Page 1 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

United States Government Accountability Office

Washington, DC 20548

August 29, 2012

The Honorable Joe Baca

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture

Committee on Agriculture

House of Representatives

The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Department Operations,

Oversight, and Credit 

Committee on Agriculture

House of Representatives

Subject: U.S. Department of Agriculture: Progress toward Implementing GAO’s Civil Rights 

Recommendations

For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been the focus of federal inquiries 

into allegations of discrimination against minorities and women both in the programs it 

administers and in its workforce. In addition, USDA has been and continues to be involved in 

large civil rights lawsuits claiming discriminatory behavior on the part of USDA, including 

lawsuits brought by African-American, Native American, Hispanic, and women farmers. In 2002, 

Congress authorized the position of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to, among other 

things, provide leadership to ensure USDA’s compliance with all civil rights and related laws 

under all its programs.

In October 2008, we reported on management deficiencies in the Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR), and included six recommendations.1

 1

GAO, U.S. Department of Agriculture: Recommendations and Options to Address Management Deficiencies in the 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, GAO-09-62 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 22, 2008).

These 

recommendations call for plans to resolve discrimination complaints, ensure the quality of 

OASCR databases, and develop a department-level strategic plan for unifying USDA civil rights 

activities. The recommendations also call for USDA to obtain an independent legal examination 

of some prior civil rights decisions, obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 

to collect demographic data, and explore the potential for an ombudsman office to contribute to 

addressing civil rights concerns.

 
Page 2 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

This report formally transmits the enclosed briefing that was given to your offices on July 27, 

2012, in response to your request for information on the progress USDA has made toward 

implementing the recommendations in our October 2008 report (encl. I).2

We conducted this performance audit from November 2011 to August 2012 in accordance with 

generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and 

perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained 

provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

To obtain information 

on USDA’s efforts to address these recommendations, we interviewed officials from OASCR, 

the Office of Advocacy and Outreach, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Office of 

Inspector General, and the Office of the Secretary, and reviewed documents they provided. We 

also discussed a draft of the briefing slides with OASCR officials before the briefing, and we 

incorporated their suggested technical corrections, as appropriate. In addition, subsequent to 

the briefing, OASCR provided us updated information on its actions to address the 

recommendations pertaining to the development of a department-level strategic plan for unifying 

civil rights activities and exploration of an ombudsman office. We incorporated this new 

information, as appropriate, into the related slides in the enclosure.

In summary, as of August 2012, USDA had fully addressed three of our recommendations, 

made significant progress toward addressing two, and made some progress toward addressing 

one, as shown in table 1.

 2

To describe the status of USDA’s progress in responding to the recommendations, we developed four categories 

based on the following criteria: “fully addressed” means USDA completed all needed actions to address a 

recommendation, “significant progress” means USDA completed more than half but not all needed actions, “some 

progress” means USDA completed less than half the needed actions, and “no progress” means USDA completed no 

needed actions.
Page 3 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Table 1: Status of USDA’s Progress to Address Our 2008 Recommendations

Status 

Recommendation

Fully 

addressed

Significant 

progress

Some 

progress No progress

1. Prepare and implement an improvement plan 

for resolving discrimination complaints that sets 

time frame goals and provides management 

controls for resolving complaints from beginning 

to end.

√

2. Develop and implement a plan to ensure the 

accuracy, completeness, and reliability of 

OASCR’s databases on customer and employee 

complaints, and that provides for independent 

validation of OASCR’s data quality.

√

3. Obtain an expert, independent, and objective 

legal examination of the basis, quality, and 

adequacy of a sample of USDA’s prior 

investigations and decisions on civil rights 

complaints, along with suggestions for 

improvement.

√

4. Work expeditiously to obtain the Office of 

Management and Budget’s approval to collect 

the demographic data necessary for reliable 

reporting on race and ethnicity by USDA 

program.

√

5. Develop a results-oriented, department-level 

strategic plan for civil rights at USDA that unifies 

USDA’s departmental approach with that of 

OASCR and the newly created Office of 

Advocacy and Outreach and that is transparent 

about USDA’s efforts to address the concerns of 

stakeholders.

