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The Offices for Civil Rights in the Departments of Education and HHS Have Improved the Management of Their Civil Rights Enforcement Responsibilities

HRD-82-21 Published: Nov 27, 1981. Publicly Released: Nov 27, 1981.
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Highlights

GAO conducted a review of the Offices for Civil Rights (OCR's) at the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education to determine whether these new organizations had corrected problems which GAO cited in a March 30, 1977, report. OCR's are responsible for ensuring that recipients of Federal funds administer their respective programs without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Offices for Civil Rights of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education should enlist more program agency resources in their civil rights compliance work.
Closed – Not Implemented
Although the recommendation still has merit, the agency does not intend to implement it. Agency officials said the current workload of the Office of Civil Rights is being adequately addressed by the inhouse staff of that office. The present director of the office intends to maintain all compliance and complaint processing work within the HHS central office.
Department of Health and Human Services The Offices for Civil Rights of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education should assist the program agencies in the development of the civil rights portions of their program compliance reviews.
Closed – Not Implemented
Although the recommendation still has merit, the agency does not intend to implement it. Agency officials said the current workload of the Office of Civil Rights is being adequately addressed by the inhouse staff of that office. The present director of the office intends to maintain all compliance and complaint processing work within the HHS central office.

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Topics

Agency missionsCivil rights law enforcementEmployment of minoritiesFair employment programsInformation systemsInteragency relationsMonitoringPersonnel managementProgram evaluationProgram management