CHAPTER 4

Deploying and Placing the Best People

Aileen G. Zaballero, Catherine Haynes, and Sarah Stager

Deploying and placing the right person in the right job at the right time is more important now than ever before, given the challenges, outlined in previous chapters, that face the federal government over the coming decade. Because of the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, automatic spending cuts “projected to total $1.2 trillion” began in 2013 and are scheduled to continue through 2021. Under the BCA and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, this mandatory reduction in federal budgetary resources has come to be known as sequestration. Agencies have been forced to furlough thousands of employees to absorb the budget cuts (Terkel, 2013). An example of the sequestration impact was cited by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. According to Hagel, if the sequester continues, air force flying hours will be curtailed, the army will reduce training for all units except for those deploying to Afghanistan, hiring freezes and layoffs of temporary and term employees will continue, and civilian employees will be furloughed (Garamone, 2013). A warning to Congress from the four military branches stated that if the budget sequester is prolonged, the U.S. military will not be ready or prepared.

Furthermore, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the total civilian labor force was down by 720,000 in October 2013 from the previous month. More specifically, federal government employment decreased by 92,000 from October 2012 to October 2013. Although it is important to note an increase in the number of federal workers classified as “unemployed on temporary layoff” during the partial government shutdown in October 2013, it cannot be ignored that federal government employment continues to trend downward (BLS, 2013).

Moreover, the impending surge in retirement could lead to additional shortages of leadership and institutional knowledge. Nearly 30 percent of the federal workforce on board at the end of fiscal year 2011 will be eligible to retire by 2016 (Figure 4.1). At some agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Small Business Administration, the percentage of employees eligible to retire soon is even higher. Other occupations, such as air traffic controllers, also face a potentially large proportion of losses to retirement, with approximately 46 percent becoming eligible to retire by 2016, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO; 2012).

Budget cuts, long-term fiscal pressures, a decline in federal employment, and a looming surge in employee retirement all threaten the government’s capacity to operate effectively. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and individual agencies have examined ways to better position the government to close critical-skill gaps that weaken agencies’ ability to meet their vital missions. As the federal government continues to plan for its strategic mission, OPM and federal agencies need to take a strategic and efficient approach to acquiring, developing, and retaining the best people.

FIGURE 4.1. Federal Agency Employees Eligible for Retirement in 2016

GAO, 2012.

However, as resources continue to diminish, it becomes more critical that the federal government deploy the right people and optimize placement of uniformed and civilian personnel. Strategic workforce planning is now vital to addressing current and potential gaps within the federal labor force. Strategies to attract, retain, and place the right person in the right job require a new approach and new attitudes toward civil service. In addition, a sound and fair merit system that mandates human resource (HR) practices for federal employment and job placement initiatives implemented by various agencies are vital to overcoming barriers to improved deployment and placement. Conducting a comprehensive job analysis provides critical information necessary for agencies to determine which employees are the best fit for specific jobs. Placement programs not only support transient federal employees and new potential employees but also expand the talent pool beyond each agency’s existing “pipeline.”

DEPLOYMENT AND PLACEMENT

Deployment

According to the Federal Jobs Network, 89,204 federal employees are stationed overseas in more than 140 countries. The Department of Defense (DoD) is the largest overseas employer, with 47,229 workers stationed abroad, and the State Department (State) is second, with 22,291 employees (Federal Jobs Network, 2014c). In this chapter, deployment refers to overseas positions for both uniformed and civilian personnel.

Civilian Deployment

To support reconstruction and stabilization operations in countries and regions at risk of instability, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness asks civilian employees to volunteer for overseas assignments. State has primary responsibility for establishing and managing this workforce, which may involve manpower from other agencies, such as DoD and the Department of Energy (DOE). Some agencies offer benefits, incentives, and medical care to encourage employees to volunteer (House Armed Services Committee, 2008).

