first office to employ the full support and involvement of the 

 Secretary, the Under Secretary, and the Provost. Several out- 

 standing managers and employees were recognized for excep- 

 tional contributions to the Smithsonian's Equal Opportunity 

 goals and honored before their peers and hundreds of Smithson- 

 ian employees. 



OEEMA serves as a principal participant in monthly meet- 

 ings of the Employee Relations Working Group, which enter- 

 tains the presence of the Deputy General Counsel, the 

 Director of the Office of Human Resources, the Manager of 

 Labor and Employee Relations, the Employee Assistance Pro- 

 gram Manager, and the Ombudsman. This collaborative effort 

 ensures that all players in the dispute resolution business are 

 kept informed of every case involving a dispute with the 

 Smithsonian's policies, practices, or procedures — whether in 

 the informal/formal stages of the EEO complaint process, in 

 OHR/LER, MSPB, or in the District courts. 



The OEEMA Director represented the Smithsonian's 

 programs, policies, and practices in discussions and meetings 

 of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the 

 Interagency Council of EEO and Civil Rights Directors. We 

 shared lessons learned as part of the national effort to improve 

 the quality of EEO programming in the federal government. 



OEEMA's Director served as a principal member of the 

 Smithsonian's Personnel System Reform Steering Committee 

 and provided three additional OEEMA staff members who 

 served on various subcommittees representing EEO goals and 

 policies. 



OEEMA continues to serve as a member of the Office of 

 Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) 

 Directors Interagency Council. The Council serves as a forum 

 to inform and alert federal SDBU directors of trends and 

 developments in the small business political and economic 

 arena. 



OEEMA coordinated with Si's Advocacy Network to help 

 develop the following programs: Black History Month, Asian- 

 Pacific Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, 

 and Women's History Month. The various Advocacy Groups 

 hosted these programs, and OEEMA assisted in theit presenta- 

 tions to encourage diversity and inclusion at the Smithsonian. 



As part of our effort to foster a work environment free of in- 

 timidation and discrimination, OEEMA drafted revised proce- 

 dures and policy guidance for the prevention and elimination 

 of sexual harassment (POSH). The office responded to 

 numerous requests and provided POSH briefings to a large 

 portion of the SI staff. This effort will continue into FY 98. 



OEEMA also presented awareness and training programs to 

 the general staff. Speakers from the Federal Election Commis- 

 sion included Patricia A. Brown, Director, EEO and Special 

 Programs, and David S. Orr, Director, Personnel and Labor 

 Relations, who presented a dynamic program on the theme of 

 "Understanding EEO Discrimination: How You Can Make a 

 Difference." In collaboration with the Equal Opportunity Ad- 

 visory Council, OEEMA presented its second Equal Oppor- 

 tunity Roundtable on November 13, 1996. James R. Perez, 



guest speaker from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shared 

 successful equal opportunities strategies employed by FBI 

 managers and supervisors. 



OEEMA continues to find ways to improve services to our 

 customers. Several staff changes improved the Precomplaint 

 Counseling Program. The Special Emphasis Program was 

 revised; the Mediation Program was enhanced; a fulltime in- 

 house EEO investigator/manager was assigned, and EEO case 

 analyses were improved. These changes netted phenomenal 

 results: the performance of contract investigators improved, 

 and the number of cases exceeding the 180-day investigative 

 limit was reduced. The Smithsonian thereby realized a total 

 cost savings of approximately $75,700. 



Managers sought and received assistance and advice in 

 diversity planning and implementation. OEEMA developed 

 guidance and provided assistance to all units with 25 

 employees or more. Throughout the reporting year, OEEMA 

 assisted units with recruitment, hiring, training, and develop- 

 ment evaluation and disciplinary issues. Meetings were held 

 with all unit Equal Opportunity Officers to help them 

 achieve their EEO objectives. Training was also provided 

 managers to increase their understanding of EEO laws and of 

 the benefits of diversity. 



OEEMA's applicant flow data analysis and Applicant Flow 

 Data Reports identify barriers to diversity in the Smithson- 

 ian's employment practices. Complementing the diversity 

 planning process, this process involves the monitoring of, and 

 reporting on, successful Institutional recruitment efforts. 

 OEEMA reviews all selection certificates, certifying them 

 with signature and through appropriate comments to manage- 

 ment officials. 



OEEMA's coordination initiatives with other offices in- 

 cluded participation on a diversity panel for managers and 

 employees. Collaborative teams consisting of OEEMA staff, 

 OHR, and the Ombudsman held meetings with several 

 managers to address current EEO issues and specific concerns. 

 OEEMA's Director and staff also met with unit Directors 

 from CERC, SI Retail, NZP, OPS, OPP, OFP, VIARC, 

 NMAH, and SIL, among others. 



The need to provide reasonable accommodations has be- 

 come a growing area of concern as the work force has changed 

 to include more disabled and older workers. OEEMA has been 

 instrumental in ensuring equal employment opportunity for 

 disabled individuals. Seven employees received assistance in 

 securing reasonable accommodations. To ensure that manage- 

 ment and employees are aware of their rights and responsi- 

 bilities, we published a Reasonable Accommodations 

 brochure and distributed it to all employees. OEEMA 

 developed and published the annual Affirmative Action Plan for 

 Individuals with Disabilities. 



OEEMA provided additional publications to inform of 

 diversity needs, efforts, and accomplishments. The annual 

 Equal Opportunity Report to Congress provided a detailed 

 workforce analysis and synopsis of Smithsonian museum ex- 

 hibits and programs to the House and Senate Committees on 



86 



