A Better, More Diverse Senior Executive Service in 2050

ConclusionThere is an urgent need for action to close the diversity gap in relation to theSenior Executive Service. The Obama administration demonstrated its commitmentto diversity by issuing the recent executive order. But we have heard theright words before—at the end of the Clinton administration, Executive OrderNo. 13171 was issued, calling for “outreach efforts to include organizationsoutside the Federal Government in order to increase the number of Hispaniccandidates in the selection pool for the Senior Executive Service.” 41 It is a shameit did not work.It is time to walk the talk. As the Obama administration moves forward, a keyobjective should be closing the diversity gap in the Senior Executive Service andwithin that the primary focus should be on Hispanics. The recommendations inthis report outline a strategy that could be implemented quickly. As the administrationdevelops its own plans, we strongly encourage it to embrace these recommendations.If they choose to do so, we offer three further observations:• The Doing What Works project has written elsewhere about the importance ofconstantly monitoring progress toward goals and adjusting plans to maximizethe chance of success. 42 This area of policy is no different to any other—it wouldbenefit from goal-focused, data-driven reviews that the administration is implementingfor other areas of policy.• The literature on diversity demonstrates that there is more to diversity in theworkplace than simply having a diverse workforce. There is also a need foraction to maximize the benefits of diversity at work, such as ensuring the majoritygroup is sensitive to cultural differences and are able to see past stereotypes.As the Obama administration develops its plans, it will want to ensure it alsoimplements policies in these areas.• Diversity is a sensitive issue. Actions to promote diversity can easily be misconstruedas being discrimination against groups who are currently overrep-27 Center for American Progress | A Better, More Diverse Senior Executive Service in 2050