Bill Overview
Title: Improving VA Workforce Diversity Through Minority-serving Institutions Act of 2022
Description: This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop plans for hiring and recruiting diverse candidates. Specifically, the VA must develop and carry out an employee recruitment strategy that includes partnering with minority-serving institutions. The VA must also develop and carry out a plan to ensure that (1) vacant positions may be filled from a candidate pool that includes diverse leaders and diverse candidates identified for promotion; and (2) such positions must be filled using promotion panels comprised of diverse evaluators, reviewers, or assessors. Additionally, the VA may establish a program, in coordination with minority-serving professional organizations, to foster and encourage individuals from underserved communities to serve in the Senior Executive Service of the VA.
Sponsors: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]
Target Audience
Population: Potential VA employees from minority-serving institutions
Estimated Size: 500000
- The bill aims to diversify the workforce of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by hiring candidates from minority-serving institutions.
- Minority-serving institutions include historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and universities, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions.
- The legislation will affect the job market and employment opportunities for graduates and students of these minority-serving institutions by potentially increasing their employment in the VA.
- Because the VA is a U.S. federal agency, the primary impacted demographic is current and potential employees within the United States.
- The initiative to recruit from diverse candidate pools will specifically impact minority groups within the U.S., as the bill aims to increase diversity in employment and leadership within the VA.
Reasoning
- The target population primarily includes minority groups in the U.S. who are affiliated with minority-serving institutions.
- The policy impact is directed towards employment within the VA, focusing on increasing opportunities for these minority groups.
- Considering the budget constraints and the focus of the bill, the policy will initially affect a small percentage of the potential target population, but its influence could grow over time.
- The population included in interviews range from those directly affected (e.g., students at minority-serving institutions) to those indirectly affected (e.g., current VA employees who may experience changes in hiring policies).
- The commonness factor in interviews reflects how typical the situation is within the target demographic, ranging from highly common to rare.
Simulated Interviews
Graduate student (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy could really open up job opportunities for me in the VA, especially since it focuses on minority-serving institutions like mine.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
VA Hospital Administrator (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy seems ambitious and beneficial but implementing it successfully will require a lot of changes in our existing procedures.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Undergraduate student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 22 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy makes me hopeful about finding a job in the federal sector after graduation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
VA HR Specialist (Miami, FL)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's great to have a structured initiative like this, but it needs consistent funding and evaluation to actually work.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
IT Specialist (New York, NY)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could bring more growth opportunities for me within the VA, and it feels inclusive.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Veterans Affairs Senior Executive (Dallas, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any policy driving towards diversity is a welcoming change. However, execution and follow-up are critical.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Graduate student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 12.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is a promising step towards ensuring more inclusive job opportunities for students like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Retired (San Antonio, TX)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Reflecting on my career, I think these initiatives are necessary for real change in the VA's work culture.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Researcher (Seattle, WA)
Age: 32 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's an important policy, but it needs to be paired with training and awareness programs to prevent tokenism.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
VA Program Manager (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Change is always challenging, but this could improve the work environment and bring in fresh perspectives.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 2: $12000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $15000000)
Year 3: $12000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $15000000)
Year 5: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 10: $8000000 (Low: $6000000, High: $10000000)
Year 100: $5000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $6000000)
Key Considerations
- The initial costs of developing and implementing recruitment strategies might be offset by longer-term savings from a more diverse and efficient workforce.
- The focus on minority-serving institutions could increase the diversity of the applicant pool and result in a more inclusive environment at the VA.
- The establishment of a program to encourage individuals from underserved communities into leadership positions could have positive ripple effects on diversity within federal agencies.