MD 715 Overview The Air Force submitted the MD-715 as required by EEOC. The executive summary and fiscal year 2015 best practices submissions are provided in this report. Additional information on the MD715 or a copy of the full report can be requested if required.

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EEOC FORM 715-01

PART E

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission FEDERAL AGENCY ANNUAL

EEO PROGRAM STATUS REPORT

U.S. Air Force For period covering October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. Agency’s Mission and Mission-Related Functions The U.S. Air Force (USAF or AF) is part of the Department of Defense (DoD). The

mission of the USAF is to deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests – to fly, fight and win in Air, Space, and Cyberspace. By dominating the media of elevation, the Air Force offers unique warfighting capabilities that leverage the strengths of surface forces and expand the range of potential effects. We will continue to attract, recruit, develop, and retain a high quality and talented force and we will give them the best opportunities for career development, training, and standard of living.

The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), SAF/MR, has overall responsibility for supervision of civilian personnel for the Department of the Air Force and has been delegated authority relating to civilian equal employment opportunity programs by the Secretary of the Air Force. The Civilian Appellate Review Office (AFCARO), SAF/MRBA, writes final agency decisions (FADs) for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints.

The Air Force’s civilian EEO program is administered and managed through the Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel and Services (HQ USAF/A1). The discrimination complaints, diversity and inclusion management, Affirmative Employment Program (AEP) and Special Emphasis Programs (SEPs) are also administered through the Manpower, Personnel and Services function at major command or equivalent level in the Air Force. The discrimination complaints program, however, is administered by full-time Equal Opportunity (EO) professionals reporting directly to the (local) installation commander or designee. The Air Force merged the Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) program with the civilian EEO program into a single Equal Opportunity (EO) Office at major commands (MAJCOMs) and local installations in FY 2008. The AEP is executed by the Civilian Personnel Section and, in a few cases, the installation EO Office. Special Emphasis Program Managers (SEPMs) at the installation/center level typically perform their assigned duties on a collateral duty basis.

2. Accomplishments The Air Force continued to make significant progress toward achieving a model EEO

program during FY 2015. The Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF), Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF), and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) signed a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) memorandum in March 2015 to all Airmen which emphasized the importance and value of promoting and leveraging diversity in each organization (see Agency Documents in Part K of this report). The AF Barrier Analysis Working Group (AFBAWG), chaired by the AF EO Director, identified several barriers to recruitment and selection, which were addressed through policy changes in a memorandum signed in April 2015 by the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, and Reserve Affairs (see Part K).

The Disability Program continued to set new records and receive appropriate recognition. The representation rate of Individuals with Disabilities (IwDs) for the Permanent Workforce exceeded the AF goal of 8% to 12.13%, compared to 11.88% in FY 2014. The AF Disability Program Manager (DPM) and Director, Airman Force Development, AF/A1D, developed a procedure to ensure reasonable accommodation is provided when individuals with disabilities (IwDs), including disabled veterans, are identified/selected for training and development programs. It involves centralized funding with a financial commitment of $250,000 for AF employees with disabilities who attend AF sponsored training and development programs starting in FY 2016. AF is exploring expanding centralized funding for reasonable accommodations in all instances. This and other accomplishments led to the Air

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Force being awarded the Secretary of Defense trophy for having the best military service Disability program in DoD for a fourth consecutive year.

The Air Force Directorate of Equal Opportunity, HQ USAF/A1Q, hosted and conducted an Air Force-wide Functional Training Workshop in August 2015 to provide required refresher and other training to 250 EEO, HR, legal, and other professionals. The workshop included a panel and speakers from the LGBT community, which were some of the top-rated sessions. Feedback from participants about the overall workshop was overwhelmingly positive.

The Director of EO formed an AF-wide Compliance Analysis Working Group (AFCAWG) to improve the timely and efficient processing of EEO complaints through networking, best practices, and mentoring. The group is made up of EEO, legal, and HR specialists at the headquarters, MAJCOM, and local base levels. Some expected benefits are: reduction in case losses (and payout awards) due to procedural errors, improved processing, and enhanced collaboration, mentoring, and networking.

A list of accomplishments and initiatives to identify and address barriers, provide equal opportunity for all employees, and promote an inclusive and diverse workforce that maximizes employees’ potential is shown below.

A. Leadership and Accountability 1. Members of the AFBAWG presented results of its barrier analysis. One, AF

selecting officials were using a “military lens” during the selection process. Two,the preferential hiring of retired military members (primarily officers) has limitedthe opportunities for women and minorities, particularly in the senior grades.And three, geographic mobility expectations for promotion and developmentalopportunities are barriers for women, minorities and IwDs. These findings werebriefed to the SecAF, CSAF, the Civilian Force Development Panel (CFDP) (TierIII SESs) and other AF senior leadership an resulted in the adoption ofsignificant policy changes.

