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Annals of the Smithsonian Institution 1999 



OEMS. The committee developed publicity and nominations 

 criteria. The Day of Excellence was held on June 15, 1999, 

 and was very well received. 



On April 2, 1999, we met with the Deputy Director, 

 NMAfA, to discuss a diversiry roundtable for supervisors. 

 Further discussion, led by OEEMA's Diversity Program Man- 

 ager and NMAfA's Depury Director, was held on April 13. 



The Diversity/Affirmative Employment Program Man- 

 ager participated as a speaker at an in-service meeting of the 

 Smithsonian's Occupational Health Services Branch on May 

 27. The topic of discussion was "An Update on Providing 

 Reasonable Accommodations." We briefed OHR's personnel 

 management specialists on reasonable accommodation 

 issues ro include information on how to verify an individual's 

 disability, the process for determining reasonable accommo- 

 dations, and special hiring authorities for people wirh 

 disabilities. 



We attended EEOC's Technical Assistance Program on 

 August 4. Topics included the impact of recent Supreme 

 Court decisions on ADA and harassmenr cases and their im- 

 pact on implementing EEO laws. 



We met with OHR staff on August 18 to discuss internal 

 procedures for processing reassignmenrs based on disability. 

 This committee was established in response to an OEEMA 

 briefing on EEOC's new ADA guidelines. 



We met with OHR's Chief, Recruitmenr and Training 

 Branch, on August 23 to develop a request for training data 

 within OEEMA's Call for Accomplishment on Diversity 

 Plans. 



The Smithsonian's new applicant survey form was devel- 

 oped and coordinated with relevanr SI units and will be 

 implemented in FY 2000. 



The Director and the Special Emphasis Program Manager 

 met with an OHR official on May 4 to request that a state- 

 ment be included in OHR's notification to applicants that 

 would highlight the importance of submitting information 

 on race/gender through proper completion of the "Back- 

 ground Survey Questionnaire." 



We worked with the Assistant Director for Operarions, 

 OHR, to add a diversity awareness statement and change 

 the wording from "EEO approval" to "EEO review" on the 

 selection certificate. A total of 459 certificates were re- 

 viewed during FY 1999. A total of 1,046 selections were 

 processed. 



OEEMA revised the tracking system for applicant flow. 

 We devised a new way to record senior-level positions, 

 ethnicity, promotions, and selectees who have changed series, 

 as well as qualified applicants, referred applicants, and com- 

 ments. We continually analyze the data to determine the 

 impact of the Smithsonian's recruitment and hiring trends. 

 A total of 260 records were added to the database in the 

 fourth quarrer. We also generated an improved and more 

 comprehensive report for the weekly review of recruitment 

 trends, the "Applicant Flow Analysis Report." 



The OEEMA Barrier Analysis Team researched and pre- 

 pared narratives and graphics on applicant flow senior-level 

 historical trends. 



Selecting, reviewing, adapting, and presenring a training 

 module to provide mandatory Prevention of Sexual Harass- 

 menr training for Smithsonian employees was a major and 

 ongoing initiative for the fiscal year. We developed a plan for 

 the POSH refresher module as well. The training was pre- 

 sented to more rhan 177 employees at SI Retail, NASM, 

 OPS (including OPS New York and summer hires), and 

 SERC (NY) employees. We also improved and enlarged the 

 POSH database to include 1,976 records. A total of 1,740 

 records were added in the last quarter. We also assisred OPS 

 training staff on May 10 to correct their POSH and "EEO 

 for Supervisors" databases. The databases were used by OPS 

 to ensure rhat personnel participated in the required training 

 modules. 



OEEMA presenred four briefings for the OHR-sponsored 

 New Employee Orientation Program to advise recently 

 hired employees of the office mission, programs, and contact 

 information. 



OEEMA worked exrensively with employees and supervi- 

 sors of a number of units to reasonably accommodate 

 disabled employees and to address other workplace issues. 



OEEMA conrinued ro coordinate training and education 

 efforts with OCon. This included participation in each of 

 OCon's quarrerly informational briefings to SI staff with 

 delegated procuremenr authoriry. Along wirh OCon we also 

 rrained SI staff who took parr in OHR's Training for New 

 Supervisors on contracting procedures and Si's policy in 

 doing business with SDBs. We participated in OCon's 

 procurement policy committee meetings to ensure SDB in- 

 rerests were considered in new SI policy initiatives. We also 

 organized regulation meetings with OCon management to 

 discuss various issues, including renewal of our memoran- 

 dum of understanding (MOU) with the Small Business 

 Administration (SBA), which delegated 8(a) contracting 

 authority, discussed FY 1999 contracting achievements, and 

 obtained input on Si's FY 2000 procurement goals. 



We continued to work closely with the SDB liaisons, 

 particularly at the larger bureaus of NMAH, NMNH, and 

 NASM. We obrained their assistance in organizing pro- 

 curement fairs which were held at NMAH (FY 1998) and 

 NMNH (FY 1999). We provided a comprehensive overview 

 of the SDBU Program to NASM fund managers. The 

 NMAH SDB Liaison was awarded the Secrerary's Award for 

 Excellence in SDB Utilization. We also organized two meet- 

 ings of the liaisons during rhe year ro discuss the SDBU 

 Web site and other topical issues. 



We continued to participate in the OSDBU Direcrors In- 

 ter-Agency Council monthly meetings and also participated 

 in several special meetings called by the SBA or the Office of 

 Federal Procurement Policy to discuss topical issues. The 

 SDBU Program Manager chaired the Council's SBA Work- 

 ing Group and held quarterly meetings to discuss SBA 

 programs. We participated and staffed exhibir booths at 

 several local and national SDB conferences. Over the fiscal 

 year we provided advice and assistance to more than 356 

 representatives from more than 350 firms and had individual 

 meetings with approximately 60 of these firms. 



