Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council August 19, 2019 Handout Packet
Handout Page # (in red) Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council 1‐4
Workplace Culture Transformation Advisor‐ Biography 5 4 question values survey‐ survey instrument 6‐7 4 question values survey‐ infographic 8 4 question values survey‐ frequently asked questions 9‐ 14 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey – 15 Agency Specific Questions Report to the Hill; US Department of Interior Actions to 16‐24 Address Harassment in the Workplace New Employee Orientation – 25 Office of Strategic Employee Organizational Development Respect and Leading for Respect‐ 26‐29 Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Automated Career Pathing 30 Office of Human Capital (OHC) Bureau Success! National Park Service (NPS) 31 Women and Leadership in Visitor and Resource Protection Bureau Success! Office of the Special Trustee (OST) 32‐33 OST Leadership Values and 10 Promises Bureau Success! Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 34‐ 50 Dignity and Respect “We Stand Together” campaign Policy, Management, and Budget (PMB) Exchange 51‐53
United States Department of the Interior OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Washington, DC 20240
FEB 2 6 2019 Memorandum
To: Susan Combs Senior Advisor to the Secretary Exercising the Authority of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget
From: Raymond A. Limon� .' · Deputy Assistant Secretary - Human Capital and Diversity Chief Human Capital Officer
Subject: Creation of Departmental Workplace Culture TransformationAdvisory Council
In support of our great workforce, the U.S. Department of the Interior (Department) is committed to providing a work environment freeof discrimination and harassment. Since the issuance of an Office of the Inspector General report in 2016 on.sexual harassment at the Grand Canyon National Park, the Department has taken significantsteps toward understanding and addressing harassment across the workforce. With many of the initial critical activities well underway, it is time to look forwardto ensure that the changes that have been made permanently transform the Department'swork environment in all locations and at all levels within the context of the broader effortto transform theDepartment into the Best Place to Work in the Federal government.
Background
In a series of comprehensive actions, the Department has committed to addressing this issue and underscored its importance to all employees via multiple leadership communications; sought to understand the scope of the problem with a wide-ranging work environment survey; and begun building the capacity to address specificinstances of inappropriate conduct with effortsto enhance workplace investigations, misconduct case tracking, and human resources and legal counsel capacity. In April 2018, the Department launched the firstagency-wide policy on the "Prevention and Elimination of Harassing Conduct," which was a crucial step in setting the requirements forboth the expected behavior of employees and forresponse procedures for managers when instances of harassing conduct are reported. The policy prohibits a range of behaviors that include, but are even broader than, illegal harassment, and establishes that supervisors will be held accountable if they failto swiftlyaddress known issues.
In addition, individual bureaus/officeshave undertaken multi-faceted action planningefforts to address their work environment survey results by identifyingactivities that,would best address the problems within their organization's specific workplace culture-and report on the progress achieved in their action plans to the Department on a quarterly basis. In September 2018, the Department began convening monthly meetings of bureau/office Anti-Harassment Points of .. , .; ...
Contact (POCs), who are closest to their organization's action plan implementation efforts, in order to assist organizations in sharing information, leveraging best practices, and collaborating to find efficiencies. POCs have identified many common needs and challenges that are difficult to overcome on their own, particularly for smaller organizations that do not have committed staffing/resources.
After almost one year of the Department-wide policy being in effect and bureau/office action planning underway, it is time to look forward to ensure that common bureau/office needs are addressed in the most efficient way possible and that recent improvements become a permanent part of the Department's workplace culture.
Establis.hment of Departmental Workforce Culture Transformation Advisory Council
Department-wide programming to support across-the-board culture transformation is necessary in order to ensure that all of the Department's over 2,300 operating locations across the United States are safe, welcoming work environments that engage employees and never subject employees, visitors, or members of the public to harassment and discrimination.
To advance comprehensive culture change, I propose the creation of a Workforce Culture Transformation Advisory Council that will meet monthly to set the vision and identify specific Department-wide programming to be implemented across the board that will enable all of the Department's organizations to succeed in making permanent positive changes to the work environment, and to continually evaluate incoming data and metrics to determine program success.
Chaired by the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, the Advisory Council will be composed of the highest levels of the Department's leadership. The discussions of this group will result in an anti-harassment program with ties to broader critical needs related to workforce culture - such as employee engagement, equal opportunity, ethics, retention, recruitment, succession planning, etc. - to support the Department's aim to become the Best Place to Work in the Federal government.
The Advisory Council will provide a forum for Assistant Secretaries and bureau/office leaders to share best practices that have been well-received in their organizations and allow on-the-ground practitioners in the bureaus/offices to raise new ideas for generating positive change to leadership's attention. Moreover, the leadership provided by the Workforce Culture Transformation Advisory Council will result in sustained, faster progress, and more cost effective program implementation than if each organization continued to develop and implement substantially similar programs on its own. The Advisory Council will be supported by a small office that will engage with existing teams at both the Department and bureau/office levels to implement the Advisory Council's decisions. See attached for the proposed organizational structure of the Advisory Council and support office.
Attachment
2 •
Workforce Culture Transformation AdvisoryCouncil Structure
Chaired by the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, the Advisory Council will be composed of Assistant Secretaries/Deputy Assistant Secretaries and/or Bureau Directors/Deputy Directors.
The Advisory Council will be supported by: • A senior level Program Lead who will coordinate the efforts and represent the program Department-wide; • A Project Manager on detail, provided by bureaus/officeson a rotational basis forfour months at a time to work with the Program Lead, in order to not only carryout the objectives, but also to bring a bureau/office perspective to the Department-wideefforts; • The Anti-Harassment POC group, which will remain engaged in each organization's own ongoing efforts, but will also work to join those effortswith the Department-wide initiatives; and • Existing related Department- andbureau/office-level offices that will continue to provide subject matter expertiseto support the new initiatives.
------.... , Supported by: Anti-Harassment POCs I & I '1 Subject Matter Experts from: I I I I OHC & Bureau HR Offices OCR & Bureau EEO Offices I I Employment and Labor Law Unit /1 Ethics Office I CADR / I OSEOD & Bureau Training Offices oureaus/ollices) L ------
3 7/25/20 1 9 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Mail - Transforming DOl's Workplace Culture- We Need You
Combs, Susan
Transforming DOl's Workplace Culture- We Need You
Combs, Susan
Good Morning,
This is a truly wonderful Department and I know we all feel privileged to work here. You and your teams have all been engaged in various initiatives over the last two years to improve the overall workplace culture in your organizations, and I trust that you feel as strongly as I do that we need to maintain these efforts as a clear priority in order to cement the progress that we've made.
Particularly in the area of anti-harassment efforts, each bureau/office has made significant headway in putting a diverse set of measures in place to prevent and address unacceptable conduct, which will go a long way toward improving the work environment for our employees, partners. and visitors. I have briefed our leadership on those efforts but now is the time we build upon those efforts and do more. To that end, I believe that it would be helpfu l for us to create a forum in which you can highlight the particularlysu ccessful efforts in your organizations from which everyoneels e in the Departmentcould also benefit. Such a fo rum would also generate opportunities to find efficiencies in implementing good ideas across the board. In addition, putting the anti-harassment efforts into the larger context of improving employee engagement would also allow us to address additional needs, such as building career paths that cross bureau/office silos and looking at common priorities identified on the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. These areas would also benefit from being elevated to senior level attention in order to permanently change the Department's workplace culture.
To demonstrate this commitment, I invite you to join me in forming the Workplace Culture TransformationAdvi sory Council in order to keep our focus on these issues. I see this as an opportunity for all of us to engage together on working toward the worthygoal of transforming the Department's culture for future generations. Please see the attached informational memorandum for additional details. I look forwardto your involvement and will asking you to meet with me by mid-March to discuss launching this initiative. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Raymond Limon, Chief Human Capital Officer.
