136 STATE CAPITOL DENVoR, COt.ORAOO 80203 ]AR.ED Pous TEL 303-866-24i} fax 303-866-2003 GOV£RNOR D 2020175 EXECUTIVE ORDER Directing the Department of Personnel and Administration to Lea d State Action on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the State of Colorado Pursuant to the authority vested in the Governor of the State of Colorado and, in particular, pursuant to Article IV, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order directing the Department of Personnel and Admi.n istration to lead State action on equity, diversity, and inclusion for the State of Colorado. I. Background and Purpose The State of Colorado believes that an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace is one where all employees and community partners, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, nat ional origiJ1, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity, feel valued and respected. We are committed to nondiscriminatory practices and providing equitable opportunities for employment and advancement in all of our departments, programs, services, and worksites. We respect and value diverse life experiences and work to ensure that al l voices are heard so that a person's future success is not determined by their identity. We w ill only reach our potential as a state when all Coloradans can live, work, learn, play, and thrive in healthy, inclusive, and equitable environments. We do not build walls of exclusion in Colorado - we build ladders of opportunity. To achieve our goal of recognizing, embracing, and celebrating all identities and abilit ies, Colorado is committed to working together and leading the nation in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts. Therefore, EDI are core values and top priorities to realize our vision of a Colorado For All. Il. Declarations and Directives Recognizing the importance of creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment that allows our workforce to thrive and the State to be an employer of choice, I hereby direct the Department of Personnel &Administration (DPA) to take the following inunediate actions: A. Develop an EDI Universal Policy to guide and direct State agencies in creating long-term strategic plans with the goal of inclusive, anti-discriminatory workplace cultures, and implementing equitable hiring, compensation, and retention practices. Executive Order D 2020 175 August 27, 2020 Pa e2of3 B. Develop and deliver required training for all employees on equity, diversity, and inclusion, including specific EDI training for State supervisors and executive leaders. C. T o ensure accountability, create a proposal for an operational plan to support, coordinate, and oversee statewide EDI initiatives, and develop a reporting template and procedure for agencies to publicly repo.r t progress on, and build trust in, their EDI in itiatives. D. In partnership with the Colorado Equity Alliance and other relevant stakeholder groups, create statewide standards of accessibility to guide agencies in ensuring State buildings, systems, vital documents, community meetings, and other communications and resources, including websites, are accessible to all Coloradans, regardless of ability or language. Where applicable, these standards shall be at or above the standards required in the Americans with D isabi lities Act and the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. E. Using the fu1dings of the procurement disparity study commissioned by Senate Bill 19-135, guide agencies in addressing systemic inequities posed by contracting barriers. In order to achieve our vision of a Colorado For All and equity for all, all State agencies must play a role in incorporating an equity mindset in their work. State agencies are directed to take a coordinated approach, led by DPA, to operationalize equity in systems, policies, and practices, at minimum to include the following: F. State agency executive leadership will ensure employee participation, including their executive leadership teams, in DPA 's required training and support internal educational training regarding implicit bias, historical injustices and trauma, community engagement practices, assessment tools, and other appropriate equityrelated topics as they relate to their work. G. All agencies will have representation on the Colorado Equity Alliance to align and implement consistent EDI tools and support cross-agency EDI goals. All agencies will create and continuously update a long-term plan to identify and address barriers as well as metrics to evaluate progress such as Governor's Office dashboard measures, agency measures, and/or Employee Engagement survey measures. As part of their annual performance plans pursuant to the SMART Act (C.R.$. § 2-7-204), each Executive Director will provide an annual report to the Governor's Office and DPA. Each agency, in addition to presenting to the General Assembly on topics pursuant to C.R.S. § 2-7-203, shall also present any specific efforts and progress in addressing EDI within their agency. Additionally, Executive Directors may consider designati ng staff to lead and coordinate these activities. Executive Order D 2020 175 August 27, 2020 Pa e 3 of3 III. H. Agencies shall respect and value life experiences from community residents to ensure that State agency staff hear diverse perspectives and actively build relationships with a goal of full participation. This includes involving community partners in decision-making from the beginning to end of projects, as welJ as measuring diversity and inclusion efforts on State boards and commissions appointed by the Governor's Office. I. Agencies shall review, acknowledge, and dismantle any inequities within agency policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report agency progress. Agencies shall respond to any systemic procurement equity barriers as identified by DPA's statewide procurement study. J. Executive Directors shall engage in Cabinet-level discussion about systemic inequities, how they impact the State's work and outcomes for all Coloradans, and actively facilitate change to create a culture of anti-discriminatory behaviors through engagement of agency leadership teams. K. Agencies shall adopt and maintain DPA 's standards of accessibility for all State buildings, systems, vital documents, community meetings, and other resources available to Coloradans. L. Agencies shall begin to implement these directives within existing budgets and authorities. If necessary, agencies shall engage with OSPB to identify resource requirements and incorporate those requirements into the annual budget development process for any actions to be implemented in future fiscal years. Duration This Executive Order shall remain in effect unless modified or rescinded by future Executive Order of the Governor. GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado, this twenty-seventh day of August, 2 20.