√

6. Further explore the potential for an 

ombudsman office to contribute to addressing 

the civil rights concerns of USDA customers and 

employees, including seeking legislative 

authority, as appropriate, to establish such an 

office and to ensure its effectiveness, and advise 

USDA’s congressional oversight committees of 

the results.

√

Source: GAO analysis of USDA information.

For additional information on a summary of the results of our work, see enclosure I, slides 7 

through 18. We are making no recommendations in this report.

We provided a draft of this report to USDA for review and comment. In written comments, which 

are reproduced in enclosure II, USDA said it concurred with GAO’s findings regarding the status 

of USDA’s progress toward implementing recommendations 2 through 6. However, with regard 

to recommendation 1, that USDA prepare and implement an improvement plan for resolving 

discrimination complaints that sets time frame goals and provides management controls for 

resolving complaints from beginning to end, USDA stated that it believes OASCR has been fully 

successful in improving the complaint process and included additional information related to 

recommendation 1 that it asked us to consider. As support, USDA noted that (1) since fiscal 

year 2009, employee discrimination complaints have been at the lowest levels since USDA 

began keeping records, reflecting better outreach, counseling, and complaint processing 

procedures agency wide, and (2) OASCR has revamped the program complaint division since 
Page 4 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

2010 to improve processing time and work product quality, and, as a result, the statute of 

limitations has not expired on any program complaints filed with USDA since those 

improvements were implemented. While these developments are laudable, we note, as 

reflected in enclosure I (slides 8 through 10), that there is more to be done, including continued 

work on (1) establishing an electronic records management system; (2) implementing the Lean 

Six Sigma process; (3) conducting pilot efforts to explore establishing new time frame goals for 

intake, investigation, and adjudication activities to resolve employee and program complaints;

and (4) providing documentation of new policies, procedures, guidance, and training needed to 

determine if new management controls cover the entire process for resolving complaints. 

Therefore, we continue to believe that “significant progress” accurately describes USDA’s 

progress toward implementing recommendation 1.

We are sending copies of this report to the Secretary of Agriculture, appropriate congressional 

committees, and other interested parties. This report also is available at no charge on our 

website at http://www.gao.gov. 

If you or your staff members have questions concerning this report, please contact me at (202) 

512-3841 or shamesl@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and 

Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report were 

James R. Jones, Jr., Assistant Director; Kevin Bray; Stephen Cleary; Diana C. Goody; Kelly 

Rubin; and Carol Herrnstadt Shulman.

Lisa Shames

Director, Natural 

Resources and Environment

Enclosures (2)
Page 5 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Enclosure I: Briefing Slides

USDA’s Progress toward 

Implementing GAO’s Civil Rights 

Recommendations

Briefing 

Committee on Agriculture

House of Representatives

Note: Slides updated to include more recent information. Page 1
Page 6 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Background

• For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been the focus of 

federal inquiries into allegations of discrimination against minorities and 

women, both in the programs it administers and in its workforce. We and others 

have reported numerous times on serious weaknesses in USDA’s civil rights 

programs.1

• USDA has worked to resolve large civil rights lawsuits alleging discrimination in 

the delivery of farm programs and loans brought by farmers who are African 

American (Pigford v. Glickman), Native American (Keepseagle v. Vilsack), 

Hispanic (Garcia v. Vilsack), and women (Love v. Vilsack).

• In 2003, the position of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights was created, and 

the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) was established.

1See related GAO products at the end of this briefing.

Page 2
Page 7 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Background (cont.)

• In our October 2008 report, we made six recommendations to improve 

USDA’s progress in resolving discrimination complaints, reporting on 

minority participation in USDA programs, and improving strategic 

planning efforts.

• On April 21, 2009, the Secretary of Agriculture issued a memorandum, 

A New Civil Rights Era for USDA, outlining 14 actions to change the 

direction of equal employment opportunity, civil rights, and program 

delivery to ensure fair treatment of all employees and customers and 

improve USDA’s program delivery.

• In its May 27, 2009, Statement of Action, USDA stated that, overall, it 

agreed with the recommendations in our October 2008 report and 

provided its responses to address them. Many of the actions presented 

in USDA’s responses were listed in the Secretary’s April 21, 2009, 

memorandum.

Page 3
Page 8 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Background (cont.)

