Management Directive 715

1. Management Directive 715 National Weather Service FY08 Overview

2. Purpose and Objectives • Review NWS Workforce Representation; • Understand MD-715; • Understand the essential elements of a Model EEO Program; • Understand how to identify and eliminate unnecessary barriers that impede fair and open competition in the workplace; and • What we’ve done

3. National Weather ServiceWorkforce Analysis

4. Grade Groupings

5. NWS VS. NCLFMeteorologist Series 1340October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007

6. NWS VS. NCLFMeteorological Technician Series 1341October 1, 2006 – September 30,2007

7. NWS VS. NCLFElectronics Engineer Series 855October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007

8. NWS VS. NCLFPhysical Scientist Series 1301October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007

9. NWS VS. NCLFInformation Technologist Series 2210October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007

10. NWS VS. NCLFHydrologist Series 1315October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007

11. Title VII – Section 717 Requires each federal agency to: • Make all personnel actions free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin • Maintain an “affirmative program of equal employment opportunity” for all employees and applicants • Submit annual plan and/or updates to EEOC for approval

12. Rehabilitation Act – Section 501 Requires each federal agency to: • Make all personnel actions free from discrimination based on disability • Maintain an “affirmative employment” program plan for the hiring, placement and advancement of people with disabilities” • Submit annual plan and/or updates to EEOC for approval

13. Why Title VII and Rehabilitation Act Programs? To ensure our nation’s continued security, growth and prosperity, effective government agencies need to: • Attract, develop and retain a top-quality workforce • Maximize each employee’s potential

14. Which Agencies are Covered? All executive branch departments and agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service and the Postal Rate Commission

15. What Does MD-715 Require? • Develop and maintain model EEO program • Ensure all employment decisions are free from discrimination • Examine employment policies, procedures and practices to identify and remove barriers to equal opportunity • Develop plans to correct identified barriers • Report plans and progress to EEOC

16. Essential Elements of a Model EEO Program • Demonstrated commitment from agency leadership • Integration of EEO into the agency’s strategic mission • Management and program accountability • Proactive prevention of unlawful discrimination • Efficiency • Responsiveness and legal compliance

17. Element One: Demonstrated Commitment From Agency Leadership • Equal employment opportunity must be: • Embraced by agency leadership • Communicated through the ranks from the top down • EEO principles must be made a fundamental part of the agency’s culture • Agency head must issue annual EEO and anti-harassment policy statements

18. Element Two: Integration of EEOInto the Agency’s Strategic Mission • EEO Director has regular access to agency head and senior management • EEO professionals are involved in all major human resources decisions • EEO programs have sufficient resources • Managers and employees are involved in implementation of the agency’s Title VII and Rehabilitation Act programs

19. Element Three: Management and Program Accountability • Conduct regular internal EEO program audits • Establish procedures to prevent all forms of discrimination • Evaluate managers and supervisors on efforts to ensure equality of employment opportunity • Maintain effective reasonable accommodation procedures • Maintain clearly defined and fair personnel policies, selection and promotion procedures, evaluation procedures, rules of conduct and training systems

20. Element Four: Proactive Preventionof Unlawful Discrimination • Conduct a self-assessment on at least an annual basis to monitor progress and identify areas where barriers may operate to exclude certain groups • Develop strategic plans to eliminate identified barriers

21. Element Five: Efficiency • Maintain an efficient, fair and impartial complaint resolution process • Separate investigation and adjudication functions from the legal defense arm of the agency • Establish and encourage the widespread use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) • Maintain effective data collection systems on workforce, applicant flow and complaint tracking

22. Element Six: Responsiveness andLegal Compliance • Ensure full compliance with Title VII and Rehabilitation Act, including EEOC regulations, orders and other written instructions • Report agency program efforts and accomplishments to EEOC • Comply with final EEOC orders for corrective action and relief

23. What is a Barrier? • A policy, procedure, practice or condition that limits employment opportunities for members of a particular race, ethnic background, gender or because of a disability • Some barriers may be easy to identify • Other barriers are embedded in the day-to-day procedures and practices of an agency and may appear neutral

24. Process to Address Barriers • Identify where possible barriers may exist using a variety of sources • Investigate to pinpoint actual barriers and causes • Devise a plan to eliminate barriers • Asses success of plan’s implementation • Determine if plan needs to be adjusted because additional barriers remain

25. Trigger or Barrier Analysis(Examples) • High turnover rate of Hispanics in the workforce. • Lack of promotions of Asians to senior level positions. • Agency uses the HACU as its sole source to announce employment opportunities. • Employees are leaving for lack of promotional opportunities. • Vacancies for jobs in major occupations for the last 2 years have been open for internal candidates, only.

26. Some Employment Policies, Procedures and Practices That Should Be Examined for Barriers • Hiring • Promotions and other internal selections • Attainment of supervisory and management positions • Training opportunities and developmental opportunities • Performance incentives and awards • Disciplinary actions • Separations

27. Additional Barrier Analyses Under the Rehabilitation Act • Compliance with Executive Order 13164 and EEOC guidance for reasonable accommodation procedures • Compliance with Architectural Barriers Act • Accessibility of electronic and information technology required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

28. What We’ve Done Partnerships • Jackson State University • West Virginia State College • University of Puerto Rico • ---Grants to enhance and develop Meteorology Course Curriculum.