Susan
Susan Combs U.S. Department of the Interior 1-202-208-4482--- -
https://mail.google . com/mail/blAH 1 rexS5Oqlaxm2SrPGk9e3BpnX6VqL voXs _5tr j81 tSV-j27Cvr/u/0?ik=4f5439e3d4&view=pt&search=all&permmsgid= . . . 1 /2 Biography & background for InHR Quarterly M a y 2019 Workplace Culture Transformation Advisor Employee Spotlight: Tammy Duchesne, DOI experience as a museum technician and safe, supporting, engaging, and curator, I was promoted to become the rewarding. I am grateful and excited Chief of Cultural Resources at War in the about this new challenge to improve Pacific NHP and American Memorial Park the workplace for the people that in Saipan. Since walking into a national protect our amazing public lands. park with my resume in 2001, I also What do you appreciate most detailed as the Chief of Natural and about your job/agency? Cultural Resources at Sitka National Historical Park in Alaska, was the I love NPS and DOI because we take Management Assistant to the Northeast care of some of the most beautiful, Regional Director in the NPS Philadelphia culturally and historically significant Regional Office, and served as places in the world. Just as much as Superintendent of Women’s Rights, I value the DOI lands and resources, Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau, and Kaloko- I am equally inspired by the people I Honokōhau National Historical Parks. have worked with over the last 16 years at DOI. I have had amazingly What drew you to this job? supportive and encouraging bosses My passion for equality and justice is long and mentors (thank you!) and I am in -standing. My dad was a civil rights awe of my smart, dedicated, and activist and a feminist. I am blessed to passionate colleagues. I work with have been raised by parents who wonderful people who are committed believed in justice, equality and that to taking care of awe-inspiring places Tammy Duchesne is the Department’s everyone deserves respect and the same and resources, what could be better? rights and opportunities. During my time Workplace Culture Transformation Advisor What do you do for fun? in the Office of the Secretary of the as Superintendent of Women’s Right Interior. The Workplace Culture National Historical Park in New York, I I spend a lot of my free time in our Transformation Advisor is a newly-created was able to learn about the suffrage parks, refuges, and public lands. I position in the Office of the Secretary to movement and how a small group of love road tripping, hiking, trail help lead the Department in eliminating dedicated and passionate people worked running, and camping. I also love harassment in all DOI workplaces and together to get women the right to vote. visiting UNESCO World Heritage improving the workplace culture. In this This experience was inspiring and it sites and camper vanning in capacity, the Advisor will work with senior further ignited my desire to work towards international national parks like New leaders, the Workforce Culture equality and social justice. Zealand, Australia, and Chile. I also enjoy practicing Spanish with friends Transformation Advisory Council, and From March 2017 to May 2019, I was the and colleagues. change-agents from the Department and NPS Harassment Prevention and each bureau to develop and execute a Response Coordinator. In this role, I Photos courtesy of Tammy holistic and strategic plan to prevent worked to prevent and respond to Duchesne, DOI. harassment and foster a safe and harassing conduct in the NPS through engaging work environment. data analysis, How did you become a DOI employee? conducting trainings, policy revisions, and In 2001, after teaching Spanish to 8th development of a graders for 5 years, I bought a one-way complaint tracking ticket and pursued a Master of Arts in system. I was ecstatic Micronesian Studies at the University of to see the vacancy Guam. Within a week of arriving on the announcement so I island, I stopped by War in the Pacific could continue doing National Historical Park with my resume the work I love and and wanted to do meaningful work in begin collaborating anthropology, history, and Micronesian with DOI bureaus to Studies. Luckily, they needed help with create department- their museum collection and I worked as a wide change. contractor museum technician, intern, and volunteer from 2001-2003. In 2003, I was I believe all converted to a GS-5 Museum Technician employees should be position through the Student Career able to do the work Experience Program (before it became the they love in an Pathways Programs). After gaining more environment that is
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Survey instrument for 4 question values survey
Transforming DOI's Workplace Culture - We Need You The Department of the Interior is committed to being the best place to work in the Federal Government. Your help is requested in establishing a unified Department-wide set of core workplace values that will define how we interact with and treat each other. Please take this anonymous survey to help us understand your perspectives on the Department's current workplace culture and help us identify and define Department-wide workplace values moving forward.
* Required
Survey Questions An organization's workplace culture describes the entire workplace environment, is the character and personality of an organization, and consists of the values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that employees share and use on a daily basis in their work. Organizational workplace culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients and with stakeholders.
If you had to describe the present culture of the Department of the Interior (for example, the values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that employees share and use on a daily basis in their work) in three words, which three words would you choose?
Please enter your responses in the text boxes below.
1. Word 1 *
2. Word 2 *
3. Word 3 *
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YRTSamyZZ0CM0ndWVC4owWAAmOFfKhi5Wyl5M-47IHc/edit 1/2 5/31/2019 Transforming DOI's Workplace Culture - We Need You In three words, how would you describe the type of workplace you want to work in (for example, how people are treated, how people interact with each other, how work is accomplished/recognized)?
Please enter your responses in the text boxes below.
4. Word 1 *
5. Word 2 *
6. Word 3 *
7. If there is one thing you would improve about working at the Department of the Interior, what would it be?
8. Do you have any additional comments you would like to share?
Powered by
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YRTSamyZZ0CM0ndWVC4owWAAmOFfKhi5Wyl5M-47IHc/edit 2/2 Infographic of 4 question values survey
Thank you, DOI employees! Over 10,000 of you responded to the DOI Values Survey in April & May. Your input is helping us create a workplace culture where employees feel safe, respected and valued.
You Spoke... Here’s what you see as our current DOI culture*: Committed (48%) Respectful (19%) Anxious (16%) Overworked (17%) Let's Get Ideal: Here are the Values You Want to See*
33.7%
21.8% 18.5% 15.2%
Respect Teamwork Honesty Fairness
*Percentages do not add up to 100 because employees could write in more than one option We are listening. And doing! In the coming weeks, we will be: Adding content and tools to a website to feature your input Continuing to hear more about the values you hold dear Taking action to transform our workplace culture FAQ's for 4 question values survey
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Frequently Asked Questions Question: What do you mean by “Workplace Culture Transformation”?
Answer: “Workplace Culture Transformation” refers to the Department’s commitment to prioritizing our valued employees and ensuring that the environment at every DOI workplace is safe, respectful, and engaging.
Q.Why is DOI doing this? A: Your hard work helps us to accomplish our mission and serve our constituents. We are dedicated to transforming the Department into the workplace you want. You spoke… we are listening, we care, and we are determined to change. Additionally, following the implementation of the first Department-wide policy on the “Prevention and Elimination of Harassing Conduct” in April 2018, DOI is committed to addressing the issue of harassment, understanding the scope of the problem, building the capacity to address specific instances of inappropriate conduct, setting behavioral expectations, and swiftly addressing future problems.
Q: Why should I care about this? A: You, our employees, are passionate about the mission work you do, and you hold yourselves and DOI to high standards when it comes to achieving our missions. We want you to give and receive respect willingly, exhibit teamwork, and hold yourselves and your colleagues to the highest standards of honesty and fairness in all interactions. DOI is committed to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, and to be one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal government. We are listening to you, we care, and we are determined to change based on your feedback.
Q. What have you done so far? A: The Department and our bureaus have engaged in a number of efforts over the past two years to meet this goal. As these efforts continue, we are also taking an opportunity to examine our workplace culture - the entire workplace environment, across all DOI locations and at all levels. Most recently, we conducted a four-question survey of employees in order to: 1. Determine which organizational values you want to see embodied by DOI 2. Elicit suggested organizational improvements
The survey was open from April 24-May 6, 2019, and 10,094 employees took the survey. The remarkably high response rate to that survey makes it clear that you have strong feelings about workplace culture and values, and that you want to have a voice in shaping the culture at the Department level.
Q:What questions were asked on the survey? A: The four questions were: 1. If you had to describe the present culture of the Department of the Interior (for example, the values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that employees share and use on a daily basis in their work) in three words, which three words would you choose? 2. In three words, how would you describe the type of workplace you want to work in (for example, how people are treated, how people interact with each other, how work is accomplished/recognized)?
3. If there is one thing you would improve about working at the Department of the Interior, what would it be? 4. Do you have any additional comments you would like to share?
Q: How did employees describe current DOI culture? A: Employees described DOI’s present culture in a wide variety of ways, both positive and negative. The top ten descriptors were: 1. committed (24.1%) 2. respectful (9.2%) 3. overworked (8.5%) 4. anxious (8%) 5. chaotic (6.1%) 6. negative (5.9%) 7. diligent (5.9%) 8. integrity (5.8%) 9. collaborative (5.5%) 10. passionate (5.5%)
Q: What kind of workplace culture did employees say they would like to work in? A: When employees were asked to describe the environment in which they wanted to work, nine top categories emerged: 1. respectful (33.7%) 2. collaborative (21.8%) 3. honesty (18.5%) 4. fairness (15.2%) 5. acknowledgment (14.4%) 6. inclusion (11.4%) 7. supported (10.7%) 8. caring (9.7%) 9. open (8.7%)
Q: What did employees say they would like to improve about working at DOI? A: Employees suggested improvements in a wide variety of categories. The top categories were related to: 1. Transparency (482 mentions) 2. Accountability (350 mentions) 3. Workload/Balance (344 mentions) 4. Funding/Budget/Pay (325 mentions) 5. Developmental opportunities (268 mentions)
Q: What additional comments did employees share? A: Employees shared positive and negative comments, all of which are appreciated, valued, and will be considered.