• The 2008 Farm Bill directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Office 

of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) and transferred advocacy and outreach 

functions from OASCR to OAO. USDA established OAO on November 3, 2009. 

The functions transferred include administering a USDA outreach program in 

collaboration with USDA agencies, and the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions 

Program to fund education and outreach and provide services to assist Native 

Americans. 

• Since 2009, OASCR has focused on resolving employee and program 

discrimination complaints, implementing alternative dispute resolution, and 

reviewing civil rights compliance and providing training at USDA agencies and 

offices.

• For information on the resolution options and status of employee and program 

discrimination complaints, see attachment I, and for OASCR’s resources for 

resolving these complaints, see attachment II.

Page 4
Page 9 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Objective and Methodology

• This briefing is in response to your request for information on the progress USDA has made 

toward implementing the following six recommendations in our October 2008 report:

1. Prepare and implement an improvement plan for resolving discrimination complaints 

that sets time frame goals and provides management controls for resolving complaints 

from beginning to end.

2. Develop and implement a plan to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of 

OASCR’s databases on customer and employee complaints, and that provides for 

independent validation of OASCR’s data quality.

3. Obtain an expert, independent, and objective legal examination of the basis, quality, 

and adequacy of a sample of USDA’s prior investigations and decisions on civil rights 

complaints, along with suggestions for improvement.

4. Work expeditiously to obtain Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) approval to 

collect the demographic data necessary for reliable reporting on race and ethnicity by 

USDA program.

Page 5
Page 10 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Objective and Methodology (cont.)

5. Develop a results-oriented, department-level strategic plan for civil rights at USDA that unifies USDA’s 

departmental approach with that of OASCR and the newly created OAO and that is transparent about 

USDA’s efforts to address the concerns of stakeholders.

6. Further explore the potential for an ombudsman office to contribute to addressing the civil rights concerns 

of USDA customers and employees, including seeking legislative authority, as appropriate, to establish 

such an office and to ensure its effectiveness, and advise USDA’s congressional oversight committees of 

the results.

• To describe the status of USDA’s progress in responding to our prior recommendations, we developed four 

categories based on the following criteria: “fully addressed” means USDA completed all needed actions to 

address a recommendation, “significant progress” means USDA completed more than half but not all needed 

actions, “some progress” means USDA completed less than half the actions, and “no progress” means USDA 

completed no actions.

• To obtain information on USDA’s efforts to address each of the six recommendations, we interviewed officials 

from OASCR, OAO, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Inspector General, and Office of the Secretary, 

and reviewed documents they provided.

• We provided OASCR with a draft of these slides for its review and comment. We then met with OASCR officials,

who provided suggested technical corrections and updates, which we incorporated as appropriate.

Page 6
Page 11 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

In Summary

Status of USDA’s Progress to Address GAO’s Recommendations

Source: GAO analysis of USDA information.

Page 7

Recommendation

Fully 

addressed

Significant 

progress

Some 

progress

No 

progress

1. Implement a plan to improve resolution 

of discrimination complaints that sets time 

frame goals and provides management 

controls.

√

2. Develop a plan to ensure reliability of 

complaints data.

√

3. Conduct a legal examination of prior 

investigations and decisions.

√

4. Obtain OMB’s approval to collect 

necessary demographic data.

√

5. Develop a department-level strategic 

plan for civil rights. √

6. Explore potential for ombudsman office. √
Page 12 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 1: Implement a Plan to Improve Resolution of 

Discrimination Complaints That Sets Time Frame Goals and Provides 

Management Controls

• USDA has made significant progress toward addressing this 

recommendation.

Plan

• USDA developed a plan with actions to evaluate and adjust staffing 

levels to ensure timely resolution of employee and program 

complaints, improve quality control procedures, establish an 

electronic records management system, hold agency heads 

accountable for complaint processing, and strengthen alternative 

dispute resolution.

• OASCR has implemented many of the plan’s actions, such as 

placing priority on processing program complaints facing the statute 

of limitations under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and reviewing 

the quality of every final agency decision, and continues work on 

others, such as establishing a records management system.

Page 8
Page 13 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 1: Implement a Plan to Improve Resolution of 

Discrimination Complaints That Sets Time Frame Goals and Provides 

Management Controls (cont.)

