The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

58 JUNE 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Working with Affinity Groups to Foster Diversity Across Foreign Affairs Agencies How does an employer cul- tivate a diverse work force? It’s not an easy task. And if the employer is the federal government and the work- force is spread across all the six foreign affairs agencies, the task is that much more complex. A key factor in address- ing the diversity challenge for the Foreign Service lies in partnerships with employee affinity groups. These groups are formed by individuals with a common interest or goal and are usually built around characteristics pro- tected by equal employment opportunity regulations, such as race, gender and sexual orientation. They are, however, open to all employ- ees and not limited to those of a certain gender, ethnic or racial background. Employee affinity pro- grams originally emerged during a time when it was rare to see members of marginalized groups in senior positions. For example, one of the oldest groups was founded in 1973 by two man- agement-level U.S. Informa- tion Agency Foreign Service officers who saw the need to address a lack of diversity in the Foreign Service. That group would come to be known as the Thurs- day Luncheon Group. TLG’s goal is to focus on outreach and engagement with State Department officials in order to advance long-term career opportunities for African- Americans in foreign affairs in both the Civil and Foreign Services. Since TLG’s early days, affinity groups have flour- ished and are now as varied as the personnel they serve. For example, the Presidential Management Fellows Pro- gram, which entails a rigor- ous selection process, caters to individuals with advanced degrees seeking to join the Civil Service. GLIFAA was initially formed to challenge a security clearance process that discriminated against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. Two newer groups, Veterans at State and the Arab Ameri- cans in Foreign Affairs Agen- cies, were founded in 2014 and 2015, respectively. At a roundtable on diversity in January (see “AFSA Convenes Roundtable Discussion on Diversity” in the March AFSA News), AFSA brainstormed ways to work collectively with affinity groups and human resources offices at State and USAID to improve recruitment strategies and retention and inclusion. “AFSA has a strong—and growing—rela- tionship with the various affinity groups at State and in the other foreign affairs agencies,” says AFSA Presi- dent Robert J. Silverman. “We appreciate the opportunity to interact with them, as we did in our recent affinity group roundtable. It is one of the best mechanisms we have to hear about issues that impact our members.” The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the State Department’s Manage- ment Directive 715 Equal Employment Opportunity Program Status Report, which provides statistical data on the department’s diversity and inclusion efforts, including identifica- tion of workforce develop- ment barriers. AFSA has identified several concerns, both in process and sub- stance, regarding the MD-715. Not surprisingly, almost half of the affinity groups AFSA spoke with were founded after 2000, reflect- ing an increase in the diver- sity of the Foreign Service’s workforce and the continued need to address institutional barriers. AFSA has taken on the challenge of promoting diversity within the Service by incorporating an explicit diversity objective in its stra- tegic plan. It has also been working closely with agency leadership and Congress on several diversity-specific provisions in the current Department of State reau- thorization process. Affinity groups and AFSA agree: diversity is good for business and good for morale. When individuals from different backgrounds, perspectives and experi- ences come together, they are able to collaborate in new ways to come up with innova- tive solutions to challenges faced by the Foreign Service and our country in the 21st century. n —Lindsey Botts, Labor Management Executive Assistant AFSA hosts a roundtable for affinity group representatives on January 15.. AFSA/DEBRABLOME