For the purposes of this review, we focused on the cluster-level EAS workforce. Our analysis showed that the representation of women and all minority groups among those promoted was higher than the representation of women and minority groups in EAS 17 and above positions, with the exception of Asian women. Also, white men were promoted at a rate lower than their representation at the headquarters and area office levels. Observations on Methodologies Used in Aguirre Study

Based on our own standards for designing studies and developing methodologies to evaluate programs, we believe that the methodologies used by Aguirre International were generally reasonable, appropriate, and relevant given the established study parameters, including the 6-month time frame in which the study was to be completed and the complexities associated with addressing the sensitive issue of diversity in an organization as large as the Postal Service. Service Developed 23 Initiatives to Address Aguirre Report’s Major Issues and Recommendations

The Service developed 23 initiatives designed to improve its diversity program and address what it believed to be the Aguirre report’s major issues, concerns, and recommendations. Service officials also told us that they expected the monitoring process to be operational by the spring of 1999 and that, consequently, the scopes, completion dates, and implementation status for some of the initiatives could change. According to the Service, methods to evaluate and measure success will be completed no later than March 30, 1999. Relative to their representation in the CLF, several specific EEO groups were fully represented, while others were underrepresented. However, Aguirre’s finding that a glass ceiling appeared to exist at positions beginning at EAS 17 could be misleading. The Service has developed diversity goals and objectives, and now that its Diversity Business Plan has been approved, is in the process of developing specific targets and measures for assessing its progress in meeting its goals and objectives. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report, which follows our previous letter on selected promotions of women and minorities to Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS) management-level positions, provides (1) information about the overall extent to which women and minorities have been promoted to or are represented in EAS management-level positions in the Postal Service; (2) our observations on the methodology used by a private contractor, Aguirre International, to study workforce diversity at the U.S. Postal Service; (3) the status of the Service’s efforts to address the recommendations in the Aguirre report; and (4) our analysis of whether the Service could better capture and use data to achieve its diversity objectives. Women and Minority Representation in the Cluster, Headquarters, and Area Office Workforces

	Women and Minority Representation at the Service’s Three Workforce Levels

The following tables present information on women and minority representation at the three Service workforce levels—the cluster, headquarters, and area office levels—and includes the following comparisons for women and minorities: representation at the three workforce levels as of the end of fiscal year 1997 compared with their representation in the 1990 CLF (table II.1); changes in women and minority representation at EAS 17 and above positions at the three workforce levels for fiscal years 1993 and 1997 (table II.2); promotions to EAS 17 and above positions as of the end of fiscal year 1997 compared with women and minority representation in those positions at all three workforce levels during fiscal year 1997 before the promotions (table II.3); and women and minority representation in EAS 17 and above positions compared with their representation in EAS 11 through 16 positions (table II.4). Among area office employees, Hispanic men and Asian and Native American men and women fared better while black men, similar to black and Hispanic women, were less well represented in EAS 17 and above positions compared with the EAS 11 through 16 positions.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the promotion of women and minorities to high-level Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS) management positions (EAS 17 and above) in the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), focusing on: (1) the overall extent to which women and minorities have been promoted to or are represented in EAS 17 and above positions in USPS; (2) GAO's observations on the methodology used by a private contractor, Aguirre International, to study workforce diversity at USPS; (3) the status of USPS' efforts to address the recommendations contained in the Aguirre report; and (4) GAO's analysis of whether USPS could better capture and use data to achieve its diversity objectives.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) at the end of fiscal year (FY) 1997, black and Asian men and women and Hispanic men were fully represented while Hispanic women, Native American men and women, and white women were underrepresented in USPS at the cluster level when compared with the civilian labor force; (2) representation of women and minorities at the cluster level in EAS 17 and above positions increased between fiscal years (FY) 1993 and 1997, with the exception of black men whose representation decreased; (3) in FY 1997, women and all minority groups, except Asian women, at the cluster lever were promoted to EAS 17 and above positions at higher rates than women and minority groups were represented in those EAS positions; (4) despite this progress, the overall representation of women and minorities at the cluster level in EAS 17 and above positions was almost 20 percent lower than their representation in EAS 11 through 16 positions at the end of (FY) 1997; (5) similar comparisons at the headquarters and area office workforce levels showed some variations regarding the representation of specific equal employment opportunity (EEO) groups; (6) GAO believes that the methodologies used by Aguirre International were generally reasonable, appropriate, and relevant given the parameters established for the study and the complexities surrounding the sensitive issue of diversity in such a large organization; (7) however, GAO believes that Aguirre's finding of a glass ceiling beginning at EAS 17 positions could be misleading; (8) USPS reviewed the Aguirre report and developed 23 initiatives that it believed addresses the report's major issues and recommendations; (9) USPS believes its 23 initiatives will significantly strengthen its diversity program and address most of Aguirre's concerns; (10) USPS believes that it is generally on or ahead of its schedule for implementing these initiatives; (11) by the spring of 1999, USPS plans to create an ongoing monitoring process to ensure full implementation of its initiatives, which will result in revised scopes, completion dates, and implementation status for some of the initiatives; (12) USPS has recently developed broad goals and objectives for its diversity program, but it has not yet established specific targets and measures for determining its progress toward meeting its diversity goals and objectives; and (13) USPS officials said that specific targets and measures would be established no later than March 30, 1999.