29. Employment Internships • ORISE - Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education • METCON - The District of Columbia Metropolitan Consortium for Mathematics, Science and Engineering Program • HS/HT- High School/High Tech Program • STEP - Student Temporary Employment Program • SCEP - Student Career Employment Program

30. Employment Internships • EPP - Education Partnership Program • Graduate Scientist Program • Cooperative Science Centers • Undergraduate Scholarship Program • Environmental Entrepreneurship Program • WRP - Workforce Recruitment Program

31. What Can Managers Do? • Become familiar with the directive • Do your own internal self-assessments • Ensure that EEO principles are incorporated into all human resource decisions Remember: Equality of Opportunity is the key!

32. NOAA’s New Initiative

33. What’s the Challenge • Describe the issue: NOAA lacks a comprehensive strategy for addressing underrepresentation Lack of coordinated recruitment efforts across Line Offices results in inefficiencies, and missed recruitment opportunities Lack of coordinate recruitment strategy limits ability to assess ROI from various recruitment efforts, and lack of brand recognition-Who’s NOAH? Coordinated recruitment strategy offers improved opportunities to successfully address hard to fill positions and under representation issues in NOAA science occupations

34. What’s the Challenge • Who is involved: • NOAA Leadership • All LO/Cos • Managers and Supervisors • Workforce Management Office • Civil Rights Office • EEO Managers (EEO Program Committee) • NOAA Education Partnership Program • Selecting officials • Colleges/Universities • Diversity Organizations

35. What’s the Challenge cont’d The desired outcome: • Address recruitment challenges (e.g., Hard to fill positions) • Address under-representation with a primary focus on Hispanics & individuals w/targeted disabilities • Leverage resources across lines • Market opportunities in applicant rich environments • Track return on investment of recruitment and outreach dollars • Maximize recruiting effectiveness & efficiency • A world class NOAA workforce representative of the nation’s diversity

36. Sample Representation in DOC

37. Sample Representation in Other Science-Related Agencies

38. Approach Taken To Addressing the Challenge • Background • NOAA received a “yellow” under OMB’s Standards for Success in support of the President’s Management Agenda • HCC makes a strategy to combat underrepresentation 1 of 5 priorities • EEO Committee tasked as a working group • Approach taken • Identify underrepresentation challenges • Compile and analyze data • Identify existing strategies • Communicate results and recommendations to managers and supervisors

39. Progress Made to Date • Description of output or result • NOAA demographic baseline established • Developed a compilation of current Line and Corporate Office strategies • FY 2008 Milestones: • Coordinate with Committee on Corporate Recruitment Strategy – November 2007 • Prepared FY 2008 demographic baseline and provide to EEO Program Managers – December 2007 • Compile and post on Civil Rights Office website a list of colleges by demographic, location, discipline for use by hiring officials– March 08 • Post NOAA demographic data tables online and provide link to all NOAA mangers and supervisors (updated quarterly to evaluate progress) – February 2008 http://www.eeo.noaa.gov/reports.htm • Develop Hiring Official/WFMO Advisor recruitment checklist for use at strategic conversation – February 2008

40. Next Steps • Post Line/Staff Offices Demographics on website monthly • Promote NOAA HCC initiative to target employment of Hispanics and people with targeted disabilities through Line and Corporate Office leadership announcement • Work the Strategic Conversation (SC) to its fullest potential, insert diversity checklist • Give 5 minute update at HCC/WFMC meetings on minority hiring • Train HR Advisors in discussing importance of a diverse workforce with a priority statement of under representation. Provide advisors with tools and awareness of initiatives on increasing NOAA’s workforce representative of the Civilian Labor Force • Implement Events Calendar

41. Example: PTO Events Calendar

42. Next Steps • College Recruitment-Identify Colleges near NOAA Offices • Initiate Recruitment Cadre Effort • Career Link on all LO websites • Send out e-mail announcing recruitment initiative • Career Path info on Careers Site • Develop Applicant Guide • Recruiter training on CLC • Benchmark selected organizations for best practices • Draft Under Representation Strategy and Present to HCC

43. Next Steps • What does NOAA get for resources or policy change • “One NOAA” approach to addressing underrepresentation which: • Communicates goals • Defines strategies to solve recruitment issues • Provides information and tools to recruiters and applicants • Identifies new sources to reach qualified applicants; improves quality of candidates • Measures accomplishments • Links accountability • Shares effort across NOAA & leverages resources • NOAA is responsive to President’s Management Agenda and satisfies OMB Standards for Success

44. Next Steps • Beyond FY 2008: • Quarterly measurement of accomplishment • Underrepresentation Strategy integrated with HCC priorities • Corporate Recruitment Strategy • Leadership Development • Training and Development • Workforce Planning

45. QUESTIONS?