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.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    October 12, 2000.