What are the key challenges federal human capital leaders face today? Are budget constraints likely to prompt workforce reductions? How are chief human capital officers (CHCOs) responding to the changes impacting their organization? What grade would agency human capital leaders give their agencies on hiring reform? These are just a few of the topics covered in the latest survey of CHCOs by the Partnership for Public Service and Grant Thornton LLP.
The report, “Bracing for Change: Chief Human Capital Officers Rethink Business as Usual”; is the fourth in a series of similar reports and offers recommendations for how federal human capital leaders and their agencies can navigate challenges and changes in this crucial time of transition.
General Services Administration (GSA) update memo detailing both planned and ongoing activities being taken by the executive branch to prepare for the possibility of a full transfer of authority to a new president as a result of the 2012 presidential election. Also includes a GSA report that outlines GSA’s efforts in support of a possible presidential transition following the 2012 election.
Our next president and his team will have no shortage of people offering them advice. Considering the primacy of an effective federal workforce toward achieving the administration’s goals, they would be well served by what our government’s top human capital experts have to say. Acting upon these expert recommendations could elevate our federal government to new heights.
More than half of respondents volunteered that bold reform of our civil service system is necessary. More than two-thirds advocate eliminating or significantly updating the General Schedule pay and classification system. The vast majority of them recommend phasing out the current system gradually.
Ninety percent agree that alternative work schedules are a useful tool to a great or very great extent for attracting and retaining talent, and over half would add telework to that list of especially useful tools. Given a menu of options, direct-hire authority and dual compensation waivers are cited as the most underutilized hiring tools. The need to obtain prior OPM approval to use these tools on a case-by-case basis is cited as the main reason they are not more actively used.
Only 44 percent of CHCOs believe that federal managers and supervisors possess the supervisory or managerial competencies they need to a great extent, and none of the respondents believe federal managers overall deserve the highest rating, i.e., to a very great extent.
Only 29 percent of CHCOs believe to a great extent that HR staff members have the competencies they need. The percentage of CHCOs who believe their HR staffs are viewed as trusted advisors is 52 percent. Eighty-eight percent of the CHCOs interviewed believe federal performance management systems are doing a good job of aligning organizational goals with individual performance, up from 64 percent in 2007.
Letter ascertaining the winner of the 2008 presidential election from Acting GSA Administrator James Williams to President-elect Barak Obama on Nov. 25, 2008, which triggers to resources and support from the General Services Administration in support of the presidential transition.
This Executive Order, published in the Federal Register, issued by the Bush White House, directs federal agencies to facilitate the 2008-09 presidential transition. The order establishes a Presidential Transition Coordinating Council with the authority to prepare the federal government for the presidential transition.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the campaign of Barack Obama and the Department of Justice outlining the process to provide security clearances for incoming staff. Dated October 1, 2008 before the election and pursuant to the lntelligence Reform and Terorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA).
Memo from Deputy Director for Management Clay Johnson to members of the President’s Management Council (PMC) regarding directions and timelines for activities for the presidential transition. This memo from OMB is dated July 18, 2008 and a copy was sent to White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten. Goals for activities are to help ensure continuity of public services during the transition to a new administration, and help current non-career employees exit successfully.
This memo from Obama administration Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten addressed to the Administrator of the office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and heads of executive departments and agencies explains how agencies should respond to midnight regulations.
This memorandum from OMB Director Jim Nussle to agency and department heads outlines the George W. Bush administration’s plans for the development the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget focusing on a submission that will provide a complete current services budget baseline for an incoming administration.
Nussle directs agencies to wait until the new administration, or its transition team, is in place to complete the normal director’s review or “passback processes” with OMB. A current services baseline provides an estimate of costs to carry on existing programs and assumes no policy changes. This allows the president’s successor to assess current spending levels and make his or her own policy decisions in developing their initial budget proposal.
Memorandum from White House Chief of Staff John Podesta to heads of executive departments and agencies regarding presidential transition guidance during the election recount in Florida.
November 13, 2000
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
From: John Podesta, Chief of Staff
Subject: Presidential Transition Guidance
A number of agencies have raised questions about how they should handle requests for assistance or information by members of a Presidential Transition team. Because of the uncertainty over election results, no President-elect has been identified to receive Federal funds and assistance under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963. Until a President-elect is clearly identified, therefore, no transition assistance as contemplated under the Transition Act is available. You may continue to provide the kind of information or assistance, if any, that you typically provide to presidential candidates, and should continue to prepare for the Transition so that we are able to provide full assistance quickly to the Office of the President-elect.
Please contact Maria Echaveste, Deputy Chief of Staff, or Thurgood Marshall, Jr., Assistant to the President for Cabinet Affairs, with any questions.