2. The approved civilian workforce policy changes outlined in an April 2015 memoare:

a. Required use of diverse hiring panels for GS-14/15 positions. Panels mustinclude at least one civilian with no prior military service.

b. Prohibited external-only recruitment. Management must considerinternal candidates for all civilian positions.

c. Prohibited use of specific military or major command jobrequirements/attributes that may only be attained through uniformedservice, unless absolutely required for the position.

d. Limited use of external, non-competitive, by-name requests, for hiringinto GS-14/15 positions to an exception only basis for mission criticalreasons.

e. Posting of all civilian job announcements for a minimum of five businessdays. It is recommended that for GS-13 and above positions, theannouncement period is 10 business days.

3. The AFBAWG also secured approval on several other proposals including:changing employment selection criteria to replace geographic mobility withbreadth and depth of experience; removing geographic mobility as an evaluationcriterion and prerequisite for selection for certain developmental educationalopportunities; and removing the mobility requirement for outplacement fromintermediate level developmental programs.

4. The AF career field Development Teams (DTs) were trained in barrier analysis,methods to address identified barriers and in career field trend analysis. TheSecAF then tasked each of the career fields to conduct barrier analysis of its

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workforce, annually. The initial reports were briefed to the SecAF in December 2015.

5. The Air Force Diversity Committee (AFDC), comprised of Major Command(MAJCOM) Vice Commanders (3-star generals) and Headquarters Air ForceDeputy Chiefs of Staff, meets quarterly to provide strategic leadership ondiversity and inclusion. The advisory body discusses issues such as MAJCOMdiversity and inclusion best practices, performance measure methodology, AirForce-wide recruitment and retention initiatives, and diversity metricstemplates.

6. Effective 1 October 2015, the CSAF required Diversity and Inclusion (D&I)Accountability Reviews from all MAJCOMs and Direct Reporting Units. Thesereviews will identify issues and actionable recommendations on efforts toattract, recruit, develop, retain, and institutionalize D&I at all levels within eachorganization. This effort was the precursor to a subsequent Force of the Futurerequirement for all Services to accomplish a recurring report on gender, raceand ethnic demographics to Service leadership and the Under Secretary ofDefense for Personnel and Readiness.

7. The SecAF, the CSAF and over forty senior leaders participated in a face-to-faceunconscious bias training session. This training focused on promotingawareness of the unconscious bias behind informal and formal decisionsindividuals make on a daily basis. AF leadership is determining how best tointroduce/implement unconscious bias training into the training curriculum forAF personnel.

8. The Air Force Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Directorate, (AF/A1V), designed adashboard to display data that is most critical to Air Force D&I efforts. This toolwill be useful for viewing demographics (i.e. race, ethnicity, gender) across theTotal Force. The data will be broken out by MAJCOM and specific career fields.The dashboard will assist leadership in identifying areas in which to target D&Iefforts.

9. The SecAF adjusted critical element weighing for FY 2015 senior civilianexecutives to reflect her priorities regarding diversity and the elimination ofbarriers from an inclusive work environment. In addition, questions to addressdiversity were added to the standard Executive (SES) interview questions.

10. AF/A1V is partnering with the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) to builda USAFA Chief for Culture, Climate, Diversity and Inclusion (CCD&I) positiondescription. Once hired, the CCD&I will focus on increasing diversity andinclusion in all dimensions across the USAFA faculty, staff and cadets and ensurediversity and inclusion are fully integrated into the culture, climate, and USAFAmission of teaching, scholarship, and community engagement.

11. AF/A1V is also developing a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDO) positiondescription to be used at all AF MAJCOMs. Once hired, the CDO will focus onincreasing diversity and inclusion in all dimensions across each MAJCOM toensure diversity and inclusion are fully integrated into the culture, climate andMAJCOM mission.

B. Workforce Development and Succession Planning 1. The USAF Equal Opportunity Office is boosting efforts to build participation in the

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Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, as part of building a pipeline for succession planning.

2. Representatives of the Air Force continue participating in the DoD HumanResources (HR) Functional Community of Practice working group which includesdiscussions on such areas as workforce shaping, identifying mission-criticaloccupations, and root cause analysis.

3. The AFBAWG and Career Field Teams (CFTs) continue to brief the DTs on barrieranalysis, diversity and demographic composition of their respective career fieldsand incorporate diversity into their strategic plans for Pathways Recent GraduateHiring funded through the Central Salary Account.

C. Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention 1. The CSAF and 20+ senior leaders participated in a D&I Focus Day. This event

focused on ideas for recruitment, training, development and retention of female rated personnel across the Air Force. In order to further explore the ideas generated, a High Performance Team (HPT) of cross-functional subject matter experts was convened and led by a D&I champion (Major General Van Ovost). The HPT developed prioritized recommendations for review by CSAF and SECAF.