Time Frame Goals

• For employee complaints, OASCR’s goal is to adhere to time frame 

requirements established by Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission (EEOC) regulations, and for program complaints, 

OASCR adheres to USDA goals established in 2000, according to 

OASCR officials.

• OASCR is implementing the Lean Six Sigma process to identify 

efficiencies to reduce time frames for employee and program 

complaint resolution processes.

• OASCR has begun pilot efforts to explore establishing new time 

frame goals for completing intake, investigation, and adjudication 

activities to resolve employee and program complaints.

Page 9
Page 14 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 1: Implement a Plan to Improve Resolution of 

Discrimination Complaints That Sets Time Frame Goals and Provides 

Management Controls (cont.)

Management Controls

• OASCR has implemented new management controls for resolving 

program complaints. For example, OASCR has

• developed a “stop-light” sheet to help management identify program complaints requiring priority processing.

• created a single form that USDA program participants can use to 

file a civil rights complaint. With a single form, OASCR 

anticipates that it will standardize the collection of information 

and reduce processing time.

• OASCR has not provided complete documentation of new policies, 

procedures, guidance, or training that we need to determine if new 

management controls cover the entire process for resolving 

complaints. New time frame goals for processing complaints would 

have to be final before management controls can be made final.

Page 10
Page 15 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 2: Develop a Plan to Ensure 

Reliability of Complaints Data 

• USDA has made significant progress toward addressing this 

recommendation.

• Employee complaint data: OASCR’s efforts to ensure data 

reliability of the iComplaints database include a comprehensive set of business rules, a data integrity tool, and a quality review 

management module.

• OASCR staff conduct two quality reviews each month and revise 

data, as needed. According to OASCR officials, the iComplaints software checks whether all of the data are complete before 

OASCR staff can generate a report on employee complaints to 

meet the EEOC’s reporting requirements. 

Page 11
Page 16 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 2: Develop a Plan to Ensure 

Reliability of Complaints Data (cont.)

• Program complaint data: OASCR developed and is implementing a 

plan to check the accuracy of the data entered for every program 

complaint in the Program Complaints Management System (PCMS).

• OASCR plans to review the accuracy and completeness of PCMS 

data prior to moving the complaint to the next stage of the 

resolution process, review PCMS system and data integrity 

through quarterly users group meetings, and test the accuracy of 

PCMS data on a bimonthly and quarterly basis.

Page 12
Page 17 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 2: Develop a Plan to Ensure 

Reliability of Complaints Data (cont.)

• According to OASCR officials, the office uses contractor-provided 

formal training to ensure consistent use of iComplaints, and conducts 

additional training, as needed.

• OASCR has not provided all of the documentation needed for us to 

assess whether OASCR’s planned efforts contain key elements to 

ensure the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of the iComplaints 

and PCMS databases. For example, OASCR officials have neither 

provided documentation showing that the office developed 

departmental policy to ensure the consistent use of iComplaints and 

PCMS nor training to ensure the completeness of data in PCMS.

Page 13
Page 18 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 3: Conduct a Legal Examination of 

Prior Investigations and Decisions

• USDA has fully addressed this recommendation.

• In 2009, USDA created a task force that reviewed more than 17,000 program 

discrimination complaints filed with OASCR in fiscal years 2000 through 2008.

• The task force determined that about 3,800 complaints warranted further 

processing and estimated that about 600 complaints would be eligible for 

settlement.

• USDA has determined that it cannot further process these complaints under the 

Equal Credit Opportunity Act because most have exceeded the then applicable 2- year statute of limitations. According to USDA officials, to overcome the statute of 

limitations, USDA would need legislative relief and about $60 million to process the 

complaints and pay the estimated settlement costs, which it is seeking.

• In 2009, the task force made 12 recommendations to OASCR to improve its 

complaint resolution process. OASCR agreed with most of the recommendations 

and has taken actions to address them, according to OASCR officials.

Page 14
Page 19 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 4: Obtain OMB’s Approval to 

Collect Necessary Demographic Data

• USDA has fully addressed this recommendation.

• In March 2011, USDA obtained OMB’s approval to collect race, ethnicity, and 

gender (REG) data for the USDA programs that serve agricultural producers and 

landowners. 

