- How does your organization qualify the business as a diverse supplier? Are you verifying certification from one (or more) of these organizations:
  - Ethnic minorities: National Minority Supplier Development Council or regional affiliate; org
  - Women: Women’s Business Enterprise National Council; org
  - Service-disabled veteran or veteran owned: U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs; gov
  - LGBT: National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce; org
  - RESOURCE: Supplier Diversity Actions you can take

Accessibility policy considerations

Has your organization considered whether your meeting room(s) is wheelchair-friendly, whether you have accurate closed captions on a video presentation?
Does your office space have adequate accommodations for employees with sensory sensitivities?
Do you have a variety of avenues through which talent may access application materials (including non-web-based channels)?
Are your programs designed to ensure accessibility for all?
Are your public spaces accessible to the people who utilize them?
Does internal and external signage address accessibility concerns?
Practices Considerations (Internal and External)

Internal practices are the inner workings of the organization that affect employee relationships, interactions, and accomplishments. They might include:

How work is organized
Processes for how work gets done
employee roles
Recruitment activities that are not a part of the official recruitment policy
Onboarding (unless a part of the recruitment policy)
Training, development
Career development (including sponsoring and mentoring, unless there is a documented policy)
Informal internal communications channels
Use of technology

External practices define how your organization interacts with those who are not employees of the organization or connected thru providing a fiduciary responsibility to the organization, such as the Board of Directors. Think of practices (not policies) that impact:

Suppliers/Vendors
Partnerships
Customers
Products
Service offerings

Program Considerations
- Internal Programs
- External Programs and Community Engagement

Staff

Talent Acquisition and Recruitment Considerations:

Many organizations say they hire for diversity but don’t have an intentional effort to seek diverse candidates. They also fail to provide equitable opportunities for advancement to their diverse hires.

Does your organization have established goals on DE&I and recruiting? If so, are these goals internally driven or mandated by law?
What organizations/agencies can the organization partner with to find a diverse pool of candidates?
Have job descriptions for open positions been updated recently? Are they still accurate reflections of the skills needed to perform the job effectively?
Have the hiring goals for this job group been communicated to the hiring manager, checked for understanding, and agreed upon to increase the likelihood of a good hire?
Is there a current job description for this position and clear-cut performance standards that can fairly evaluate any new hire without bias?
Where should the organization advertise to attract a diverse pool of well-qualified applicants for this position?
What policies and benefits are in place in the organization that would attract diverse candidates (e.g., flexible hours, job-sharing, etc.)?
What training has the organization provided to hiring managers to ensure that the best candidate is selected?
Has the organization reviewed its onboarding process to make certain that new hires receive the right information and a welcome that will secure a partnership with the organization?
How will human resources follow up with the hiring manager and the new employee to make sure the new partnership is working?
- RESOURCE: Talent Acquisition actions you can take

Onboarding Considerations
- RESOURCE: Onboarding actions you can take

Performance Management Considerations

Performance management may include :
- Employee goals
- Performance monitoring
- Rewards and recognition
- Taking corrective actions
- Performance evaluations

Employee Retention Considerations
- What is our organization’s current turnover rate? How does this number compare with those of our chief competitors?
- How much does it cost our organization to replace a single employee?
- Who typically leaves our organization? Are there marked differences among turnover rates for men versus women? White people versus people of color? People with disabilities versus those without? Baby Boomers versus Generation X or Generation Y staff?
- Does our organization conduct exhaustive exit interviews to find out why employees are voluntarily leaving? If so, what do these interviews tell you about why employees leave?
- Is there any reason to suspect that those who feel excluded, unfairly treated or discriminated against would refrain from stating their true motivations during an exit interview? If so, what measures could be put into place to collect more accurate data?
  - RESOURCE: Employee Retention actions you can take

Employee Engagement
Training and Development
What knowledge, skills and abilities (e.g., communication, empathy) must your organization’s employees possess to effectively contribute to a diverse and inclusive workplace?
What additional knowledge, skills and abilities (e.g., issue identification, group dynamics) must your organization’s managers possess to effectively recruit a diverse team and manage staff in an equitable inclusive way?
What additional knowledge, skills and abilities (e.g., visioning, cross-cultural competence) must your organization’s leaders possess to role model DE&I, ensure that your organization’s clients or customers are treated with respect, and chart the correct path for your organization’s future?
Which learning methods would be the most appropriate to employ, given the competencies you wish to support?
How can your organization frame training and development related to DE&I so that it is, if at all possible, an ongoing activity and not restricted to isolated experiences in a classroom?
Who must you engage to lead DE&I training and development initiatives within your organization?

