OFCCP Announces New Ombudsman - Releases Contractor Compliance Portal

Implementing two items under the pillar of Transparency, the OFCCP has announced the placement of an Ombudsman and released a Compliance Portal.

OFCCP has announced a new Ombudsman, Marcus Stergio. Director Leen issued a Directive establishing this position in September 2018, and the Ombudsman will serve as a liaison between contractors and the agency. His office will ensure that OFCCP is acting according to the agency’s legal authorities, policies, and procedures while also improving effectiveness of internal OFCCP operations. Marcus holds a Masters degree in conflict resolution and has worked as an administrator of the dispute resolution process for multi-national organizations.

The agency also announced the establishment of a contractor portal, which it bills as “a place where companies doing business with the federal government come together to learn solutions to common […] OFCCP compliance problems and challenges.”

The portal requires registration, and the agency indicates that it will be used to host chats or discussions in furtherance of sharing successful strategies among contractors and the agency. The OFCCP hopes to gather stakeholder input in the context of compliance, and there will be an archive section with special topic areas along with a question section. Is this the first step in the plan verification process? Stay tuned…