On Monday this week, OFCCP announced user-friendly updates to the National Pre-Award Registry and a new VEVRAA Hiring Benchmark Database.  Both tools appear to make information access easier for federal contractors, as well as individuals with vision challenges.

The Registry is a useful tool for contractors because it identifies contractor AAP locations that have successfully completed a compliance evaluation and are subject to the Agency’s 24-month audit grace period.  The Registry data is now available at the OFCCP website in Excel® format and, thus, searchable.

OFCCP’s Registry page also includes a Pre-Award Process Guide that federal agency contracting officers use when seeking to contract with a specific supply or service vendor.  This guide may be helpful to contractors who want to see what contracting officers must do before awarding your company a contract.

OFCCP has also launched a VEVRAA benchmark page that tells us what the national benchmark is currently (5.7%) and when the updated benchmark became effective (March 31, 2020).  For those contractors that choose to customize their benchmark, the page provides guidance on how to set your own benchmark in a compliant fashion, including a link to State-specific veteran availability data.

Lastly, the Agency has improved accessibility to these tools for individuals with vision impairments.

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Photo of Laura A. Mitchell Laura A. Mitchell

As co-leader of the firm’s ESG group, Laura Mitchell partners with her clients to evaluate, set, achieve and monitor their organizational culture and human capital goals. She focuses her practice on data analytics, including pay equity and other employee analytics, working side-by-side with…

As co-leader of the firm’s ESG group, Laura Mitchell partners with her clients to evaluate, set, achieve and monitor their organizational culture and human capital goals. She focuses her practice on data analytics, including pay equity and other employee analytics, working side-by-side with employers to build programs that benefit employees and create a stable, high-functioning workplace. Understanding that an inclusive, values-based culture provides a crucial competitive advantage in the modern workplace, Laura enjoys counseling companies on the development of proactive and equitable pay and diversity practices.

In Laura’s version of the reimagined workplace, attention to human capital issues, especially DEI and pay equity, would be the rule rather than the exception nationwide and she works with companies across all industries—both new and well-established multi-national organizations of all sizes—to realize this vision for her clients’ ongoing success. She helps clients understand all issues across the spectrum of their journey, helping to establish regular analyses as well as counseling organizations on implementation and compliance obligations, where applicable. Committed to putting her clients’ organizational goals first and foremost, Laura views herself as an extension of her clients’ team, responsible for providing proactive guidance and engaging in transparent, ongoing communication.

Laura also represents companies in OFCCP matters, preparing for and defending OFCCP audits, and counseling employers on issues stemming from OFCCP regulations. She personally oversees the development of hundreds of Affirmative Action Plans for clients each year and is intimately involved in the defense of OFCCP audits. Her approach to compliance is one of facilitation and conciliation while simultaneously advocating in the best interests of her clients.