This is the Capability Maturity Model that has 5 levels – systems encouraging lack of diversity, systems neutral that keeps status quo, individuals actively fighting the status quo, systems improvement in one organisation, systems improvement across multiple organisations. Each level has the underlying understanding of DEI in that level, and the key question for that level.
Most organisations are at level 2, while some are lucky in that they have individuals who are actively fighting the status quo and pushing them to level 3.
What is key to understand here is that subtle discrimination over time reduces the chances of employment for people from one or more marginalised groups. And the opposite of discrimination is providing opportunities.
| CMM Level | Understanding | Key Question |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Systems encouraging lack of diversity | There is no understanding | There are no questions being asked. |
| #2 Systems neutral that keeps status quo | There is understanding of blatant issues in diversity, but not systemic issues. | How do we stop unconscious bias and only judge on skills and experience? |
| #3 Individuals actively fighting the status quo | There is understanding of blatant and systemic issues in diversity by individuals. | How do we get privileged people to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities? |
| #4 Systems improvement in one organisation | There is understanding of blatant and systemic issues across the organisation. | How do we build systems to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities? |
| #5 Systems improvement across organisations | There is understanding of systemic issues across multiple organisations. | How do we build systems to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities? |