Several federal agencies aim to provide public services both nationally and internationally. One of the most well-known of these agencies is the Peace Corps. As the leading American international service organization, the Peace Corps sends volunteers oversees to confront some of the most urgent needs of people around the world. Other programs such as the Civilian Deployment Experience allow civilians to use their knowledge, skills, and competencies to help DoD accomplish its mission abroad. The success of its overseas operations relies heavily on volunteers.

There are differences in certain benefits based on several factors, specifically salary. As mandated by law, benefits such as danger pay, workers’ compensation, housing, and meals are consistently applied. But there are differences in work schedules and hardship pay. For State employees, the work schedule is determined by each post; DoD offers a work schedule that is determined by management; for the DOE, the schedule is five eight-hour days. Table 4.1 offers several examples of benefits across departments to show the variation in the available incentives for placement overseas.

TABLE 4.1. Benefits Provided to Federal Civilian Employees in Iraq and Afghanistan

OPM, 2013.

Civilian Expeditionary Workforce

DoD established a civilian expeditionary workforce program in 2009 that ensures American civilians deployed overseas are trained and equipped to do so. The program’s mission is to enable the armed services to “efficiently organize, train, and equip qualified civilian employees to meet global and domestic national security mission requirements” (DoD, 2013). Combat commands needing civilian expertise are connected with qualified civilian volunteers, who work alongside U.S. military members, typically for 12 months.

Transitioning Military Personnel

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed special programs to serve the nation’s newest veterans, including men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. These programs assist them in their transition from active duty to civilian life. Additionally, VA’s goal is to ensure that every seriously injured or ill combat veteran receives easy access to benefits and services including rehabilitation, reintegration, education, and retraining into federal occupations.

Veterans Preference

Veterans are any former military personnel who have either retired or separated from any branch of the military. But by law, veterans who are disabled or who were on active duty during or in the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns are entitled to preference over others in hiring from competitive lists of eligible individuals. They also receive preference retention during a reduction in force. In addition, these veterans can receive preference in competitive appointment, and they may be considered for special noncompetitive appointments for which only veterans are eligible.

Military OneSource

Military OneSource is a free service provided by DoD to service members and their families to help with a wide range of concerns, including spousal employment, education, parenting, and childcare needs. This service is accessible 24 hours a day by telephone and online. Military OneSource staff members are experienced military veterans, Guardsmen, military spouses, and reservists who receive continuous training on military matters and the military lifestyle to successfully navigate interaction with their customers.

The Military Spouse Preference Program

A military spouse is likely to move several times, and finding a job with each move can be very challenging. Several programs help military spouses find employment. Along with the Military Spouse Preference Program (MSP), each service branch has its own support programs to help service members and their families. The MSP itself was established under the Military Family Act of 1985 and offers employment placement preference in DoD civilian positions to military spouses who meet certain criteria. The program applies to DoD vacancies only.

Placement

Job placement refers to a process that considers the applicant’s type and quality of experience, as well as his or her unique strengths, capabilities, and interests, to determine the best position available. The main goal of placement is to match the right employee to the best-fit position, whether the employee is new to federal employment or not.

Agencies restructure and downsize as a response to several factors, including federal budget cuts, increased use of technology, and the exodus of baby boomers. For some agencies, finding the right person for the right job can mean a simple internal move; for others, it can be a challenge.

OPM provides career transition assistance to employees through the Career Transition Assistance Plans for surplus and displaced employees. Additionally, federal government employees may request reassignment from one agency to another or geographically relocate, in which case these internal placement programs may also be of assistance. Whether the situation involves a career transition, employment reassignment, or a new hire, both potential and current employees are thoroughly assessed to ensure the best job placement.