Q: What methodology was used for the survey? A: Department human resources employees reviewed the survey responses to get a general sense of the data. They then used qualitative data analytics software to analyze trends within the survey data. Comments were categorized into the most frequently mentioned themes. The software used, QDA Miner 5, is a support tool for manually coding responses and includes embedded tools that use natural language processing to make coding easier (important when analyzing 10,000+ responses).
Q: How will the survey data be used? A: Ninety percent of people responding to the survey mentioned one or more of the following values as describing their ideal workplace: respect, teamwork, honesty and fairness. Based on this high response rate, DOI values will embrace these concepts as our values. We will focus our efforts in the coming year on learning more about what these values mean to you so that we can integrate these principles into the work we do to improve our culture. We also heard from you about specific areas you would change at DOI, and we will be addressing these while continuing to seek your feedback and ideas
Q: What is DOI doing next on this effort? A: Our next steps include: 1. We are improving the Workplace Culture Transformation website so you can learn more about our efforts and track our progress. 2. We will discuss our values more in-depth and begin incorporating them into our work 3. We invite you to provide feedback on what respect means to you and how you would like to see respect demonstrated in the work environment. We also invite you to provide a logo, graphic, or image that you think captures respect. 4. We will report out on what you said about respect and continue to gather feedback and report back on your thoughts about teamwork, honesty, and fairness throughout the year. 5. We will share how we will use these values to guide our work and actions throughout the Department. 6. We will ensure all employees have on-going opportunities and venues to provide further feedback and comments about how we can improve.
Q: What is the Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council? A: On March 1, 2019, Susan Combs, the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, created the Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council, comprising the highest levels of DOI leadership, including the heads of each DOI bureau and DOI’s Assistant Secretaries, with the ultimate goal of making DOI one of the best places to work in the Federal Government.
Q: What is the purpose of the Culture Transformation Advisory Council? A: The Advisory Council will link critical needs related to workforce culture with DOI’s anti-harassment program to drive employee engagement, equal opportunity, ethics, retention, recruitment, and succession planning. The Advisory Council is also a forum for senior leaders to share best practices in their organizations and allow on-the-ground practitioners in the bureaus/offices to raise new ideas for generating positive change.
Q: What will the Advisory Council do? A: The Advisory Council will: 1. Advance comprehensive culture change across the Department 2. Set the vision and identify specific Department-wide programming to be implemented across the board 3. Enable all of the Department’s organizations to succeed in making permanent positive changes to the work environment and to continually evaluate incoming data and metrics to determine program success FINAL FEDERAL EMPLOYEE VIEWPOINT SURVEY AGENCY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS (ASQ)
FINAL DOI FY19 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) Agency-Specific Items Final 03/08/2019
Bucket 1: DOI Unified region location of participant. FEVS ASI#1(Pseudo Question): Please identify your region. Bucket 2: Have you experienced harassing conduct? FEVS ASI#2: I have experienced or witnessed harassing conduct, as defined by Department of the Interior’s Personnel Bulletin 18-01 (Prevention and Elimination of Harassing Conduct), in the last 12 months within my workplace.
Please Note: Under PB 18-01, harassing conduct is defined as an unwelcome conduct, verbal or physical, including intimidation, ridicule, insult, comments, or physical conduct, that is based on an individual’s protected status or protected activities under this policy, when: 1. the behavior can reasonably be considered to adversely affect the work environment; or 2. an employment decision affecting the employee is based upon the employee’s acceptance or rejection of such conduct.
1) Yes 2) No 3) Don’t Know
Bucket 3: Do you know how/where to report?
FEVS ASI #3: I know where to report harassing conduct that I may experience or witness (i.e., any supervisor/manager, HR, Inspector General).
1) Agree 2) Disagree 3) Don’t Know
FEVS ASI #4: I understand there are multiple resources available where I can seek confidential assistance about harassment-related concerns (e.g., ombudsman, EAP).
1) Agree 2) Disagree 3) Don’t Know
Bucket 4: Does leadership act when they are told that something is wrong? FEVS ASI#5: If I do report an instance of harassing conduct, I believe my organization will take immediate action to stop the behavior and hold the offending employee(s) accountable.
1) Strongly Agree 2) Agree 3) Disagree 4) Strongly Disagree 5) Don’t Know
Bucket 5: Has training and policy improved climate? FEVS ASI#6: Over the last 12 months, my organization’s efforts to implement anti-harassment policies, reporting and investigation procedures, and training improved my workplace climate.
1) Strongly Agree 2) Agree 3) Disagree 4) Strongly Disagree 5) Don’t Know 6) Not Applicable to Me
Bucket 6: As leader, do you have enough resources to know what to do? FEVS ASI#7: As a supervisor/manager, I have the training, tools and support to promptly address allegations of harassing conduct and correct any misconduct brought to my attention.
1) Strongly Agree 2) Agree 3) Disagree 4) Strongly Disagree 5) Don’t Know 6) Not Applicable to Me U.S. Department of the Interior Actions to Address Harassment in the Workplace 2017-2019 June 2019
In the FY 2019 Interior and Environment and Energy and Water Development Appropriations, the Senate Report requested the U.S. Department of the Interior (Department) to identify actions to address harassment in the workplace. The Department is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Since the issuance of an Office of the Inspector General report in January 2016 on sexual harassment at the Grand Canyon National Park, the Department has taken significant steps toward understanding the nature of harassment and addressing the issue across the workforce.
At the start of 2017, the Department initiated a series of comprehensive actions that addressed this issue. Actions included: 1. Leadership communicating the importance and seriousness of the issue to all employees; 2. Developing an understanding of the scope of the problem; 3. Building capacity to address specific instances of inappropriate conduct; 4. Undertaking multi-faceted action planning at the bureau/office level to remedy the issue; and 5. Launching a comprehensive anti-harassment policy to set behavioral expectations and swiftly address future problems.
The following report describes a cumulative list of anti-harassment activities; efforts related to bureau/office action plans to address harassment; the Department’s new anti-harassment policy; and the establishment of a Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council.
I. Cumulative List of Activities 2017, 2018 & 2019
January-March 2017 Work Environment Survey administered to all employees. Survey is the first of its scope done across the Federal government, designed to assess workplace conditions that Interior employees experience, including the prevalence and context of all forms of harassment.
March 2017 Issuance of Secretarial message to all employees on strengthening the Department’s ethical culture.
April 2017 Issuance of Secretary’s Harassment Policy Statement. Issuance of policy requiring all supervisors to complete Civil Treatment for Leaders curriculum addressing harassment and discrimination.
Launch of first Department-wide contract vehicle and procedures for engaging third-party contract investigators to conduct administrative investigations into employee misconduct, including harassing conduct.
July 2017 Identification and commitment of funding to implement an enhanced Department-wide misconduct case tracking system, allowing Interior to identify trends and ensure that managers take action when harassing behavior has occurred.
September 2017 Issuance of Deputy Secretary’s message to all employees underscoring leadership commitment to holding employees accountable for misconduct, including harassment.
October 2017 Release of National Park Service (NPS) Work Environment Survey results, as the Department’s first priority to be addressed.
Issuance of NPS Anti-Harassment Policy (NPS Director’s Order #16E), modeled on the draft of the Departmental policy.
November 2017 Issuance of first Department of the Interior Investigator Guide to Conducting Administrative Investigations, ensuring that misconduct investigations, including those dealing with harassing conduct, are conducted in a thorough, impartial and fair manner, and any resulting disciplinary or other actions are defensible.
December 2017 Work Environment Survey results released on new external website that includes resources on harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Survey is the first of its scope done across the Federal government, designed to assess workplace conditions that Interior employees experience, including the prevalence and context of all forms of harassment.
