1G13 Utilization Goal Analysis for Individuals with Disabilities

The Section 503 AAP regulation at 41 CFR 60-741.45 requires that contractors annually analyze their utilization of individuals with disabilities against the 7% aspirational goal established by OFCCP. This goal serves as an equal opportunity objective that should be attainable by taking the affirmative actions required in the Section 503 regulations. For an AAP to be considered acceptable, it must include the annual utilization goal analysis.

In the utilization analysis, contractors with more than 100 employees must evaluate the representation of individuals with disabilities within each job group of their workforce. For this analysis, contractors must use the same job groups that they use to evaluate utilization under Executive Order 11246. Like the Executive Order job group analysis, contractors with a total workforce of fewer than 150 employees may use the EEO-1 categories as job groups. A contractor with 100 or fewer employees has the option to measure the representation of individuals with disabilities in its entire workforce.

If the percentage of individuals with disabilities in one or more job groups, or a contractor’s entire workforce for smaller companies, is less than the 7% utilization goal, the contractor must determine whether and where barriers to EEO exist. To identify any such problems, contractors must assess personnel processes, the effectiveness of its outreach and recruitment efforts, the results of its AAP self-audit, and any other areas that might influence the success of the AAP and provide a description of these efforts with their AAP and Itemized Listing submission. When a contractor finds problem(s), it must develop, implement, and document action-oriented programs to correct them such as modifying personnel processes or taking a different approach for outreach and recruitment. For example, if the contractor finds the totality of its outreach and recruitment efforts was not effective in identifying and recruiting qualified individuals with disabilities for employment, the contractor should take action to identify recruitment sources that are not working and search for sources that yield better results or introduce new outreach measures to increase the number of qualified applicants with disabilities. Several examples of outreach and recruitment activities are listed at 41 CFR 741.44(f)(2). To be an acceptable submission, contractors must provide all documentation discussed in this section with their AAP and Itemized Listing submission.

When reviewing the AAP for acceptability, the Investigator must closely examine the contractor’s AAP to ensure it describes the utilization goal analysis, identifies any barriers to equal opportunity employment, and includes a description of action-oriented programs that the contractor has designed to address any barriers identified. If a contractor is six months or more into its current AAP year when it receives the Scheduling Letter and Itemized Listing, it must also submit the information that shows its current year progress toward meeting the utilization goal. Investigators must record results in CMS.