United States             Office of                EPA
                        Environmental Protection      The Administrator          April 2001

                        As'ncy         	  10020012
                        Office of Cooperative Environmental Management
                        NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
                                      FOR
            ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY (NACEPT)
                      REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
              EVALUATION OF EPA'S WORKFORCE ASSESSMENT
                PROJECT AND STRATEGY FOR HUMAN CAPITAL
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                                    April 2001
EPA
1007
2001.2

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                April 5, 2001
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                                ROBERT L. RHODES
                                202-457-5943

                                Internet Address:
                                rrhodes@bJdaw.com
                Administrator Christine Todd Whitman
                U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                Ariel Eios Building (MC1101A)
                1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
                Washington, D.C. 20460

                D e ar Administrator Whitman:

                      On behalf of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and
                Technology (NACEPT), I am pleased to forward the Council's Final Report and
                Recommendations regarding its evaluation of EPA's Workforce Assessment Project and
                Strategy for Human Capital The development of this report was led by Ms. Dorothy
                Bowers. The NACEPT Council welcomes your review and response to this report.

                     Last Fall, the Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM)
               requested that NACEPT help the Agency evaluate its human resource planning efforts.
               The Deputy Administrator at that time was fully briefed and supported this work.

                     NACEPT endorses the concept of human resource planning, both as a means for
               meeting the internal needs of employees, and in order to fulfill the mission of the
               Agency.  The report and recommendations can assist EPA in developing and
               implementing a comprehensive human resource strategy to ensure that its workforce is
               poised to support the Agency's mission in the future.

                     The Council believes that EPA is facing a human resource crisis of significant
               magnitude, yet the documents reviewed did not propose actions necessary to ameliorate
               the crisis. Nor do the Agency's current human resource efforts equal those found at
               benchmark organizations in the private sector. The EPA Workforce Assessment
               document provides a view of where the Agency would like to be in 2020, but is devoid of
               a strategy and process to transform today's workforce into the desired workforce of the
               future.

                     Specifically, the Council recommends that EPA'
                           Give upper management support to this initiative. EPA's priorities should integrate
                           the human resource plan into its budgetary planning processes, allocate sufficient
                           resources (dollars and FTE), and provide management support across the Agency.

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  Administrator Christine Todd Whitman
  April 5, 2001
  Page 2
        •     Fully integrate the human resource plan and processes into the Agency's strategic
              planning process.

        •     Fully fund and continue the human resource planning process that began with the
              Workforce Assessment Project and the EPA Strategy for Human Capital which
              include the original fasTcg to:

                     Prepare an integrated, comprehensive workforce strategy with
                     recommendations for recruiting, developing and maintaining needed
                     competencies in the current and future workforces.

                     "Recommend a workforce planning process, with implementation guidelines
                     that would be integral to the Agency's strategic planning process.

       The Council has committed to providing further recommendations on broader
 integration issues, and as a part of its ongoing role as a visionary body, will identify
 emerging issues and trends facing EPA.  The Council and I look forward to receiving
 your response and to  working with you on your priorities for the Agency.
                                               Sincerely, X?
                                              Eobert L. Rhodes, Jr.
                                              Chair, NACEPT
Enclosure
cc:    Eileen McGinnis,. Chief of Staff
      Tom Gibson, Associate Administrator, OPEI
      David O'Connor, Acting Assistant Administrator/OARM
      Jane Moore, Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator/OARM
      Daiva Balkus, Director OHROS/OARM
      Kerry Weiss, Director EPA Institute Division/OARM
      Gordon Schisler, Acting Director/OCEM
      David Ziegele, OPAA/OCFO
      Mike Hamlin, Sr. Policy Analyst/OARM

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                                     NOTICE

This report and set of recommendations have been written as part of the activities of the National
Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), a public advisory
committee providing extramural policy advice to the Environmental Protection Agency's
Administrator and other officials of the EPA. The Council is structured to provide balanced and
expert assessment of policy matters related to the effectiveness of the environmental programs of
the United States. This report has not been reviewed for approval by the EPA and, hence, the
contents of this report, and its recommendations, do not necessarily present the views and
policies of the EPA, nor of other agencies in the Executive Branch of the federal government, nor
does the mention of trade names, companies, or commercial products constitute a
recommendation or endorsement for use.