On December 13, 2017, Deputy Secretary Bernhardt directed bureau/office heads to develop formal action plans within 45 days to specify the actions they plan to take to address their organizational Work Environment Survey results, the schedule for accomplishing those actions, and a description of how they will assess the success of those actions.
Throughout 2017 Close to 100 employee relations and employment law practitioners are trained on best practices for conducting administrative investigations into allegations of misconduct, including harassing conduct, to ensure that the Department provides proper oversight over third party investigations.
Cadre of ombuds professionals available is expanded so that all Bureaus now have a dedicated ombuds resource in place.
February 2018 Bureau/Office Human Capital Officers begin to hold monthly meetings solely dedicated to discussion and coordination of anti-harassment activities.
March 2018 Six bureau/office Work Environment Survey Action Plans are finalized and approved for implementation. April 2018 Issuance of Personnel Bulletin 18-01, the Department’s first comprehensive policy on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassing Conduct.
Remaining nine bureau/office Work Environment Survey Action Plans are finalized and approved for implementation.
Consolidation of all employment and labor law legal matters into one Employment and Labor Law Unit within the Office of the Solicitor, creating a base of legal expertise and elevating the status of personnel law portfolio.
June 2018 Bureaus/offices submit first quarterly progress reviews on implementation of action plans developed in response to each organization’s Work Environment Survey Action Plans. Reports show significant progress and sustained senior- level attention.
August 2018 Bureau/office leaders identify primary Anti-Harassment Points of Contact in order to coordinate common Work Environment Survey Action Plan activities.
Award made for consultant support to coordinate and facilitate implementation of bureau/office Work Environment Survey Action Plans.
September 2018 Bureau/office Anti-Harassment Points of Contact begin meeting on a monthly basis to share information, leverage best practices, and collaborate to find efficiencies in implementing their organizations’ Work Environment Survey Action Plans. Monthly meetings ongoing.
Contract is awarded for enhanced Department-wide misconduct case tracking system that will allow Interior to identify trends and ensure that managers take action when harassing behavior has occurred.
February 2019 Bureaus/offices complete providing Civil Treatment for Leaders training curriculum addressing harassment and discrimination to over 9,000 supervisory employees on board as of October 2016 (year-end completion deadline impacted by lapse in appropriations).
Senior Advisor to the Secretary Exercising the Authority of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, designated to lead Department- wide anti-harassment and workplace culture transformation efforts.
March 2019 Senior Advisor to the Secretary Exercising the Authority of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, issues memorandum announcing the creation of a Departmental Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council chaired by the Senior Advisor and composed of Assistant Secretaries/Deputy Assistant Secretaries and/or Bureau Directors/Deputy Directors.
The Office of Civil Rights is realigned to report directly to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy, Management and Budget, to enhance the Department’s effort to establish a model workplace free of harassment, consistent with applicable law and administrative guidelines.
Tanisha Edmonds is named as the Interim Departmental Anti-Harassment Program Manager while newly created permanent position vacancy for a Departmental Workplace Culture Transformation Advisor is announced and recruited.
Senior Advisor to the Secretary Exercising the Authority of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget holds a kick-off meeting for the Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council.
April 2019 A four question Workplace Values Survey is launched to all Department employees to identify Department-wide core values that employees believe should define how they interact with and treat each other. Over 10,000 Department employees responded.
Enhanced Department-wide misconduct case tracking system is launched, which will allow Interior to identify trends and ensure that managers take action when harassing behavior has occurred.
May 2019 Tammy Duchesne is selected for the newly-created Workplace Culture Transformation Advisor position, dedicated to supporting efforts to ensure that the Department has safe, welcoming work environments that engage employees and are free from discrimination and harassment.
Six Department-specific harassment-related questions are included for the first time in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), administered to all Department employees by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). OPM will likely release the FEVS results for all agencies in September 2019. These results will set a new baseline against which future years’ responses can be measured and will inform policy, programming, and training efforts.
June 2019 Analysis of all-employee Workplace Values Survey results to inform Workplace Culture Transformation efforts, the goal of which is to ensure that the Department has safe, welcoming work environments that engage employees and are free from discrimination and harassment.
Summer 2019 Department to explore expansion of new misconduct case tracking system to include intake of reports of harassing conduct in order to track trends and (planned) enhance accountability on all reported instances of alleged harassment.
Conclusion of ongoing human resources operations assessment study, performed by an external consulting firm. Analysis of the study’s results to identify effectiveness of accountability programs and employee service delivery will have a direct impact on the timeliness of management response to reports of harassing conduct.
II. Bureau/Office Work Environment Survey Action Plans
Upon release of the Department’s Work Environment Survey results in December 2017, Deputy Secretary Bernhardt directed that each bureau/office head develop a formal action plan for addressing the organization’s specific results, the schedule for accomplishing those actions, and a description of how the organization would assess the success of those actions. The memorandum, issued on December 13, 2017, directed bureaus/offices to develop action plans within 45 days, by January 27, 2018. ● The resulting action plans provide a range of actions, developed in the context of each Bureau’s mission and unique needs, which will provide the blueprint for next steps for each organization as the Department continues its work to ensure a workplace free of harassment. ● Action plans were reviewed at the Department level in February-March 2018 to ensure that the actions identified could be expected to positively impact the issues brought to light by the survey, were time-bound, and had success measures associated with each. ● Six organizations’ action plans were approved on March 22, 2018: Bureau of Land Management; Interior Business Center; National Park Service; Office of the Secretary; Office of the Solicitor; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ● All remaining action plans were approved on April 20, 2018: Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bureau of Indian Education; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; Bureau of Reclamation; Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; Office of Natural Resources Revenue; Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians; Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement; and U.S. Geological Survey.
Action plans are wide-ranging in their identified activities. Each bureau/office action plan identifies various methods for communicating policy expectations and related new initiatives to the workforce. Each plan generally addresses activities in the areas of:
● Leadership commitment and communications to workforce (e.g., senior leader issuances, employee listening sessions); ● Implementation of new policy on Prevention and Elimination of Harassing Conduct (e.g., informational webinars, certification that supervisors/employees have read the policy); ● Training for employees and/or supervisors (e.g., workshops on generational differences, incorporation of anti-harassment information in new employee onboarding programs); ● Employee resources on dealing with harassment (e.g., full implementation of ombuds programs, web-based employee resource portals) and increasing employee awareness of reporting and support options; ● Investigative and response capacity (e.g., complaint tracking systems, workforce assessment of human resources services available to assist managers); ● Ongoing monitoring of the work environment (e.g., ongoing review of complaints, periodic re- evaluation of work environment).
Bureaus/offices are required to report to the Department on progress toward implementation of action plans on a quarterly basis. Quarterly reports submitted since June 2018, show significant progress in each organization’s implementation and sustained leadership attention to the effort. Multiple organizations continue to add new action items as they complete their original plans to build on successes achieved in the first year of sustained activities.
III. Departmental Policy on Prevention & Elimination of Harassing Conduct (Personnel Bulletin 18-01, April 2018)
The Department issued its first comprehensive policy on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassing Conduct, Personnel Bulletin 18-01, on April 23, 2018. ● The primary goals of the policy are to:
○ Provide a work environment free from harassment by ensuring that appropriate officials are notified of, and have the opportunity to, promptly correct harassing conduct; ○ Communicate clearly that the Department will not tolerate sexual or non-sexual harassing behavior; and
○ Address harassing conduct and hold employees accountable at the earliest possible stage, before the conduct becomes “severe or pervasive,” i.e., harassment within the meaning of anti-discrimination law. ● The policy achieves these goals by:
○ Defining unacceptable conduct that violates the policy; ○ Outlining the rights and responsibilities of employees, supervisors, and managers; and ○ Establishing reporting procedures and accountability measures. The policy was announced to the entire Department on April 23, 2018 with an all-employee email message that included a memorandum and video message from former Secretary Zinke, as well as links to the policy document and related resources available at https://www.doi.gov/employees/anti- harassment. In addition, bureau/office leaders reinforced policy expectations and implementing procedures to their workforces over the following months with various communication tools such memos, videos, all employee’s meetings, town-halls, etc.
