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The Management Agenda
August 17, 2004
This weekly e-newsletter from Government Executive magazine focuses on federal
agencies' efforts to improve workforce management, fix financial problems, launch
e-government initiatives, put federal jobs up for competition, and link performance to
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Brought to you by The U.S. Office of Personnel Management
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The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is hosting the 2004 Federal Workforce
Conference: Working for America on September 8-10, 2004, in Baltimore, MD.
OPM Director Kay Coles James, "This conference is a fantastic opportunity for key
players in the Federal human resources (HR) field, to learn, share and exchange ideas
in the company of professional colleagues who enjoy the unique privilege of Working
for America."
Find all the details - { Link:
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;10077126;5622871;c?http://apps.opm.gov/conference/index.cfm
}
www.opm.gov/conference or 304-870-8070.
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In this issue:
* Officials, lawmakers at odds over how to eliminate security clearance backlog
* Bush adviser defends indirect approach to trimming management ranks
* Navy developing plan to transfer medical positions to civilians
* Davis steps down as chair of civil service subcommittee
* EPA progresses on online public-comment project
* OPM official cites ongoing concerns over use of hiring flexibilities
* Management reports highlight agencies' human capital achievements
* 9/11 commissioners worry federal reforms might not stick
* GAO: Pentagon lacks management plan for protecting personnel, installations
* Defense urged to promote more competition on task orders
* Panel ponders mechanics of naming Intelligence Director
* Pentagon's management of space personnel inadequate, says GAO
* This week's column: Outlook
* Quote of the week
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1. Officials, lawmakers at odds over how to eliminate security clearance backlog
By David McGlinchey
The security clearance process for Defense Department employees is flawed and plagued
with delays, but there is no consensus on how to resolve the problems and reduce the
backlog of uncleared workers, according to officials and lawmakers who oversee the
system.
In a series of interviews with Government Executive, Defense officials and lawmakers
said the security clearance process is too slow, especially while the military is
engaged overseas.
"The issue is one of national security, more than anything else," said Rep. Jim Moran,
D-Va., a member of the House Appropriations Committee. "It is also a matter of
inefficiency, but that's not the greatest concern."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081204d1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081204d1.htm
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2. Bush adviser defends indirect approach to trimming management ranks
By Amelia Gruber
President Bush's government reform agenda indirectly encourages agencies to trim
excess layers of bureaucracy, an Office of Management and Budget official said last
week.
In working on five initiatives outlined in the President's Management Agenda, agency
officials may decide to cut supervisory positions, said Clay Johnson, OMB's deputy
director for management. But Bush's agenda doesn't call on agencies to thin the ranks
outright, and the administration doesn't see a need to add such a requirement, Johnson
said.
John Kerry and John Edwards, the Democratic nominees for president and vice president,
last week unveiled a proposal aimed at restraining federal spending and eliminating
unnecessary management jobs. As part of the proposal, the Democratic contenders
pledged to reinstate a Clinton-era order requiring every federal supervisor to oversee
at least 15 employees.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081004a1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081004a1.htm
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3. Navy developing plan to transfer medical positions to civilians
By David McGlinchey
Navy personnel officials are developing a plan to reduce the number of uniformed
health care personnel and transfer much of the service's medical responsibilities to
civilian employees and contractors.
Officials at regional medical facilities are poring over their personnel and
individual situations to determine which jobs can be transferred to the civilian
workforce, according to Lt. Cmdr. Timothy Weber, division director for Manpower
Operations at the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The program, which Weber
described as a "human capital transformation," is part of the Pentagon effort to move
civilians and contractors into positions that do not require military personnel.
"We are asking commands to examine conversions that we have proposed at the moment,
and we are asking for their input," Weber told Government Executive last week. "That
input is due to us at the end of August."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081004d1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081004d1.htm
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4. Davis steps down as chair of civil service subcommittee
By David McGlinchey
After accepting a seat on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Jo Ann
Davis, R-Va., resigned last week as chairwoman of the House Government Reform
Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization, according to committee staff
members.
