Council Meeting

Held Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Host: Ms. Madeline C. Caliendo

INTRODUCTION

Ms. Delia L. Johnson, Co-Chair of the Council and Director, Office of Civil Rights for International Broadcasting Bureau, opened the meeting with a few remarks and then asked the attendees to give their names, agencies, and positions. She thanked Madeline C. Caliendo, Associate Administrator, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. General Services Administration, for sponsoring this meeting.

FEW

Sue Webster, National President of Federally Employed Women (FEW), gave a history of her organization. She indicated that FEW voted on July 8, 2008, on a resolution to set up a task force to look at the viability of the Federal Women’s Program (FWP) – as many FEW members were concerned about its effectiveness and allocated resources. For example, when FEW tried to put together a directory of FWP managers, it received only fourteen names.

On January 7, 2009, FEW issued a press release to highlight that only 50% (84 out of 167 federal agencies) had “timely” submitted their MD-715 reports in FY 2006, down from 68% submitted in FY 2005. Ms. Webster indicated that this number had improved to 80% lately.

FEW and OPM conducted a survey of agencies in 1994 and received a good response. FEW wanted to work with OPM to reissue this survey in early 2008, but OPM at that time did not want to partner with FEW to do so. FEW did so alone and very few agencies responded. Consequently, FEW has decided to not reissue the survey at this time.

FEW is tentatively planning to host a summit on May 14-15, 2010 – but the location is yet to be determined. Nevertheless, plans have changed following FEW’s recent meeting with the OPM Director. The Summit will be held after the findings of the OPM Interagency Working Group for the strategic plan are released.

EXCEL CONFERENCE

Sue Webster indicated that FEW’s 41^st National Training Program (NTP) will be held on July 12-16, 2010, in New Orleans, Louisiana. However, she pointed out that the FEW’s NTP conflicts with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s 2010 EXCEL Conference, which will be held on July 12-15, 2010, in Orlando, Florida.

Jorge Ponce, Co-Chair, stated that the EXCEL Conference also conflicts with the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) National Convention, which will be held on July 12-17, 2010, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) National Convention, which will be held on July 10-15, 2010, in Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Ponce stated that he hoped that EEOC Chair designate Jacqueline A. Berrien, who has served since 2004 as Associate Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, would intercede in this matter.

Mr. Ponce suggested that all these organizations and EEOC should work together to find a solution to this challenge. Ms. Webster indicated that FEW has a signed partnership with EEOC, and she met with EEOC representatives to discuss this conflict and work to find ways to resolve the conflict. EEOC indicated that the dates cannot be rescheduled due to signed contracts. A Council member stated that if a solution was not found, it would present an unbearable burden to federal agencies, as they could not afford to send its employees to these conferences at the same time. Moreover, other Council members indicated that most federal agencies had special emphasis managers with multiple programs in their portfolios, and, thus, they would have to pick and choose which conference to attend. Other Council members suggested that EEO Directors should boycott this year’s EXCEL Conference, and attend the HR & EEO Conference, which will be held on April 13-14, 2010, in New York City, or the Federal Dispute Resolution (FDR) Conference, which will be held on August 9-12, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia.

GSA EEO TRAINING

Madeline Caliendo gave a live presentation of an EEO training that she had prepared with New Point Strategies, LLC, for its managers and supervisors in FY 2009-2010. In FY 2007-2008, GSA offered an EEO training to the same group through an on-line OPM course. This course lasted 2 hours, but it was one-dimensional, without all the bells and whistles. Thus, Ms. Caliendo used the 738X GSA schedule for EEO services to retain New Point Strategies to develop a training with professional narrators and GSA-specific vignettes. GSA has approximately 2,200 managers, and the cost of the contract with New Point Strategies was about $175,000. Ms. Caliendo has received many kudos from GSA managers and supervisors about this training. Among the lessons that Ms. Caliendo learned from this experience are: 1) managers and supervisors do really want more EEO training, but quality of the training does matter; 2) on-line training is lower-cost training that is easy to administer and monitor completion rates; and 3) get input from managers and supervisors as to what they want or need in future EEO training. To contact New Point Strategies, LLC, call 703 405-7133.

Ms. Caliendo also handed out a 15-minute CD on its ADR Program, together with an accompanying brochure, that has been well received by GSA managers. In its FY 08 Report, ADR was used 30.4% in the pre-complaint process.

MISCELLANEOUS

Milton Belardo, former Chair of the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (HEPMs), urged EEO Directors to allow their special emphasis managers to attend affinity-group meetings. He has heard many complaints in the past that EEO Directors would not allow their HEPMs to attend the monthly meetings of the National Council of HEPMs. He indicated that the Council recently changed its bylaws to allow federal employees who had any relationship with the Hispanic Program to become members and to run for office.

Mr. Belardo also praised that Council of Federal EEO and Civil Rights Executives, especially Co-Chair Jorge Ponce, and the Council of HEPMs in getting the EEOC Chair to establish a Federal Hispanic Work Group. As a result of their joint efforts, many of the members of this Work Group have gotten promoted to the GS-15 level.