BARRIERS TO DEPLOYING AND PLACING THE BEST PEOPLE

According to GAO, the federal hiring process often does not meet agencies’ needs in achieving their missions, getting the right candidates to managers for vacant positions, or processing applicants in a timely, transparent, or efficient manner. Studies conducted by the National Academy of Public Administration, the National Commission on the Public Service, and others have identified a range of problems and challenges with managing the workforce in the federal government:

•  Insufficient or poor workforce planning (though agencies must hire purposefully based on their strategic plans)

•  Passive recruitment strategies (e.g., infrequent or no visits to college campuses)

•  Unclear job vacancy announcements (which can cause confusion and delays)

•  Imprecise candidate assessment tools (which can inadequately predict future job performance or result in hiring a person lacking skills needed for the job)

•  Paperwork-intensive manual processes (which create a backlog of qualified candidates who might seek opportunities elsewhere)

•  Ineffective use of existing hiring flexibilities (which are meant to streamline hiring and give managers more latitude in selecting candidates). (GAO, 2008:6–8)

OPM has taken steps to address these human capital challenges. National legislation and strategic workforce planning also are intended to overcome these challenges.

Spoils/Patronage System

Until 1883, federal government employment practice was based on the patronage or “spoils” system. Employees were not placed in government positions based on their qualifications or competency but rather by loyalty, political affiliation, or bribery. The system presumed that a newly elected official has the right to appoint any person to a federal position, regardless of skills set and or experience. Government jobs were often given to voters to reward them for their votes and as an incentive for others to keep working for the government. This practice led to extensive turnover with each election period, which resulted in widespread inefficiency and political corruption (Ackerman, 2004).

Before the election of James Garfield in 1881, more than 100,000 federal employees expected to be replaced when the new administration took over, engendering fear and entitlement. Garfield believed that the spoils system was damaging and advocated some type of civil service reform. However, he was in office fewer than four months when he was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau, who had played a small role in Garfield’s campaign. Guiteau had expected a full patronage post in the Garfield administration as a reward for this work; because he did not receive a post, he shot the president (Ackerman, 2004).

Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883

After the assassination of President Garfield, a call for civil service reform grew, resulting in the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883. This law applied to federal government jobs only and stipulated that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit and not on political affiliations, favoritism, or nepotism. The act also made it unlawful to fire or to demote any federal employees for political reasons. The law further forbade requiring employees to give political service or contributions (Hoogenboom, 1961). To enforce the merit system, this law also renewed the Civil Service Commission, a government agency that administered civil service exams to potential applicants to obtain or retain certain jobs. The main purpose of the commission was to regulate the “admission of persons into the civil service” (United States Government Manual, 1945).

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978

During the Carter administration, the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 was enacted as the most comprehensive civil service reform since the Pendleton Civil Service Act. The CSRA focused on protecting the merit system, labor relations, equal employment opportunity, ethics, and internal personnel management. The main objective was “improve the federal personnel system in general and the performance of public employees in particular” (Cayer, 2004:29). The act redistributed the Civil Service Commission into three separate offices:

1. The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) conducts studies of the federal civil service. The board also hears the appeals of terminated employees.

2. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provides management guidance to the executive branch and regulates federal human resources.

3. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) oversees the rights of employees to form unions and engage in collective bargaining with agencies. (MSPB, 1992)

Additional Civil Service Reforms

Since the CSRA, almost every presidential administration has implemented a new reform intended to improve the federal personnel system (Lee et al., 2006):

•  Reagan Administration. The Performance Management and Recognition System and the Federal Employees Retirement System were created as reforms focused on eliminating waste and fraud and improving government performance.

•  Bush (George H. W.) Administration. Reforms focused on building a strong public service by focusing on leadership, talent, and performance. The principles of overall organizational improvement through total quality management were adopted, and the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA) of 1990 was enacted. FEPCA provided guidelines to achieve pay comparability between federal and nonfederal jobs.

•  Clinton Administration. Civil service reforms emphasized putting customers first by empowering employees to get results. The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) was enacted in 1993. GPRA requires agencies to engage in project management tasks such as setting goals, measuring results, and reporting their progress. To comply with GPRA, agencies produce strategic plans and performance plans and conduct gap analyses on projects.