Davis made the move last week--without a new subcommittee chairperson in
place--because she wanted to take part in hearings on the 9/11 terrorist attacks and
the report produced by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United
States. That commission has recommended significant reforms in the intelligence
community, including the creation of an intelligence chief to oversee the operations
and budgets of 15 different federal agencies. The Bush administration has proposed a
smaller, advisory role for the intelligence chief, and congressional committees are
hearing testimony and weighing their options for the intelligence overhaul.
"She had to take her seat on select intelligence for the 9/11 hearings," said Chris
Connelly, a spokesman for Davis. The prestige and importance of the intelligence
committee were factors behind her decision, he added.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304d1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304d1.htm
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5. EPA progresses on online public-comment project
By Chloe Albanesius, National Journal's Technology Daily
The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that it is progressing on a project
to put online proposed rulemaking initiatives from its office and other government
partners, noting that it is addressing privacy advocates' concerns about the Web site.
As part of the President's Management Agenda, the agency's Office of Environmental
Information is spearheading the site Regulations.gov, which launched in January 2003,
but EPA officials expect to unveil a revamped version in January 2005. Individuals or
businesses can access the site dedicated to electronically processing public comments
on pending federal rules.
The site is being designed to allow users to access and search all publicly available
regulatory material like Federal Register notices and rules, supporting analysis and
public comments. The agency will conduct a testing phase this fall to determine
usability.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081204tdpm1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081204tdpm1.htm
_____
Brought to you by The U.S. Office of Personnel Management
{ Link:
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;10077126;5622871;c?http://apps.opm.gov/conference/index.cfm
}
{Image: Brought to you by The U.S. Office of Personnel Management }
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is hosting the 2004 Federal Workforce
Conference: Working for America on September 8-10, 2004, in Baltimore, MD.
OPM Director Kay Coles James, "This conference is a fantastic opportunity for key
players in the Federal human resources (HR) field, to learn, share and exchange ideas
in the company of professional colleagues who enjoy the unique privilege of Working
for America."
Find all the details - { Link:
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;10077126;5622871;c?http://apps.opm.gov/conference/index.cfm
}
www.opm.gov/conference or 304-870-8070.
_____
6. OPM official cites ongoing concerns over use of hiring flexibilities
By Amelia Gruber
An Office of Personnel Management official on Wednesday applauded agencies' recent
strides on the personnel section of President Bush's five-part government reform
agenda, but said she remains concerned that agencies aren't taking full advantage of
hiring flexibilities.
A number of agencies last quarter made the final adjustments necessary to push
themselves up a notch on the human capital portion of the Bush administration
scorecard that rates management accomplishments, said Doris Hausser, OPM's senior
policy adviser to the director and chief human capital officer. Nine agencies,
including OPM, edged up on the third quarter fiscal 2004 traffic-light style report
card, marking the most dramatic improvement to date.
In a report released last week, administration officials noted that agencies are
making strides in rating employees based on performance, and on identifying imbalances
in skills. OPM, charged with leading the human capital initiative, is "very proud of
that record" and does not want to belittle agencies' significant accomplishments,
Hausser said.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081204a1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081204a1.htm
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7. Management reports highlight agencies' human capital achievements
By Amelia Gruber
On the Office of Management and Budget's latest quarterly scorecard illustrating
achievements in five areas of government reform, agencies made the greatest
improvement on human capital management. Nine agencies earned improved grades on the
traffic-light style report, with five moving to a green light, the highest possible
score. The following is a sampling of accomplishments these five agencies highlighted
in management reports to OMB, published early last week.
Energy Department
The department has concentrated on streamlining administrative work and eliminating
excess bureaucracy, with the result of trimming the ranks of federal employees by more
than 6 percent over three years, from 14,688 in 2001 to 13,707 in 2004. At the
National Nuclear Security Administration, an agency within Energy, officials
consolidated three business and administrative offices to one service center, leaving
room to cut 200 positions. Energy also is designing training programs to fill skills
gaps. For example, the department designed a certification course to help managers of
multimillion-dollar projects learn to stay on schedule and on budget.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304a1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304a1.htm
_____
8. 9/11 commissioners worry federal reforms might not stick
By Chris Strohm
The chairman and vice chairman of the 9/11 commission said Wednesday they worry that
federal agencies might not follow through with reforms unless Congress forces them.
