Luther Santiful (Director, EEO Agency, U.S. Department of the Army) sponsored the meeting, which was held at the Pentagon.

 DIVERSITY

 Wilett Bunton (Director of Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government, Diversity Task Force) gave a presentation on the work of her Task Force. Ms. Bunton indicated that federal agencies were recently asked to designate points of contacts to respond to a diversity survey. Following is a representative sample of the goals that the survey hopes to collect: an assessment of diversity initiatives across executive branch departments and agencies; a description of strategies and practices which promote diversity; a summary of performance criteria utilized to assess diversity initiatives; a profile of exemplary workforce diversity initiatives; and an analysis of how diversity is incorporated into leadership/management development. Several Council members did not know who were their points of contacts for the diversity survey, and Ms. Bunton promised to send them this information shortly.

 EEO COMPLAINT PROCESS

 Karen Freeman, also from the Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government, discussed her work with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in trying to launch an interagency task force focused on reinventing the federal sector EEO complaint process. Ms. Freeman explained that a task force was needed to ameliorate a process that was cumbersome and had excessive backlogs.

Mr. Jorge Ponce indicated to Ms. Freeman that the best justification for forming a task force was to give EEO professionals in the federal sector an opportunity to offer their suggestions on how to improve the federal sector EEO complaint process. While EEOC claimed that it had
consulted federal agencies about its proposed changes to the federal sector EEO complaint process, Mr. Ponce stated this was only partially true. He explained that although EEOC had asked federal agencies for their feedback on the proposed changes, it had ignored the majority of them. Unlike EEOC, Mr. Ponce indicated that the Office of Personnel Management realized, after downsizing its workforce by over 50 percent, that it lacked the resources to remain the leader in the human resource field. Thus, the Interagency Advisory Group (IAG) of Federal Personnel Directors was formed to advise the Office of Personnel Management on matters pertaining to the development of proposals on government personnel policies, major projects, and policy changes affecting the practices of various federal agencies. The partnership
formed between OPM and the IAG has restored the trust of applicants and employees in federal personnel offices; provided the best value for each taxpayer dollar; ensured the best workplace for its employees; and generated the best legacy for the future of the federal workforce.

While the Council of Federal EEO and Civil Rights Executives has tried to engage EEOC in the past to form a similar partnership, EEOC has not shown any interest. Therefore, Mr. Ponce opined that the most important role played by the NPR's Interagency Task Force would be to act as a neutral third party to bring EEOC and the Council to the negotiating table. As a good will gesture, Mr. Ponce stated that EEOC should postpone the implementation of the proposed changes to the federal EEO complaint process until the two sides have agreed on the best course of action. Mr. Ponce indicated that at a time of shrinking resources and increasing responsibilities, it was incumbent for EEOC, federal agencies, and the Council to work together.

Mr. Ponce pointed out that the IAG had sent a letter to EEOC stating that "the proposals that EEOC has put forward, with what appears to be minimal input from the federal professionals who are tasked with administering the current system are not supported statistically, or otherwise, as changes that will improve the system. " Mr. Ponce said that the IAG, which represented personnel offices, had been more responsive to the concerns raised by EEO professionals than EEOC.

Mr. Ponce has already sent Ms. Freeman a copy of the Council's position paper on the proposed changes to the federal EEO complaints process. He indicated that the position paper, in addition to reacting to each EEOC's proposed changes, included a list of recommendations from Council members on how to make the EEO process better.

Among Ms. Freeman's handouts was one that showed the average number of processing days for all closures in fiscal year 1997. Mr. Santiful pointed out that out of 78 agencies, EEOC ranked last in this category. He indicated that this was another illustration as to why EEOC should be consulting the EEO professionals from other agencies. With the complexities and challenges facing EEO professionals nowadays, it is preposterous for an agency like the EEOC to think that it had all the answers.

The Council has forcefully argued in its position paper that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 only granted EEOC appellate authority, and suggested that EEOC should consult the U.S. Department of Justice on this important change. The Council members were very pleased to hear from Ms. Freeman that EEOC will be working with the U.S. Department of Justice to address whether EEOC's Administrative Judges should have the authority to render final decisions.

The tentative timetable for interagency task force is as follows: announce the task force, May 1999; assemble the task force, June 1999 (advisory group, steering committee; project teams); complete task force, June 2000.

 DIRECTORY OF INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS

 Jorge Ponce discussed a directory of internship programs that his office (the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Equal Opportunity Program) prepared and updated. The directory contains current information about internship and fellowship programs that are available to federal agencies willing to diversify their workforces. For your convenience and easy distribution to your field offices, the directory is now featured in the Publications section of the Council's webpage.

 HISPANIC FEDERAL EXECUTIVE SUMMIT II

  1999 NATIONAL THEMES FOR COMMEMORATIVE MONTHS

 Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month; Celebrated in May;
Organization Picking the Theme: Federal Asian Pacific American Council
(FAPAC); Theme: CELEBRATING OUR LEGACY.

Hispanic Heritage Month; Celebrated from September 15-October 15;
Organization Picking the Theme: National Council of Hispanic Employment
Program Managers; Theme: A VISION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY; Poster
Availability: (202) 882-8934, (fax): (202) 726-1299.

Disability Employment Awareness Month; Celebrated in October;
Organization Picking the Theme: President’s Committee on Employment of
People with Disabilities; Theme: Think Ability.

A group of Council members presented Kathy Gause with an engraved
clock as a token of appreciation for Kathy's distinguished service as
the Council's Secretary and Vice-Chair.