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Federal Managers Association
Washington Report
February 8, 2010
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Untitled Document
FMA WORKING FOR YOU!
FMA ZONE 1 HOSTS CONFERENCE IN NEW JERSEY On January 30, Federal Managers Association (FMA) Zone 1 President Mike Donovan brought FMA Chapter Presidents and representatives together in Somers Point, New Jersey, for a day of information sharing and discussion regarding the work of the Association. Six FMA chapters were represented, joined by FMA National Secretary Dick Oppedisano, Executive Director Todd Wells and Government Affairs Representative Karl Gruss via Web conference. As the snow fell throughout the day, attendees took a long, hard look at several issues confronting the Association. After a brief introduction by Donovan, FMA National President Darryl Perkinson addressed the meeting via Skype – an Internet based audio/video program. Perkinson offered a review of the past year and the many successes FMA has enjoyed in the legislative arena. He then handed the meeting off to Wells who addressed the upcoming National Convention in March and answered several related questions. Wells continued with an overview of the duties of the National Office staff in an effort to help the chapters better understand the division of duties and the various matters addressed by staff. Gruss later joined the meeting via WebEx -- another Internet based program -- to discuss FMA’s legislative agenda. He highlighted the legislative successes of the preceding year and then continued by asking for input on the FMA 2010 Issue Briefs being formulated for final approval at the FMA National Convention. Personal insights were shared and language offered to make for a more clear and concise document. The meeting continued with Secretary Oppedisano presenting an Organization Restructuring Plan on which he has taken the lead. The many suggestions offered by the attendees will be incorporated into the plan for consideration by FMA’s General Executive Board. Oppedisano continued by presenting a draft Recruitment Plan for the Association. He has taken the lead on attempting to organize FMA’s recruitment efforts in the coming year and looked for comments and suggestions from the Zone Members. A robust discussion ensued and several additions were made to the plan. The final proposal will be presented to the membership at the National Convention. The last major topic of discussion centered on FMA’s budget in 2010 and beyond. Donovan created and reviewed a simplified budget that easily allowed attendees to understand where the bulk of FMA’s money is spent and where its income is generated. A lengthy and vigorous discussion followed. While a consensus about how to move forward could not be reached, all attendees agreed they were much better informed about the work of the Association and the need to make adjustments to improve the good work of FMA. Other FMA Zone Conferences are set to take place over the summer. Please continue to check FMA’s Web site for the most up-to-date information: www.fedmanagers.org. PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PAY PARITY IN BUDGET REQUEST Bucking the recent trend of administration budget requests proposing disparate pay raises for members of the civil service and the Armed Forces, President Obama proposed a 1.4 percent pay increase for both parties in his fiscal year 2011 budget proposal. The Federal Managers Association (FMA) has consistently pushed the message of parity to the Administration and on Capitol Hill. The move marks only the third time in the past ten years a president has called for pay parity in the annual budget request. The proposed pay increase includes a locality pay adjustment, according the budget. The 1.4 percent figure matches the 2009 Employment Cost Index (ECI) as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the twelve month period ending in September 2009. By law, members of the military must receive a pay increase that matches or exceeds the ECI, though no such requirement exists for civil servants. The 2009 ECI marks the lowest published percent change since the series began in 1975, according to BLS data. While acknowledging the proposal represents a significant decrease over pay raises achieved in recent years, lawmakers praised the President’s request for pay parity, noting the positive effect the policy has on recruiting and retaining a highly qualified workforce. "I am pleased that the President's budget this year will uphold our commitment to the bipartisan principle of pay parity," stated House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). "While the economic downturn means that we cannot provide an adjustment equivalent to those in the past, parity remains an important bipartisan tool to help us maintain the high quality federal workforce providing key services to Americans during these challenging times." In addition to his request for pay parity, the President issued his support for ending the current locality pay surveys used to calculate the disparity between public and private sector pay in various locations across the U.S. The survey plays a key role in shaping the President’s annual locality pay recommendation, which is designed to bring federal pay more in line with the private sector. The present locality pay survey covers thirty-one separate locations, along with a blanket category encompassing the “rest of the United States,” providing individual pay adjustments for federal employees residing in each location. According to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Analytical Perspectives document which accompanied the release of the President’s budget and analyzes various subject areas contained in the federal financial plan, a new model-based approach incorporating Occupational Employment Statistics and ECI data would replace the current survey. “We need more information on the Administration’s proposal to determine if it provides for a fair and equitable determination of locality pay for federal employees across the country,” FMA National President Darryl Perkinson stated. “Annual locality pay adjustments are critical to recruit and retain a talented workforce, and efforts to adjust current calculations must be approached in a deliberate fashion to ensure the civil service is not unfairly disadvantaged.” For more information on the President’s budget request, please visit: www.omb.gov. ************************************************************* WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAPITOL HILL?