Many changes made inside federal agencies since the attacks have been top-heavy,
raising questions about whether reforms are really taking hold in lower management,
Commission Chairman Thomas Kean, former Republican governor of New Jersey, told a
House Intelligence Committee hearing.
"I think there's a lot [of] good going on, but a lot of it's top-down at the moment,
and it's really got to get into the bowels of these organizations to change the
culture if it's going to be effective," Kean said.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081104c1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081104c1.htm
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9. GAO: Pentagon lacks management plan for protecting personnel, installations
By Chris Strohm
The Defense Department lacks an effective program to protect personnel and facilities
against weapons of mass destruction attacks, and needs a single organization to
coordinate preparedness efforts, according to government auditors.
Defense has spent billions of dollars on protection efforts but lacks a comprehensive
management plan that provides guidance and measures results, the Government
Accountability Office said in a new report (GAO-04-855) on combating terrorism.
"While many of the department's past efforts have focused on enhancing protection and
response capabilities against high-yield explosives, the new security environment
underscores the need for the department to expand its safeguards to include chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear incidents," GAO concluded. "Until organization
roles and responsibilities are clarified, and an integrating authority is designated,
DOD will be limited in its ability to develop a comprehensive approach, promulgate
departmentwide guidance, and effectively coordinate ongoing billion-dollar improvement
initiatives at the installation level."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304c1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304c1.htm
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10. Defense urged to promote more competition on task orders
By Amelia Gruber
Pentagon officials need to flesh out guidelines on when it is appropriate to grant
companies multiple-award or federal supply schedule contracts without making them face
competition, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.
The Defense Department is granting too many waivers to a fiscal 2002 authorization act
requirement that contracting officers seek offers from all potential service providers
before placing a multiple-award order worth more than $100,000, or buying off the
federal supply schedule, GAO concluded in the report (GAO-04-874). Department
officials should provide more complete instructions on when it is permissible to grant
a waiver, and should require officers to provide more thorough justifications when
they allow exceptions, auditors recommended.
"Striking the right balance between achieving the benefits of competition and
retaining contractors that are satisfying customer needs is a challenge for the
Defense Department," GAO stated in the report. "The frequent use of waivers to
competition may be hindering [the department's] ability to obtain innovative solutions
to problems, and the best value for the taxpayer."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081104a1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081104a1.htm
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11. Panel ponders mechanics of naming Intelligence Director
By Danielle Belopotosky, National Journal's Technology Daily
Members of Congress on Monday debated the feasibility of creating a post for a
national intelligence director, as recommended by the commission that investigated the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
While criticism of intelligence failures triggered the proposal for the office,
critical questions have emerged about how to implement a reorganization. "We want to
create a position with real, not just symbolic, authority," Sen. Susan Collins, R-
Maine, said at a Senate Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.
As proposed by the commission, the new director would serve as an adviser who oversees
domestic and foreign intelligence. The director could hire and fire intelligence
personnel and control the $40 billion intelligence budget.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081604tdpm1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081604tdpm1.htm
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12. Pentagon's management of space personnel inadequate, says GAO
By Beth Dickey
A congressional audit has found that the Defense Department is not doing enough to
develop and maintain an educated, motivated and skilled cadre of space program
professionals.
In a report (GAO-04-697) issued Wednesday, the Government Accountability
Office assesses the Defense Department's space human capital
strategy and the efforts to build a U.S. space force with personnel from the four
military services.
"It is not clear that DOD can achieve the
strategy's purpose of ... an integrated total force of well-qualified
military and civilian personnel," auditors write. "Failure to achieve
this could jeopardize U.S. primacy in this critical and evolving
national security area."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304b1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081304b1.htm
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13. This week's column: Outlook
Call to Action
Nothing is more pressing than the need to rationalize the federal counterterrorism
bureaucracy.
Full column: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081604ol.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/081604ol.htm
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14. Quote of the Week:
"It's really got to get into the bowels of these organizations to change the culture
if it's going to be effective."
-- 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas Kean, encouraging reforms in the { Link:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=29206&dcn=todaysnews }
lower management level of agencies.
_____
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and human capital management issues that affect every employee, manager and executive
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