Study of Black Executives (EXs) within the Federal Public Service (FPS)

The Black Executives Network / Le Réseau des exécutifs noirs (BEN/REN) requires a Contractor who can provide a broad set of research and engagement services to conduct demographic analysis and document the lived experiences of Black Executives (EX) within the FPS. Specifically, the Contractor will examine and document the demographic composition of the Black EX community including age, gender, cultural background, education, citizenship or permanent resident status, official language, professional certification, career progression, etc—for the target survey sample size, and conduct comparisons with available information from other groups of EXs. The study will also examine their unique lived experiences of the Black EX community in the federal public service, in order to surface systemic barriers to participation and inclusion and to highlight measures to improve working conditions and representation across the federal public service. Additionally, the Contactor’s focus is to understand how Black EXs navigate being in leadership roles and positions of power, while simultaneously navigating anti-Black and systemic racism, discrimination, marginalization and exclusion. The idea that Black EXs “have to work twice as hard” for half the recognition and respect or shoulder enormous pressure to be the model minority, and the cumulative mental health impacts of Black Ex’s career experiences will also be explored. The Contractor would also collect data from Black EXs to understand their expectations in terms of what is needed to create a truly inclusive and barrier free environment, as well as what the necessary supports for success should look like, including to promote and support their well-being and psychological safety. Participants will consist of EXs at all levels of executive leadership.

The contractor will be required to propose multiple assessment methodologies to triangulate evidence to reach a conclusion. These methods may include but not be limited to literature review, documents review, interviews, expert interviews, data/demographic/trend analysis, case studies, and focus groups. In addition, the Contractor can incorporate historical examples to chronicle how anti-Black racism and other forms of racial stereotypes have been entrenched and normalized within federal institutional policies and practices.