CONGRESS APPROVES RAISING DEBT CEILING, PAYGO STATUTE The House of Representatives voted in favor of legislation (H.J.Res. 45) that would raise the statutory debt limit by $1.9 trillion to $14.29 trillion, approving the measure last Thursday, a week after the Senate passed the same debt increase. Members of Congress voted largely along party lines in both chambers, with every Republican opposing the increase. In addition to the debt increase, the House and Senate approved legislation requiring future mandatory spending increases or tax cuts be budget neutral, offset by other spending cuts. The PAYGO or “pay-as-you-go” rule passed the Senate as an amendment to the debt limit increase bill and as part of a package including the increase in the House. In a letter delivered to the President on February 6, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) stated House lawmakers failed to curtail spending after approving a similar debt limit increase in December, believing the Administration should force Congress to submit detailed proposals to rescind expenditures already voted in place. “Since increasing the debt limit by $290 billion on December 16, the House has not considered one bill to reduce the national debt,” Boehner stated. “And now the House has voted to increase the debt limit by another $1.9 trillion. We believe America can no longer afford to have its elected representatives delay action on proposals to reduce excessive spending.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) praised the PAYGO legislation as an adamant step by Members of Congress to act in a fiscally responsible manner by reigning in spending following the President’s call for a renewed focus on accountability. Reid criticized Senate Republicans in the same breath, urging an end to the partisan divide he argued has taken the focus away from developing practical solutions to reduce the deficit in the long term. “The pay-as-you-go rule that we adopted today would apply the same discipline to the federal budget that American families use every day in their own lives: in order to spend a dollar, we have to have that dollar in our wallet,” said Reid. “This is the type of sensible, responsible leadership that Senate Democrats are bringing into the federal budget process after eight years of reckless spending that helped create the mess that we’re in today.” “Senators can disagree about what caused the current economic uncertainty,” Reid concluded, “but the American people expect us to put partisanship aside to find solutions.” In a statement praising House lawmakers’ actions, the President pointed to the surpluses achieved under the Clinton administration in the 90s, when similar PAYGO rules were in place, as evidence of the policy’s potential to curb wasteful spending. “Mandatory spending increases and tax cuts must be paid for; they're not free, and borrowing to finance them is not a sustainable long-term policy,” said Obama. “It is no coincidence that when we last had statutory PAYGO, during the 1990s, we turned deficits into surpluses. The passage of statutory PAYGO today will help usher out an era of irresponsibility and begin putting the country back on a fiscally sustainable path.” For more information, please visit: http://thomas.loc.gov. SENATE CONFIRMS GSA NOMINEE The Senate voted to confirm Martha Johnson as Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) on February 4, filling the vacant position on a permanent basis for the first time since 2008. Entering office nearly ten months after she was first nominated for the position, Johnson expressed her eagerness to embrace the challenges laid before her by the President. “Through the many transitions in leadership, GSA has stepped forward as a faithful and energetic steward of President Obama’s recovery and sustainability agenda, and of the new opportunities to promote government transparency, openness, and participation,” Johnson stated in a formal GSA press release announcing her confirmation. “As Administrator, I will leverage the agency's strong leadership to build a team that welcomes talent, exhibits performance excellence, collaborates, and innovates; a team that through knowledge, expertise, and transparency, will reform procurement and help move the