59938 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 5, 1997 / Notices

47 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

For the Commission, by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.47

Jonathan G. Katz,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–29296 Filed 11–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Statement of Organization, Functions

and Delegations of Authority

This statement amends part S of the

Statement of the Organization,

Functions and Delegations of Authority

which covers the Social Security

Administration (SSA). Chapter S7

covers the Deputy Commissioner for

Human Resources. Notice is given that

Chapter S7 is being amended

throughout to reflect organizational and

functional changes. Notice is further

given to reflect that Subchapter S7C, the

Office of Labor-Management Relations is

being retitled as the Office of LaborManagement and Employee Relations

(S7C). The changes are as follows:

Section S7.10 The Office of the Deputy

Commissioner, Human Resources—

(Organization)

Retitle:

E. The Office of Labor-Management

Relations (S7C) to the Office of LaborManagement and Employee Relations

(S7C).

Section S7.20 The Office of the Deputy

Commissioner, Human Resources—

(Functions):

Amend to read as follows:

A. The Deputy Commissioner, Human

Resources (DCHR) (S7) is directly

responsible to the Commissioner for

carrying out the ODCHR mission and

providing general supervision to major

components of ODCHR as well as

guidance, support and technical

assistance to the SSA regional personnel

administration operation and policy and

direct service support to the Agency’s

executive personnel activities and other

high level special categories.

C. The Immediate Office of the

Deputy Commissioner, Human

Resources (S7A).

Change to read as follows:

1. Provides the Deputy Commissioner

and the Assistant Deputy Commissioner

with staff assistance on the full range of

their responsibilities.

2. Develops and implements all SSA

policies and activities relating to the

Agency’s executive level personnel

management program.

3. Recruits for and places individuals

in positions in the Senior Executive

Service (SES) in accordance with OPM

regulations.

4. Provides staff support to the

Executive Resources Board in

administering a systematic program to

manage SSA’s executive and

professional resources and ensuring the

appropriate selection of candidates to

participate in official executive

development programs.

5. Provides staff support to the

Performance Review Board in reviewing

performance plans and subsequent

appraisals of career and non-career

executives in SES and employees in

equivalent level positions.

D. The Office of Personnel (OPE)

(S7B).

Delete from the fourth sentence

‘‘executive personnel services.’’

Retitle:

E. The Office of Labor-Management

Relations (S7C) to the Office of LaborManagement and Employee Relations

(S7C).

Retitle:

Existing Subchapter S7C, ‘‘The Office

of Labor-Management Relations’’ (S7C)

to ‘‘The Office of Labor-Management

and Employee Relations’’ (S7C). Change

all references to ‘‘The Office of LaborManagement Relations’’ to ‘‘The Office

of Labor-Management and Employee

Relations’’ and all references to

‘‘OLMR’’ to’’OLMER’’.

Section S7B.00 The Office of

Personnel—(Mission)

Delete from the first sentence

‘‘executive personnel services.’’

Section S7B.20 The Office of

Personnel—(Functions)

D. The Project Management Staff

(S7BH).

Amend as follows:

4. Develops and implements SSAwide program of Personnel security.

Directs personnel security activities

having SSA-wide significance.

5. Designs national policies for the

SSA Drug-Free Workplace Program.

Manages the day-to-day operations of

the Agency’s drug program.

6. Directs the development and

operation of SSA’s Workers’

Compensation services program.

Provides assistance to employees

regarding claims for loss of wages,

settlement awards, notices of injury and

required medical reports.

F. The Center for Personnel

Operations (S7BK).

Delete the following from Item 1,

sentence 1: ‘‘including policies and

guidelines for SSA administration of the

Senior Executive Service (SES).’’

Change to read as follows:

2. Develops and implements SSAwide programs of position classification

and position management within SSA

headquarters. Directs position

classification and position management

activities having SSA-wide significance.

Add a last sentence to Item 8:

Serves as the focal point for

unemployment compensation activities.

Delete Items 10 through 13.