•  Bush (George W.) Administration. The National Security Personnel System (NSPS)¹ was established in 2004 as an attempt to create a more flexible personnel system that aligns more clearly with DoD’s goals. NSPS was a pay-for-performance system intended to replace the General Schedule, a classification system for federal employees that establishes equitable salaries among various occupations and between genders. However, the NSPS made job performance a prime factor in determining employee pay. Employees are appraised and assigned pay shares, based on performance, representing percentage increases in pay (Congressional Research Service, 2008).

•  Obama Administration. To eliminate the opaque, “closed” culture of the federal government, the Open Government Directive ordered executive departments and agencies to take specific actions to implement the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration. The Obama administration also repealed the NSPS in 2009 and required DoD to create a new performance management system and to develop additional workforce initiatives to ensure flexible staffing practices.

GPRA Modernization Act of 2010

The Government Performance and Results Modernization Act (GPRMA) of 2010 is the first significant update of GPRA. This act requires each agency to assign a chief operating officer, a performance improvement officer, and a governmentwide performance improvement council and to develop a governmentwide performance website. The main objective is to pursue cost savings through improved analysis programs. The law also creates a more defined performance framework by creating a governance structure and by better connecting plans, programs, and performance information. In addition, agencies must consult with their relevant appropriations, authorization, and oversight committees when developing or making adjustments to their strategic plans and agency priority goals.

STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLANNING

To optimize the government’s most important resource—its employees—federal managers are using workforce planning: a systematic process for identifying and addressing the gaps between the workforce of today and the human capital needs for tomorrow. Strategic workforce planning is a major component of strategic human capital management. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), workforce planning is “the process of ensuring that the right people are in the right place, and at the right time to accomplish the mission of the agency” (2008:1).

According to GAO, strategic workforce planning addresses two critical needs:

1. Aligning an organization’s human capital program with its mission and programmatic goals

2. Developing long-term strategies for acquiring, developing, and retaining federal employees in order to achieve programmatic goals.

Although each agency approaches workforce planning differently, GAO identified key principles underlying strategic workforce planning (Figure 4.2). These principles include (1) involving key stakeholders, (2) determining critical gaps to achieve strategic goals, (3) developing strategies to address the gaps, (4) building competencies, and (5) monitoring and evaluating the goals of each agency.

FIGURE 4.2. Strategic Workforce Planning Process

GAO, 2003b.

Involve Key Stakeholders

It is critical to involve key stakeholders, especially top management and employees, in developing, communicating, and implementing a strategic workforce plan. Top leadership can help provide necessary resources and produce champions to actively support the plan and should guide alignment of the strategic plan with the agency’s mission and vision. Top leaders can ensure that planning strategies are thoroughly implemented and sustained over time as well as encourage all employees to get involved. Including managers, supervisors, and unions will ensure that the needs of and benefits to all stakeholders are considered in developing the plan; employees can help develop innovative and collaborative processes to improve plan implementation.

The final critical component to involving key stakeholders is communication. Clear and transparent policies are critical in implementing any human capital strategy. A communication strategy is crucial in the public sector (GAO, 2003a). Just as in the private sector, efforts to address organizational challenges are more likely to succeed if employees and other stakeholders are involved. This requires a communication strategy that allows a sharing of ideas, expectations, and concerns. An additional factor to consider in the public sector is the community’s needs and concerns, which add a layer of complexity.

Best Practices in Involving Key Stakeholders

Determine Critical Skills Gaps

Identifying the skills and competencies needed by a future workforce varies depending on the goals of each agency. Some agencies define all the skills and competencies needed to achieve their long-term strategic goals, while others will focus on the skills most critical to achieving their imminent goals. Identifying and determining how to minimize skill and competency gaps is essential to achieving each agency’s mission and long-term goals and identifying the right people for the right jobs. For example, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003 developed new programs for increasing security at international ports and mandated the recruiting, training, and placing of employees with diplomatic, language, and risk assessment skills. DHS developed a human capital plan that clearly described the security programs and the long-term demands for skilled employees (GAO, 2003).

