United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-05-14 monographic deposited born digital 35 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-755T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T P0b002ee18038bfaf f:d08755t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T GAO-08-755T Agricultural programs Civil rights Civil rights law enforcement Claims Claims processing Claims settlement Data collection Data integrity Discrimination Employees Employment discrimination Employment of minorities Fair employment programs Minorities Performance measures Program evaluation Program management Racial discrimination Reporting requirements Strategic planning Program goals or objectives Program implementation Testimony A82114 For decades, there have been allegations of discrimination in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and workforce. Reports and congressional testimony by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a former Secretary of Agriculture, USDA's Office of Inspector General, GAO, and others have described weaknesses in USDA's programs--in particular, in resolving complaints of discrimination and in providing minorities access to programs. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorized the creation of the position of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR), giving USDA an executive that could provide leadership for resolving these long-standing problems. This testimony focuses on USDA's efforts to (1) resolve discrimination complaints, (2) report on minority participation in USDA programs, and (3) strategically plan its efforts. This testimony is based on new and prior work, including analysis of ASCR's strategic plan; discrimination complaint management; and about 120 interviews with officials of USDA and other federal agencies, as well as 20 USDA stakeholder groups. USDA officials reviewed the facts upon which this statement is based, and we incorporated their additions and clarifications as appropriate. GAO plans a future report with recommendations. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T.pdf GAO-08-755T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-755T Testimony GAO-08-755T; U.S. Department of Agriculture: Management of Civil Rights Efforts Continues to Be Deficient Despite Years of Attention; Agricultural programs Civil rights Civil rights law enforcement Claims Claims processing Claims settlement Data collection Data integrity Discrimination Employees Employment discrimination Employment of minorities Fair employment programs Minorities Performance measures Program evaluation Program management Racial discrimination Reporting requirements Strategic planning Program goals or objectives Program implementation Volume 116 Page 134 116 Stat. 134 Public Law 107-171 Public Law 107-174