WASHINGTON -  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity  Commission (EEOC) will hold a meeting on Wednesday, March 20, at 9:50 a.m.  (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E. In accordance with  the Sunshine Act, the open session of the meeting will be open to public  observation of the Commission's deliberations and voting.  The meeting will address the development of  the agency's Quality Control Plan (QCP) for investigations and  conciliations.  For scheduling purposes,  the meeting is anticipated to conclude at 4:00 p.m, with an hour break taken  around 1:00 p.m. 

The EEOC's 2012-2016 Strategic Plan  establishes a framework for achieving the EEOC's mission to stop and remedy unlawful employment discrimination by focusing on strategic law enforcement, education and outreach and efficiently serving the public.  The second  performance measure of the plan requires the EEOC to approve a QCP, which is  currently being developed.

QCP is intended to revise the criteria  used to measure the quality of agency investigations and conciliations throughout  the nation.  To develop a draft of the  plan for Commission consideration, Chair Jacqueline Berrien appointed an  internal work group chaired by Commissioner Chai Feldblum, Chicago District  Director John Rowe, and Dallas District Director Janet Elizondo.  The work group is reviewing the current  status of EEOC investigations and conciliations to look for areas where the  agency is excelling in its administrative law enforcement program and where the  agency would benefit from improvements within the context of the agency's limited  fiscal resources.

To ensure the views of agency staff  and external stakeholders are incorporated into the development process, the  Commission solicited  written public input in February 2012 and is now holding a public meeting  featuring three moderated roundtable conversations with EEOC staff and private  practitioners.  Participants will address  EEOC investigations and conciliations and offer their recommendations for  indicia to measure their quality.

As part of our efforts to comply  with the President's sequestration order, panelists will participate via video  teleconference (VTC) from an EEOC office, telephone, or in person at their own  expense.  The following persons are  confirmed to participate:

Roundtable I

• Shannon Breen, Systemic Lead Investigator,  Denver Area Office
• Melanie Breen, Enforcement Supervisor,  Cincinnati Area Office
• Mathew Cleman, Investigator, Seattle Field  Office and Labor Member, San Francisco District Labor-Management Forum
• John Douglass, CRTIU Supervisor, New York  District Office
• Karen McCabe, Investigator, Philadelphia  District Office
• Sean Oliveira, Investigator, St. Louis District  Office

Roundtable II

• Linda Burwell, Nemeth Burwell, P.C.
• Daniel Kohrman, National Employment Law  Association
• Elizabeth Kristen, Legal Aid Society, Employment  Law Center
• Joyce Margulies, Joyce Margulies Law Consulting
• Lorene Schaefer, Workplace Investigations Group
• Mary Anne Seday, Sedey Harper P.C.
• Rae Vann, Equal Employment Advisory Council

Roundtable III

• Julie Bowman, Deputy Director, Chicago District  Office
• Gail Cober, Director, Detroit Field Office
• Martin Ebel, Deputy Director, Houston District  Office
• Travis Hicks, Director, San Antonio Local Office
• Suzanne Kotrosa, Program Analyst, Office of  Field Programs
• Mary Jo O'Neill, Regional Attorney, Phoenix  District Office
• Faye Williams, Regional Attorney, Memphis  District Office

EEOC's  Legal Counsel Peggy Mastroianni will moderate each discussion.

Seating is limited, and it is suggested that visitors arrive  30 minutes before the meeting in order to be processed through security and  escorted to the meeting room. 

The Commission agenda is subject to  revision. Additional information about the hearing, when available, will be  posted at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/meetings/index.cfm.

The EEOC  enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.   Further information about the EEOC is  available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.