Best Practices in Determining Critical Skills Gaps

Develop Strategies to Address Skills Gaps

Strategic human capital models stress the importance of tailoring strategies to address their unique needs. An agency can assess these needs by using OPM’s Human Capital Assessment and Accountability Framework (HCAAF). The HCAAF integrates human capital management into the merit system and outlines an ongoing process of human capital management in every federal agency. The HCAAF enables agencies to optimize every employee’s contribution to the agency’s mission. The framework involves five key components (OPM, 2005):

1. Set strategic direction: Align the current and future human capital needs to the agency’s strategic and annual business plans.

2. Conduct a workforce analysis: Develop a comprehensive picture that identifies the gaps in the number of employees, the required skills/competencies, and the level of proficiency the workforce currently possesses against future competency requirements.

3. Develop an action plan: Identify and implement gap reduction strategies.

4. Implement action plan: Make decisions about how best to structure the organization and deploy the workforce.

5. Monitor, evaluate, and revise: Identify and overcome internal and external barriers to accomplishing strategic workforce goals.

Best Practices in Developing Strategies to Address Skills Gaps

Build Capabilities to Support Workforce Strategies

Building the capability to meet administrative, educational, and other requirements is vital to supporting workforce strategies. Managers and supervisors can be more effective if they are properly trained to identify what strategies to use and how to ensure consistency, equity, and transparency. It is important that agencies adopt administrative processes that build transparency and accountability. Clear and transparent guidelines that provide well-defined and documented decision-making criteria are essential to minimize concerns about unfair or arbitrary treatment of employees. Agencies are encouraged to use a results-oriented performance management system.

Results-Oriented Performance Culture System

Agencies are working to create a culture where employees want to be—and can be—as effective as possible in serving the public. A results-oriented performance culture system, as defined by OPM, is a system that “promotes a diverse, high-performing workforce by implementing and maintaining effective performance management systems and awards programs.” OPM identified six critical success factors for creating such a system (OPM, 2005):

1. Communication. Each agency should have a process for sharing information with all employees that allows employee feedback to involve employees in planning and executing the mission.

2. Performance appraisal. Each agency should have a process under which performance is reviewed and evaluated.

3. Awards. Each agency should recognize and reward individual or team accomplishment that contributes to meeting organizational goals or improves the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of the government.

4. Pay for performance. Each agency should use pay-for-performance systems that link salary levels to an individual’s overall performance and contribution to the agency’s mission.

5. Diversity management. Each agency should maintain an environment characterized by inclusiveness of individual difference and responsiveness to the needs of diverse groups of employees.

6. Labor/management relations. Each agency should promote cooperation among employees, unions, and managers that enhances effectiveness and efficiency and improves working conditions.

Goals-Engagement-Accountability-Results

Goals-Engagement-Accountability-Results (GEAR) strategies are a set of interrelated processes intended to improve employee and organizational performance, based on the three-fold assumption that every successful organization must have clear, aligned goals, engaged employees and supervisors, and accountability for every employee at every level for the best results. OPM is piloting the GEAR model at five federal agencies. The program is discussed further in Chapter 5.

Monitor and Evaluate the Goals of Each Agency

High-performing agencies recognize the fundamental importance of measuring both the outcomes of human capital strategies and how these outcomes have helped the organizations accomplish their missions and organizational goals. As previously discussed, the GPRAMA of 2010 creates a new governmentwide planning and reporting framework that improves agency planning and reporting requirements. Furthermore, agencies must update their agency strategic plans to synchronize and align with the president’s fiscal-year budgets and incorporate cross-cutting federal priority goals along with agency-level priority goals.

Best Practices in Monitoring and Evaluating Agency Goals

STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

Attracting, retaining, and placing the best people in the appropriate jobs continues to be a challenge for federal agencies. Identifying ways to improve the federal employee experience at all levels should drive the emergence of a stronger civil service. But the same questions continue to arise: Is government recruiting the right people? Is the right person in the right job?