2. The AFBAWG briefed AF senior leaders on issues affecting recruitment andretention of IwDs and Individuals with Targeted Disabilities (IwTD). Newinitiatives were adopted to enhance use of Schedule A and retention of IwDs andIwTD (see Parts H, I, J and M-2).

3. The Air Force recognizes the strain fiscal limitations have placed on therecruiting efforts of many of our unique tech-focused communities, especiallythe AF Intelligence community. To supplement specialty-specific diversityrecruiting efforts, the Air Force has significantly increased national outreach atevents targeting diverse science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-focused audiences. Specific events include the national conferences for theSociety of Women Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, theLeague of Latin American Citizens and various others, which together provideaccess to over 60K diverse students/professionals for entry-, mid- and senior-level positions from private and public sectors who could serve in an ISRcapacity.

4. The Air Force PALACE ACQUIRE intern program yielded the highest percentageof female (80%) to males (20%) selected for positions in the AF IntelligenceCommunity. The average for previous five years was 43% females and 57%males.

D. Career Development and Advancement 1. Air Force launched “MyVector” - an on line mentoring and career path tool

providing a one-stop shop IT vehicle for mentoring and career development. This is a Total Force application that enables civilians to search for mentors using a "matching" feature. Individuals most closely matching the selected personal and professional traits are listed as prospective mentors. Once selected, mentors and mentees are able to view the individual career pyramid and duty history to assist in developing career plans.

2. AF CF Managers and DTs are assessing their EEO and diversity health throughthe use of barrier analysis and the training they have received.

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3. AF/A1V coordinated a diverse, multi-functional, total force team of attendees toparticipate in the “Million Women Mentors” (MWM) summit. MWM seeks toengage one million STEM mentors (male and female) to increase the interestand confidence of girls and women to consider, pursue and succeed in STEMfields. MWM reaches over 30 million females and has the support of 30 stateleadership teams. Air Force is reviewing opportunities to potentiallyleverage/partner with MWM in the future.

4. Over 20 diversity and inclusion staff from across the AF participated in a weeklong training which culminated in each individual being certified as CertifiedDiversity Professionals. The training further enhanced the knowledge, skills andabilities needed to successfully execute diversity and inclusion initiatives.

3. Summary of Results of Annual Self-Assessment of MD-715 Essential Elements The open areas identified for improvement are listed in paragraphs 3.A. through 3.F.

below.

A. Demonstrated Commitment from Agency Leadership (Essential Element A) Deficiency: Air Force did not issue an EEO policy memo in FY 2015.

AF Comments: The SecAF issued an Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy Memo on 14 May 2014. A memo was initiated for FY 2015; however, it was delayed because of new DoD requirements (i.e., sexual orientation as a discrimination factor for military EO) and reformatting issues during coordination. The FY16 memo was signed on 8 Jan 16. ACTION OPEN. See Part H-1 and Agency Document a. of report.

B. Integration of EEO into the Agency’s Strategic Mission (Essential Element B)

Deficiency: The EEO Director does not have sufficient funding to ensure implementation of agency EEO action plans to improve EEO program efficiency and/or eliminate identified barriers to the full realization of equality of opportunity. See, Part H-2 of report.

AF Comments: a. Budget cuts continue to limit implementation of AF EEO action plans.d. AF/A1Q conducted a manpower study to determine if sufficient human resources

are dedicated to perform the EO mission. The study has been completed and is currently in coordination. ACTION OPEN.

C. Management and Program Accountability (Essential Element C) Deficiency: None. NO ACTION NEEDED.

D. Proactive Prevention (Essential Element D) 1. Deficiency. Applicant-flow data collection mechanisms have not been developed.

AF Comments. While applicant flow data has become available, it does not appear to be reliable based on the response rate of applicants completing the SF-181 (approximately 50%). AF met with Department of Navy counterparts for benchmarking and a AF representatives began accessing AF data in OPM’s USA Staffing Tool. See Part H-3. ACTION OPEN.

2. Deficiency. The following MD 715 tables are only partially populated, due to lackof applicant data: Tables A/B 7 – Applicant and hiring data for major occupations by gender and RNO (A7) or disability (B7); Table A/B 9 – Record of selections for internal competitive promotions for major occupations by gender and RNO (A9) or disability (B9); Tables A/B 11 – Data for AF to determine the cumulative impact of senior level selections by gender and RNO(A11) or disability (B11); and Tables A/B 12 – Data for participation in career development

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by gender and RNO (A12) or disability (B12). AF Comments. While applicant flow data has become available, it does not appear

to be reliable based on the response rate of applicants completing the SF-181 (approximately 50%). AF has started data retrieval and plans to analyze it for the FY 2016 MD715 report. See Part H-3. ACTION OPEN.

3. Deficiency. Use reports on gender, race, national origin (and disability) toanalyze Hispanic men and women civilian workforce representation and in senior grade levels.

