OFCCP Listening Tours

OFCCP Listening Tour Bucket Questions

Outreach Bucket (Priority 1)

GOAL: To better understand how OFCCP’s stakeholders perceive OFCCP outreach activities, and to gather feedback on specific ways OFCCP can improve communications and outreach. To better understand how OFCCP’s stakeholders obtain and process information from OFCCP, to inform OFCCP’s outreach strategy.

Warm-Up Questions (pick one)

1. Describe your level of experience interacting with OFCCP.

   • Follow-up Questions: What is your level of knowledge regarding OFCCP’s efforts to protect worker’s rights?

2. What does a typical interaction with OFCCP look like for your organization?

3. How would you describe the general nature of your interaction with OFCCP (e.g., enjoyable, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, etc.)? Explain why.

Focus Group Questions (must ask)

1. When you or your constituents need to contact OFCCP, what method(s) do you usually use (e.g., phone call (the toll free Help Line or the nearest office), email, website, office visit)?

• F/u Ques: Does this method(s) meet your needs by providing accurate, complete and easy to understand information?

• F/u Ques: What additional resources would you like to see provided?

2. What are some of the barriers that limit the ability of workers to access information about OFCCP and their work place rights?

• F/u Ques: If so, what are the barriers? How could they be removed or addressed?

• F/u Ques: Are there special language needs or accommodations for individuals with disabilities that need to be addressed or considered by OFCCP when making these resources available?

3. OFCCP provides resources to help workers understand their rights and contractors understand how to comply with responsibilities, what resources have you used (e.g., fact sheets, brochures, FAQs, technical assistance guides, webinar trainings)?

• F/u Ques: What are the best channels for providing information to underrepresented populations?

Additional Questions

4. How could OFCCP increase its visibility and develop meaningful relationships with organizations within communities of color? Within the contractor community?

5. What are the most prevalent types of discrimination complaints or allegations your organization, company or group see in the workplace?

Guidance (Priority 2)

GOAL: To identify increasingly effective ways to provide useful, timely and accurate information to contractors and organizations representing contractors that are in need of technical assistance to meet their obligations under the laws OFCCP enforces.

Focus Group Questions (must ask)

1. As a contractor, what kind of technical assistance (also known as ‘compliance assistance’) have you sought from OFCCP?

• F/u Ques: From where within the agency did you seek the assistance? (e.g., national office, regional office, district office, other?)

• F/u Ques: What level of interaction have you had with OFCCP concerning any guidance your organization has needed?

• F/u Ques: Did the assistance and content address your need? Was it helpful? Please describe.

• F/u Ques: How would you change or improve the current content or process?

2. As a contractor, how do you currently make OFCCP aware of your needs for technical assistance?¹

Additional Questions

2. What methods are best for educating or training contractors on new or existing compliance issues or procedures (e.g., webinar, FAQs, or some other method)?

   • F/u Ques: What are optimal methods of communicating OFCCP’s changes or priorities i.e., enforcement, policy, or procedural changes to contractors?

Enforcement (Priority 3)

GOAL: To better understand how OFCCP’s stakeholders interpret and comply with OFCCP regulatory requirements and reduce unnecessary burdens on contractors by identifying ways to use technology to reduce the burden associated with records/data production.

Focus Group Questions (must ask)

1. What have been your experiences during the compliance evaluation process?

• F/u Ques: If you faced challenges or problems (or even inconsistencies), how could they have been avoided or minimized?

2. What challenges does your organization face when complying with its existing regulatory requirements? (i.e., data collection, record keeping, reporting, recruiting, applicant tracking, etc.)?

• F/u Ques: What are some of the best practices for meeting your regulatory requirements?

Additional Questions

How do you communicate the existence of problems or challenges encountered during a compliance evaluation to OFCCP?

• F/u Ques: At what level in the organization (e.g., the director, a national office division director, the appropriate regional director, district director, or other agency rep) do you communicate that there is a problem?

• F/u Ques: What are optimal methods of communicating changes to other stakeholders?

Rulemaking (Priority 4)

GOAL: To gather information that may be useful on the issue of how to assess the effectiveness of existing regulations (i.e., regulatory lookback), and to gauge the level of stakeholder understanding of and participation in the regulatory process.

Focus Group Questions (must ask)

1. What are some of the best ways for OFCCP to obtain stakeholder feedback on the effectiveness for existing regulations?

   • F/u Ques: Would your company or organization engage OFCCP directly or through consultants or lobbyists?

   • F/u Ques: What are your expectations for your level of participation or consultation with OFCCP before, during and after the formal rulemaking process?

Additional Questions

2. How well do your organization and your constituents understand the rulemaking process?

   • Follow-up Questions: Is it clear when and how you can engage in the process you can engage?

3. How could stakeholder outreach for future rulemaking be improved by OFCCP?

   • F/u Ques: When should communication occur once OFCCP is considering changes to its regulations?

   • F/u Ques: What type of information should be communicated to various stakeholders?

   • F/u Ques: What types of groups, organizations, associations or individuals (i.e. HR managers, legal counsel, etc.) should receive or participate in these communications?

1 Technical assistance is assistance that explains the requirements, intent, or application of OFCCP’s regulations to contractors covered by OFCCP’s jurisdiction. This is distinct from outreach.

July 13, 2012 Page 3