To better recruit highly qualified people, OPM joined with the Partnership for Public Service (PPS), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to recruitment and retention excellence in the federal civil service. To revitalize the federal government and encourage public service, PPS conducts outreach programs at college campuses; it raises awareness and advocates civil service reform by asking important questions of government officials; and it conducts and publishes research into federal government’s problems and solutions. OPM created a list of strategies to improve federal hiring (Table 4.2) that can be used by any agency.

TABLE 4.2. Strategies to Improve Federal Hiring

OPM, no date.

PPS developed five strategic goals aimed at attracting the best people to the federal government:

1. Inspire and hire mission-critical talent: Raise awareness of public service opportunities, identify cost-effective recruitment methods, inspire a new generation to serve, and promote federal opportunities.

2. Develop strong leaders: Equip federal leaders to deliver results by inspiring employees, building teams, and working across boundaries.

3. Engage employees: Better understand employees’ level of engagement, the barriers to raising it, and ways to overcome those obstacles.

4. Modernize management systems: Modernize the compensation system and develop organizational performance metrics that are transparent, easily understood, and used to drive decisions.

5. Build networks of support: Bring together policymakers and the philanthropic, business, and academic sectors to ensure that government is sufficiently equipped and supported to not only function well but also drive improvement in areas such as security, health care, and education.

Aligned with these goals, several programs were introduced by PPS to educate a new generation about the importance of a strong civil service and inspire it to serve (Table 4.3).

TABLE 4.3. Partnership for Public Service Programs

PPS, 2014.

MERIT SYSTEM

Managers and supervisors have been given more authority to make personnel decisions. For example, it remains critical that the candidate selection process be fair and equitable. Human capital decisions are guided by the merit system principles mandated to MSPB, an independent, quasi-judicial executive branch agency that serves as the guardian of federal merit systems, by the CSRA to ensure that employment practices are fair and free of political influence or other nonmerit factors. The mission of MSPB is to “protect the merit system principles and promote an effective federal workforce free of prohibited personnel practices.” There are nine principles:

1. Recruitment, selection, and placement should be fair and based solely on knowledge, skills, and ability.

2. All employees and applicants must be fairly and equitably treated.

3. Equal pay should be provided for work of equal value, and appropriate recognition should be provided for excellence in performance.

4. All employees should maintain high standards.

5. The federal workforce should be used efficiently and effectively.

6. Employees should be retained based on the adequacy of their performance.

7. Employees should be provided effective education and training.

8. Employees should be protected from improper political influence.

9. Employees should be protected against reprisal for the lawful disclosure of information that violates any law, rule, or regulation. (MSPB, 2012a)

MSPB surveyed federal employees in 2010 and reported their perceptions of how well agencies manage resources and staff with regard to the merit system principles. The report found that agencies’ ability to attract and retain the “best employees” generally was perceived as weak. As a result of the survey, it made the following recommendations:

•  Managers at all levels should be appropriately trained on how to apply the merit principles to their human capital management decisions.

•  Agencies should involve and inform their workforce to identify potential methods to improve efficiencies and determine which programs may need to be cut or scaled back based on available resources.

•  Employee retention and engagement trends should be monitored. Federal agencies should improve ways to retain high performers and develop or remove poor performers.

•  Additional investments should be made in employee training and career development to prepare the federal workforce for a knowledge-work environment. In addition, agencies should determine competency requirements and developmental needs. (MSPB, 2013)

FEDERAL JOB ANALYSIS

Job analysis is the systematic attempt to fully understand the nature of a job. It is the foundation for all assessment and selection decisions. Job analysis examines the following: tasks needed to perform a job, necessary competencies required to perform those tasks, and the relationship between tasks and competencies. According to OPM, the following steps are taken as part of a job analysis:

•  Collect information about the job.

•  List the tasks.

•  Identify the critical competencies.

•  Link the task and competencies.

