FMA LAUDS HOUSE INTRODUCTION OF SUPERVISORY TRAINING LEGISLATION - June 15, 2010

Measure will improve federal government's delivery of service to American public.

Alexandria, VA - The Federal Managers Association (FMA) commends Congressmen Jim Moran (D-Va.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va.) for introducing legislation that would provide federal managers and supervisors with training on the full array of subjects necessary to effectively monitor and manage their employees. The Federal Supervisor Training Act, H.R. 5522, represents a critical investment in the men and women who lead and direct the programs Members of Congress create, and FMA urges swift consideration of the legislation.

The evolution of federal agency responsibilities over the years has catalyzed the need for a knowledge-based workforce, one that is more oriented towards information processing. Just as the skills required by civil servants are evolving constantly, the responsibilities federal managers and supervisors shoulder in the modern workplace are transforming as well, growing in complexity and requiring progressive talents and training. The emphasis the Administration and Congress continue to place on transforming the civil service into a flexible, adaptive workforce has also altered and expanded the management responsibilities borne by federal supervisors. In this environment, agencies must invest in providing current and future federal supervisors with the competencies and skills required to advance the federal government's mission.

"The development of managerial skills is one of the greatest investments an agency can make, both in terms of productivity gains and the retention of valuable employees," FMA National President Patricia Niehaus stated. "An agency's ability to meet its mission directly correlates to the quality of workforce management. There is a clear need for training in order for managers to be fully successful. If an agency promotes an individual to managerial status based on technical prowess but then fails to develop the individual's supervisory and leadership skills, the agency severely jeopardizes its capability to deliver the level of service the American public expects and deserves."

The Federal Supervisor Training Act requires agencies to provide managers and supervisors with interactive training within one year of promotion to a supervisory position, followed by training updates every three years thereafter. Training would cover three primary management topics: basic supervisory training; mentorship training; and, training focused on prohibited personnel practices including collective bargaining and anti-discrimination rights. The Office of Personnel Management would monitor agency implementation of the legislation while also issuing guidance to agencies on competencies supervisors must meet to effectively manage the performance of their employees.

Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Haw.) introduced similar legislation, S. 674, to bolster agency supervisor training programs. As Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia, Senator Akaka addressed the need for enhanced managerial training and mentoring during an April 29 hearing focusing largely on S. 674. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued its support for the supervisory training bill in 2008, but the measure failed to reach the Senate floor. FMA is optimistic that bicameral support for this legislation will help its chances moving forward.

"We must work together to ensure the federal government's greatest asset, the men and women of the civil service, are equipped with the tools to succeed," concluded Niehaus. "For federal managers and supervisors, training stands at the forefront of their requirements to ensure they lead an efficient and effective workforce that is prepared to confront the obstacles at hand and those that lie on the horizon. The provisions contained in the Federal Supervisor Training Act directly contribute to Congress' efforts to preserve the welfare of the nation through the creation of federal programs managed by a proficient workforce. FMA looks forward to working with Congress to ensure this legislation becomes law."