Section S7C.00 The Office of LaborManagement and Employee Relations—

(Mission)

Amend to read as follows:

The Office of Labor-Management and

Employee Relations (OLMER) provides

overall management of an SSA-wide

program of labor-management and

employee relations. The mission

includes the development and

evaluation of the programs and the

formulation of SSA-wide labormanagement relations policy. The office

provides services to SSA components

on labor relations issues and on

employee relations issues relating to

disciplinary and adverse actions and

employee grievances.

Section S7C.20 The Office of LaborManagement and Employee Relations—

(Functions):

Amend to read as follows:

C. The Immediate Office of the

Director, Office of Labor-Management

and Employee Relations (S7C) provides

the Director and the Human Resources

Manager with staff assistance on the full

range of their responsibilities. The

functions of the office include the

following:

1. The formulation and promulgation

of Agency policy, guidance and

direction for exercising management’s

rights and discharging the Agency’s

obligations under labor and employee

relations law, executive orders,

regulation, and negotiated agreements.

The research of policy questions in

these areas for management at various

levels of the organization. Coordinating

with the Office of the General Counsel

(OGC) on matters impacting on law or

requiring legal opinions.

2. The negotiation, implementation

and administration of master

agreements nationwide, which involves

pre-negotiated activities, team

preparation, advisory services and

problem resolution.

3. Negotiating agreements on behalf of

the Agency with unions having

exclusive recognition at the level of the

Agency, advising and assisting

management representatives in

negotiating labor-management
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 5, 1997 / Notices 59939

agreements at other levels of the

Agency.

4. Representing management in labor

and employee relations cases that

establish or impact on national level

labor-management policy before

arbitrators or such administrative bodies

as the Merit Systems Protection Board,

the Federal Labor Relations Authority

and the Federal Service Impasses Panel.

Administering and maintaining a panel

of arbitrators, who can be assigned to

rule on grievances under the negotiated

agreements.

5. Providing Agency-head review of

labor-management agreements for

compliance with law, rule and

regulation, coordinating with cognizant

offices as appropriate and approving or

disapproving those agreements pursuant

to 5 U.S.C. 71 (the Federal Service

Labor-Management Relations Statute).

6. Coordinating with components and

organizations planning to design,

develop, modify or implement plans,

policies or operations that impact on

employees and providing advice to

ensure that labor-management

implications and obligations are

identified, incorporated and discharged.

7. The development, implementation

and evaluation of SSA policies and

programs involving disciplinary actions,

performance-based actions, grievances,

appeals and serious misconduct cases.

Providing advise to SSA management

on nonbargaining unit grievances.

8. Providing training, advice and

direction to supervisors, managers and

other management personnel in SSA

components on the proper

interpretation and application of

negotiated agreements, 5 U.S.C. 71, and

employee relations law and regulation.

9. Development and distribution of

manuals, guides and written

instructions or aids to assist

management personnel in developing

the knowledge and skills necessary to

properly administer the Agency’s labor

and employee relations rights and

obligations.

10. Working with managers, labor

organizations and union officials to

develop and maintain plans, programs

and procedures necessary to

institutionalize sound labormanagement relations and more

effective and efficient dealings between

the parties. Providing support to SSA

partnership activities.

11. Serving as the central depository/

clearinghouse for all labor-management

agreements (including partnership

agreements), grievances, final grievance

or arbitrator decisions and labor or

employee relations cases and decisions

before administrative bodies involving

the Agency. Maintaining databases and

technical references, as necessary, to

monitor emerging trends and to research

and analyze agreements and case

decisions in order to plan and prepare

to represent the interest of the Agency

in labor and employee relations.

12. Serving as a liaison with other

Federal government agencies to identify

emerging trends in labor and employee

relations, representing the Agency on

interagency committees, workgroups

and panels on labor and employee

relations matters and helping ensure

that the interests of the Agency are fully

considered in developing governmentwide labor and employee relations

policy.

Section S7E.20 The Office of Civil

Rights and Equal Opportunity—

(Functions)

Amend as follows:

1. Directs implementation and

evaluation of the SSA Equal

Employment Opportunity

Discrimination Complaint Program for

both Headquarters and the field.

Provides advice, guidance and

assistance to SSA officials concerning

the discrimination complaint program

area and related management matters.