AF Comments. The AFBAWG reviewed applicable EEOC reports on increasing employment of Hispanics and IwTD. Career Field Managers were briefed on developing strategies for addressing participation issues. The AFBAWG also developed a Civilian Exit Survey Tool (CEST) to capture why minorities and IwDs are separating from the AF. The AFBAWG has used the results in support of their barrier analysis efforts and to develop substantive actionable proposals. See Part I. ACTION OPEN.

4. Deficiency. Increase participation rate of IwTDs. AF Comments. The participation rate of IwTDs increased from 0.70% of the

Permanent Workforce in FY14 to 0.72% in FY15; the AF goal is 2%. The AF plan to increase employment of IwDs and IwTDs is being implemented. See Part J of this report. ACTION OPEN.

E. Efficiency (Essential Element E) 1. Deficiency. Improve the timeliness of EEO complaint processing.

AF Comments. The Director of EO formed an AF-wide Compliance AnalysisWorking Group (AFCAWG) to improve the timely and efficient processing of EEO complaints. See Part H-4. ACTION OPEN.

2. Deficiency. Meet the regulatory time limits for investigations and merit finalagency decisions (FADs) without compromising quality.

AF Comments. Throughout FY15, the AF Civilian Appellate Review Office (AFCARO), continued

efforts begun in FY14 to streamline FADs, including: providing simpler but more instructive model FADs and templates, FAD writing checklists and worksheets – which they intend to share with other interested DoD agencies and activities; increasing more efficient use of software to conduct case law research; personalizing and bookmarking; using various time-saving copying and pasting techniques, and generating reports of previously issued FADs with similar issues and bases (to serve as samples for FADs to be written). A recent manpower review resulted in validating a requirement for 12 additional position authorizations for AFCARO, and a request for funded authorizations in FY2018 is in process. See Parts H-5 and H-6. ACTION OPEN.

F. Legal Compliance (Essential Element F) No deficiencies have been noted. NO ACTION NEEDED.

G. Deficiencies noted from FY14 EEOC/OFO Technical Visit 1. Deficiency: In FY 2014 Air Force had 67 Schedule A employees with disabilities

who had been awaiting conversion to the competitive service. Most of the non-conversions were due to an oversight on the part of either CPS or management.

AF Comments: The number of Schedule A employees who have not yet been converted was significantly reduced by the end of FY 2015. Air Force records reflect 15 employees eligible for conversion at the completion of their two-year probationary period. Additionally, during FY 2015, 18 employees were converted to career/career conditional appointments.

As a result of the collaboration between the Air Force Equal Opportunity (AF/A1Q) and Air Force Civilian Force Management (AF/A1C), a process was identified to automatically notify supervisors of the option to convert Schedule A appointments to career conditional after

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successful completion of a two-year probation. See Part H-7 and Part J. ACTION OPEN.

2. Deficiency: EEOC indicated that it is unclear whether Air Force had submitted itsreasonable accommodation procedures to EEOC for review since FY 2002. If Air Force has modified its procedures since 2002, then it must resubmit the document to EEOC for review.

AF Comments: The AF Disability Program Manager sent EEOC/OFO the updated reasonable accommodation procedures on 17 Oct 14. See Part H-8. ACTION COMPLETED.

3. Deficiency: The EEOC indicated the AF’s procedures for processing claims ofharassment are missing two elements as identified in EEOC’s Enforcement Guidance – (a) clear procedures (are the procedures separate from the EEO process, if so, please explain); and (b) all claims of harassment will be kept confidential to the extent possible.

AF Comments: AF leadership has determined agency guidance will be issued after receiving policy requirements from DoD. A statement of commitment by the SecAF for not tolerating harassment is included in the FY 2016 SecAF EO and Nondiscrimination Memo. It will also be reiterated in the revised AF Instruction (AFI) on Equal Opportunity, AFI 36-2706. See Part H-9. ACTION OPEN.

4. Deficiencies:(a). Air Force has yet to include applicant flow data in tables A/B 7, 9, 11, and 12,

which record new hires within major occupations, internal promotions within major occupations and senior grades, and career development.

AF COMMMENT: See paras 3.D.1. – D.2. above for AF comments on applicant flow data.

(b). To ascertain whether a glass wall exists for Black and Hispanic females, an agency would review the rates by grade level for EEOC group in an occupation and then analyze the applicant flow data (new hires and competitive promotions) for that occupation.

AF COMMENT: The AF Barrier Analysis Working Group is to address this deficiency in FY16 after applicant flow data becomes available. See Part H-10. ACTION OPEN.

4. Summary of EEO Plan Objectives to Eliminate Identified Barriers or CorrectProgram Deficiencies

Air Force did not maintain a workforce as diverse as the civilian labor force. While theNCLF has become more diverse over the last 10 years, the Air Force civilian workforce has become less diverse. There were also low participation rates of minorities, women and IwTD overall, in major occupations, and in high-grade positions. To address these issues, the AFBAWG will continue to identify the root causes of these issues and establish meaningful actions to eliminate the barriers to employment and advancement of these groups. The following barriers are already identified and being worked:

a. Lack of effective communication and collection of pertinent data/demographics. TheAir Force has developed processes to collect and communicate EEO data and implement and manage SEPs.

