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Create an Affirmative Action Plan

KEY TOPICS:

  • Determine if Annual or Update plan
  • Set Plan Date and Personnel Action Date Range
  • Determine if Single Plan or Master Plan with sub plans
  • Use Zip codes to build Recruitment Areas
  • Select Census Data Source
  • Select Prior Plan as History Source
  • Turn on Disability/Veteran Status Tools
  • Select EEO Schedule

Note: A Master plan (with sub-plans for locations) is suited for organizations with multiple locations, sharing a common data set.

Plan Type

Select Annual or Update

Select whether you are creating an Annual Plan or an interim Update Plan.

Plan Dates

Enter Plan Date

The plan date is the effective date for the annual Affirmative Action plan, or the date it begins. Data from the year prior will be used in the plan's calculations (as described below).

Contractors must also complete at least a six-month Update Plan.

Example: If you have a January 1, 2013 Annual Plan, the Update Plan will be dated July 1, 2013.

Enter Personnel Action Date Range

The personnel action date range for an Annual Plan will be the 12-month period prior to the Annual plan date.

Example: For a January 1, 2013 plan, the personnel action date range will span from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

The personnel action date range for an Update Plan will span the time between the Annual Plan date and the Update Plan date.

Example: For an Annual Plan, effective January 1, 2013, the six-month Update Plan date is July 1, 2013. Therefore, the personnel action date range will go from January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013.

General Information

Enter—

Company Name: Enter the name as you would like it to appear on plan reports.

Plan Name: The Plan Name should include the effective plan date, and indicate Annual or Update.

Example: "January 1, 2013 Annual Affirmative Action Plan".

Establishment Name: A geographical location may be entered (e.g., "Vienna, VA").

Note for Master Plan: The Establishment Name should be labeled as "Master Plan". Later in the process, specific establishment/location names will be entered for each sub plan.

Multiple Plans

"Will you be creating multiple plans from a master plan data set?"

Select: Yes, if your organization has multiple establishments or locations, sharing a common data set.

Select: No, if a single plan will be created for one establishment or location, or if the organization has one location.

Determine Availability Settings

From the Availability menu, answer the following questions:

"Will you be using zip code information to determine recruitment areas for your job groups?"

Select: Yes, if Zip code fields will be included in the data set (e.g., Roster, Applicant, or Plan Code data). Otherwise, select: No.

Cross-reference: Zip code data can be efficiently used to create the plan's Recruitment Areas; however, other tools are also available see: External Availability.

If Yes: Which zip code would you like to use when calculating External Availability in your plan?

Select ONE of the following options:

  • Roster Work Code
  • Roster Home Zip Code
  • Applicant Zip Code
  • Plan Code Zip Code — Master plan with sub plans only

Cross-reference: Zip code settings for External Availability are also included in the: Recruitment Area Wizard.

Select the Census Data Source

"Do you want to use 2000 census data or EEO 2006-2010 ACS Tabulation data for external availability?"

Choose between the two types of data released by the U.S. Census Bureau to be used when calculating External Availability.

Note: The EEO 2006-2010 data uses four-digit census codes for occupations in place of the three-digit codes used previously in the 2000 census data. Choose the option that matches how your organization’s data is coded.

Prior Year Plan

"Do you have a prior year plan in BALANCEaap or balanceAAP?"

Select one of the following answers:

Option 1— I do not have a prior year plan in balanceAAP or balanceAAP.

IfCross-reference: youAn doalternate notHistory haveSource a prior year plan that was created in balanceAAP (our client server or desktop version) or balanceAAP, then select the first option. Later in the process you willcan be able to select an alternate history source for this plan.determined.

Option 2 — I want to use a prior year plan from balanceAAP.

If you have a prior year plan created in BALANCEaap, check this second option and then select the plan from the Company, Establishment, and Plan drop-down list.

Note: Update plans utilize the availability settings from the annual plan for which it is updating. Select an annual plan from the Company, Establishment, and Plan drop-down list as the history source for all update plans created for that plan year. For example, if you are creating a July 1, 2012 update plan to evaluate the progress you made towards meeting the goals set in your January 1, 2012 annual plan, then the January 1, 2012 annual plan should be selected as the history source.

Option 3 — I want to import a prior year plan from a balanceAAP file.

If you have a prior year plan that was created using our desktop or client server version of balanceAAP, then you want to select this third option. Once you finish the create plan screen and hit the Create button, you will be prompted to locate the BALANCEaap file for the previous year plan you want to use as the history source. Please refer to the System Tools section for more information on the balanceAAP Import.

Update plans utilize the availability settings from the annual plan for which it is updating. Select this annual plan from the Company, Establishment, and Plan drop-down lists. For example, if you are creating a July 1, 2013 update plan to evaluate the progress you made towards meeting the goals set in your January 1, 2013 annual plan, then the January 1, 2013 annual plan should be selected as the history source.

Turn on Disability/Veteran Status Tools

Most users should retain the default selection to include analysis on individuals with disabilities (IWDs) and protected Veterans, a setting required as of the 2015 plan year.

EEO Schedule

Select the appropriate EEO schedule from the following options, based on your company type:

  • 1-Private
  • 4-Governmental
  • 5-Educational (Elementary & Secondary Education)
  • 6-Educational (Postsecondary Education)
  • IPEDS [[Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System]

Audit Status

To use audit status as a filter option for the BALANCEhub report distribution display, check the box for: Is this plan under audit?