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In March 2023, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) launched the groundbreaking Megaproject program, aimed at providing essential resources and support for federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more and lasting at least one year. This program is dedicated to promoting equal opportunities within the construction trades. Exciting news came last week when the OFCCP announced the inclusion of 12 additional federal construction projects as official Megaprojects. The identification process for these new projects was carried out in collaboration with esteemed organizations such as the Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), General Services Administration (GSA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To ensure fairness, the agency meticulously employed a set of neutral criteria to designate these Megaprojects from a vast selection of eligible projects.

Virtual session will take place on September 19 at 1:00pm Central Time. 

CSAL lists 1,000 supply & service contractors; 922 establishment reviews, 30 CMCE, 36 FAAP and 12 university reviews.

On August 25, 2023, The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced the release of its updated Combined Scheduling Letter and Itemized Listing. As previously reported, the new Scheduling Letter and Itemized Listing expand the range of information contractors must submit from 22 to 26 comprehensive categories of materials which are now required within 30 days of receiving the Scheduling Letter. OFCCP's policy only allows extensions to this deadline in "extraordinary circumstances" as defined in the Frequently Asked Questions linked here.

OutSolve will host a webinar discussing the updates to the scheduling letter on Thursday, October 12. You are invited to register for the event here.

Resources are offered by the DOL, OFCCP, and EEOC to support employers’ efforts in meeting obligations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At its best, artificial intelligence is the world’s most informative and efficient assistant.The ability to gather information, lend knowledge, sort data, source figures, and scale endlessly at a moment’s notice is an employer’s dream. But, as contractors learned at the NILG Conference, the federal government foresees a significant risk to equal employment opportunity if the technology is embraced too quickly or haphazardly. AI has the potential to both exacerbate and mitigate discrimination in hiring, depending on how it is developed and deployed.

The OFCCP’s major priorities were showcased at the recent National Industry Liaison Group (NILG) conference in Phoenix. Acting Director Michelle Hodge identified the agency’s policies and initiatives to protect the rights and well-being of individuals from marginalized communities who often face discrimination, inequality, and limited access to resources. With the goal of ensuring fair treatment of these individuals, four programs were presented during NILG.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved OFCCP’s changes to the complaint intake procedures to simulate the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) two-step complaint process on June 30, 2023. The OFCCP will update systems by October 31, 2023 to accept complaints in additional languages to accommodate a diverse range of individuals.