ADAPT
Assessment of Diversity Activities, Practices, and Training
(A workplace diversity self-evaluation tool for contractors)

The Assessment of Diversity Activities, Practices, and Training (ADAPT) was developed by the 2007 Diversity Committee of the ABC Keystone Chapter, as a resource for our member companies in their quest for creating equitable and inclusive workplaces. The basic format follows the pattern of the familiar Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) that is used by many of our members.

ADAPT is a self-diagnostic tool, designed with four key goals in mind:

1. To extend construction employment opportunities to all segments of society;
2. To secure the benefits of inclusive practices for the construction industry;
3. To provide a systematic method for identifying, measuring, benchmarking, and improving employee diversity within individual firms and departments;
4. To identify, magnify, and multiply diversity success examples in the construction industry.

There is a range of opinion regarding the best approach to this challenge. The approach used in this tool is to provide selected U. S. Census Bureau data reflecting the general population of Pennsylvania as comparison benchmarks. This process was developed with the following understanding:

• Progressing toward diversity goals is more critical than the immediate diversity status.
• Diversity program components believed to reflect best practices are identified and the opportunity to compare company practices with these concepts is provided.
• The benchmarks provided may not accurately reflect the immediate geographic area or industry traditions for all participants.
• Participants are invited to review census data independently and develop benchmarks more specific to their particular circumstances.

Population benchmarks and program descriptions are subdivided into four levels within the document. To use the tool, contractors select the level that best describes their company experience, record the associated number on the sub-score line, and then transfer the sub-scores to the Submittal Sheet. Repeating the process in subsequent years, the contractor can track his progress and recognize areas where improvement is needed.

Download a copy of the ADAPT Self-Evaluation Tool