President’s agenda for improvements in the professional acquisition workforce.” Johnson previously served as GSA Chief of Staff in the Clinton administration from 1996-2001. She most recently took on the role of co-lead for the Obama Transition Agency Review Team within GSA. Four acting administrators have led GSA since the 2008 resignation of former chief Lurita Doan. Johnson replaces current Acting Administrator Stephen Leeds, who has held the position since December 22, 2009. The Senate was forced to vote to invoke cloture on Johnson’s nomination prior to the 94-2 vote supporting Johnson’s confirmation in order to break a hold placed on the nominee in August by Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo.). Bond’s objection, which was criticized by the President in his State of the Union address, centered on disagreements between the Senator and GSA over the relocation of federal employees from the Bannister Complex, a GSA owned facility in suburban Kansas City, to another location in the heart of the city. “I am delighted the Senate has finally voted to confirm Ms. Johnson, an extremely qualified and experienced nominee, so she can begin her important work on behalf of the American people,” said Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), whose Committee approved Johnson’s nomination in June 2009. “The hold that had been placed on her for six months had nothing to do with her qualifications or personal history. Her nomination received the unanimous support of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in June and she has overwhelming bipartisan support in the full Senate.” For more information, please visit: www.gsa.gov. ************************************************************ WHAT’S NEW IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH? SSA SEES FUNDING BOOST IN PRESIDENT’S BUDGET PROPOSAL Although the President’s $3.8 trillion budget request released on February 1 calls for a broad freeze on discretionary spending for most federal agencies not tasked with providing for the nation’s security, eight of the fifteen Cabinet-level departments and several agencies would receive funding increases in 2011 under the Administration’s request. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is one such agency slated to avoid the three-year funding hold under the Administration’s proposal, receiving an 8.15 percent budget increase for the agency’s Limitation on Administrative Expenses (LAE) under the proposal. The President’s budget would provide SSA with $12.38 billion for the agency’s LAE account, a nearly $933 million boost over enacted LAE funding for 2010. SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue praised the proposed funding level in a formal statement following the budget’s release, calling the $12.38 billion critical in efforts to combat the backlog of disability claims while allowing the agency to prepare for the influx of new claims anticipated in light of unemployment rates that are expected to remain high through 2011. “The FY 2011 President’s Budget allows us to move forward on our key agency priorities of completing retirement claims and reducing the hearings and initial disability claims backlogs,” Astrue stated. “Even during difficult times, we have produced measurable and meaningful results. We are making progress in key workloads while anticipating future trends and preparing for upcoming challenges.” Astrue cautioned that with states continuing to furlough Disability Determination Services employees while facing rising workloads, SSA will face immense stress on its already taxed workforce if the agency does not receive timely, adequate and sustained funding. Failure to secure the President’s funding request during the appropriations process could prove devastating to the agency’s ability to build on its recent success, the Commissioner said. “A reduction in our funding at this time would reverse the progress we have made over the last two years,” warned Astrue. “We know that millions of people are counting on us, and we appreciate your support as we continue to provide the service the American people need and deserve.” For more information on the fiscal year 2011 budget’s effect on the Social Security Administration, please visit: www.ssa.gov.
