The mission of the Public Affairs Department (PAD) is to lead an integrated Laboratory-wide program of communications, government, community relations, and science education. PAD’s goal is to inform and educate a diverse audience about the Laboratory’s science and research activities; advance the Laboratory's scientific development through partnerships with the divisions; and to make Berkeley Lab a valued partner in the community, region, and nation. The Public Affairs Department is composed of four units: Government and Community Relations; Communications; the Center for Science and Engineering Education (CSEE); and the Creative Services Office (CSO). The Department currently consists of 30 staff members, with as many as five employees hired by CSEE during the summer months.

PAD’s diversity plan is aligned with the Best Practices Diversity Council’s (BPDC’s) major findings and strategic initiatives. The Department’s plan will:

• Promote an ongoing and consistent process to ensure diversity in the Public Affairs workforce.
• Support strategic Laboratory-wide diversity efforts and actions as identified by BPDC.

Action Items for 2005

Goal 1: Ensure diversity in the Public Affairs Department, and thereby contribute to greater workforce diversity at Berkeley Lab.

Since the Public Affairs staff have specialized skills and knowledge (e.g., professional expertise in writing, education, government relations, and graphic and Web design) that crosscut science, mathematics, engineering, and technology, it will be necessary to identify and contact groups and organizations that include underrepresented minorities who have or are developing these required skills and knowledge. Members of the Public Affairs management team are due to retire in the next five years, providing an opportunity to further diversify Berkeley Lab management as well as the Public Affairs workforce.

Strategy. Implement the strategic recruiting best-practices model to create a consistent and ongoing plan for recruitment and hiring to ensure that highly qualified underrepresented minority candidates are in the pool for positions opening in the next five years.

Implementation. We plan to review the diversity profile of the current PAD staff and identify opportunities for greater diversification. We will investigate the demographics of potential applicant pools, and identify professional groups and organizations that provide opportunities to meet underrepresented minorities who could be potential candidates for future job openings in Public Affairs.

We will provide “internship” opportunities in the Department for the position of the Public Affairs manager and others as the budget allows. Our staff have many outside contacts, and we plan to develop a list of potential candidates from these contacts. We will document diversity actions and the diversity of job applicants. We expect these actions will ensure a diverse group of highly qualified applicants for future openings in Public Affairs.

Goal 2: Support strategic, Laboratory-wide diversity efforts and actions as identified by the BPDC.

Two areas have been identified by BPDC for immediate attention:

• Principles of Community
• Strategic Recruitment

Other initiatives under study by the Council include:

• Career Planning and Mentoring
• Workplace Satisfaction
• Pipeline Development

Strategy. Support workforce diversity initiatives and plans being implemented at both Laboratory-wide and division levels through an integrated use of Public Affairs’ four units: Communications, Government and Community Relations, CSEE, and Creative Services.

Implementation for supporting the Principles of a Diverse Community. The Public Affairs Department will make the following Principles of a Diverse Community part of their day-to-day activities and culture:

“Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is principally an institution of scientific research, committed to addressing the needs of society. A diverse workforce is an invaluable asset to innovation and research excellence. To this end, we must embody the following principles to successfully affect the Laboratory’s mission and embrace our diverse workplace community.

• We affirm the inherent dignity in all of us and strive to maintain an environment characterized by respect, fairness, and inclusion. Our valued community encompasses an array of races, creeds, and social circumstances. We recognize and cherish the richness contributed by our diversity.
• We accept open expression of our individuality and diversity within the bounds of courtesy, respect, and sensitivity. We take pride in our collective achievements. We honor our differences.
• As mandated by law and reaffirmed here, we will not tolerate any manifestations of discrimination, including those based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, and status within the Laboratory.”

The Communications Department will use internal publications such as Today at Berkeley Lab and The Berkeley Lab View to provide updates on the BPDC, and to communicate the Principles of a Diverse Community on behalf of Laboratory management. Other activities and actions may include but are not limited to publicizing diversity events, covering stories of successful diversity activities by Berkeley Lab divisions and departments, and writing profiles of Laboratory employees from various job classifications that emphasize the benefits of a diverse workforce.

Government and Community Relations will communicate the Laboratory’s commitment to the Principles of a Diverse Community to Berkeley Lab’s external community and stakeholders.

CSEE provides opportunities for Laboratory staff to interact with a diverse population of students and faculty through undergraduate and faculty internships and outreach programs; program participants will be introduced to the Principles of a Diverse Community and will be expected to practice them. These Principles will also be incorporated into mentor training.

The Creative Services Office will reflect the Principles in their products.

Implementation for supporting strategic recruitment. Public Affairs and its four units will use its internal and external publications and outreach to assist the Laboratory and divisions with their strategic recruitment activities.

CSEE will work with scientific divisions’ management teams to understand and select pipeline opportunities and resources, including those provided through CSEE. In addition, CSEE will provide support and resources to divisions to participate in pipeline activities, establish partnerships with scientific divisions to track participants into their career years, and use tracking data for diversifying applicant pools. As funding allows, CSEE will participate in coordinated recruitment and outreach at conferences and workshops with the Workforce Diversity Office, Human Resources, and scientific divisions.

CSEE will continue to be an active partner and facilitator of pipeline education programs at Berkeley Lab (e.g., the NSF-funded initiative, Environmental Control Technology Education for Advanced Building Operations, is a collaboration between Peralta Community College—Laney College, the CSEE, and the Environmental Energy Technologies Division). Finally, CSEE will give each division director a full report on division staff participation in CSEE-organized programs that highlight progress in diversity areas.

As other best-practices diversity initiatives are identified and adopted by the Laboratory, the Public Affairs Department will support them through its ongoing publications and outreach and education activities and programs.

For more information regarding this Diversity Plan, contact Reid Edwards, Public Affairs Department Manager, or Rollie Otto, Best Practices Diversity Council Representative.

For more information regarding this Diversity Plan, contact Reid Edwards, Public Affairs Department Manager, or Rollie Otto, Best Practices Diversity Council Representative.		Download this Diversity Plan in printable .rtf format.