Reform, Transform, Perform:
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Some suggestions to help the new administration decide what stance it will take on the federal workforce. In the pre-transition weeks and months, discussion of the need for civil service reform has intensified to its highest level in many years. The various good government groups and associations have been scurrying about developing agendas to pass on to transition teams, incoming administration leaders, and the Congress. Many concerns are being expressed about the pending retirement wave and the rising average age of the workforce. Others are based on analyses of skills imbalances brought about by several years of downsizing and restructuring. Serious skepticism has resulted about whether the current system can close the competency gaps between the existing workforce and future requirements. Still others expressed their concerns in the form of anecdotes and adages: “You can’t fire a civil servant,” “it still takes way too long to fill jobs.” Challenges for the New Leadership Among the challenges the new leadership faces is deciding what kind of a stance it should take on the federal workforce. Although there was campaign rhetoric about controlling the size of the government’s workforce, there was little, if any, discussion of values for the public service, let alone discussion of the human resources management system that supports it. * What kind of a role will the civil service workforce play in the strategic plans of the new administration? * Will it be sufficiently equipped with the necessary skills and competencies to respond to the requirements of new programs and advancing technology?.. |