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001

                           TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I.     INTRODUCTION
II.    APPROACH
III.   OBSERVATIONS
IV.    RECOMMENDATIONS
ATTACHMENT A - Schedule of Meetings                       11
ATTACHMENT B - NACEPT Workforce Capacity
                 Workgroup Members                        12
ATTACHMENT C - OARM Charge to NACEPT                  13

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

                              EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the Fall 2000, the Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) requested
that the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) help
the Agency evaluate its human resource planning efforts. OARM developed a charge with a
specific list of questions for NACEPT to consider while evaluating EPA's human resource
planning efforts.

Specifically, the Agency asked NACEPT to review its human resource planning strategy outlined
hi EPA's Workforce Assessment Project (WAP) and Strategy for Human Capital. The two
documents provide the reader with a clear understanding of EPA's current workforce
demographics and the potential drivers facing the Agency in developing its workforce of the
future.

In response to this request, the NACEPT Workforce Capacity Workgroup which consisted of
NACEPT Council members was established. The Workgroup met several times between
September 2000 and February 2001. The members dialogued with the OARM program
managers on ways that the human resource planning efforts could be evaluated.

The Workgroup's progress was presented to the full NACEPT Council at the November 8-9,
2000 meeting.  The Council forwarded interim findings to the Agency in December 2000 and to
the Transition Team in January 2001.  The report and recommendations was submitted to the
EPA Administrator and program managers in April 2001.  The Council's observations and
recommendations are also found in Section n of this report.

                              RECOMMENDATIONS

NACEPT strongly endorses the concept of human resource planning, both as a means of meeting
the internal needs of employees, and in order to fulfill the mission of the Agency. Toward these
ends, the following recommendations are made to assist EPA in developing and implementing a
comprehensive human resource plan and continuing planning process, recognizing that both the
plan and the process must be fully integrated into the Agency's strategic planning process.

•  EPA should continue the human resource planning process that was started with the
   Workforce Assessment Project and the EPA Strategy for Human Capital, and the original
   tasks (i.e., Task 5: create a workforce development strategy for recruitment and retention, and
   Task 6: integrate human resource planning and EPA's strategic planning) should be funded
   and completed.

•  The plan should  incorporate more quantitative information, with attention devoted to
   measures that will allow the Agency to develop and assess progress toward tangible goals. A
   "transformation" plan should be developed that defines the specific goals and, more
   importantly, the specific actions that the Agency needs to take to reach those goals.

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

•  The Agency is facing a human resource crisis of significant magnitude, and the human
   resource plan must address the crisis and include actions necessary to ameliorate the crisis.

•  The human resource plan must address career planning and training. As we noted, this
   will represent a significant commitment by the Agency to incur short-term costs for longer-
   term benefits.

•  In support of the human resource plan and planning process, EPA should collect, maintain,
   and archive human resource data necessary for trends analysis and program assessment.
   This should include use of longitudinal files on individuals, a "mini-control group/panel,"
   etc., so that linkages among employee perceptions, career development, and
   retention/longevity may be established and understood.

•  Many of EPA's human resource goals and challenges center on issues that do not lend
   themselves to "hard" or objective measurement. Therefore, EPA should use employee
   opinion surveys and similar "soft" measures on a continuing basis to track employee
   perceptions, as well as the Agency's progress in meeting the needs and aspirations of its
   employees.

•  EPA must fully integrate its human resource planning into the Agency's overall
   strategic planning process, so that there is full coordination between the funding,
   development, and implementation of human resource programs, and the development of the
   Agency's strategic goals and objectives. This will require significant support from the
   Administrator and the Agency's senior leadership.