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Strategic Priorities checklist

It’s important to review the areas of your strategic priorities against seven characteristics that make your strategy highly effective (MIT Sloan Management Review). The checklist below can help leaders Identify if their strategic priorities will be effective meeting the organizational DEIA objective(s) and in driving implementation.

Graph source: MIT Sloan Management Review

RESOURCE: Strategic Priorities Effectiveness Review worksheet

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1: Overview

The IEDEIA team encourages our clients to use a project implementation plan because it defines and documents everything about how your DEIA journey will be executed. It will explain and outline the strategic goals and actionable steps involved, define expected completion timelines, resources needed (including team members) and all other information. Using a project plan is one of several project management best practices. It’s also different from a work plan: Although we include timeframes and team accountability measures, our DEIA implementation plan template encompasses a much wider range of information.

The IEDEIA DEIA Implementation Plan template is accessible document containing all relevant aspects of a project creates a single source of truth for teams, managers, executives, vendors, customers, and more. When anyone and everyone associated with a project is working from the same playbook, teams and businesses enjoy clearer, more focused, and more transparent communication.

2: Project Plan Details

Summary components of implementation plans

No matter what tool you use, consider a project/implementation tracking system to ensure you’re strategically working thru your action plan. If possible, find a project management tool that is a collaborative, intuitive platform with multiple project views where managers can plan projects on Gantt charts or the sheet view while teams can use kanban boards, calendars or robust task lists to manage their work.

Your organization will be required to:

Develop a milestone for completing each goal
Clearly identify the specific work steps needed to complete the goal
Identify the actions needed to reach the goal
Stage the activities so they do not overlap against dependencies
Assign roles/ownership of each action
Provide progress updates

At a minimum you will want to have the following components included (which we have in our simple Excel spreadsheet template below).

Task level activities and sequencing of tasks (expanded area)

Tasks are the small actions that lead to the final deliverable. It’s important to map out the sequence of these tasks before you begin working thru your implementation plan. Otherwise, you’ll be all over the place and not effective nor efficient. It’s also important to identify if there is a task that is dependent on a different task to start or finish.

Once you’ve collected your tasks and have them in proper order, you should take the opportunity to divide your tasks by importance, or place a filtered column to identify importance and prioritization. You need to know which is critical and must be done first and those less important that can be done later in time. You could use a priority matrix to facilitate this process.

Milestones (expanded area)

Then, break your tasks down with milestones, or start to finish and duration timeframe which makes it easier to track progress. Based on your implementation schedule, internal milestones could provide more information that will help you in communicating to stakeholders who will need to understand the length of time it takes to complete each activity and each section of your implementation plan.

Estimated implementation timeline (expanded area)

A key element of any implementation plan is a concrete timeframe for the project (and its implementation). These dates are not set in stone at the beginning of a project and can be adjusted as you continue to build out the plan. This will be especially important as you begin to identify the dependencies for the completion of each activity. But the dates do provide a goal to work toward and give stakeholders some context for what they’re signing off on.

Dependencies (expanded area)

Some tasks can be done in a linear timeline or simultaneously. But some tasks are dependent on others to start or finish before they can – start or finish. To risk bottlenecks or holding up for task completion, these task dependencies must be mapped out in your schedule as you work thru the initial implementation plan.

Project Ownership/ Assign Resources (expanded area)

Every task on your schedule should be assigned to someone to take ownership of driving it. It does not mean they will have to complete the actual task but they will ensure it gets completed within the timeline and with the resources allocated. Tasks aren’t done on their own, and without mapping the resources available, you’re at risk.