November 12, 2020
Olympia, WA – The Washington State Patrol is seeking proposals from qualified providers for a workforce diversity plan as outlined by recent legislation.
Excerpt from ESHB 2322 Sec 207.2019 c 416 s 207 passed earlier this year:
$150,000 of the state patrol highway account is provided solely for the Washington State Patrol to work with the Department of Enterprise Services and Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises to contract for a workforce diversity strategic Recruitment Plan. The successful consultant must have demonstrated expertise in workforce diversity research and an established record of assisting organizations in implementing diversity initiatives. The plan must include:
(a) Current and past employment data on the composition of the state patrol workforce generally and of its protective service workers;
(b) Research into the reasons for underrepresentation of minorities and women in the state patrol workforce;
(c) Research on best practices for recruiting across the state and from communities historically underrepresented in the Washington state patrol workforce;
(d) Case studies of law enforcement and other agencies that have successfully diversified their workforce; and
(e) A strategic plan with recommendations that will address disparities in the Washington state patrol employment ranks in both commissioned and noncommissioned personnel, with a focus on executive, command, and supervisory employees.
An optional virtual Pre-Bid Conference will be held on November 17, 2020 from 2-4 PM PST. Letters of Intent are due by November 30, 2020 and proposals will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. PST of December 10, 2020. Interested parties may learn more by logging on to https://wsp.wa.gov/budget-vendor-information/
Like many law enforcement agencies across the US, WSP continues to lag behind other industries and public service organizations in attracting and retaining qualified women and minority candidates. Over time, the agency has directed considerable resources to recruit, train, and retain qualified women and minorities and now enjoys several generations of women and minority troopers, officers and civil servants among its ranks and in senior leadership positions. Still, more work needs to be done and by using outside expertise, WSP is hopeful that new direction and additional steps will benefit this decades-long effort to diversify.
In addition to current targeted recruitment strategies and seeking outside expertise in marketing, planning, and study, the agency has taken a number of steps in the past several years including hiring two tribal liaisons, instituting an Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and starting a state-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council of employees across the state.
The most recent graduating class from the WSP Academy in Shelton was made up of 40% female and minority cadets, now newly commissioned troopers. This points to a commitment to continued improvement but also to the need to continue innovative and purposeful exploration of new methods and resources.
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