AF Comments: AF drafted an AF instruction (AFI 36-205, Affirmative Employment Program, Special Emphasis Programs, and Reasonable Accommodation Policy) to update applicable guidance on barrier analysis and require installation officials to assign SEPMs to all required SEPs. Career Field Development Teams also received barrier analysis training and have been required to fully incorporate diversity recruiting and retention practices. Additionally, the AFBAWG is taking steps to develop a process to collect and communicate installation and career-field level workforce demographic data to all levels. See Parts H-3 and I-3. ACTION OPEN.

b. Low participation rates for women and minorities in high grades. AF Comments. The AFBAWG, Women’s Issues Team (WIT), examined this trigger

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for barriers to advancement. The work of the AFBAWG WIT was outlined in paragraph 2.A. above and is further covered in Parts H and I. In addition to those policy changes, several other initiatives were instituted and designed to create a level playing field for all candidates, address barriers and create transparency in the process. They are: 1. Challenging and changing the mindset of selecting officials, to value civilian leadership experiences and characteristics by revising selection criteria from “commander-like” experience to “relevant supervisory” experience. 2. Encouraging selecting officials to remove the “military lens” from the hiring process and evaluate candidates equitably based on merit by training those in leadership positions on recognizing barriers and developing strategies to overcome the adverse impact of those barriers as well as enhance diversity. The expected outcomes of these initiatives are a more diverse pipeline of candidates for the higher graded positions, particularly at the GS-14/15 levels. See Parts I-1 and I-2 for a complete report of how the AFBAWG made substantial strides in bringing barriers and potential remedies to the attention of AF senior leadership for action over the past year. ACTION OPEN. c. Lack of clear guidelines for reasonably accommodating IwDs who attend AF sponsored training. AF Comments: Air Force garnered support (funding) and developed a procedure for the use of centralized funding for AF employees with disabilities who attend AF sponsored training and development programs. ACTION OPEN.

5. Special Program Plan for the Recruitment, Hiring and Advancement of Individuals with Targeted Disabilities Barriers identified for this category include the following: a. Lack of communication, i.e., some supervisors and managers are not aware of their roles and responsibilities regarding disability issues; b. Lack of awareness among hiring officials of employment options for hiring IwDs, such as Schedule A; c. Application processes which are not “user friendly” and/or are cumbersome and d. Lack of reasonable accommodation guidance for individuals with disabilities and management officials regarding employees with disabilities who are enrolled in training and development courses. Plans for addressing the barriers listed above are in Parts I-3 and J of this report. 6. Agency Documents

See Part K.

7. Annual Report of Discrimination Complaints See Part L.

8. Analysis of Data Tables

a. By Race, Ethnicity and Sex All race, ethnic, and gender groups are at or above the National Civilian Labor Force (NCLF) with the exception of the following: - Women as a group (due to the low participation rate of White and Hispanic females) - White females - Hispanic or Latino males - Hispanic or Latino females

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- Asian males and females Some potential barriers have been identified: lack of SEPMs; lack of advancement opportunities; lack of effective mentoring. The AFBAWG will act upon the potential barriers and review the hiring and separation trends of Hispanics to determine what group(s) may be affected. See Part M1 of this report to find actions taken to address these and other barriers.

b. By Disability The FY 2015 total workforce population was 166,788 employees, which is an increase of 0.89% from FY14. The permanent workforce consists of 138,643 employees of which 996 are employees with targeted disabilities. The benchmark population is 136,432 (138,643 minus 996 = 137,647). As a result, the participation rate of permanent employees with targeted disabilities increased slightly to 0.72% in FY 2015 from 0.67% in FY 2014. Employees with targeted disabilities are separating from Air Force at a rate of 1.27% compared to an overall Air Force civilian separation rate of 5.5%. The separation rate of IwTD increased 0.21% from FY 2014. In FY 2015, Air Force hired 97 new IwTD yet by the end of FY 2015, 111 IwTDs had separated.

See Part M2 of this report for a more detailed analysis of Disability data.

9. Organization ChartsSee Part N.

10. Best Practices Air Force Best Practices for FY 2015 are provided in Part O of this report.

11. Closing The U.S. Air Force is continuing efforts to achieve a model EEO program.

“The welfare of our Airmen, military and civilian, is my most important priority, and I am fully committed to ensuring each Airman is provided the dignity and respect they so rightfully deserve. Air Force policy is simple: Unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment of any kind will not be tolerated or condoned by anyone. Additionally, at no time should any reprisal action be taken against any member or employee who participates in an EO process or discloses possible EO violations. Any Airman, military or civilian, who violates this policy may be subject to discipline.”

