00-26716. Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government

Executive Order 13171 of October 12, 2000

Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to improve the representation of Hispanics in Federal employment, within merit system principles and consistent with the application of appropriate veterans' preference criteria, to achieve a Federal workforce drawn from all segments of society, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the executive branch to recruit qualified individuals from appropriate sources in an effort to achieve a workforce drawn from all segments of society. Pursuant to this policy, this Administration notes that Hispanics remain underrepresented in the Federal workforce: they make up only 6.4 percent of the Federal civilian workforce, roughly half of their total representation in the civilian labor force. This Executive Order, therefore, affirms ongoing policies and recommends additional policies to eliminate the underpresentation of Hispanics in the Federal workforce.

Sec. 2. Responsibilities of Executive Departments and Agencies. The head of each executive department and agency (agency) shall establish and maintain a program for the recruitment and career development of Hispanics in Federal employment. In its program, each agency shall:

(a) provide a plan for recruiting Hispanics that creates a fully diverse workforce for the agency in the 21st century;

(b) assess and eliminate any systemic barriers to the effective recruitment and consideration of Hispanics, including but not limited to:

(1) broadening the area of consideration to include applicants from all appropriate sources; (2) ensuring that selection factors are appropriate and achieve the broadest consideration of applicants and do not impose barriers to selection based on nonmerit factors; and (3) considering the appointment of Hispanic Federal executives to rating, selection, performance review, and executive resources panels and boards;

(c) improve outreach efforts to include organizations outside the Federal Government in order to increase the number of Hispanic candidates in the selection pool for the Senior Executive Service;

(d) promote participation of Hispanic employees in management, leadership, and career development programs;

(e) ensure that performance plans for senior executives, managers, and supervisors include specific language related to significant accomplishments on diversity recruitment and career development and that accountability is predicated on those plans;

(f) establish appropriate agency advisory councils that include Hispanic Employment Program Managers;

(g) implement the goals of the Government-wide Hispanic Employment Initiatives issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in September 1997 (Nine-Point Plan), and the Report to the President's Management Council on Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government of March 1999;

(h) ensure that managers and supervisors receive periodic training in diversity management in order to carry out their responsibilities to maintain a diverse workforce; and

(i) reflect a continuing priority for eliminating Hispanic underrepresentation in the Federal workforce and incorporate actions under this order as strategies for achieving workforce diversity goals in the agency's Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Annual Performance Plan.

Sec. 3. Cooperation. All efforts taken by heads of agencies under sections 1 and 2 of this order shall, as appropriate, further partnerships and cooperation among Federal, public, and private sector employers, and appropriate Hispanic organizations whenever such partnerships and cooperation are possible and would promote the Federal employment of qualified individuals. In developing the long-term comprehensive strategies required by section 2 of this order, agencies shall, as appropriate, consult with and seek information and advice from experts in the areas of special targeted recruitment and diversity in employment.

Sec. 4. Responsibilities of the Office of Personnel Management. The Office of Personnel Management is required by law and regulations to undertake a Government-wide minority recruitment effort. Pursuant to that on-going effort and in implementation of this order, the Director of OPM shall:

(a) provide Federal human resources management policy guidance to address Hispanic underrepresentation where it occurs;

(b) take the lead in promoting diversity to executive agencies for such actions as deemed appropriate to promote equal employment opportunity;

(c) within 180 days from the date of this order, prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order;

(d) within 60 days from the date of this order, establish an Interagency Task Force, chaired by the Director and composed of agency officials at the Deputy Secretary level, or the equivalent. This Task Force shall meet semi-annually to:

(1) review best practices in strategic human resources management planning, including alignment with agency GPRA plans; (2) assess overall executive branch progress in complying with the requirements of this order; (3) provide advice on ways to increase Hispanic community involvement; and (4) recommend any further actions, as appropriate, in eliminating the underrepresentation of Hispanics in the Federal workforce where it occurs; and

(e) issue an annual report with findings and recommendations to the President on the progress made by agencies on matters related to this order. The first annual report shall be issued no later than 1 year from the date of this order.

Sec. 5. Judicial Review. This order is intended only to improve the internal management of the executive branch. It does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable in law or equity except as may be identified in existing laws and regulations, by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers or employees, or any other person.

wj THE WHITE HOUSE, October 12, 2000. Filed 10-13-00; 11:14 am]