2. Provides leadership, guidance and

direction in implementing SSA policies,

regulations and procedures pertaining to

the timely, accurate, fair and impartial

processing of discrimination complaints

throughout the Headquarters and field

organizations. Formulates SSA policies,

regulations and procedures pertaining to

the EEO discrimination process.

3. Provides overall direction regarding

all aspects of SSA’s complaint system in

order to ensure uniformity in complaint

handling, resolution and disposition.

Directs the preparation of guidelines on

all complaint matters.

4. Receives and conducts inquiries

and attempts resolution of informal

complaints of discrimination. Advises

complainants of their rights regarding

the discrimination complaints process

and other related processes.

5. Receives and acknowledges formal

complaints of discrimination and makes

a determination whether to accept or

dismiss the complaint/issue(s). Issues

decisions on certification of class

complaints. Conducts investigations and

oversees the process.

6. Prepares final Agency decisions on

complaints of discrimination against

SSA. Ensures compliance with any

corrective or remedial action directed by

SSA, Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC) or any other agency

having authority to so direct.

7. Develops litigation information and

documentation for the Office of the

General Counsel and the United States

Attorney’s Office in employment

discrimination court suits filed against

SSA. Prepares the Agency’s brief for

complaints appealed to EEOC. Also,

responds to interrogatories submitted in

class complaints. Analyzes new and

recent court decisions, public laws and

Federal regulations for their impact on

SSA complaint processing.

8. Directs special projects and studies

of the various aspects of SSA’s

nationwide discrimination complaint

process to evaluate the overall

effectiveness of the equal opportunity

program. Directs the analysis of trends

observed during projects and studies

and implements new procedures as

required.

9. Provides the authoritative

interpretations on legal, regulatory and

technical discrimination complaint

matters to SSA management

nationwide.

10. Implements policies, regulations

and affirmative action programs and

develops and implements special needs

placement programs related to the

Disabled program.

11. Directs the development and

monitoring of SSA’s equal opportunity

and civil rights programs.

12. Provides leadership, direction and

guidance throughout the Headquarters

and field organizations in the

formulating and implementing of SSA

policies, regulations and procedures

pertaining to the development of sound

affirmative civil rights and equal

opportunity programs. Approves, on

behalf of the Deputy Commissioner,

affirmative employment program plans

prepared by components and regions.

Develops the overall SSA affirmative

employment program plan.

13. Develops guidelines and

procedures for effective affirmative

employment program planning and

monitoring throughout SSA. Develops

recommendations on affirmative

employment policy and operations for

the Director, OCREO.

14. Reviews non-SSA equal

opportunity and civil rights issuances,

EEOC and court decisions for

applicability to SSA policy statements.

Develops instructions and guidelines to

transmit or implement equal

opportunity and civil rights policy

decisions in SSA.

15. Conducts and coordinates studies

or analyses of SSA’s human resources

and operating policies and procedures

to assess their equal opportunity and

civil rights impact.

16. Directs the development and

maintenance of minority and disabled

persons employment information

system(s) for SSA employees and

applicants for employment.
59940 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 5, 1997 / Notices

17. Develops and tracks SSA’s major

initiatives that relate to civil rights and

equal opportunity and oversees their

implementation.

18. Plans, directs and implements

special programs for all minorities,

women and employees with disabilities.

19. Develops, implements, monitors

and evaluates special recruitment plans,

programs and projects for targeted equal

opportunity groups.

20. Develops, monitors and evaluates

SSA compliance program(s) under civil

rights statutes.

Section S7G.10 The Office of

Training—(Organization)

Abolish:

C. The Administrative Staff (S7GC).

D. The Human Resources Planning

Staff (S7GE).

E. The Center for Technology and

Employee Development (S7GG).

F. The Center for Program Initiatives

and Management Education (S7GH).

G. The Center for Educational

Research and Evaluation (S7GJ).

Section S7G.20 The Office of

Training—(Functions)

Abolish in their entirety:

C. The Administrative Staff (S7GC).

D. The Human Resources Planning

Staff (S7GE).

E. The Center for Technology and

Employee Development (S7GG).

F. The Center for Program Initiatives

and Management Education (S7GH).

G. The Center for Educational

Research and Evaluation (S7GJ).