•  Determine which competencies to use as a candidate selection factor. (OPM, 2007)

Selection procedures based on a job analysis should be able to identify the most qualified candidates for a position by capturing the elements of the job that best distinguish top performers from marginal ones.

Competitive Examinations

A competitive examination process is the most-used method to ensure that federal employees are qualified, and it is typically conducted either by OPM or by the agency. The process originally was centralized in OPM. In the mid-1990s, individual agencies were authorized to examine candidates for all positions (excluding administrative law judges), but OPM also conducts examinations for agencies under contract and maintains standing registers of candidates from which agencies may hire (Federal Employees Almanac, 2012).

OPM delegates the authority to conduct competitive examinations to agencies under agreement according to the following process:

1. The agency contacts OPM’s strategic HR policy division and requests delegated examining authority.

2. OPM drafts an examining agreement.

3. OPM and the agency HR director sign the agreement.

4. OPM trains the agency personnel who will manage the examining office(s).

Analyzing the job and determining the assessment tools to use are critical to the examining process. The selecting official and the HR specialist collaborate to develop the questions and responses that best indicate competence in performing the job’s duties. Task examples include applicants’ experience, education, and other job-related criteria that, if met, demonstrate adequate knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies for the critical tasks of the job. Qualified applicants are assigned to a category (Federal Employees Almanac, 2012).

Assessment Strategy

After the job analysis, OPM recommends a particular assessment strategy. A broad range of assessment methods can be used in competitive examining; several considerations are validity, subgroup differences, and costs. Table 4.4 lists the different types of assessments and the different considerations in developing an assessment strategy.

TABLE 4.4. Assessment Considerations

OPM, 2013b.

Occupational Questionnaire

The occupational questionnaire has become a popular assessment tool to facilitate selecting the best candidates. An occupational questionnaire is a fairly quick and inexpensive way to screen for minimum qualifications and typically consists of multiple-choice questions covering a variety of competencies related to the position.

Structured Interview

Another assessment method designed to measure job-related competencies of candidates is a structured interview. Structured interviews can help to ensure that candidates have equal opportunity to provide information and are assessed accurately and consistently. Inquiring about an applicant’s behavior in past experiences or an anticipated behavior in hypothetical situations can evaluate competencies that are difficult to measure, such as interpersonal skills.

Job Simulation

A job simulation is an assessment that presents applicants with realistic, job-related situations and documents their responses. Job simulations include, but are not limited to, work samples, situational judgment tests, assessment centers, and job tryout procedures.

Multipurpose Occupational Systems Analysis Inventory

Multipurpose occupational systems analysis inventory–closed-ended (MOSAIC) is an occupational analysis model for developing benchmarks or “levels of mastery” that define five competency levels and provide behavioral examples for each (Rodriguez, et al., 2002). In 1992, OPM surveyed a sample of executives and managers of federal agencies to learn their views of the leadership competencies required to lead agencies successfully. As a result, OPM developed a leadership effectiveness framework comprising 22 competencies including leading change, leading people, being results-driven, using business acumen, building coalitions, and carrying out performance management.

Each job analysis inventory used to collect data for OPM’s system includes two primary types of descriptors, tasks and competencies. Tasks are rated on importance; competencies are rated on several scales, including importance and requirement for entry. To identify the competencies and requirements for each occupation in the federal government, OPM developed the MOSAIC database (OPM, 2007). However, during the more than two decades of its development, some competencies acquired multiple definitions, causing confusion. Several OPM personnel psychologists reviewed all MOSAIC competencies and, by consensus, arrived at singular definitions for each of 325 competencies, which can be found on OPM’s website (OPM, 2013a).

