Equal Employment Opportunity: Pilot Projects Could Help Test Solutions to Long-standing Concerns with the EEO Complaint Process
Highlights
Delays in processing federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaints, apparent or perceived lack of fairness and impartiality in complaint processing, and fear of retaliation in the workplace have been long-standing concerns of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), other federal agencies, and Congress. Based on a Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act mandate, GAO analyzed (1) factors that EEO practitioners have identified as impeding the fair, prompt, and impartial processing of federal EEO complaints and (2) actions that EEO practitioners and other stakeholders think could be taken to help address those factors. GAO also identified actions that EEOC is taking to improve the federal complaint process. GAO surveyed 65 EEO practitioners representing a wide cross section of professionals knowledgeable about the federal EEO complaint process, who were selected from 16 federal agencies that accounted for about 88 percent of complaints filed in fiscal year 2005, EEOC, and private sector attorneys' offices. GAO did not assess the validity of practitioners' views or evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | If pilot projects are approved by EEOC, the Acting Chairman of EEOC should direct pilot project officials to develop for each pilot project an evaluation plan that includes key features to improve the likelihood that pilot project evaluations will yield sound results, such as (1) well-defined, clear, and measurable objectives; measures that are directly linked to the program objectives; criteria for determining pilot program performance; (2) a way to isolate the effects of the pilot programs; (3) a data analysis plan for the evaluation design; and (4) a detailed plan to ensure that data collection, entry, and storage are reliable and error free. | According to EEOC officials, the agency first proposed changes to its regulations to allow for pilot projects in the Federal Register in late 2006. The final rule, which provided a mechanism for agencies to request a variance from regulations to conduct pilot projects, was issued in July 2012. EEOC released its Management Directive in August 2015, containing the revised regulations and clarifications, including more explicit information on time frames, as well as a list of elements to be included in pilot project requests. In the summer of 2016, EEOC's Office of Federal Operations (OFO) released its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) with a checklist the OFO uses to evaluate... applications. Part of the criteria for acceptance includes a data analysis plan that links to the objective defined in the SOP. For example, the agency must explain the method by which it intends to evaluate the success of the pilot project on an interim basis and at the completion of the pilot project, including identification of well-defined, clear, and measurable objectives and their connection to program objectives. As of early 2017, EEOC has received nine applications for pilot programs. In the example provided to GAO, the requesting agency successfully submitted an application that identified metrics it would use to measure the objectives to be achieved, including reducing complaint processing time and improved accountability. The OFO did ask the requesting agency to clarify its measurable objectives, which the agency provided, and OFO accepted. We conclude that the SOP for pilot projects and the implementation of those procedures provide sufficient attention to an evaluation plan that will yield sound results.
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| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | If pilot projects are approved by EEOC, the Acting Chairman of EEOC should direct commission staff to review and approve pilot projects' evaluation plans to increase the likelihood that evaluations will yield methodologically sound results, thereby supporting effective program and policy decisions. | According to EEOC officials, the agency first proposed changes to its regulations to allow for pilot projects in the Federal Register in late 2006. The final rule, which provided a mechanism for agencies to request a variance from regulations to conduct pilot projects, was issued in July 2012. EEOC released its Management Directive in August 2015, containing the revised regulations and clarifications, including more explicit information on time frames, as well as a list of elements to be included in pilot project requests. In the summer of 2016, EEOC's Office of Federal Operations (OFO) released its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) with a checklist the OFO uses to evaluate...
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