ADMINISTRATION FOCUSES ON FEDERAL WORKFORCE IMPROVEMENTS Citing the critical role played by members of the civil service over the past year in support of numerous federal efforts to provide for the welfare of the American public, the Administration laid out several proposals in the President’s fiscal year 2011 budget request designed to improve the federal workforce amidst the multitude of challenges facing the nation. Detailed in the Analytical Perspectives component of the budget, the Administration’s observations and recommendations for bolstering the strength of the federal workforce cover a wide range of subjects, from the need for enhanced supervisory training to plans for the expansion of personnel analytics to assist agency efforts to serve as model employers. A significant portion of the budget’s emphasis on advancing the civil service calls for improved utilization of federal employee surveys, notably the Federal Employee Viewpoint survey. The Administration views the survey, administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and formerly labeled the Federal Human Capital Survey, as a critical tool to assess various challenges agencies face in personnel management, providing insight into specific areas agencies should address to improve personnel operations. The President is committed to strengthening agencies’ abilities to use the surveys by expanding the number of employees surveyed and increasing the survey's frequency from a biannual to an annual basis. Beyond placing a greater emphasis on personnel data and survey analysis, fixing the federal hiring process and increasing investments in supervisory training top the President’s list of objectives to improve the federal workforce. According to the Analytical Perspectives document, OPM has developed a five-prong approach to address current deficiencies in federal hiring, focusing on: elevating public service; developing pipelines between colleges and the federal government; streamlining the application process; improving the quality of potential employees; and, simplifying the hiring process. OPM’s strategy will also involve further outreach to veterans and disabled workers, the budget states. Referencing the extensive training programs offered within branches of the military, the Administration extolled the benefits of implementing supervisory training initiatives that fill critical skills gaps in the civil service. Although the benefits of training are obvious and well documented, agencies are too willing to scrap training when their budgets are tight, according to the Administration. “Federal manager and employee training is essential,” the document states. “Given the expected increase in the number of new hires and projected retirements, agencies must harness the institutional knowledge of experienced workers, crosstrain new staff to provide seamless delivery of services to the public, and groom their future leaders.” The line between work conducted by contractors versus that designated as inherently governmental has drawn the focus of the President since first entering office, and the budget reflects many of the same concerns expressed in other official Administration documents and executive orders. Acknowledging the vital role played by contractors in the delivery of services to the public, the Administration nonetheless criticized the “overreliance on contractors” which “can lead to the erosion of in-house capacity that is essential to effective Government performance” and ignores the effect on the preservation of institutional knowledge. The Office of Management and Budget introduced guidance in July which the President is confident will assist agencies' efforts to utilize contractors in a prudent and judicious manner. “Too often agencies have neglected the investments in human capital planning, recruitment, hiring, and training that are necessary for building strong internal capacity,” the Administration said. For more information on these priorities and others concerning the federal workforce contained in the FY11 budget request, please visit: www.omb.gov.
MSPB REPORT REVEALS PREVALENCE OF FAVORITISM IN CIVIL SERVICE Although diversity in the federal workforce has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years and claims of discrimination in the workplace are down, a recent study conducted by the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) found a significant percentage of employees believe managers and supervisors exhibit favoritism when making personnel decisions. Based on data gathered through federal workforce surveys, MSPB found many employees also hold little faith in agency leaders’ willingness to take action against managers and supervisors who are accused of discrimination or misuse of personnel authority. The MSPB report, entitled, Fair and Equitable Treatment: Progress Made and Challenges Remaining, found that although perceptions of discrimination based on race varied among ethnic groups, employees shared significant concern over their ability to advance through the workforce based on merit. According to data presented through the 2007 Career Advancement Survey, only forty percent of respondents said competence was the most important factor in promotion decisions and only thirty-six percent believed hard work was the number one factor. Seventy-two percent of respondents, on the other hand, believed “who they know” played the greatest role in promotion decisions, and seventy percent agreed a portion of managers and supervisors practiced favoritism to some degree. “Decreases in the proportion of employees who believe that they have experienced prohibited discrimination have not been matched by increases in the proportion of employees who believe that personnel decisions are fair and merit based,” the report states. “Substantial percentages of employees believe that managers engage in favoritism when selecting employees, allocating work and developmental opportunities, and granting awards.” To combat the prevalence or perception of favoritism in the workplace, MSPB provides agencies with several recommendations. Agency leaders must first establish concrete goals to reverse the trend and develop measurements to determine future performance in achieving those goals. Agencies must also implement human resources policies that emphasize a merit-based approach to advancement, a key component of which involves training of supervisors to enhance their ability to recognize and reward high performance. MSPB further recommends agencies devote greater attention to strengthening personnel decision procedures, promoting transparency throughout the process to instill confidence in both the decision makers and the employees affected by those decisions. But the onus is not entirely placed on managers and supervisors, as MSPB advises employees take an active role in their career development, whether requesting performance feedback from their supervisors or understanding the value in communicating their career goals and aspirations to gain valuable insight into steps that must be taken to advance. Elimination of perceived or real favoritism ultimately lies in a cooperative effort from multiple angles to address a series of issues plaguing the principle of equity in the federal workplace. “Over the past 30 years, the Federal Government has made significant strides toward providing fair and equitable treatment to all its employees,” the report concludes. “Unfortunately, this progress has been uneven, which has served to frustrate many who hoped that the Federal workforce would already have achieved a greater diversity at all levels. Therefore, it is important for Federal employees, from agency heads to first-line employees, to continue to strive to achieve a fully representative workforce that provides fair and equitable treatment for all.” For more information, please visit: www.mspb.gov.
