The chief administrator for Harvard's affirmative action program expressed shock yesterday at the failure of the dean of the Faculty to consult all major department chairmen in setting target figures for the hiring of women and minority group members.

Walter J. Leonard, special assistant to President Bok, said yesterday that he had interpreted the Federally-required hiring guidelines to mean that John T. Dunlop, former dean of the Faculty, should have given the primary initiative for setting goals and timetables to the department chairmen.

A survey of department chairmen yesterday revealed that several major departments had not been asked to estimate how many women and minoritygroup faculty they might hire in the next two years.

Alan E. Heimert '49, chairman of the English Department, said yesterday that no one in the Administration had requested him to submit any figures from his Department.

Members of the Graduate Women's Organization asserted yesterday that Dunlop consulted some departments, but formulated projected hiring figures for other major departments without consultation.

Winifred S. Barad, equal employment officer in the office of the dean of the Faculty, yesterday declined to comment on the specific methods by which the dean's office obtained the information necessary to set the required target figures.

Dunlop was unavailable for comment yesterday.

The Department of Health, Education and Welfare requires all major Federal contractors to submit an extensive plan for ending discriminatory hiring practices or face loss of all Federal contracts.

Harvard could lose nearly one-third of its income if it fails to produce the required target figures, procedural safeguards and a rigorous analysis of its hiring patterns.

President Bok last month returned 15 to 20 Faculty appointment recommendations--11 of which were in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences--to the departments for lack of documentation that women and minorities had been considered for the positions.

No Department Cited

Several of these recommendations have returned with sufficient documentation. Bok said yesterday, but some are still outstanding. Bok and Leonard declined to say which departments were involved.

James S. Duesenberry, chairman of the Economics Department, said Monday that three appointment recommendations were returned to his department, but that the requested documentation was available and the recommendations would be sent to Bok again.

Several Administration sources have indicated that some department chairmen are unhappy with Bok's push for affirmative action. Bok said Monday that he had received no direct complaints, but added, "You never know what dissatisfaction there is rumbling through the troops."

When asked on Monday whether any appointments had been sent back to his department, Leonard Nash, chairman of the Chemistry Department, said, "Gee lady, I don't think I want to talk about that."