R 011854Z FEB 10

ALCOAST 055/10
COMDTNOTE 5350
SUBJ: DEFENSE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CLIMATE SURVEY (DEOCS)
CLARIFICATION
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 092000Z APR 09/ALCOAST 204/09
1. REF A PROMULGATED REQUIREMENTS FOR CONDUCTING ANNUAL UNIT LEVEL
DEOCS, PROVIDING A TOOL FOR COMMANDS TO ASSESS ORGANIZATIONAL
CLIMATE DIMENSIONS. SOME COMMANDS HAVE ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES
MEETING PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETE THE SURVEY. THIS MSG PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT
SHOULD ASSIST COMMANDS IN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING AND INTERPRETING
THE SURVEY.
2. A NUMBER OF SAFEGUARDS TO ENSURE RESPONDENT ANONYMITY ARE
PROGRAMMED INTO DEOCS. THESE SAFEGUARDS CANNOT BE MODIFIED.  UNIT
PERSONNEL SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THESE SAFEGUARDS TO INCREASE
SURVEY PARTICIPATION. SAFEGUARDS INCLUDE:
 A. UNIT OPFAC: THE BASIC IDENTIFIER NEEDED TO INITIATE THE SURVEY.
A UNIT OPFAC EQUATES TO THE UNIT IDENTIFICATION CODE (UIC)
REQUESTED WHEN ORDERING THE SURVEY. THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY ARE
NOT INTENDED FOR USE BEYOND THE COMMAND REQUESTING THE SURVEY.
HOWEVER, INTERPRETATION OF SURVEY RESULTS BY TRAINED CIVIL RIGHTS
PROFESSIONALS MAY BE BENEFICIAL.
 B. MINIMUM PARTICIPATION: AT LEAST 16 UNIT PERSONNEL MUST COMPLETE
THE SURVEY IN ORDER FOR RESULTS TO BE COMPILED. IF A COMMAND CANNOT
MEET THE 16 PERSON MINIMUM A PARENT COMMAND MAY INITIATE THE SURVEY
FOR UNITS UNDER THEIR PURVIEW. MORE THAN ONE UNIT CAN BE COMBINED
IN THIS MANNER TO ASSIST IN MEETING THE 16 PERSON MINIMUM. THE
INITIATING UNIT WILL NEED TO PROVIDE PASSWORDS TO THE COMBINED
SUBUNITS. CONDUCTING A SURVEY IN THIS MANNER WILL PROVIDE OVERALL
RESULTS FOR THE COMBINED UNITS AND NOT PROVIDE A UNIT SPECIFIC
EVALUATION. COMBINING UNITS TO COMPLETE A SURVEY IN THIS MANNER MAY
BE HELPFUL UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES BUT IS NOT THE PREFERRED
METHOD.
 C. SUBGROUP COMPARISON: TOOL PROVIDED BY DEOCS TO ASSIST THE
COMMAND IN ASSESSING THE PERCEPTIONS OF VARIOUS SUBGROUPS WITHIN
THE COMMAND. SUBGROUPS INCLUDE MEN, WOMEN, OFFICER, ENLISTED,
CIVILIAN, ETC. A SUBGROUP MUST HAVE AT LEAST FIVE RESPONDENTS IN
ORDER FOR A COMPARISON TO BE MADE. THIS REQUIREMENT IS DESIGNED TO
ENSURE RESPONDENT ANONYMITY.
3. EVERY EFFORT SHALL BE MADE TO EXPEDITIOUSLY COMMUNICATE THE
RESULTS OF THE DEOCS TO UNIT PERSONNEL AND TAKE APPROPRIATE
ACTIONS. RESULTS PROVIDE SHARED PERCEPTIONS OF UNIT PERSONNEL TO
ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE FACTORS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS.
FIELD CIVIL RIGHTS SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE IN
INTERPRETING DEOCS RESULTS AND RECOMMENDING APPROPRIATE CORRECTIVE
ACTIONS.
4. BASIC INFORMATION REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SURVEY CAN
BE FOUND ON THE DEFENSE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
(DEOMI) WEBSITE AT WWW.DEOMI.ORG. SELECT THE ORGANIZATIONAL
ASSESSMENT (DEOCS) TAB.
5. QUESTIONS REGARDING DEOCS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE LOCAL CIVIL
RIGHTS SERVICE PROVIDER OR THE CG-00H POC: CDR VALERIAN WELICKA,
(202) 372-4513, VALERIAN.F.WELICKA(AT)USCG.MIL.
6. RELEASED BY CAPT E. G. FAUX, ACTING DIRECTOR OF CIVIL RIGHTS.
7. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.