USAJOBS MAKEOVER LATEST STEP IN HIRING REFORM The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced a series of modifications to USAJOBS.gov in an effort to make the federal government’s employment portal site more efficient and user-friendly. Enhancements to the site, which caters to roughly 450,000 visitors each day, cover a wide spectrum of adjustments, from updating the site’s general aesthetics to improving job search tools to streamline applicant navigation. “USAJOBS is a great example of a hugely successful internet job site, the one that is helping people find Federal jobs,” OPM Director John Berry commented. “With the changes made to USAJOBS, and with our commitment to creating a simpler and more transparent Federal hiring process, we are giving applicants the information and tools they need to find the best Federal job for them.” Based on applicant satisfaction surveys and focus groups, the site upgrades include incorporation of social media as well as separate resource centers for individuals with disabilities, veterans, students and senior executives. OPM also expanded on the ability to refine job searches on the fly without restarting a search from scratch, enabling applicants to break down searches more easily by salary, grade or other criteria. With over 9,400 potential applicants creating user accounts on the site each day, Berry emphasized the recent modifications mark only a step in the effort to advance the federal government’s ability to recruit and hire a topnotch workforce. "I am committed to continual improvements in USAJOBS for all those who have responded to the call to serve," said Berry. For more information on OPM’s efforts, please visit: www.opm.gov. ************************************************************ GET INVOLVED AT THESE EVENTS!
REGISTER TODAY FOR FMA’S 72nd ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTION!
Sign Up Now! Registration is still available for the Federal Managers Association’s (FMA) 72nd annual National Convention and Management Training Seminar. Held March 14-17, 2010, in Arlington, Virginia, the Convention will feature a mix of association business, management training and FMA’s annual lobbying day, Day on the Hill. Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry will kick off the training day, which will feature four panels of experts covering topics from the recent changes to the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan to strategies to enhance operations in the workplace. For more information or to register, please visit: http://www.fedmanagers.org/public/events.cfm. If you have any questions regarding the Convention, please contact FMA at (703) 683-8700.
HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: DEFENSE (HCMD) 2010
February 16-19, 2010
Sheraton National Hotel, Arlington, VA Human capital management is crucial to the success of our national defense. Operating in a time of uncertainty, human resources managers and practitioners throughout the Department of Defense (DOD) community are making decisions today that will significantly impact DOD's ability to meet the challenges ahead. How is the new Administration, the changing global security landscape and the current economy impacting human capital management for Defense today and tomorrow? At HCMD 2010, you will hear in-depth presentations from the top strategy setters and policy makers on current and future Military and Civilian Human Capital Initiatives, as well as real life success stories on their implementation at all levels throughout DOD. FMA members will receive a $200 discount for attending. Please use booking code 10665004XX66CL. For more information, please visit: http://www.wbresearch.com/hcmdusa/lpfma.aspx?mac=10665004XX66BA&cm_mmc=External-_-10665.004-_-Federal%20Managers%20Association-_-Homepage.
