USAID’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is both a moral imperative (we treat others with respect and value the humanity of each and every person) and a business imperative (to attract and retain talent, to be innovative, to enhance our workplace culture, and to deliver the best on behalf of the American people). Our core values include:
- Respect: demonstrate respect for one another, our partners, and the people we serve in communities around the world.
- Empowerment: elevate all voices striving for global economic, environmental, and social progress.
- Inclusion: value our differences and draw strength from diversity.
USAID has identified diversity and inclusion as part of a critical objective in our five-year Human Resources Transformation Strategy.
The following is an excerpt from USAID’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan:
“Out of many, one” reads the seal of the United States, defining the central piece of our nation’s identity—the belief that together, we are greater than the sum of our parts. As part of the workforce of the United States government, USAID has an opportunity and a duty to embody that identity. Not only does a strong culture of diversity and inclusion provide a rich set of problem-solvers to address our world’s greatest development challenges, but it also reflects who we are -- “from the American people”-- to the people with whom we partner in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
Underlying our diversity and inclusion strategic plan are several key principles. As an agency, we are committed to the concept of inclusive development, in which the views and interests of traditionally marginalized and disempowered groups in developing countries – including women, people with disabilities, youth, indigenous people, displaced populations and members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community – are also embraced as significant contributors to our planning and execution process in support of our mission. In our own agency, these same principles of broad empowerment must be infused into our culture and practice. This approach is based not only in law and concepts of fairness and equity; we firmly believe that it is the best way to ensure effective and sustainable programs.
USAID will move in a purposeful and directed manner to increase the transparency of human capital processes as an approach to foster the inclusion that leads to the diversity of the workforce. We must scrupulously enforce legal and regulatory protections, but it is not enough to eliminate formal discriminatory practices. USAID will examine all its human resources procedures and practices to identify hidden biases and barriers that remain and move to eliminate them. Glass ceilings have no place in a modern development enterprise. USAID will also focus on data to drive our efforts to realize a truly diverse workforce and inclusive work environment."
