National Intelligence Office Staff Remains Heavily White and Male

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, now in the midst of a long-term recruitment effort to diversify and increase rotations within component agencies, remains heavily white and male, according to a newly released human capital plan for 2012-2017.

The central director’s office for the community’s 17 agencies as of September 2011 was 78.4 percent white, compared with 76.6 percent for the other intel agencies and 65.6 percent of federal employees as a whole, according to the usually confidential plan, obtained by a University of Texas at El Paso professor under the Freedom of Information Act.

ODNI, which approved the plan’s release Nov. 25, created the strategy to improve recruiting of a “more agile” workforce that eventually would include 50 percent “cadres” hired by ODNI and 50 percent “detailees” borrowed from other intel agencies. The goal is to “build an agile expert workforce that is more representative of the IC and constantly reinvigorated through the influx of IC talent and perspectives.”

The rotations are also intended to give employees “opportunities that will enhance their career field competencies” and “empower employees to manage their careers and build a supportive, performance-based culture.”

The ODNI staff is 43 percent female, compared with 38.4 for all intel agencies and 44 percent for all federal agencies, the report said. ODNI has 21.6 percent minority employees, including 12.1 percent blacks, 3.6 percent Hispanics and 3.3 percent Asian.