The government’s chief Affirmative Action watchdog agency is rolling out a new system for selecting firms to target for compliance reviews. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) developed the new system this summer. The Federal Contractor Selection System (FCSS) is a database of all known federal contractors holding direct federal contracts with U.S. government agencies.

Using the system, the OFCCP has identified 3,560 establishments for possible compliance reviews within the next 12 months. However, some of these reviews may not occur until later or will be dropped from the scheduling list for this cycle. OFCCP considers FCSS to be a trial system that is subject to change in future cycles based on new and existing research studies.

Among larger contractors with multiple establishments, no more than 25 compliance reviews will be scheduled (including those currently open or pending) in a given year.

If companies identify issues in self-audits and correct the deficiencies prior to the review, OFCCP will take that into account to mitigate any relief sought.

Companies with $50,000 in federal contracts or subcontracts and at least 50 employees are required to develop and annually update a written Affirmative Action Plan for women and minorities.