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SES Diversity Demographics at IRS Compare Favorably With Those of Other Federal Agencies, TIGTA...

January 4, 2012

TIGTA - 2012-1 David Barnes David.barnes@tigta.treas.gov TIGTACommunications@tigta.treas.gov (202) 622-3062

SES Diversity Demographics at IRS Compare Favorably With Those of Other Federal Agencies, TIGTA Finds

WASHINGTON – The IRS’s Senior Executive Service (SES) diversity demographics statistics

compare favorably with those of other Federal agencies, according to a new report by the

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

For example, TIGTA found that in Fiscal Year 2009, the IRS exceeded the Federal Government

as a whole in placing more females in executive positions at the SES level, which is the highest

rank achievable for civil servants in the Federal Government. In addition, TIGTA found that in

Fiscal Year 2009, the IRS’s SES level was more diverse than other Federal agencies in eight of

12 Office of Personnel Management diversity categories. In the other diversity categories, the

IRS was very close to the Federal Government’s SES percentages.

TIGTA conducted this audit to determine the level of diversity in IRS SES appointments and

whether the IRS has an effective strategy that complies with applicable law and regulations to

achieve diversity within executive positions.

As part of its audit, TIGTA interviewed key IRS leaders to determine the IRS’s organizational

posture toward diversity. TIGTA found that the IRS has an agency-wide diversity policy that

includes the SES level and below.

“The IRS is to be commended for the success that it has achieved in its SES diversity

demographics,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We

found that the IRS has undertaken a broad-based approach to diversity to achieve a workforce

that represents the taxpayers it serves.”

TIGTA made three recommendations addressing the IRS’s ongoing and future commitment to

diversity. First, TIGTA recommended that the IRS ensure that its key diversity practices are

made part of its internal guidance. Second, TIGTA recommended that the IRS consider

partnering with Federal professional executive organizations to gain additional insight on

diversity issues in the Federal executive community. Lastly, TIGTA recommended that the IRS

consider ways to communicate to its employees the existence of professional executive

organizations that may assist employees in their self-development efforts toward attaining higher

level and SES positions.

The IRS agreed with all of TIGTA’s recommendations and has taken or plans to take corrective

actions.