Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are essential to serving our mission, which is to answer the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions with objective analysis leveraging extraordinary scientific, technical and analytic expertise. Diversity is the foundation for creating insights in our work. Equity empowers all IDA community members to achieve their fullest potential. Inclusion enables shared understanding and opportunity for effective collaboration across IDA. As a learning organization, IDA recognizes that innovation is strengthened through DE&I and commits to transparency and integrity in our work and for our people.
IDA is continually committed to rigor, transparency and integrity as we move forward to:
- Promote diversity through recruitment, retention and career growth.
- Implement and maintain policies and practices that enable the success of all IDA community members in our shared mission.
- Foster a culture of active citizenship within IDA and society more broadly to establish an environment that values each member of the community.
- Engage internal and external stakeholders in a data-driven process of continuous feedback and learning.
Read our full Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Employee Resource Groups at IDA
At IDA, we believe that fostering our staff’s sense of belonging and being valued is key to an inclusive environment. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have become an integral part of the DE&I work that companies, government agencies and other organizations have done to support current staff, recruit and develop new talent pools and provide advocacy and advice to management. ERGs also work to share feedback with senior leadership and initiate change to policies and practices that impact the workplace. We currently have six ERGs that are a critical component of our efforts to propel diversity, equity and inclusion at IDA:
- Black Professionals ERG.
- Hispanic/Latine ERG.
- LGBTQ+ ERG.
- Military ERG.
- Women's Network ERG.
- Working Parents ERG.
- … and growing!
DE&I Training
We provide several DE&I education and training offerings to ensure that IDA provides organization-wide continuous learning opportunities to develop common foundational knowledge and further integration of DE&I.
Language Matters: A bi-monthly conversation that delves into the importance of vocabulary, word choice and their connotations related to DE&I. These seminars aim to provide a space for open dialogue and to further cultural understanding across our diverse organization.
Peer Intervention: Presented by Alteristic, this course teaches strategies to ensure employees have the skills and motivation needed to respond when they notice behaviors that could lead to or constitute harassment or bullying, and engage in behaviors that establish a climate of dignity and respect, where all employees can thrive.
Microinequities: The Power of Small: Delivered by Stephen Young of Insight Education Systems, this seminar heightens awareness of the subtle messages people send that affect productivity, loyalty and performance — all critical to our success.
Our Working Group
While building on past DE&I work, in 2021 we established a working group at IDA focused on driving positive change and embedding DE&I into every fiber of our culture. This group includes members from all levels and divisions across our organization and assists with implementation of our DE&I strategy. The group’s work focuses on recruiting, retaining and growing diverse talent at all levels, driving a more inclusive and equitable culture that welcomes and supports diversity, and establishing organizational accountability.
IDA at a Glance
We are Working Hard to Improve the Diversity of Our Staff
We Have Served Our Nation
18% of Employees are Veterans
