ICR Supporting Statement A - DEIA Survey

SUPPORTING STATEMENT – A
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL UNDER
THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT AND 5 CFR 1320
Collection Title: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Survey
PART A. JUSTIFICATION
1.

Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

The annual Agency-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) survey will establish
a baseline for DEIA related metrics and enable longitudinal evaluation at the Agency level and
within Bureaus, Independent Offices and Missions (B/IO/M). The USAID DEIA survey will support
USAID’s implementation of the government-wide initiatives to strengthen DEIA in the federal
workforce and deliver equitable outcomes for the American people through the Agency’s outwardfacing policies, programs, regulations, contracting opportunities, and services. Development and
implementation of the survey will be conducted in accordance with guidance from the White House
Domestic Policy Council (DPC), U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), U.S.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The Biden-Harris administration Government-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
(DEIA) Strategic Plan released in November 2021 specifically outlines a priority to “improve the
collection of voluntarily self-reported demographic data about the federal workforce to take an
evidence-based approach to reduce potential barriers in hiring, promotion, professional development,
and retention practices.”
Currently, U.S. direct-hires (USDH) and U.S. Personal Services Contractors (USPSCs) voluntarily
report demographic data only on race, ethnicity, sex at birth, and disability status. Only USDH data is
analyzed and reported to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the
annual Management Directive (MD) -715 Report. USAID, like most federal government agencies,
does not collect data on sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI), which results in a data gap that
prevents analysis to identify potential areas of underrepresentation of LGBTQI+ people and barriers
to equal employment opportunity at USAID that LGBTQI+ people face.
In order to promote the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration and the Administrator as
outlined in Executive Orders 14035, 13985, 13988, 14031, Management Directive 715, and 29 CFR
Part 1614, the Agency needs to collect this data for the survey.
2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a
new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from
the current collection.
The DEIA Survey will, to the greatest extent practicable or appropriate under privacy, security, and
General Counsel:
● Capture the viewpoints and perceptions of USAID headquarters and overseas workforce
across all hiring mechanisms and at all grades and ranks;

● Allow for data disaggregation by B/IO/M, consistent with the Federal Employee Viewpoint
Survey;
● Provide data for analysis to support an evidence-based and data-driven approach to determine
whether and to what extent Agency policies, programs, and/or practices present barriers to
equal and equitable employment opportunities and outcomes, and what changes are needed
or developed to remove said barriers; and
● Support USAID’s efforts to monitor and report on DEIA and EEO program effectiveness,
enabling continuous program improvement.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
The DEIA Survey will be electronic using Qualtrics, a cloud-based subscription software platform
for experience management owned by SAP.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information
already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in item 2 above.
The DEIA Survey will not be duplicative as the types of information we are collecting in this survey
have not been collected before. This survey expands demographic data collection to include sexual
orientation and gender identity (SOGI), as well as captures workforce viewpoints and perceptions as
it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within the Agency.
5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any
methods used to minimize burden.
The DEIA Survey information collection process will not impact small businesses or other small
entities.
6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not
conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing
the burden.
If the DEIA Survey data collection is not conducted, USAID will not have fulfilled their obligation to
the Biden-Harris Administration’s diversity directive and executive orders 14035, 13988, 13985,
14031, Management Directive 715, and 29 CFR Part 1614, which specify the requirements for
government agencies to assess the current state of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in
their agency’s human resources practices and workforce composition.
It is critical for USAID to conduct this survey, which captures workforce viewpoints and perceptions
as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and collects sexual orientation
and gender identity (SOGI) data in order to ensure that we are aware of and are meeting the needs of
every member of our workforce and that we address diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility
issues that may impact different categories of our workforce in different ways.
7.

Special Circumstances

N/A, no special circumstances as relevant to the purposes of this question.
8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the
Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on
the information collection prior to submission to OMB.
As required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), and consistent with OMB emergency processing of
Information Collection Requests, USAID submitted a Federal Register notice simultaneously
with this ICR Submission Package in order to notify the public of this request. The Federal
Register Notice was posted at ….
9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
N/A, no payments or gifts will be provided.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
The survey data will be collected in an anonymous and voluntary manner and analyzed in aggregate
to identify trends, including viewpoints and perceptions of all groups in the agency workforce, using
demographic data points in a variety of ways. Following the same methodology used with the
Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, we will not provide data to the operating unit level for any
operating units with less than 10 respondents.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered
private.
The DEIA Survey will collect SOGI data to close the data gap that prevents analysis and
identification of potential areas of underrepresentation of LGBTQI+ people and barriers to equal
employment opportunity at USAID for LGBTQI+ people. The Government-wide DEIA Strategic
Plan released in November 202 specifically outline a priority to “improve the collection of
voluntarily self-reported demographic data about the federal workforce to take an evidence-based
approach to reduce potential barriers in hiring, promotion, professional development, and retention
practices.”
12.

Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.

Category of Respondent
USAID Direct Hires
USAID Non-Direct Hires
(contractors)
Totals

# of
Respondents
4000

# of Responses Per
Year
1

Participation
Time (minutes)
20

Burden
Hours
1,333

7000

1

20

2,333

11,000

1

20

3,667

13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record-keepers
resulting from the collection of information.
No annual cost burden.
14.

Provide estimates of annualized costs to the Federal Government.

The Office of Civil Rights obligated $189,800 in FY 2021 for the design, development, and
implementation of the DEIA Survey. There are no additional resource implications at this time.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported on the burden
worksheet.
N/A.
16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for
tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used.
Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the
collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.
The results of the DEIA Survey will be shared in aggregate form in accordance with the MD-715
reporting requirements to the EEOC. In addition, this information being collected is subject to the
requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and will be made available to relevant parties in
accordance with that statute.
17. If you are seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
N/A.
18. Explain each exception to the topics of the certification statement identified in
Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions.
N/A.