– The Honorable Deborah Lee James,Secretary of the Air Force

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AIR FORCE FISCAL YEAR 2015 BEST PRACTICE SUBMISSIONS

OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT

1. Change in Recruitment and Selection Policies. Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC),Directorate, Civilian Force Integration, Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) – Randolph, Texas. Effective 1 April 2015, Air Force implemented a new recruitment and selection policy for all GS-14, GS-15 and equivalent positions, as well as other civilian positions. The policy includes: the use of diverse hiring panels, only by exception are managers permitted to hire externally non-competitively using by- name requests, recruitment cannot be limited to external-only, position descriptions, announcements and assessments must be reviewed prior to starting recruitment and cannot contain verbiage that mandates specific military or major command attributes that can only be gained through uniformed service, unless it is proven they are required by the position; and announcements are to be posted for a minimum of five business days. IMPACT: This is a significant change in the process which is intended to positively impact the entire Department of the Air Force. The new policies are designed to ensure the merit system principles are preserved, add transparency to our recruitment and selection processes, establish a level playing field for all applicants and employees, and maximize effectiveness of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) within the Air Force community.

2. Air Force Civilian Service (AFCS) Aircraft Maintenance Recruiting Plan / Strategy.Workforce Planning and Enterprise Recruiting (ER), AFPC, JBSA-Randolph, Texas. The Workforce Planning and Enterprise Recruiting Section utilized and developed alternative strategies to increase awareness, recruit and hire candidates for hard to fill locations/ mission critical occupations, strengthen diversity and increase the use of Schedule A (people with targeted disabilities) hiring authority for vacancies. AFCS provided the Air Force Personnel Center and base level civilian personnel offices with alternate advertising awareness and strategic recruitment methods to fill vacancies normally only advertised on the USAJobs website. During this period, the team developed and sent robot emails about aircraft maintenance job vacancies at several Air Force bases to separating/retiring active duty members with related experience and expertise. The ER team also posted over 40 job opportunity advertisements on job boards to increase the number of registrants in the AFCS Recruitment Opportunity Activity (ROA) Program and candidates applying to current vacancies. The ROA is an on-line process for job seekers to register for mission-critical and hard-to-fill occupations. The ROA notifies potential applicants of immediate employment opportunities based upon their individual skills and geographic preferences. This program was specifically developed as a result of feedback from base level hiring managers regarding insufficient numbers of qualified applicants being supplied through current recruitment processes. IMPACT: Increased candidate pool (2,350 aircraft maintenance specialists registered in the ROA in 6 months). Social media allows users to view and apply for jobs and share job announcements with their network of

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family and friends, increasing awareness of career opportunities, resulting in an increased number of qualified applicants at hiring managers’ disposal. Social media highlighted AF as a top employer that embraces diversity and inclusion. Hiring managers’ positive feedback about the increased candidate pool for selections (30% increase); hiring managers’ positive feedback about the increase of highly qualified candidates (50% increase in EHA hires came directly as a result of our social media efforts); Air Force Personnel Center Base Support Teams, base level civilian personnel offices and hiring managers agree that processes have improved recruitment results; timelines to hiring reduced; high rate of positive responses from candidates about use of social media (LinkedIn, Twittter, and Facebook) and Job Boards (HospitalJobsOnline, NursingJobs, ClearanceJobs, and Dice.com) as alternate tools in providing additional exposure to AFCS vacancies; more than 10K people are active on our AFCS LinkedIn page at any given time; 9,565 candidates have registered in the ROA Program since Oct 2014 (over 35k total) proving success; and Diversity Digital media on publications (Diversity Careers magazine, Latina Magazine, Equal Opportunity Publication, etc.) increased web traffic to the .com website (afciviliancareers.com) by 15% (over 100K new visitors over the year) where 78% of visitors are looking for employment.

3. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Expanded Recruitment andRetention Initiatives, 25 Air Force/AFTAC, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. In an on-going effort to assist with recruitment of specific hard-to-fill career fields e.g., physical scientists, geophysicists, physicists, etc., the organization performed targeted recruitment actions. These targeted recruitment actions included vacancies being publicized at specific colleges and universities. In addition, vacancies were publicized through different scientific associations and in scientific journals. Numerous retention initiatives have taken place to include two Women in Science and Engineering Symposiums. These events encouraged diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by providing inspirational speakers and engaging discussions for both women and men in and outside federal government. The goal of the symposiums was to continue to attract, recruit, develop, and retain a highly-qualified, diverse and inclusive workforce. IMPACT: Available pool of screened resources for short notice hard-to-fill STEM positions; 19 STEM employees were brought on board during FY15; strengthening the commitment to a diverse, well informed and inspired workforce.

4. Air Force Civilian Force Renewal Program Targeted Recruitment of Highly Skilled andDiverse Workforce, Force Renewal Branch, JBSA-Randolph Texas.

