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The Offices for Civil Rights in the Departments of Education and HHS Have Improved the Management of Their Civil Rights Enforcement Responsibilities

HRD-82-22 Published: Nov 27, 1981. Publicly Released: Nov 27, 1981.
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Highlights

GAO conducted a review of the Offices for Civil Rights (OCR's) at the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education to determine whether these new organizations had corrected problems which GAO cited in a March 30, 1977, report. OCR's are responsible for ensuring that recipients of Federal funds administer their respective programs without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Education The Offices for Civil Rights of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education should enlist more program agency resources in their civil rights compliance work.
Closed – Not Implemented
The agency indicated that circumstances have changed. It said that the program offices lack the resources to implement the recommendations because of staff reductions resulting from RIF's. It said that OCR did not experience any RIF's and although coordination between OCR and program staffs will continue, they do not intend to implement this recommendation.
Department of Education The Offices for Civil Rights of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education should assist the program agencies in the development of the civil rights portions of their program compliance reviews.
Closed – Not Implemented
The agency indicated that circumstances have changed. It said that the program offices lack the resources to implement the recommendations because of staff reductions resulting from RIF's. It said that OCR did not experience any RIF's and although coordination between OCR and program staffs will continue, they do not intend to implement this recommendation.

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Topics

Agency missionsCivil rights law enforcementEmployment of minoritiesFair employment programsInformation systemsInteragency relationsMonitoringPersonnel managementProgram evaluationProgram management