Equal Employment Opportunity Programs in the Department of Justice

The sixth and final report on the Department of Justice (DOJ) equal employment opportunity (EEO) affirmative action programs calls for greater efforts by DOJ to bring minorities and women into the work force. Representation of minorities and women at higher levels, in more responsible jobs, and in certain occupational groups remains low. The review raised questions about the degree of top management's commitment to the EEO program. Affirmative action plans were developed without sufficient assessments of bureau programs, sufficient personnel resources were not allocated, and recruiting objectives to reach qualified minority and female applicants for key professional occupations were not developed. In addition, DOJ employees lack an awareness of bureau EEO programs and there is an absence of guidelines for developing affirmative action plans. Management at all levels must become more fully committed to EEO goals, and must monitor, evaluate, enforce, and be held accountable for achieving EEO objectives. As a step toward solving these problems, the Attorney General should appoint a full time EEO Director. GAO recommendations dealt generally with program evaluations, complaint systems, affirmative action plans, recruiting, training, and promotion policies. DOJ needs to agressively implement all of the recommendations, and the Department's seven bureaus need to develop guidelines for comprehensive interim EEO evaluations, including procedures for followup.