Frank Horton, Chairman Thomas J. McIntyre, Co-Chairman Donald C. Alexander Gil Barrett Robert D. Benton Otis R. Bowen COMMISSION ON FEDERAL PAPERWORK Bill Brock The President of the United States The Speaker of the House The President of the Senate Dear Sirs: In behalf of the Commission on Federal Paperwork, created by Public Law 93-556, I am submitting a report with recommendations on Equal Employment Opportunity. the free This report examines the development of Federal policy on To a certain extent, the current duplication, overlap and delay in Federal EEO programs are attributable to an evolving consciousness by lawmakers and administrators who have had to grapple with a difficult and sensitive issue over the past twenty years. For quite some time, however, it has been apparent that the welter of confusing laws, regulations, policies and practices of a multitude of Federal agencies has militated against effective enforcement and informed public policy. This study examines some of the intricate relationships among and between Federal, State and local agencies charged with ensuring compliance with the law. The report recommends a fundamental change in the way enforcement and compliance agencies interact with public and private institutions in employment and education. It recommends that procedures be consolidated and simplified so that resources can be freed from the bureaucratic entanglement of unnecessary reporting and paperwork requirements, and directed instead at achieving the goal of equal employment opportunity for all. HD 4703.5 .115 Respectfully yours, Junk Horton Frank Horton A47 1977 Confusion Resulting from Multiple Requirements.. 73 Recommendations Nos. 15 and 16 ... ..80 VII. The Need for EEO Information ........ 95 Recommendations Nos. 23 and 24 Information for Contract Compliance VIII.the Need for Reorganization Recommendation No. 26 ... 97 97 100 .. 101 104 Introduction This report examines the reporting and recordkeeping requirements associated with Federal equal employment opportunity programs. The goal of equal employment opportunity must be a central concern of Government. We believe that the enforcement of equal employment opportunity will be better achieved if ways and means are found to simplify administration, reduce the paperwork, and strengthen program management. To these ends the recommendations in our report are directed. The goal of equal employment opportunity (EEO) can be traced to the Declaration of Independence, which embodies the ideal of "equal opportunities for all." The Nation's march toward this ideal has, in recent decades, resulted in major steps toward broader voting rights, equal access to public accommodations, equal rights for women, desegregation of public schools, and equal access to housing. The goal of equal opportunity in employment has been more difficult to reach. In part, the diversity of our economic and political system acts to complicate the formulation of precise and effective remedies to this form of injustice. Moreover, the Federal Government has organized itself for this task in a complex manner. Consequently, Federal EEO programs are entangled in red tape and paperwork. The procedures and methods used by Federal agencies to carry out the EEO policies set forth in 17 major laws and 15 executive orders have been the source of bitter controversy. There is little agreement among legislators, government officials, business executives, workers, academicians, and civil rights proponents as to how the goal of effective EEO might best be reached. The legislative and executive branches have created several agencies with overlapping, uncoordinated, duplicative, and sometimes differing EEO responsibilities. The resultant proliferation of EEO reporting and recordkeeping requirements has permitted paperwork and red tape to obscure productive analyses of employment opportunities for minorities and women. |