Are you plugged into
Management Directive
(MD) 715?
HQ-10-01228
Manager’s Booklet
Introduction
The Management Directive 715 (MD-715) is a roadmap to
establishing and maintaining effective affirmative programs of
equal employment opportunity (Model EEO Program). MD-715
requires agencies to take appropriate steps to ensure that all
employment decisions are free from discrimination.
The MD-715 outlines six essential elements of a Model EEO
Program: A) Demonstrated commitment from agency leadership,
B) Integration of EEO into the agency’s strategic mission,
C) Management and program accountability, D) Proactive
prevention of unlawful discrimination, E) Efficiency, and
F) Responsiveness and legal compliance.
Each year the MD-715 requires the agency to conduct a selfassessment. The self-assessment is used to identify strengths
and weaknesses in the agencies EEO programs. Not only does
the agency have to report weaknesses, it has to report plans
to overcome those identified weaknesses. The agency is held
accountable for its plans.
Bottom-line: Employees and managers are responsible for the
creation of a Model EEO Program.
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A Message from the Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights
and FAA Diversity Advocate...
August 2010
It is the standard mission of the Office of Civil Rights that the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) develops and implements
the essential elements of a model EEO program, as defined by
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Management
Directive 715 (MD-715). The MD-715 program is designed to
identify and eliminate barriers in all aspects of employment,
including management policies, procedures, and practices. We
must fully utilize all employees’ talents without regard to race,
color, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion, national origin,
disability, genetic information, or reprisal for engaging in prior
protected activity. This includes promoting an atmosphere where
employment opportunities are open to all candidates.
The FAA EEO Program and the contents of this booklet strive
to incorporate the principles of equal opportunity into our
organizational structure and institutionalize the elements as
standard business practice.
Equality of opportunity is essential to attracting, developing,
and retaining the most skilled workforce. EEO is an integral
part of making the FAA competitive and an employer of choice.
We cannot attain this status without holding personnel, at all
levels, accountable for modeling behavior that supports equal
opportunity. We also cannot attain this status without identifying
and removing all barriers to equal opportunity. Only then will
the talents represented by a diverse workforce be fully utilized in
support of the FAA’s strategic mission.
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Essential Element A:
Demonstrated Commitment from Agency Leadership
Requires the Agency Leadership to issue written policy statements
expressing commitment to EEO and a workplace free of
discriminatory harassment.
Compliance Indicators
• EEO policy statements are up-to-date.
• EEO policy statements have been communicated to
all employees.
• FAA EEO policy is vigorously enforced by management.
Outcomes
• F
AA’s EEO policies and procedures will be trusted
and respected.
Strategies
• EEO must be:
- embraced by agency leadership; and
- communicated through the ranks from the top down.
• EEO principles must be made a fundamental part of
FAA’s culture.
• Agency leadership must issue annual EEO and anti-harassment
policy statements.
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Essential Element B:
Integration of EEO into the Agency’s Strategic Mission
Requires FAA’s EEO programs be organized and structured to
maintain a workplace that is free from discrimination in any of
the agency’s policies, procedures or practices, and supports the
agency’s strategic mission.
Compliance Indicators
• T
he reporting structure for the EEO Program provides the
Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights with appropriate
authority and resources to effectively carry out a successful
EEO Program.
• The Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights and other
EEO specialists responsible for EEO programs have
regular and effective means of informing the Administrator and
senior management officials of the status of EEO Programs
and are involved in, and consulted on, management/personnel
actions.
• FAA has committed sufficient human resources and
budget allocations to its EEO programs to ensure
successful operation.
Outcomes
• S
enior leadership and employees are involved in the
implementation of the MD-715 and are aware of EEO.
Strategies
• A
ll senior leadership must be aware of their respective
Civil Rights Directors.
• Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights must have regular
access to agency leadership and senior management and
be involved in all major human resources decisions.
• Collaboration and responsibility for MD-715 between all
Lines of Business and Staff Offices’ leadership.
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Strategies (cont.)
• EEO programs have sufficient resources.
• Managers and employees are involved in implementation
of the agency’s Title VII and Rehabilitation Act programs.
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Essential Element C:
Management and Program Accountability
Requires the Agency Leadership to hold all managers,
supervisors, and EEO Officials responsible for the effective
implementation of the agency’s EEO Program.
Compliance Indicators
• C
ivil Rights Directors advise and provide appropriate
assistance to managers/supervisors about the status of
EEO Programs within their area of responsibility.
• The Assistant Administrator for Human Resource
Management and the Assistant Administrator for Civil
Rights meet regularly to assess whether personnel
programs, policies, and procedures are in conformity
with the FAA’s Model EEO Program, as well as EEOC
regulations and management directives.
[See 29 CFR § 1614.102(b)(3).]
• When findings of discrimination are made, the agency
determines the appropriateness of taking disciplinary
action.
Outcomes
• F
AA personnel policies, selection and promotion
procedures, evaluation procedures, rules of conduct, and
training systems are fairly implemented.
• Establish and maintain a workplace that is free from
discrimination in any of its management policies,
practices or procedures.