Policy Developed to Meet EEOC Model Anti-Harassment Program Criteria
The Department’s anti-harassment policy was developed in a thoughtful, iterative process based on Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recommendations for Model Anti-Harassment Programs. The EEOC recommends that anti-harassment policies and procedures contain the following elements: 1. Clearly explain the prohibited conduct. In particular, the policy should cover all forms of harassment, including race, color, gender (both sexual and non-sexual), age, national origin, disability, and religion; 2. Write the policy in a way that will be understood by all employees and implement it in a manner which ensures its effective dissemination to all employees. The policy needs to be posted in conspicuous locations throughout the facility, including the agency's website, and incorporated into employee orientation materials/handbooks; 3. State that complainants, witnesses, and others who provide information concerning such claims will be protected from retaliation; 4. Assure the confidentiality of individuals bringing claims of harassment to the extent possible; 5. Describe the complaint process, particularly the agency officials who can receive harassment claims. It is advisable to designate at least one official outside the employee's chain of command to receive claims of harassment because a conflict of interest could occur if the alleged harasser is within the employee's chain of command; 6. Ensure that the investigation process is prompt, thorough, and impartial. In this regard, agencies should develop complaint procedures that are separate from the EEO process and address all claims of harassment irrespective of whether the alleged victim files an EEO complaint in the same matter; 7. Assure immediate and appropriate corrective action, including discipline or removal of employees and managers. Agencies, however, should not take action involving the alleged victim without their consent (i.e., transferring the victim to another office); rather, it is preferable to implement measures designed to achieve the same result without burdening the alleged victim; and 8. Provide periodic training to all managers and supervisors regarding the terms of the anti- harassment policy and procedures, and their role in the complaint process. Additional training for employees would also be useful.
Policy Elements
In addition to looking at the EEOC Model Anti-Harassment Program recommendations, the Department conducted thorough benchmarking against the policies of multiple other Federal agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA), Department of Commerce, Department of Treasury, U.S. Forest Service, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the internal, employee- facing policies of the EEOC and the Merit Systems Protection Board. The Department’s policy is among the most comprehensive and most closely resembles that of NASA.
The final version of the policy includes the following elements:
Reporting Process ● Employees can report harassing conduct to the supervisor of the alleged harasser, any supervisor or management official, their servicing human resources office, or the Office of Inspector General. ● The process includes notification to two level of managers above the employee who is alleged to have engaged in harassing conduct, in order to strengthen accountability. ● The policy clearly distinguishes between the covered reporting process (whose primary goals are to stop harassing conduct and to hold any employee who violated the policy accountable) as separate from the equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaint process, negotiated and administrative grievance procedures, and other avenues that may also be available for employees to seek relief when they have been subjected to harassing conduct.
Victim Protection ● Before directing a thorough investigation into the allegations of misconduct, a supervisor/manager must, after consultation with human resources and legal counsel, take any necessary interim steps to ensure that the potentially harassing conduct does not continue. ● The interim measures taken will depend on the severity of the conduct alleged. Interim measures are required in cases of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, harassing conduct of a sexual nature, depending on the circumstances. ● If the conduct is severe or pervasive, the supervisor/manager should separate the employee alleged with harassing conduct from the alleged victim, at least until the matter otherwise can be resolved (e.g., by assigning the alleged harasser to a telework status or a temporary detail; moving him or her to another office space, desk or floor; requesting approval to place him or her on investigative leave; or issuing no contact instructions). ● The identity of the employee alleging violations of this policy will be kept confidential, except as necessary to conduct an appropriate investigation into the alleged violations, to take appropriate disciplinary or corrective action, to comply with the reporting requirements of this policy, or when otherwise required by law. All reports of harassing conduct and related information will be maintained on a confidential basis to the greatest extent possible. ● It is a violation of the policy to retaliate against employees who engage in protected activity under this policy. Protected activity includes reporting harassing conduct, discrimination or retaliation; filing a claim of harassment; providing evidence in any investigation; or intervening to protect others who may have suffered harassing conduct, discrimination or retaliation. A manager may not fire, demote, harass, or otherwise take any personnel action against an individual for reporting an allegation of misconduct under this policy. ● The policy also includes additional non-reporting consultation options and resources for employees to seek assistance (e.g., confidential ombuds services, employee assistance program).
Management Action ● Supervisors/managers who observe or are informed of allegations of harassing conduct must report the conduct/allegations to the appropriate officials, ensure that a prompt, objective, and thorough investigation is conducted, and take steps to ensure that the harassing conduct is appropriately addressed to deter further misconduct, including taking disciplinary action, if appropriate. ● Strict time limits apply for management to seek guidance and refer complaints for investigation. ● Managers must seek human resources and legal counsel guidance in determining the appropriate avenue for a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation to be conducted. ● Appropriate corrective action, disciplinary or otherwise, up to and including removal, will be taken against any supervisor or other management official who fails to perform her or his obligations as set forth in the policy, including any failure to report known violations of the policy. ● The policy will be incorporated into each Bureau’s supervisory training curriculum.
Accurate Trend Tracking ● The servicing human resources office is responsible for tracking the information related to the allegations of harassing conduct in separate case files, in accordance with established records management policies. ● The servicing human resources office is also required to monitor and record the status of allegations, including final resolution, in the appropriate tracking system approved by the Department’s Office of Human Capital. In April 2019, the Department launched the Interior Management Accountability and Reporting Tool (I-MART), which will enhance case tracking and the ability to generate reports to provide a snapshot of open cases and longitudinal data.
Clarity & Accessibility ● Document includes both policy and required procedures in one place, to be an easily accessible and understandable resource for both employees and supervisors. ● Policy is posted on the Department’s website at https://www.doi.gov/employees/anti- harassment/harassing-conduct.
IV. Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council (March 2019)
Susan Combs, the Senior Advisor to the Secretary exercising the authority of the Assistant Secretary, Policy, Management and Budget, created the Workplace Culture Transformation Advisory Council on February 26, 2019, to advance comprehensive culture change across the Department.
The Advisory Council is composed of the highest levels of the Department’s leadership with the expectation that discussions of the group will result in an anti-harassment program with ties to broader critical needs related to workplace culture - such as employee engagement, equal opportunity, ethics, retention, recruitment, succession planning - to support the Department’s aim to become the best place to work in the Federal government.
The Advisory Council will: ● Advance comprehensive culture change across the Department; ● Set the vision and identify specific Department-wide programming to be implemented across the board; ● Enable all of the Department’s organizations to succeed in making permanent positive changes to the work environment and to continually evaluate incoming data and metrics to determine program success; ● Be supported by the newly-hired Workplace Culture Transformation Advisor.
V. Conclusion
Secretary Bernhardt and the Department of the Interior are fully committed to building upon the critical activities accomplished in the last two years to fundamentally transform the way that employees interact with each other in the Department. The Department has made significant progress in acknowledging and understanding the nature of harassment, holding employees and their managers accountable, and setting clear, enforceable standards of behavior. The Department’s bureaus and offices have implemented a wide range of initiatives in the context of their own missions and unique needs and continue to follow the blueprints in their action plans with new goals and activities added as important milestones are achieved.
With the establishment of the Workforce Culture Transformation Advisory Council, comprised of the most senior level leaders in the Department, as well as the dedication of Department-level resources to this critical priority, the Department looks forward to further progress over the coming years toward reaching the ultimate goal of providing a harassment-free environment for all Department of the Interior employees, partners, and visitors. DOI New Employee Orientation, Executive Summary
Vision: In a recent DOI values survey, employees indicated that one of the top values they wanted to describe their workplace was teamwork or collaboration. The purpose of this project is to develop an online orientation course that new employees can use to begin acculturating as a team member of the Department of Interior. The intent would be that all bureaus and agencies within DOI would present this course to their new employees, but they could add a block or two of bureau-specific instruction as needed. This course will ensure that no matter where the employee works in the Department of Interior, the employee is hearing the same foundational messages that will drive success.
1st Qtr FY20
Continue to Initial tweak/expand Launch course as Design courses, in DOI required Coordinate with develop videos; Talent stakeholders; coordinate with research what is DOI Talent already available
Components: • Introductory video from Secretary of the Interior • Introduction to the various bureaus and their missions • New course outlining employee and supervisors responsibilities/expectations • Learning plan that includes all of the common mandatory training all employees are required to take: o Records management o Privacy Act o Ethics o Hatch Act o No Fear Act o Anti-harassment/discrimination o Telework • Future plan would be to add a course on the DOI Common Values
Project exclusions: This course will not cover “onboarding” topics such as: • Local policies and procedures • Human resources topics: payroll, benefits information etc.
