G OVERNMENT- WIDE S TRATEGIC P LAN TO A DVANCE
D IVERSITY, E QUITY, I NCLUSION, AND A CCESSIBILITY IN THE
F EDERAL W ORKFORCE
Government-wide
Strategic Plan to Advance
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and
Accessibility in the Federal Workforce
Overview and Background
On June 25, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce (Executive Order). This Executive Order launched a
whole-of-government initiative to cultivate a federal workforce that draws from the full diversity
of the Nation and that advances equitable employment opportunities. The Executive Order
reaffirms that the United States (U.S.) is at its strongest when our Nation’s workforce reflects the
communities it serves, and when our public servants are fully equipped to advance equitable
outcomes for all American communities.
Even with decades of progress building a federal workforce that draws from the full diversity of
the Nation, many underserved communities
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remain under-represented in the federal workforce,
especially in positions of leadership. As the Nation’s largest employer, the federal workforce
must be our country’s model of excellence for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
(DEIA). Meeting this mandate requires all of us – public servants at all levels of every agency –
to contribute to advancing DEIA in the federal workforce.
The Executive Order establishes a DEIA Initiative to be led by the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) and the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) – in coordination with the Chair of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and in consultation with the Assistant to the President for
Domestic Policy, Secretary of Labor, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
(OSTP), Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (NSA), Director of the National
Economic Council (NEC), and the Co-Chairs of the Gender Policy Council (GPC). The DEIA
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The Executive Order defines “underserved communities” as populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well
as geographic communities, who have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of
economic, social, and civic life. In the context of the federal workforce, this includes individuals who belong to
communities of color, such as Black and African American, Hispanic and Latino, Native American, Alaska Native
and Indigenous, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and North African persons.
It also includes individuals who belong to communities that face discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and
gender identity (including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender non-conforming, and non-binary
(LGBTQI+) persons); persons who face discrimination based on pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions;
parents; and caregivers. It includes individuals who belong to communities that face discrimination based on their
religion or disability; first-generation professionals or first-generation college students; individuals with limited
English proficiency; immigrants; individuals who belong to communities that may face employment barriers based
on older age or former incarceration; persons who live in rural areas; veterans and military spouses; and persons
otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty, discrimination, or inequality. Individuals may belong to more
than one underserved community and face intersecting barriers.