• FAA answers “Yes” on the Annual Self-Assessment,
indicating barriers are being eliminated.
• Hire, develop, and retain top-notch employees.
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Strategies
• C
onduct regular internal audits of the FAA’s Model EEO
Program to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness. The
National Model EEO Program Office can assist you in this
capacity (contact information on the back).
• Establish procedures to prevent all forms
of discrimination.
• Evaluate managers and supervisors on efforts to ensure
equality of employment opportunity.
• Maintain effective reasonable accommodation
procedures.
• Maintain clearly defined and fair personnel policies,
selection and promotion procedures, evaluation
procedures, rules of conduct and training systems.
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Essential Element D:
Proactive Prevention
Requires the Agency Leadership makes early efforts to prevent
discriminatory actions and eliminate barriers to equal employment
opportunity in the workplace.
Compliance Indicators
• A
nalyses to identify and remove unnecessary barriers to
employment are conducted throughout the year.
• The use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is
encouraged by senior management.
Outcomes
•
•
•
•
Decrease in the number of complaints filed.
Decrease in the number of complaints that go formal.
Free and open competition in the workplace.
Well informed managers, supervisors, and employees on
matters of diversity, EEO, accessibility and reasonable
accommodation.
• FAA achieves percentage improvements in the retention
of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
• No findings of discrimination based on any
affected groups.
Strategies
• D
evelop strategic plans, per MD-715, to eliminate
identified barriers.
• Train managers, supervisors, and employees annually
regarding diversity, EEO, accessibility, and reasonable
accommodation.
• Promote and assess the use of ADR at the informal and
formal stages.
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Strategies (cont.)
• Conduct an annual assessment to identify, investigate,
eliminate, and monitor barriers where they may exist in
the following areas:
- Recruitment
- Hiring and Placement
- Employee Development and Training Opportunities
- Award Distribution
- Discipline
- Separations
- Promotions and other internal selections
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Essential Element E:
Efficiency
Requires the Agency Leadership to have an efficient and fair
dispute resolution process, and effective systems for evaluating
the impact and effectiveness of its EEO Programs.
Compliance Indicators
• F
AA has sufficient staffing, funding, and authority to
achieve the elimination of identified barriers.
• FAA has an effective complaint tracking and monitoring
system in place to increase the effectiveness of the
agency’s EEO Programs.
• FAA has sufficient staffing, funding, and authority to
comply with the time frames in accordance with the
EEOC (29 CFR Part 1614) regulations for processing
EEO complaints of employment discrimination.
• There is an efficient and fair dispute resolution process
and effective systems for evaluating the impact and
effectiveness of the agency’s EEO complaint
processing program.
Outcomes
• S
ustain an efficient, fair, and impartial EEO complaint
resolution process.
• Adequate and accurate information collection systems that
will provide the ability to conduct a wide array of periodic
examinations of the agency’s Title VII workforce profile.
Strategies
• U
tilize quantitative and qualitative data from various
systems to:
- focus training efforts to improve the timeliness of
complaint processing and resolution;
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Strategies (cont.)
- track trends in employee expressions of fair and
respectful treatment;
- evaluate data by race, national origin, sex, and disability;
and
- identify work areas needing remediation.
• Maintain an efficient, fair and impartial complaint
resolution process.
• Establish and encourage the widespread use of
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
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Essential Element F:
Responsiveness and Legal Compliance
Requires that FAA is in full compliance with EEO statutes and
EEOC regulations, policy guidance, and other written instructions.
Compliance Indicators
• F
AA personnel are accountable for timely compliance with
orders issued by EEOC Administrative Judges.
• FAA’s system of management controls ensures that the
agency timely completes all ordered corrective action and
submits its compliance report to EEOC within 30 days of
such completion.
Outcomes
• F
AA maintains full compliance with Title VII and the
Rehabilitation Act, including EEOC regulations, orders,
and other written instructions.
• FAA reports program efforts and accomplishments to the
Department and EEOC.
Strategies
• F
AA includes a substantive EEO element in all its
supervisory performance standards.
• Ensure full compliance with Title VII and Rehabilitation
Act, including EEOC regulations, orders and other written
instructions.
• Report agency program efforts and accomplishments
to EEOC.
• Comply with final EEOC orders for corrective action
and relief.
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Management
Directive 715
Demonstrated
Commitment from
Agency Leadership
Integration of EEO
in the Agency's
Strategic Mission
Proactive
Prevention
Management
and Program
Accountability
Responsive and
Legal Compliance
Efficiency
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Office of Civil Rights Contacts for MD-715
Director of the National Model EEO Program
(202) 267-7442
MD-715 Program Coordinator
(202) 267-9928
Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist
(202) 267-9926
Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist
(202) 267-7334
Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist
(202) 493-4645
X
To obtain a copy of the MD-715 Plan,
please visit the Office of Civil Rights MD-715 website at:
https://employees.faa.gov/org/staffoffices/acr/
eeo_affirm_program/manag_direc/
or contact the Office of Civil Rights.