Workforce for the 21st Century - Acquire and retain top talent to achieve results…retention begins with day one! Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Trainings that will be piloted by Office of Civil Rights
RESPECT IN THE WORKPLACE: CREATING A RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES
What’s different? Rather than dwelling on legal standards and what NOT to do, this training will focus on WHAT TO DO – the words and actions that promote respect and fairness, and participants’ responsibility for contributing to respect in the workplace. Using case studies, trainees strategize about bystander intervention and ways to help others who may be behaving in ways that are disrespectful or who are being targeted by disrespect. Finally, they use a feedback model to practice both giving and getting feedback about behavior that is uncivil or disrespectful.
(Italicized items unique to employee training – regular font common to both employee and supervisor trainings)
PART 1: RESPECT
Objectives • Develop a shared and specific understanding of respectful words and behavior. • Understand the relationship between perceived respect and organizational performance.
Post-training resource: Workplace-Specific Respectful Cues
PART 2: WHAT GOES WRONG – DERAILERS
Objectives • Understand all forms of conduct that derail respect, including incivility, abusive behavior and unlawful harassment • Identify behavior that is problematic and/or unlawful • Define and understand unlawful harassment • Understand choices when an employee becomes aware of possible unlawful conduct
Post-training resource: Continuum of Behavior Chart PART 3: POLICY REVIEW
Objectives • Be familiar with the organization’s policy regarding harassing conduct • Understand rights and responsibilities under the organization’s policy • Understand different options for reporting • Understand the process after a report of harassment is filed
Post-training resource: Organization’s Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedures
PART 4: STEPPING UP AND STEPPING IN
Objectives • Understand the value of peer intervention/bystander intervention and develop a sense of collective responsibility • Identify the ways that bystanders can intervene when they observe or learn about problem behavior in the employee’s specific workplace • Explore barriers to bystander intervention and how they can be overcome • Practice applying bystander intervention techniques to a simulated situation
Post-training resource: Bystander Options
PART 5: FEEDBACK – GIVING AND GETTING THE GIFT
Objectives • Understand the power of peer-to-peer effective feedback in workplace situations • Identify barriers to effective feedback in workplace situations • Learn a model for giving and getting feedback about derailer behaviors
Post-training resource: Feedback Model
PART 6: LEARNING
Objectives • Commit to making a change or taking action • Share that commitment with a colleague and hold each other accountable
NOTE: Four hour training allows for customization such as:
• Additional case examples and more opportunities to practice and re-enforce skills • More interactive discussions rather than lecture format • In-depth discussion on derailer behaviors to include types of harassment • Explanation of difference between authority and influence Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Trainings that will be piloted by Office of Civil Rights
LEADING FOR RESPECT: HOW SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS CAN CREATE RESPECTFUL WORKPLACES
What’s different? Rather than dwelling on legal standards and what NOT to do, this training will focus on WHAT TO DO – the words and actions that promote respect and fairness, and participants’ responsibility for contributing to respect in the workplace. Supervisors practice skills in responding appropriately to employee complaints and discuss how they can create a sense of respect for their employees, focusing on the employee’s perceptions of fairness and the supervisor’s responsibility to respond with emotional intelligence. Finally, supervisors are taught simple but effective ways to coach employees whose behavior might be a problem – early intervention to nip problems in the bud before they rise to the level of illegal harassment.
(Italicized items below unique to supervisor training – regular font common to both supervisor and employee trainings)
PART 1: RESPECT
Objectives • Develop a shared and specific understanding of respectful words and behavior • Understand the relationship between perceived respect and organizational performance • Identify specific supervisory activities that promote and sustain respect
Post-training resource: Workplace-Specific Respectful Cues
PART 2: WHAT GOES WRONG – DERAILERS
Objectives • Understand all forms of conduct that derail respect, including incivility, abusive conduct and unlawful harassment • Identify behavior that is problematic and/or unlawful • Define and understand unlawful harassment • Understand responsibilities when a supervisor or manager becomes aware of possible unlawful conduct
Post-training resource: Continuum of Behavior Chart PART 3: POLICY REVIEW
Objectives • Be familiar with the organization’s policy regarding harassing conduct • Understand rights and responsibilities under the organization’s policy (including supervisor’s responsibility to report) • Understand different options for reporting • Understand the process after a report of harassment is filed
Post-training resource: Organization’s Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedures
PART 4: HANDLING EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS WITH FAIRNESS
Objectives • Understand the importance of fairness • Apply fairness principles to complaint handling • Understand the psychology of employee complaints • Understand how to deal with request for confidentiality • Understand the essential components of an effective response to employee complaints • Understand the things to avoid when receiving an employee complaint • Identify barriers to effective complaint handling • Practice complaint handling
Post-training resource: “Always/Never” Responses to Complaints
PART 5: COACHING FOR RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR
Objectives • Learn a simple coaching model to deal with early problem behavior • Identify challenges to applying the model • Practice applying the model to rude/uncivil behavior
Post-training resource: Coaching Model for Respectful Behavior and Problem Solving
PART 6: LEARNING
Objectives • Commit to making a change or taking action • Share that commitment with a colleague and hold each other accountable
NOTE: Four hour training allows for customization of content such as:
• Additional case examples and more opportunities to practice and re-enforce skills • More interactive discussions rather than lecture format • In-depth discussions on various types of abusive behavior and harassment • Discussion regarding three types of fairness and obstacles to fairness Automated Career Pathing Tool, Executive Summary
Vision: Leverage DOI and publicly available data to enable users to understand career progression opportunities within and across career paths, giving them a sense of what skills they would need to acquire in order to advance in their career, and, allowing users to access the data more readily (i.e. via a website).
Summer 2019 Project Objective: Make data for mission-critical and high-density occupations available via the web for internal DOI employees and for external prospective employees, using easy to understand language and design techniques that make the content easy to navigate.
A total of 24 occupations will be displayed, with users able to navigate through various “grade” (i.e. seniority) levels and:
1) understand necessary competencies and skill levels at each career level 2) access information on other programs, such as mentoring, that would aid in achieving their career goals 3) access professional development guidance documents 4) view video vignettes for each occupation that speaks to the career from the perspective of an actual employee
This initial effort, and subsequent enhancements, will contribute to improving FEVS low-scoring items and lead to increased recruitment, retention, and employee engagement.
Contact us: to recommend prioritization of occupations and subject matter experts, or, for further information. . Robyn Rees, IT Project Manager, [email protected] . Landon Mock, Content Project Manager, [email protected] . LaTanya Anderson, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), [email protected] National Park Service Program Brief U.S. Department of the Interior
Visitor and Resource Protection
Women and Leadership in Visitor and Resource Protection NPS Background The National Park Service’s (NPS) Fire and Aviation Management Division (FAM) within Visitor and Resource Protection has been engaged in the Women and Leadership Conference at the Boise State University Andrus Center for Public Policy since 2014. Participants have used the conference to reinforce and reset career goals, expand awareness of gender-based perspectives, while utilizing the conference as a tool for expanding diversity and inclusion efforts within the Service.
2019 Status The 2017 Women & Leadership Conference at Boise State University brought National Park Service Fire and Aviation staff from across the country to Boise, Idaho. In 2019, the National Ranger Council (NRC) will host the effort, expanding engagement to law enforcement staff • Creation of social networking among employees in as well as fire and aviation employees. In 2020, FAM will the same field sharing experiences, knowledge and again take lead in organizing the effort, with the lead role mentoring one another. changing hands each year afterward. • Pre and post conference bureau-centric events serve as The Women and Leadership Conference is an opportunity springboards for NPS discussions on issues associated for NPS staff from Law Enforcement and Fire and Aviation with gender, diversity and inclusion, emanating (full-time and collateral duty), to network amongst from the female perspective. The post conference themselves and with other professionals from diverse discussion includes an interagency focus among all land career backgrounds. Through this opportunity, NPS staff management agency staff in attendance. from all genders can gain competencies in a number of areas in the document, Proficiency Levels for Leadership Competencies. For Further Reading
NPS Employees Motivated By Leadership Conference Outcomes and Benefits Conference offers tools tools to help participants become leaders in their respective fields Some of the tangible outcomes of this effort are: Gaining “Lessons in Leadership” through Women and • FAM field-driven task group led effort with Leadership Conference leadership backing assessing recruitment, retention, and training. Andrus Center for Public Policy - 2019 Women and Leadership Conference • Work with diversity and inclusion program on fire and aviation leadership at the national and regional Contact levels in gender bias awareness.
