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October 2023 News | View as webpage
Director's Message
Berri Leslie
DAS Director and State Chief Operating Officer
The Department of Administrative Services is an agency that is responsible for managing many large initiatives in state government. As a new director, I have been committed to truly understanding our important role, the customers we serve and how we can better support the people of Oregon.
One of those large initiatives was implemented by Governor Kotek in January of this year. She sent a letter to state agencies outlining 11 specific expectations related to operations of Oregon state government. I’m happy to report that we have made enormous strides in a relatively short amount of time. It isn’t easy work, but as we progress, we are seeing increasing positive outcomes, which help improve our operations across the enterprise.
We just concluded our September quarterly report and since our last report, five of the measures have already reached early deadlines and significant progress has been made towards others. The enterprise has increased employee performance feedback compliance from 87% to 92%, increased the rate of agency IT strategic planning activities by 26%, and decreased the average time it took to fill vacant positions by six days. Moreover, the overall state vacancy rate has dropped from 18.4% to 14.7%.
Since September, every agency has also joined a diversity, equity and inclusion cohort that will develop and implement diversity, equity and inclusion plans.
Finally, 74% of new employees have participated in the new Uplift Your Benefits training, and 66% of new managers have been successfully enrolled in a cohort within five days of assignment following their newly required foundational training.
These numbers are significant. It takes a concerted effort to move these numbers in the right direction, and I want to publicly thank each and every agency, board and commission that has worked hard to move the enterprise into alignment with Governor Kotek’s expectations. These are positive steps state government is taking that will help us better serve our customers, become more efficient and ultimately, be good stewards of the public’s trust. I look forward to sharing more updates with you in the future.
View the report here.
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State of the 2023 Disparity Study
Funding for a disparity study in Oregon state government was approved during the 2021 legislative session. The study was initiated with the collective work of the Racial Justice Council, Racial Justice Committee, state agencies, legislative leaders, Governor's Office and others.
A disparity study:
- Examines and measures inequities within a state's contracting activity.
- Documents past discrimination in public contracting with businesses owned by persons of color, women, and service-disabled veterans.
- Examines the extent of the discrimination and provides the basis by which the state can enact race-conscious and other measures to counteract any specific disparities measured in the study.
After extensive work since its initiation, the study is nearing completion with expected delivery of the final report before the end of the year. DAS will then work with agencies and community partners on recommendations and next steps.
To learn more, visit the disparity study website or email manager Christopher Wilson.
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Planning Tool Helps Agencies Lead by Example on Climate Change
The DAS Office of Sustainability and the Oregon Sustainability Board (OSB), with support from the Oregon Department of Transportation and an Oregon-based consultant, developed a custom climate action planning tool to help agencies reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their operations.
The tool allows agencies to lead by example in tackling climate change by taking stock of their past and present GHG emissions, creating reduction goals and identifying ways to reduce emissions. Strategies agencies can initiate include reducing building energy use, supporting renewable energy, reducing fossil fuels in the fleet, supporting reduced commuting and reducing waste.
DAS and the OSB, with the consultant’s help, conducted two workshops with agencies in early 2022 to train them on use of the tool. Since then, the Office of Sustainability has been working one-on-one with agencies to help them identify GHG-reducing strategies. These strategies will be compiled by the DAS Office of Sustainability in an enterprise-wide progress report at the end of 2023.
The climate action planning tool is just one of the latest initiatives from the OSB. The OSB has also been working to address issues around equity, sustainable procurement, transportation, water and sustainable design of future state buildings.
The OSB meets quarterly, and meetings are open to the public.
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ASCENT Program Returns to DAS
July 1 marked the return of the ASCENT Leadership Program to DAS. The ASCENT program is focused on collaborating with state agencies to grow transformational leadership skills for managers and employees alike.
DAS was the original sponsor of ASCENT in 2010, through a strategic planning effort of a division administrator who sought ways to build up employees of Oregon state government by developing and sponsoring training programs. In 2013, a coalition was formed among several agencies that agreed to share the cost of ASCENT’s staff and program support, and various agencies housed the program over the last decade.
The coalition believed, however, that DAS is the best fit for housing ASCENT in terms of long-term sustainability, alignment with other development efforts, as well as scaling opportunities. Thanks to their work with DAS Director and State COO Berri Leslie, the program has now finally been able to return.
“ASCENT has served over 2,000 state employees from 33 state agencies,” said Leslie. “I am thrilled that the team is working on a long-term strategy to scale the program to reach even more.”
Learn more about this program by visiting the ASCENT website.
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2023 Oregon Employees' Charitable Fund Drive Kicks Off
From now until Dec. 6, the Charitable Fund Drive gives state employees an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of fellow Oregonians. Charitable themes include education, arts, environment, social justice causes and more.
The drive provides a platform for employees to support nonprofits across our great state that are actively creating positive change. Donations, no matter the size, hold the power to fuel collective generosity and pave the way for lasting impact.
Visit the Charitable Fund Drive website to view a message from Governor Kotek, get information on over 700 nonprofits and make a pledge today. Let’s inspire hope, empower change and create a stronger tomorrow for all Oregonians.
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