Add:

B. The Immediate Office of the

Director, Office of Training (OT) (S7G)

provides the Director with staff

assistance on the full range of his/her

responsibilities.

1. The immediate office of the

Director, OT, provides the Director with

administrative and technical staff

assistance on the full range of his/her

responsibilities.

2. The Office of the Director’s

immediate administrative and technical

staff plan direct, coordinate and

administer the activities relative to

developing and executing budget

activities; represent OT on interagency

human resource/training groups;

interpret OPM training policies,

purchase of training policies, and

promulgate SSA training policy;

maintain the Administration

Instructions Manual System related to

training policy; act as OT liaison with

Personnel on such personnel matters as

classification, position management,

staffing and recruitment; plan, formulate

and implement SSA training policies;

and provide overall support and

coordination to the training function.

Coordinate travel, training and

conference attendance for office staff.

3. The Director’s immediate staff is

also responsible for the development

and updating of SSA’s Training Plan.

This plan provides for the training of

SSA employees and for providing the

means for employee development

beyond training.

4. Directs, designs, develops,

implements, conducts and evaluates all

SSA supervisory, managerial and

executive-level training development

activities.

5. Has Agencywide responsibility for

common needs and general skills

training, including related

developmental activities for

nonsupervisory personnel.

6. Directs, designs, develops and

implements Agency-level career

development programs from the highest

executive levels (SES) to programs for

nonmanagement employees.

7. Directs, designs, develops and

implements training to support

Agencywide computer software

acquisitions, and administrative

initiatives.

8. Conducts ongoing research to

identify the best approaches to training

in the areas of management, general and

systems-support training and in the area

of career development programs.

9. Conducts ongoing research to

identify automated technologies (e.g.,

Interactive Video Teletraining, multimedia, computer-based training,

internet and intranet, etc.) and

instructional methodologies for

application to training throughout SSA.

10. Directs, designs, develops and

manages SSA’s Interactive Video

Teletraining System.

11. Monitors and evaluates Agency

training and developmental activities to

ensure desired results and effects

through the SSA Training Evaluation

System.

12. Manages SSA’s National Training

Center, Individualized Learning Center

and the Training Information Center.

13. Provides office automation

support and consultant services for all

of OT.

14. Directs the design, development,

implementation and evaluation of

disability related programmatic/

technical training to meet the needs of

SSA direct-service employees and

components Agencywide, as well as

programmatic employees in the States’

Disability Determination Services,

including entry-level training. This

includes support for all Agencywide

disability reengineering initiatives.

15. Directs the design, development,

implementation and evaluation of Title

II Retirement, Survivors and Auxiliary,

and Medicare related programmatic/

technical training to meet the needs of

SSA direct-service employees and

components Agencywide, including

entry-level and advanced programs,

programmatic systems training.

16. Directs the design, development,

implementation and evaluation of Title

XVI Supplemental Security Income

related programmatic/technical training

to meet the needs of SSA direct-service

employees and components

Agencywide, including entry-level and

advanced programs, programmatic

systems training.

17. Develops guidelines and

procedures to determine technical/

programmatic training needs in all areas

of responsibility, and reviews technical

training programs Agencywide.

18. Initiates independent studies and

analyses to anticipate and identify new

or changing programmatic or other

training approaches in a dynamic

organizational environment, and

designs, develops and implements

programs geared to new training

delivery technologies and approaches.

Dated: October 20, 1997.

Paul D. Barnes,

Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources.

[FR Doc. 97–29258 Filed 11–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4190–29–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. RSAC–96–1, Notice No. 7]

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee

(‘‘RSAC’’); Working Group Activity

Update

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA), Department of

Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Announcement of Railroad

Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC)

working group activities and new tasks

accepted.

SUMMARY: FRA is updating its

announcement of RSAC’s working

group activities, last published in early

August of this year, to reflect additional

working group activities, and new tasks

presented and accepted during the

RSACs September 30th meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Vicky McCully, FRA, 400 7th Street,

S.W. Washington, D.C. 20590, (202)

632–3330, Grady Cothen, Deputy

Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards Program Development, FRA

400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.

20590, (202) 632–3309, or Lisa Levine,