• Enhanced commitment at the national level for Lindy Mihata - Regional Chief Ranger; NPS Alaska Regional gender inclusion during hiring efforts: both via Office and NRC Women and Leadership Chair; 907-644-3406 recruitment and for hiring panel participation.
• The NRC identifying this conference opportunity as 1 of 4 tasks in their annual work plan to further expand the effort of FAM to reach the larger VRP workforce for professional and personal growth.
LAST UPDATED: JULY 26, 2019 OST Leadership Values: I LEAD
Inspire Includes: Vision, StrategicThinking, Leading
Learn Includes: Develop Engage Includes: Approachable, Compassion, Emotional Intelligence Accountable Includes: Integrity, Selfless, Transparent, Dignity and Respect Includes: Diversity, Inclusive, Te am Builder
OST has adopted leadership values to guide how we interact with each other. We want everyone in the organization, regardless of position, to be leaders who Inspire, who Learn, who are Engaged and Accountable and who treat others with Dignity and Respect. These values spell the phrase: I LEAD. But what does I LEAD mean in practice?
Inspire means that OST leaders should build excitement forfuture. They have a Vision for a better tomorrow and share it with others. They don't settle forthe status quo, but always look for ways to improve. They use Strategic Thinking to predict how events in the world - like new technologies - lead to better beneficiaryservice. And they Lead. They blaze the path and make it easier for others to follow.
Learn means that leaders are curious and have a learning or growth mindset. They strive to improve themselves as leaders at all times. They reflecton their experiences and learnfrom failuresas well as successes. Even more importantly, leaders Develop others. They offertheir own expertise freely. And they help others learn new skills and prepare for new opportunities. They mentor. They coach. They are happy when they help others succeed in reaching their goals.
Engaged means leaders constantly interact with others. They are Approachable. They encourage others to seek them out and welcome it when they do. They give the gift of their time. They approach those who don't approach them. To see how they are. To see how they can help. They have Compassion. They understand that people have things in their lives that are more important than OST, and they provide the support, freedom, and flexibility to deal with their families and their health. They have Emotional Intelligence. They recognize and understand people's feelings, what motivates them, and what shuts them down. They modifytheir interactions to be effective for each individual with whom they interact.
Accountable means leaders do what they say they will do. They have Integrity. They are honest and tell the truth, even when it may be uncomfortableto do so. They speak truth to power. And when they are wielding power. Accountable leaders are Selfless. They are leaders to serve and benefit others, not themselves. Seeing others succeed is the best reward they can earn. And they are Transparent. They do not hoard or hide information to bolster their own power or deny the information to others. Instead, they share as much as possible because all of OST benefits when we all have the information we need.
Dignity and Respect means leaders treat everybody as a person firstand an employee or co-worker second. They appreciate every person forwho they are. They celebrate Diversity and value peoples' cultures, opinions, dreams and ideas as strengths for the organization. They are Inclusive, seeking input and participation from everyone. These leaders are Team Builders, who enhance social relations through collaboration while creating an environment of trust. an,dl a,gree th.at we nee1d to1 cha.nge, in · W H, ARD.. · ·v· ····o· · . ·u_. ,o,r·der to regain your trust and to ·create· 1 a hea thy and emp,lo,yee-centered· wo:rk environm:en1t. As s1uclh1, we 1 a,g1re,e to be accoun,tabl'e to you a.n,d to each other in adhering t1 0 the follow-n,g principles and val1u1 es::
•· We w·on't give ourselives. more, flexibilities a 1n1 d co:n1s'ider.ations th.an we give our emp1 lloyees.
* We· wi1l1I c,o,nnect with and li.sten to, sta'ff�
* ·w·e will treat, eve,ryone as people first, givi.n,g res:pect with,out regard to posi:tion1 ..
* We wi'I ex,erc.ise good fai1th .and consistencyi in our decision-, mak1n,g.
* ·we will hold ourselves and each other· acco1u1ntable.
* We will be engaged and availab e.
* ·we wi invest in career develop·ment and growth to· ,r a empl'oyees
* We will' cont1nuou;slly collabo,r.ate, communicate and c,o,operate wit1h1 each other.
* We w·111 continuorus:ly seek staff fe·edback on our progress to ""mprove, OST culture•,
1 1 * 'We· wi�III actively search fo. solutions· to OST's c 1hallen·ges . U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management
Employee Engagement Ambassadors & We Stand Together Campaign U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Employee Engagement Ambassadors
• Created in 2017 • Increase Employee Engagement across the Bureau • Began with training a cohort of Ambassadors through the Partnership of Public Service U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Employee Engagement Ambassadors
Program Intent: The purpose of the Employee Engagement Ambassador program is to strengthen BLM’s organizational culture of employee engagement to empower every employee to affect positive change across the BLM and our federal lands
Employee Engagement is: “The employee’s sense of purpose that is evident in their display of dedication, persistence, and effort in their work or overall attachment to their organization and mission.” U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Employee Engagement Ambassadors
Accomplishments to date: • Created engagement action plans that are customized to address the needs of each State/Center (as requested by the Department) • Partnered with regional leadership to provide trainings and focus groups around workforce issues • Increased Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Response rates by 10% in two years(2016-2018) • With the Partnership with Public Service shared ways for managers to increase employee appreciation, communication and empowerment.
Ambassadors are here to help you make BLM a positive and productive place to work. U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Employee Engagement Ambassadors State/Center Employee Engagement Ambassador Alaska Amanda Roberts Arizona Dianna Junius, Lilian Robinson California Jacky Elizarraraz Colorado Marie White, Alicia Austin-Johnson Eastern States Jamie Watts Idaho Carol Salo Montana/Dakotas Tracy Thoricht Nevada Jill Silvey, Denise Haynes (?) New Mexico Roberto Valdez, Jim Gipson Oregon/Washington Karen Wilson Utah Kelli Coplin Wyoming Stacey Wright, Jenn Dobb NIFC Eileen Wallace NOC Cory Kilgore NTC Carolyn O’Connor Washington Office Trina Newby-Baker, Pam Hawkins U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Employee Engagement Ambassadors Program Charter • Purpose • Roles and Responsibilities/Governing Structure • EEAs • ELT Liaison • Chair • Co- Chair • Expected Outcomes • Nomination Process for EEAs • Annual Program and Budgetary Requirements • Operational Norms • Annual Engagement Plan • Annual Meeting/Training • Sub committees • Annual or Bi-Annual ELT Meeting • Coordination with other bureau groups U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management We Stand Together Campaign • CA BLM initiative turned national BLM initiative • #12 of BLM’s Workplace Environment Action Plan • First Topic Sheet – 9/2018 • Action plan team State/Unit Rotation (EEO) • Accomplishments MAY 2019 M O N T H L Y D I A L O G U E L E T T E R “Civility” By John Brigman, BLM CO EEO Manager
What is Civility? Civility is actions that keep the standards of mutual respect in the work place. This is shown through politeness, consideration, manners and awareness of the rights and feelings of those in the workplace.
Within any workplace there is a diverse group of employees and no two employees think, feel or see things the exact same way. Part of civility is showing respect even when you disagree with another person. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT DIGNITY AND RESPECT “WE STAND TOGETHER” DIALOGUE LETTER
Why is Civility so important? The easy answer is, everyone should be treated with Dignity and Respect. You might disagree with someone, or there thought process or there actions, but that doesn’t allow you to belittle or disrespect that individual.
We all come from different backgrounds and beliefs, and that’s a Strength! We should also respect others beliefs and points of view. Just because an individual takes a position your might not like, that’s okay. I am not saying you have to capitulate every time you run into someone’s different point of view, but you need to respect that point of view. Just like the other individual needs to respect yours.
A good way of understanding others points of view is to place yourself in there position and see where that person is coming from. By doing this, you might gain some insight from there perspective. Trying to understand others better could help resolve any friction you might have in the workplace.
I truly believe no one wishes to have conflict and be uncivil to others, it’s only when we have personal or professional conflicts and only want our own needs met and do not know how to handle the situation that uncivil behavior happens. Preventing or resolving uncivil behavior starts with you! Before you speak or act, think of what your words, body language, gossiping will result in and most likely exasperate the situation.
