Department of Energy’s Compliance with Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping
January 4, 2021
minute read time
December 29, 2020
Department of Energy’s Compliance with Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping
On September 22, 2020, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping. The Executive Order requires that Federal agencies, Federal grantees, Federal contractors, and the Uniformed Services take action to combat divisive concepts, race or sex stereotyping, and race or sex scapegoating. Additionally, the Executive Order requires each agency head to request that the agency’s Office of Inspector General thoroughly review and assess compliance with the Executive Order no later than December 31, 2020, and annually thereafter, and report to the Office of Management and Budget.
The Department of Energy requested the Office of Inspector General perform this review. As such, we initiated this inspection to review and assess the Department’s compliance with the requirements of Executive Order 13950.
We found that the Department’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, working in conjunction with the Office of Management, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, had made progress implementing the Executive Order. Specifically, the Department had complied with Executive Order agency requirements by assigning a senior political appointee in Economic Impact to be responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Executive Order. Also, the senior political appointee appropriately requested that the Office of Inspector General review the Department’s compliance with the Executive Order. Finally, on November 24, 2020, the Department’s Deputy Secretary issued a memorandum to the Heads of Departmental elements stating that the Department must comply with the Executive Order. We further noted that the Department had taken steps to comply with the Executive Order in the areas of contracts and grants, spending, and training.