DEFENSE FINANCE 2010
March 25-26, 2010
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, VA Defense Finance has become the meeting place for Department of Defense financial experts to present updates, share lessons learned and test new ideas for improving and transforming defense finance business operations in support of the war fighter. As you continue the struggle to successfully transform your financial operations, the annual Defense Finance conference is a trusted resource you can depend on to arm you with the tools you need to achieve your goals. Register now and FMA members will receive a $200 discount with booking code 10479XQ99CL. For more information, please visit: http://www.wbresearch.com/defensefinanceusa/. ************************************************************ Long Term Care Partners, LLC , FMA Corporate Partner. Long Term Care Partners is the administrator of the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. Sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Program is available to Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees and annuitants, active and retired members of the uniformed services, and their qualified relatives. With more than 210,000 enrollees, it is the largest employer-sponsored long term care insurance program in the country. FLTCIP policies are simple to understand and offer enrollees some distinct advantages, including comprehensive coverage, competitive and stable rates, international coverage, and administrative service standards that are the highest in the long-term care insurance industry. Policies are sold direct through a highly-trained, non-commissioned staff with no high pressure sales tactics – simply sound advice. Visit www.LTCFEDS.com or http://www.opm.gov/insure/ltc/index.asp for more information. FSAFEDS, the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program, FMA Corporate Partner. FSAFEDS provides consumers and corporations a single source of health management decision guidance through its integrated suite of consumer-driven healthcare solutions. Its innovative consumer experience offers comprehensive care, planning, spending, productivity and strategic management services that help guide participants to be healthier and more productive. Visit www.fsafeds.com for more information. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Federal Employee Program, FMA Corporate Partner. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association represents the independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. The 40 local member companies of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association have provided millions of families with top-quality, affordable health insurance for more than 70 years. For the one in four Americans who carry Blue Cross and Blue Shield cards, the Blue Plans symbolize health security. Visit www.fepblue.org and join the best, most-recognized group of health insurance providers in the world. GEICO, FMA Corporate Partner. GEICO was created over 60 years ago to insure Federal employees. Over the years GEICO has continuously strengthened its affiliation with the Federal workforce. GEICO’s Federal program supports the GEICO Public Service Awards, which have honored federal workers (active and retired) who have contributed to the public good since 1980. Find out how much you could save with GEICO auto insurance as an FMA member by getting a quick, line-by-line rate quote at http://www.geico.com/landingpage/go51.htm?logo=00781. When you request a quote, GEICO will make a contribution to support the work of FMA. Shaw, Bransford and Roth, P.C. SBR concentrates its law practice on the representation of Federal employees, with a special emphasis on the representation of executives and managers. SBR serves as General Counsel to the Federal Managers Association and is uniquely situated to recognize the interests and viewpoints of Federal managers. For up to two free half-hour legal consultations and reduced legal fees as an FMA member, please visit: www.shawbransford.com. FEDS (Federal Employee Defense Services) provides premier professional liability insurance benefits to the federal employee community. The FEDS liability insurance policy costs only $270 a year, and if you are a manager, supervisor, or law enforcement officer, your agency will reimburse you up to ½ of the cost. Your net cost would be $135 per year. FEDS provides federal employees with the protection they need to do their jobs. You simply can’t afford not to have it! SPECIAL OFFER: Three months free when you make the switch from another federal employee professional liability program. To learn more, visit: http://www.fedsprotection.com. Be sure to note your FMA membership when you join FEDS. The Federal Managers Association and Management Concepts have teamed up to present the Federal Managers Practicum — a targeted certificate program for Federal managers. As the official development program for FMA, the Federal Managers Practicum helps FMA members develop critical skills to meet new workplace demands and deepen their managerial capabilities. Also, FMA members receive 20% off any book purchase and each book is guaranteed to win you a promotion! For more Practicum information, click here. For a catalog of discounted publications, go to Management Concepts. To order, call Vanessa Gillette at 703-270-4107.
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The Washington Report is published biweekly by the
Federal Managers Association.
Jessica Klement, Editor; Karl Gruss, Staff Writer
The Federal Managers Association, established in
1913, is the oldest, largest, most influential association representing
the interests of the 200,000 managers, supervisors and executives
serving in today’s Federal government.
1641 Prince Street ~ Alexandria VA 22314-2818 ~
(703) 683-8700 ~ FAX (703) 683-8707 ~ E-Mail Info@fedmanagers.org
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