OPM’s Federal Investigative Services Hiring Agency

Federal Investigative Services conducts more than 90 percent of background investigations for the federal government. Determining the suitability of an applicant for certain positions may require thorough screening and a background investigation. Every position is designated a low, moderate, or high risk level, as determined by the position’s potential impact on the agency. As authority and responsibility become greater, more scrutiny is required. In addition, each position must be designated as noncritical-sensitive, critical-sensitive, or special-sensitive, depending on the nature of the position and the incumbent’s foreseeable need for access to classified information. The nature of the position also includes the level of clearance required, such as confidential, secret, or top secret.

PLACEMENT PROGRAMS

An agency may fill a vacancy in the competitive service by any method authorized by OPM. OPM mandates how federal agencies make vacancy announcements, establish re-employment priority list requirements, identify restricted positions, and create restrictions on moving an employee. These policies aim for consistency and effectiveness. Each agency must exercise its discretion in each personnel action solely on the basis of merit and fitness, without regard to political or religious affiliation, marital status, or race, and on veterans’ preference entitlements. Government internship programs, interchange agreements, mobility programs, and career transition assistance plans are all effective.

U.S. Government Internships

Historically, the federal government has faced challenges in recruiting, selecting, and placing well-qualified candidates who either are in school or have recently received a degree. However, the federal government offers a few different types of student employment opportunities:

•  Pathways programs: Designed to streamline processes and provide students and recent graduates with clear paths to internships and full-time employment, as well as meaningful training, mentoring, and career-development opportunities.

•  Presidential Management Fellows Program: Designed to attract outstanding graduate students from a wide variety of academic disciplines who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, the analysis and management of public policies and programs. The two-year fellowship provides a fast-paced opportunity to gain experience and develop individual talents. Participants are assigned to a single agency with the option to rotate to another agency.

•  Workforce Recruitment Program: Connects and refers college students with disabilities to federal and private-sector employers nationwide that provide summer work and, in some cases, full-time employment.

•  Student Volunteer Program: Offers unpaid training opportunities to students in high school and college, providing them with federal work experience related to their academic programs. The students are exposed to the federal work environment and learn about the missions and responsibilities of various federal agencies and departments.

Best Practices in Government Internships

Interchange Agreements

OPM and any agency may enter into an agreement prescribing conditions under which employees may be moved from the agency’s merit system to another agency’s, known as an interchange agreement. Persons appointed to competitive positions under the interchange agreements receive career or career-conditional appointments, depending on whether they meet the three-year service requirement for career tenure or are exempt. Interchange agreements allow two-way movement. This means that career and career-conditional employees are eligible for employment in the other merit systems with which OPM has agreements under similar conditions.

Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program

Intended to facilitate cooperation between the federal government and nonfederal entities, the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Mobility Program temporarily assigns skilled personnel where they are needed. These assignments allow civilian employees of federal agencies to serve with eligible nonfederal organizations for a limited period without loss of employee rights and benefits. Each assignment should be made for purposes that are of mutual concern and benefit to both the federal agency and the nonfederal organization. Each proposed assignment is carefully examined to ensure that it is for sound public purposes and furthers the goals and objectives of the participating organizations. IPA assignments may not be used to circumvent personnel ceilings or federal hiring practices. Nor may they be used to meet the personal interests of employees or to avoid unpleasant personnel decisions.

Best Practice in Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Programs

Career Transition Assistance Plans

In 1995, federal organizations were required to develop and implement Career Transition Assistance Plans (CTAPs) to provide career transition services for their surplus and displaced employees and to offer them special selection priority for vacancies. Agency CTAPs must contain three parts (OPM Center for Talent and Capacity Policy, 2003:3–4):

1. Agency career transition services. Each agency offers career transition services to surplus employees and provides training. Services may include skills assessment, resume preparation, counseling, and job-search assistance.

2. Agency special selection priority. Agencies must give selection priority to their own well-qualified surplus employees who apply for vacancies in agency components in the local commuting area.

3. Agency reemployment priority lists. Each agency must maintain a reemployment priority list for each local commuting area. Employees on this list are employees separated by a reduction in force. Employees can register to tell their former agency that they want to return if the agency has vacancies.

Best Practice in Career Transition Assistance Plans