There is no good that can result from being uncivil to another individual and you also loose respect among your peers when they see you act in this manner. If you have civility issues with another individual, you should attempt to resolve these issues. Let go of this baggage! It doesn’t do you or others any good... Examples of Civility
Treat others equally
Acknowledging personal mistakes
Making amends for mistakes that affected others
Use of positive word choices and tone
Apologizing for offending another
Going out of your way to help others
Attempting to understand a point of view
different from your own
Calmly discussing disagreements
People who are civil and kind in their workplace find it easier to build the real relationships with co-workers and, and even to achieve the decisions necessary to them. Therefore, civility is also important for career growth. People who are benevolent have higher resistance to stresses and depression. Civility is for Everyone
It is every employee’s right to work in a civil workplace, free from hostility, bullying and disruptive behaviors It starts with each person looking at their personal actions to see where they can make their organization better. Civility Puzzle
Q B L K D S K O Q V Z F Q Q W P S W M R S N I X K A J I W X A K C T W H U P X S C W H J R T K R N O E C I V I L I T Y E Y G I O O T R X C X P G X J S P N M S W I H U M V D R B M P N I U R E M T E T I O I M F E J L U O O Z A U R L R X K U C T L P M G P X E L S U Y L R T I O L U A O N M T O K C W Y S K R P R S W S C G Y S F E L W S E F V X B B S Y E Z E H W C S Y V B I N T U I C Q I R K N A E K D Y L O H C P X R W U O C O M M U N I C A T I O N C C
WORD LIST: CIVILITY TEAMWORK COMMUNICATION CULTURE EYEROLLING GOSSIP OTHERS RESOLUTION RESPECT RUMORS J U N E 2 0 1 9 M O N T H L Y D I A L O G U E L E T T E R “ Confirmation Bias” By Jonathan Shimkus, BLM OR/WA EEO Manager
“See Something, Say Something”
This is a Bureau-wide Campaign endorsed by BLM’s Executive Leadership Team
What is confirmation bias? For our discussion, we’ll define Confirmation Bias as the tendency to process information by interpreting information so that it is consistent with, and therefore supports, one’s already existing ideas and/or convictions.
Sometimes, when we see this in action, we might call it cherry picking our information or our sources.
How long did it take you to think of an example that fits? Confirmation bias can explain why two people with opposing views can look at the exact same situation, be given the exact same evidence and facts, and EACH feel that that it proves their point or validates their point of view.
Why does confirmation bias even matter?
Serious misjudgements and mistakes can result when we fail to interpret information in an unbiased way. When we understand this bias, we can learn to identify it in our daily lives and in ourselves. People are more likely to exhibit this bias when the issue is highly important or self-relevant. In the last few years, there has been quite a bit written about confirmation bias. For this letter, information was drawn from works by Shane Parrish (Farnam Street) and others that are cited later.
Although the term was coined in 1960 by English psychologist Peter Wason, recognizing this bias and realizing how pervasive it is in human interactions is not NEW!
Ancient Greek writer Thucydides wrote: For it is a habit of humanity to entrust to careless hope what they long for, and to use sovereign reason to thrust aside what they do not fancy.
More recently, Warren Buffet is quoted as stating “What the human being is best at doing is interpreting all new information so that their prior conclusions remain intact.”
Why is confirmation bias so common?
Perhaps, you even thought to yourself, I’ve seen that in others, but _I_ can avoid that trap.
Just like when we talked and learned about unconscious bias back in December, biases exist because our brains like to look for shortcuts. When we have to manage more and more information in an increasingly information rich culture (internet, social media, etc.,) the brain looks for models and cognitive shortcuts to make sense quickly.
Unfortunately, this bias, while making it easier for the brain, is not very helpful in practice.
This causes us to remember things that fit our worldview, and dismiss or forget things that do not. Thought Question:
How do you think this bias could affect your daily life at work here at BLM? Hiring Decisions Scientific Review Creating a Civil Workplace Interacting with the Public
What strategies work… and what doesn’t?
Research in the field says just knowing you have the bias, doesn’t cure it!
Additionally, in some research experiments, being instructed to weigh the evidence in a “fair and impartial” manner didn’t change the effect of confirmation biases, either. Some strategies to try:
Take all the facts in, don’t try to come to an early conclusion. Expand your way of thinking: try to think more deeply about ideas and beliefs. See if you can disprove your conclusion, see if there is any contradictory information. For an example, many litigating attorneys will try to make their opponents argument while preparing… to see if they can respond with facts or persuasive opinions. *Consider the Opposite Strategy* Remember that your ego might be affecting your judgement. Listen even if you are an expert in the field. Ask questions! “What led you to your conclusion?” “What sources did you use?”
Perhaps with a little active engagement and knowledge of ourselves, we can limit the negative effects of confirmation bias, together.
Sources and Credit:
To learn more and to read from some of the source materials for this letter, please visit the below articles/websites. Their research and opinions have led to the perspective above. Additionally, the comics have the original artists’ info on the work itself.
Farnam Street: https://fs.blog/2017/05/confirmation-bias/ Journal of Accountancy: https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2015/feb/how-to-overcome- confirmation-bias.html Lifehack: https://www.lifehack.org/397673/how-to-expand-your-mind Reverbnation: https://blog.reverbnation.com/2017/02/09/how-to-avoid-confirmation-bias-when-asking-is- my-song-good/ Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201504/what-is- confirmation-bias Global Cognition: https://www.globalcognition.org/confirmation-bias-3-cures/ PMB Exchange
Objectives
The PMB Exchange is an initiative that strives to create a culture of learning and information-sharing within the Policy, Management and Budget (PMB) offices through short-term shadowing and work assignments. Exchanges may last from a few hours to several days depending on the activity and availability of the participants. The Exchange supports efforts to increase employee engagement and career advancement at DOI, a direct response to the 2018 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results. Participation in the Exchange may lead to: ● Increased knowledge and transparency of PMB offices and functions ● Opportunities for intra-agency collaboration and career exploration ● Cost-neutral, in-house professional development ● Low commitment, high reward learning opportunity
Participant Responsibilities
● Employee – any PMB employee may initiate and pursue an Exchange with supervisor approval ● Host Office/Employee – involve employee in shadowing activities, share career experience with employee ● Supervisor – discuss employee career development and approve participation
Types of Exchanges
● Job shadow – attend meetings, observe interactions with stakeholders, learn about day-to-day tasks ● Job sharing – employee is actively involved in completing specific tasks and attending briefings for the host office
PMB Exchange Options: 1. Set up a DOI Community on USAJOBS Open Opportunities ($50-100k+)
● Pros: ○ Resources (time, people, money): Leverage existing platform, managed OPM USAJOBS subject-matter experts, base platform free (can customize for additional cost), quicker turnaround time and ability to launch immediately, most cost-effective1 (compared to Options 2 and 3), communications and training already exists, secure platform, 508-compliant, customizable to DOI PMB, scalable, already vetted, can grow with Open Opps as they expand the platform, connected to USAJOBs (encourage employees to keep their profiles updated), users/opportunities are searchable, mentoring feature is a future update, ● Cons: ○ External site and log-in might deter employees from using it, reputation of USAJOBS, lack of DOI ownership/oversight
2. Create on existing Bison Connect application (Google Site, SharePoint)
● Pros: ○ Technical: DOI can control/maintain, can customize to an extent ○ Capability: can work on our own timeline ● Cons: ○ Need to hire contractors, need to develop a statement of work, time intensive, higher cost (compared to Option 1), at the mercy of Bison Connect migration timelines and DOI contract, greater liability for DOI, don’t have the ability to automate/self-manage, need to create from scratch, limited features/flexibility
3. Develop an intranet site using open source code ($150k+)
● Pros: ○ Can work on our own timeline, would not be contingent on the contract restrictions of Bison Connect, DOI can control/maintain, can fully customize and automate ● Cons: ○ Higher cost (compared to Option 1 and 2), would require extra time (compared to options 1 and 2), hire contractors, time intensive, need to compete and select contract, develop statement of work, create from scratch, greater liability for DOI, need to develop our own training and communications materials
Process
The PMB Exchange should be an organic, employee-led effort.
1 Includes the costs associated with manpower, time management, logistics, ongoing maintenance/management, training, etc. Timeline
Research & Planning Go-live & Evaluation (June-July 2019) (Aug 2019) • Identify existing and • Participants begin Exchange necessary resources • Collect feedback from host • Brainstorm with PMB offices and participants Directors & stakeholders • Evaluate quality & • Establish program framework performance
~------• Design & Dev•elo pment • (July-Aug 2019) • Develop platform, resources, & communications • Brief stakeholders on final product • Hold info sessions to prepare employees/offices to utilize this tool