The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released for public comment a draft of its Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP), Comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 18, 2012, at strategic.plan@eeoc.gov or received by mail at Executive Officer, Office of the Executive Secretariat, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 131 M Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20507. The commission plans to vote on the draft plan at the end of this fiscal year.
The first requirement of the EEOC's Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2012-2016 is to develop the SEP by the start of fiscal year 2013, which is Oct. 1, 2012. The SEP will establish the commission's priorities and integrate all components of the EEOC's private, public and federal sector enforcement.
The process for developing the SEP has been highly inclusive and collaborative. The plan was developed by the commission with input from a work group consisting of district and headquarters staff led by Chair Jacqueline Berrien, General Counsel P. David Lopez, and Memphis District Director Katharine Kores.
On June 5, the commission solicited written input on the SEP's development. In response, comments were submitted by more than 100 individuals, organizations, and coalitions — internal and external to the agency — from across the nation. On July 18, the commission held a public meeting to receive input from more than 30 stakeholders on the issues they believed should be addressed in the plan.
The commission is continuing this inclusive effort by soliciting comments from the general public on a draft of the SEP. All comments will be reviewed and considered as the commission continues to edit the plan, a spokesperson said.