Source: United States General Services Administration
April 14, 2022
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) released its Equity Action Plan, a key step forward in the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government.
GSA’s action plan aims to increase equity in three high-impact focus areas: federal procurement, federal buildings, and federal technology design and delivery. Focusing on these areas, GSA will use its unique position of delivering mission-critical services and core products across government to act as a force multiplier in advancing equity and removing barriers for underserved communities.
“This plan lays out how GSA intends to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as a priority in everything we do, from delivering projects to designing websites,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “For government to work, it needs to work for everyone. That’s why we’re focused on improving how we at GSA, and our federal partners, can improve how we deliver services to all of America’s communities.”
“This set of public commitments marks an incredible milestone for GSA’s equity work,” said Andrea M. O’Neal, Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Equity. “It represents what is possible when we have a coordinated, focused effort across government to address the set of systemic challenges facing communities who have been historically, socially, and economically underserved.”
GSA has worked to advance equity across its offices and platforms, and will continue to build on that progress. Following the results of its assessment, GSA will implement new strategies that will help to remove barriers and enhance support and education for underserved communities. These new strategies will advance equity by:
- Improving success for underserved businesses;
- Enhancing technical assistance for underserved communities;
- Ensuring equitable technology design and delivery;
- Enhancing access to opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses to participate on the Multiple Award Schedule contract vehicle;
- Enhancing supplier diversity and vendor education;
- Determining the economic and environmental justice impacts of the current and future public building footprint to advance the livability and vitality of communities;
- Prioritizing equitable design and user experience when developing and delivering federal digital services;
- Improving performance of older devices and accessibility for mobile, rural, and low-bandwidth users; and
- Investing in resources to help advance civil rights.
GSA is committed to making meaningful equity impacts, recognizing that equitable approaches lead to better outcomes for everyone. The Equity Action Plan will continue to guide the agency’s efforts to create a more equitable future for the federal government and the people we serve.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.