|
|
|
It is USDA policy to ensure that no person is subjected to prohibited discrimination in USDA employment or in federally assisted or conducted programs or activities administered by USDA based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program.
The Office of Civil Rights (CR) works in collaboration with the USDA mission areas and their agencies in implementing civil rights laws, regulations, and best practices relating to both employment and program delivery.
|
|
CR’s mission is to facilitate the fair and equitable treatment of USDA customers and employees while ensuring the delivery and enforcement of civil rights programs and activities.
|
|
In FY 2001, CR published the Long-Term Improvement Plan (LTIP). The LTIP is a roadmap for effecting long-term improvements in CR’s employment and program functions. It is the result of a comprehensive analysis of civil rights systems, processes, procedures, and staffing needs, levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities, automation needs, and administrative support.
The following are some recent improvements in CR attributable to LTIP:
Development of an automated complaint tracking system to provide more efficient, accurate tracking and reporting on employment and program complaints.
Identification of resources and functions needed to support complaint processing.
Implementation of an online technical resource library to expedite legal research in case processing.
Institution of a central records management system that ensures the integrity of complaint files and facilitates file retrieval.
CR employees receiving training in discrimination complaint investigation and adjudication.
|
|
A performance objective of CR is to conduct civil rights impact analyses (CRIAs) of all USDA regulations to assess impacts on underserved customers. Since FY 1999, CR has performed 632 CRIAs, meeting its target of 100 percent review of all new and amended USDA regulations.
|
|
During FY 2001, USDA saw an increase in emphasis on civil rights and equal employment opportunity (EEO) training and education. Civil rights, EEO, and sexual harassment training were provided to each of USDA’s more than 110,000 employees. Additionally, at the direction of the Secretary, all USDA managers and supervisors received specific diversity training designed to enhance their ability to recruit, retain, train, and manage a diverse workforce.
In FY 2001, a 5-year CR Training Plan was developed for the period FY 2002 to FY 2006. The plan focuses on improving employee skills. Additionally, a USDA pamphlet, Dealing with Workplace Conflict and Concerns: A Guide for Employees, was distributed to educate employees on approaches to resolving workplace disputes.
|
|
Effective and timely resolution of EEO and program complaints enhances USDA program delivery. The average processing time for EEO cases has been reduced 20 percent since the close of FY 2001, and for program cases the time to process the complaint fell 49 percent.
|
|
CR issued 650 reports of investigation (ROIs) in FY 2001 compared to 315 in FY 2000, a 106-percent increase. The processing time for complaints closed in FY 2001 was 571 days, reflecting a 15.8-percent drop in average days to close EEO complaint cases, compared to FY 1999. Nearly 94 percent of complaint cases closed in FY 2001 constituted cases filed between calendar years 1998 and 2000. The processing time for complaints filed and resolved in FY 2001 was 230 days.
|
|
Building and maintaining a highly skilled, competent, diverse workforce is an ongoing priority at USDA. The numbers prove the agency’s efforts to eliminate under-representation of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities in the workforce are successful. From entry level to top management, USDA’s initiatives to recruit and retain a diverse workforce reflect strong commitment and steady progress (figure 5-1).
Minorities comprised 20.82 percent of the 2001 USDA permanent workforce, up from 20.07 percent in FY 1999. Employment increases were realized in all diversity groups.
A matter of continuing concern is that the number of permanent employees reporting disabilities continues to decline. In FY 1999, employees with reportable disabilities accounted for 7.9 percent of the permanent USDA workforce. That distribution declined to 7.7 percent in FY 2000, and 7.4 percent in FY 2001. Permanent employees with "targeted" (generally, more severe) disabilities decreased from 1.2 percent in FY 1999 to 1.1 percent in FY 2001. USDA is responding by redoubling its efforts to hire employees with disabilities.
|
|
USDA has been strengthening its efforts to ensure accountability for discrimination. The Office of Human Resources Management tracks corrective and disciplinary action taken on matters relating to employment and program discrimination as well as other civil rights-related actions. Between January 1998 and December 2001, 218 civil rights-related corrective and disciplinary actions were taken.
|
|
A strong CR program supports USDA’s goals. It ensures that customers have full access to all USDA programs and activities, that program and employment complaints are handled fairly and expeditiously, and that the best supervisory and management practices are followed to build and maintain a diverse, competent, highly productive and effective workforce.
|
|