• In October 2011, USDA published a departmental regulation to implement the use 

of a new form it later issued in January 2012 to collect REG data. 

• REG data from the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, Rural Development, and Risk Management Agency should cover most of 

the programs that serve agricultural producers and landowners, according to a 

USDA official.

• USDA is developing an outreach plan to identify additional programs that serve 

socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and will propose plans to collect 

demographic data at the USDA agencies responsible for these programs, as 

needed.

Page 15
Page 20 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 5: Develop a Department-level 

Strategic Plan for Civil Rights 

• USDA has made some progress toward addressing this recommendation.

• USDA does not have a department-level strategic plan specifically for civil rights activities.

• In its departmentwide strategic plan for fiscal years 2010-2015, under a section describing management initiatives, USDA includes some planned civil rights 

activities, such as reducing the inventory of program complaints and increasing the 

use of alternative dispute resolution in the employee and program complaints 

resolution processes.

• USDA officials identified OASCR’s strategic plan as the strategic plan for USDA’s 

civil rights activities.

• OASCR has not updated its strategic plan since our report. From October 1, 2009, 

to November 20, 2011, OASCR was placed under Departmental Management and 

during that time was not required to develop or update its own strategic plan, 

according to OASCR officials. Since November 20, 2011, OASCR has reported 

directly to the Secretary and has been working to develop its own strategic plan.

Page 16
Page 21 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 5: Develop a Department-level 

Strategic Plan for Civil Rights (cont.)

• On July 31, 2012, we obtained a revised draft of OASCR’s strategic plan that covers 

fiscal years 2011-2015. OASCR officials estimate that this plan will be final by September 2012.

• OASCR’s revised draft strategic plan:

• Focuses primarily on the activities OASCR plans. The plan does not unify 

OASCR’s approach with OAO, other USDA agencies, or the department as a 

whole.

• Does not describe the viewpoints and interests of USDA’s external stakeholders, 

such as community-based organizations. However, according to USDA officials, the department has implemented many recommendations made in two reports: (1) 

a contractor report (Jackson-Lewis) assessing USDA’s delivery of its programs at the state and local level and (2) a Rural Coalition report summarizing five meetings 

between USDA and community-based organizations.

• Does not fully address other key issues identified in our October 2008 report, such 

as measuring performance to gauge progress, using performance information for 

identifying performance gaps and making program improvements, and identifying 

external and internal factors that can influence the achievement of its long-term 

goals.

Page 17
Page 22 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Recommendation 6: Explore Potential for Ombudsman Office, 

Seek Legislative Authority, as Appropriate, and Advise 

Congressional Oversight Committees of Results

• USDA has fully addressed this recommendation.

• In 2009, OASCR completed efforts to explore the potential for an ombudsman office. It reached out 

to the Ombudsman Association and ombudsman programs at the Department of Housing and 

Urban Development, Transportation Security Administration, and National Institutes of Health.

• OASCR concluded an ombudsman would be helpful. 

• During our discussion on July 25, 2012, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights said he no longer 

supports the need for an ombudsman because of more recent improvements made by OASCR, 

including its increased staffing, use of Lean Six Sigma, development of standard operating 

procedures, and timely processing of complaints.

• On July 26, 2012, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights signed a decision memorandum 

recommending that USDA not establish an ombudsman office. 

• The memorandum stated that, by not establishing an ombudsman office, the Secretary and 

OASCR remain free to take necessary corrective actions to address departmental issues without 

deference to an independent ombudsman and the costs of an ombudsman office will be saved.

• On July 26, 2012, the Secretary also signed the decision memorandum, concurring with the 

Assistant Secretary’s recommendation.

Page 18
Page 23 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Attachment I: Resolution Options and Status of Employee 

and Program Discrimination Complaints

• The employee and program complaint resolution processes generally consist of three 

stages—intake (log in, acknowledge, and decide whether to accept or dismiss complaint); investigation; and adjudication.

• Employee complaints: Discrimination in hiring, promoting, or retaining employees.

• May be resolved informally through an equal employment opportunity counselor or 

alternate dispute resolution. Complainant must contact counselor within 45 days from 

when the alleged discrimination occurred. Complainant and counselor have up to 90 

days to resolve complaint informally.