•  The Agency must design and sustain a career development program that emphasizes
   both formal training and broad experiential assignments as a prerequisite to employee
   advancement.  Commitment to such a program starts with the Administrator as she insists on
   the concept of career development as an Agency-wide priority. This involves trade-offs
   between short-term costs and longer-term benefits that must be managed at the highest levels
   of the organization.

•  EPA should be aggressive in all of its programs to attract and retain the required
   personnel to achieve its mission. As we noted in our observations, the Agency needs to be
   an advocate for competitive salaries that are specific to occupations and geographic locations.

      -  EPA needs to emphasize and build upon the high calling of public service, the
         cause of the environment, and the opportunity for employees to work on "big
         problems" and to make a difference.

      -  EPA needs to catalogue the full range of programs being used by other Federal
         agencies. Specifically, the Agency should expand its partnerships with universities,
         and be innovative in the use of fellowships, grants, and contracts to expose graduate
                                          11

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

         students and faculty to issues related to environmental science and policy. Building
         awareness of environmental issues should start as early as elementary school.

•  EPA should take the lead within the Federal government in managing the upcoming
   retirement crisis, so that institutional knowledge is maintained and transferred to more
   junior staff.

       - EPA should be proactive in developing programs to counter early retirements, such
         as a retention bonus for critical personnel.

       - EPA should be innovative in creating new ways to engage former employees, such as
         phased retirements.
                                              U.S. EPA Headquarters Library
                                                     Mail code 3201
                                              1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
                                                 Washington  DC 20460
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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

                Evaluation of EPA's Human Resource Planning Efforts
                            Report and Recommendations
                                       of the
          National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

                                I. INTRODUCTION

The National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) is a public
advisory committee originally chartered on July 7,1988. The Council provides
recommendations and advice to the Administrator and other EPA officials on ways to improve
the development and implementation of domestic and international environmental management
policies and programs. The NACEPT membership includes senior-level officials and experts
representing federal, state, and local government agencies and tribal organizations,
business/industry, academia, environmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
As principal constituents and stakeholders of EPA, these members provide advice and
recommendations on policy issues/questions and serve as a sounding board for new strategies
that the Agency is developing.

In the Fall 2000, the Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) requested
that NACEPT help the Agency evaluate it s human resource planning efforts. Specifically
NACEPT was asked to review EPA's human resource planning strategy outlined in EPA's
Workforce Assessment Project (WAP) and Strategy for Human Capital. The two documents
provide a clear understanding of EPA's current workforce demographics and the potential drivers
facing the Agency in developing its workforce of the future.  The Council's observations and
recommendations are discussed in Section n of this report.

Not unlike other public sector agencies, EPA will be hard-pressed to attract and retain qualified
staff members hi a competitive job marketplace, while at the same time having to carry out its
mission in an era where the public expects government to do more with less funding.

The federal government is under increasing pressure to be more accountable, more efficient, and
less costly.  This is clearly an outgrowth of experiments in privatization and economic efficiency
that began in the mid 1990's in local governments and has now shifted towards several large
state governments.

Many of the current competitive trends in public administration are already being addressed by
private sector businesses. EPA's Workforce Assessment Project and Strategy for Human Capital
show that privatization and outsourcing have not been given a sufficient level of consideration.
While these documents are based on an assumption that EPA staff will be responsible for
completion of all of these goals and objectives, there are numerous examples of agencies and
functions once thought to be staffed and managed by public sector employees that have been
turned over to private sector operators or employee teams working under long-term service
agreements.  Based  on this trend, in the near future many federal agencies will be asked to


                                         -1-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

consider radical ideas in order to achieve their overall mission.  Clearly, a "business as usual"
attitude toward staffing federal agencies must change dramatically to respond to the imminent
loss of key personnel as  about half of the federal work force will be eligible to retire or take
"early out" in the next five years.

Despite policy statements that "people are our most important asset," all too often are the one
asset that is not strategically managed. Comprehensive human resource planning is an important
task that deserves the attention of the Administrator and the senior leadership.