The Force Renewal Programs are designed to attract men and women with top level management potential to careers as Federal employees with the United States Air Force. This objective is accomplished by an aggressive recruiting and staffing program aimed at selecting high-caliber candidates and training them to become competent, effective and productive employees in a variety of occupational areas; providing training opportunities necessary to gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) predictive of successful performance and providing promotional opportunities for those students and college graduates who successfully complete all required

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training and developmental assignments. The Force Renewal Programs train, develop, motivate, and retain employees with disabilities and other diverse groups for the AF civilian work force. An assessment of the AF civilian population identified a lack of growth and improvement in a number of areas. Despite efforts to offset the impact of sequestration on the civilian workforce, the Air Force’s civilian vacancies to authorizations were a concern. To reverse this trend the CSA was tasked to assist our Air Force via Project Renewal efforts with increasing the number of student and college graduate hires. In addition, the CSA entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Secretary of Air Force Acquisition to assist with the execution of Defense Acquisition Workforce Development funded (DAWD) force renewal assets. As a result, CSA projected new on-boards for FY15 are at ~819. Beginning in FY13 the CSA began utilizing the Pathways Programs Internship and Recent Graduates in execution of force renewal. The CSA continues to fill force renewal allocations under other available hiring authorities, i.e., Acquisition EHA, Title 10 and Schedule A to include the Office of Special Investigations and Individuals w/Disabilities; 25 FY15 selectees have been identified to be hired under the Schedule A Individuals w/Disabilities hiring authority. As of 22 Sep 15, the CSA Force Renewal programs are comprised of 974 males and 680 females—1,654 total. Race and Ethnicity breakdown is: 10 American Indian/Alaskan Native, 48 Asians, 269 Black or African American, 41 Hispanic, 8 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 140 Multiple and 1,138 White. 517 (31%) are identified as possessing veterans status. IMPACT: In FY15, the Air Force continues recruiting through the student programs, recent graduates and individual’s w/disabilities. These recruitment sources have resulted in continued recruitment of veterans and individuals with diverse backgrounds. As of 22 Sep 15, there are currently 500+ veterans with preference eligibility participating in our force renewal programs.

• AF level of force renewal effort, replenishes workforce skill losses with high calibertrainees

• Civilian equivalent to AF officer development – provide focused training and experience• Increased representation of specific EEO groups, women and individuals with disabilities• Retention rates higher for CSA force renewal vs non-CSA force renewal employees

5. Diversity Day 2015, Tinker Air Force Base, Florida. Diversity Day booths consisted ofseveral organizations and special emphasis groups.

• Civil Engineering• Family Advocacy• Civil Air Patrol (CAP)• Disability• S.A.F.E.T.E.A. – Service members, Allies, Federal Employees, Together Embracing

Acceptance. (This is the newest Special Emphasis Group for LGBT.)• University of Oklahoma ROTC• Air National Guard

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• Recruiting• African American Heritage Committee• Asian Pacific American Heritage Committee• Tinker Inter-Tribal Council• Hispanic Heritage Committee• Federal Employed Women (FEW)• Navy

Four booster clubs participated in the event as well. Diversity Day was comprised of a Bowling and Golf Tournament, after payment to use facilities was made, the remaining funds were dispersed between the seven special emphasis groups. There was a free entry color run, an essay and photo contest culminating into a Diversity Day Fair. IMPACT: Over one thousand people attended the event resulting in over $3,800 raised. This was the first time two fundraising events were incorporated into Diversity Day. The previous event, held in 2008, had approximately 200 participants. The event increased knowledge of Diversity and Special Emphasis Groups at Tinker AFB.

6. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC/FMP Administrative Careers withAmerica (ACWA) Assessment & Expedited Hiring Authority (EHA) Process, AFLCMC/DP, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Newly established process with OPM allows for easy EHA for non-technical GS-07 and below positions. Prior to this process, Financial Management was limited to utilizing EHA for GS-09s and above, because the lower graded positions required the Administrative Careers with America (ACWA) assessment. FM worked with OPM to create an easy process where OPM administers the ACWA assessment for a small fee. OPM creates the announcement for grade and series at any location that FM specifies and invites all potential candidates to take the ACWA assessment. FM submits a list of candidate’s e-mails to OPM, and OPM will e-mail the link to the USAJOBs announcement to each candidate. Once complete, OPM sends the certificate with all candidates eligible for EHA hire to the hiring official at WPAFB. They can then utilize EHA for any candidate on the certificate anytime during the next 12 months. Without this process, FM would not have the same accessibility to diverse, highly skilled recent graduates. IMPACT: Increased accessibility to a diverse segment of skilled recent graduates that would otherwise be lost to private industry.