• If the complaint is not resolved informally, complainant may file a formal complaint with 

USDA within 15 days of receiving a written notice from the counselor of the right to file a 

formal complaint.

• If USDA accepts the formal complaint, it generally has 180 days, from the date the 

complaint was filed, to investigate the complaint.

• USDA’s time frame for adjudicating the formal complaint will vary if the complainant 

requests a hearing before an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) 

administrative judge. 

• Complainant has 30 days to file an appeal of USDA’s final decision with the EEOC.

Page 19
Page 24 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Attachment I: Resolution Options and Status of Employee 

and Program Discrimination Complaints (cont.)

• Program complaints: Discrimination in awarding or distributing federal program benefits.

• Generally, complainant may file a program complaint within 180 days from when the 

alleged discrimination occurred.

• USDA’s procedures state that intake must be completed within 30 days of receiving the 

complaint, and its investigation must be completed within 120 days from the date intake 

is completed.

• USDA has not established a time frame goal to adjudicate a program complaint.

• If USDA and the complainant cannot agree on an acceptable settlement, the 

complainant can pursue a civil action.

• Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the right to pursue a civil action for creditrelated claims was subject to a 2-year statute of limitations. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street 

Reform and Consumer Protection Act increased the statute of limitations to 5 years, 

effective July 21, 2011.

Page 20
Page 25 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Attachment I: Resolution Options and Status of Employee 

and Program Discrimination Complaints (cont.)

• From October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2011 (latest data available), 

OASCR decreased the inventory of open

• employee complaints from 1,210 to 898, and

• program complaints from 806 to 591.

• According to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, since 2010,

• OASCR has completed its activities to resolve employee complaints within the time frames required by EEOC regulations, and

• no new program complaints have taken more than 2 years to resolve.

Page 21
Page 26 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Attachment II: OASCR’s Resources for Resolving 

Employee and Program Discrimination Complaints

• Available funding, fiscal years 2008 through 2013: 

(Dollars in millions)

Source: USDA Budget Explanatory Notes, fiscal years 2010-2013.

• Staff resources, as of March 31, 2012:

• Resolving employee complaints: 27 FTEs for intake and adjudication; OASCR uses 

contractors or employees of other federal agencies to investigate employee complaints filed 

against it or other USDA agencies.

• Resolving program complaints: 33 FTEs for intake, investigations, and adjudications.

Page 22

Fiscal year

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

(estimate)

2013

(estimate)

$20.4 $21.4 $23.9 $22.7 $21.0 $22.7
Page 27 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Related GAO Products

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Recommendations and Options Available to the New 

Administration and Congress to Address Long-Standing Civil Rights Issues. GAO-09- 650T. April 29, 2009.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Recommendations and Options to Address 

Management Deficiencies in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. GAO- 09-62. October 22, 2008.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Management of Civil Rights Efforts Continues to Be 

Deficient Despite Years of Attention. GAO-08-755T. May 14, 2008.

• Pigford Settlement: The Role of the Court-Appointed Monitor. GAO-06-469R. March 17, 

2006.

• Department of Agriculture: Hispanic and Other Minority Farmers Would Benefit from 

Improvements in the Operations of the Civil Rights Program. GAO-02-1124T. 

September 25, 2002.

Page 23
Page 28 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Related GAO Products (cont.)

• Department of Agriculture: Improvements in the Operations of the Civil Rights Program 

Would Benefit Hispanic and Other Minority Farmers. GAO-02-942. September 20, 2002.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Resolution of Discrimination Complaints Involving Farm 

Credit and Payment Programs. GAO-01-521R. April 12, 2001.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Problems in Processing Discrimination Complaints.

GAO/T-RCED-00-286. September 12, 2000.

Page 24
Page 29 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Page 25

GAO on the Web

Web site: http://www.gao.gov/

Contact

Chuck Young, Managing Director, Public Affairs, youngc1@gao.gov

(202) 512-4800, U.S. Government Accountability Office

441 G Street NW, Room 7149, Washington, D.C. 20548 
Page 30 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

Enclosure II: Comments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Page 31 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress
Page 32 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress
Page 33 GAO-12-976R USDA Civil Rights Progress

(361351)
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