• OPM’s ACWA assessment is open for all AFLCMC functionalists to utilize.• Minimal cost (Reduction in costs for each ACWA assessment $510 for initial and $150 for

every list after the initial set up for same series, grade, and location).• FM has hired 6 recent college graduates at four different AFLCMC bases. They plan to

utilize this process to potentially hire 20 candidates at multiple bases in the next few months.

7. STEM Diversity Outreach to Local Middle and High School Students, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The installation’s Student Liaison Officer, the Diversity &

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Inclusion Office and the Educational Outreach Office partnered to host two STEM-Diversity Outreach events for students from seven local school districts. There were 65 6th-8th grade students and 66 9th-10th grade students (with parents) for the second day-long session. Students were from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The event provided students hands-on experience with cutting-edge STEM technologies, and explored various concepts of diversity through interactive engagements designed to highlight future career opportunities. Scheduled activities allowed students to interface with positive STEM role models in break-out STEM and diversity work sessions and additional activities promoted the importance of exercise and good nutrition. Activities included:

• Basics of laser and light – STEM information and instruction• Laser and light application – additional STEM information and instruction• “Shark Tank” Diversity of Thought Workshop – provided teambuilding and critical

thinking skills• ROTC Information table (staffed) – ROTC captain provided information regarding

military careers• “Fuel Up to Play 60” – emphasized physical fitness and good nutrition• STEM Mentoring Luncheon – STEM professionals provided their leadership journey

from grade school to STEM professional careers• Honor Guard Presentation – provided insight into how the Air Force Honors its fallen

Airmen, as well as other servicesIMPACT: Introduced many students to the concept of STEM. Provided information to students, parents, and chaperones regarding civilian and military careers related to STEM and other career fields. Helped WPAFB meet the Diversity & Inclusion priorities stated in the “USAF Diversity & Inclusion Roadmap” – Institutionalize, Attract, Recruit, Develop, Retain.

8. Young WPAFB STEM Professionals Marketing DOD STEM Careers to PotentialWorkforce Via Videos and Printed Media, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The DOD STEM Diversity Campaign was charged with supporting a Department-wide initiative to respond to the Nation’s changing demographics. The initiative was originally called “30 Under 30, STEM Role Models” and is now called, “IngeniUS.” The campaign included “Role Models” from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. WPAFB was selected to be the “face” for Air Force STEM Diversity Outreach. The selected WPAFB “Role Models” were interviewed on video tape, responding to questions about their life experiences, education, and paths to their current careers. The videotapes and photos will be used in DoD’s campaign of awareness and education regarding military and civilian STEM careers. IMPACT: Increased national awareness of STEM careers in the Air Force (for both military and civilians) and the Air Force’s desire to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

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CAREER DEVELOPMENT

MyVector, Department of Air Force, Directorate of Airman Force Development. The Air Force launched “MyVector,” an on-line mentoring and career path tool providing a one-stop shop IT tool for mentoring and career development. This is a Total Force application that enables civilians to search for mentors using a "matching" feature. Individuals most closely matching the selected personal and professional traits are listed as prospective mentors. Once selected, mentor and mentees are able to view the individual career pyramid and duty history to assist in developing career plans. IMPACT: MyVector will standardize mentoring for the Total Force and potentially increase retention and career enhancement/advancement opportunities.

DISABILITY

1. Recruiting Initiatives for Disabled Airmen wounded in Combat. AFPC, Force RenewalBranch, JBSA-Randolph Texas. The Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2) supports the Office of the Secretary of Defense initiative to ensure all combat-related ill/injured Airmen who are medically separated members, of the DoD, receive complete entitlements due them by virtue of their service to this country. AFW2s are provided top-notch and world-class transition services which include individual pre-separation counseling and assistance in obtaining authorized services. Airmen medically separated are eligible for special job placement assistance for civilian employment under the AFW2 formally named PALACE Hart. Corporate funding is designated for up to 30 full-time equivalents managed through the Air Force central salary account (CSA) for AFW2 placements to supplement local positions. There is currently one AFW2 funded by the CSA. Recent hiring controls and hiring freezes across the Air Force have had an impact on off-boarding AFW2s from the CSA onto local authorizations as well as on-boarding of AFW2s initially into locally funded authorizations. To date, 100+ warriors have come through the program via CSA and local funding. IMPACT: The Air Force is able to support our men and women in uniform when they are no longer eligible for active duty status through civilian employment opportunities and allows the Air Force to keep valuable, highly skilled and trained Airmen.

2. Reasonable Accommodation Centralized Funding for Training. Department of the AirForce, Equal Opportunity Policy Office. The AF Disability Program Manager in collaboration with the Directorate of Airman Force Development secured centralized funding for individuals with disabilities who have been selected to attend AF sponsored training and development programs/courses. Processes and procedures have been devised and communication plans are underway. The money ($250,000) will not become available until FY16. IMPACT: This initiative will ensure compliance with the Rehabilitation and Americans with Disabilities Acts. It will also encourage and support managers and individuals with disabilities to participate more in training opportunities.

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