Fundamentally, all personnel systems must:

   •   Attract, retain and motivate personnel

   •   Assign and progress (promote) personnel through a series of jobs to ensure that people
       gain the experience that is desired to accomplish specific jobs in the future;

   •   Provide people with the education  and training to complement the experiences they get
       "on-the-job."

The current model at EPA is to bring employees in straight out of college and move them
through the system until retirement.  This model, however, may not be able to deliver the
age/experience profile EPA needs after a decade of reduced hiring opportunities. This report
provides recommendations to help EPA address the management of its human resources to meet
the aspirations of its employees while achieving its mission.
                                           -2-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	  April 2001
                                  H. APPROACH


Three sources of information were utilized in preparing this report:

   1.  Discussions with EPA human resource program managers

   2.  Background documents provided by the EPA, particularly the Workforce Assessment
      Project and Strategy for Human Capital.

   3.  Briefings by the Comptroller General of the United States, the Office of Personnel
      Management strategic planning manger, and a representative of the National Academy of
      Public Administration regarding trends in human resource management in the Federal
      government

Ultimately, the NACEPT Workforce Capacity Workgroup members used their experience in
both the public and private sectors, to develop the observations and recommendations. This
report is being submitted at this time to serve as a record of the Council's "real-time" advice and
recommendations on the Agency's human resource planning efforts.

The Workgroup's progress was reported to the full NACEPT Council at the November 8-9,
2000 meeting. The draft final recommendations were submitted to the NACEPT Council for
review and approval in late February 2001.  The Council discussed the recommendations with
the EPA program  managers during its March 21,2001 meeting in Washington, D.C.
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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

                               m.  OBSERVATIONS

0ARM's original charge was in the form of a specific list of questions which follow together
with the observations of the Workgroup and NACEPT Council.

How does the Agency's human resource efforts compare with those considered to be
benchmarks in the private/public sector?

•  The Agency's human resource efforts do not currently compare very favorably to benchmark
   organizations in the private sector. The Workforce Assessment develops a view of where the
   Agency would like to be in 2020, but provides neither a strategy nor a process to transform
   today's workforce into the desired workforce of the future.

•  The Workforce Assessment Project and the EPA: "Strategy for Human Capital" do not
   include enough quantitative data, e.g. the age/experience distribution within the Agency, data
   on skills assessments, transferability of skills, etc.

         The Strategy Document was too general and lacked tangible goals and goal-directed
         tangible actions and should include specific direction to the Agency implementation.
         The document should include measurements for progress toward goals.

         EPA should develop a  "transformation" plan that defines the specific goals and, more
         importantly, the specific actions that the Agency needs to take to reach those goals.

•  NACEPT believes that the Agency is facing a human resource crisis of significant
   magnitude, yet the materials reviewed did not propose actions necessary to ameliorate the
   crisis.

•  One aspect of transformation is career planning and training. The Volcker Commission1
   noted mat training was not a strength of the Federal Government. EPA has the opportunity to
   use training as a significant tool to enhance the management and development of its
   personnel.

   However, this transcends a human resource plan. It represents a significant commitment on
   the part of the Agency to incur short-term costs and longer-term benefits. Examples of the
   commitment to training as a part of career development can be found within the Federal
   government (i.e., DoD's programs for professional education of military officers and senior
             The Report of the National Commission on the Public Service and the Task Force
             Reports to the National Commission on the Public Service. Paul A. Volcker,
             Chairman (1989): "Leadership for America, Rebuilding the Public Service."
                                         -4-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

   civilians), as well as in such private firms as Merck and Intel.

•  NACEPT benchmarked  public and private organizations that  have quantitative goals and
   support those goals using robust collection, maintenance, and archiving of human resource
   data.  This data can be used for trends analysis and program assessment.

•  NACEPT benchmarked public and private organizations that monitor progress toward goals
   via employee opinion surveys and similar "soft" measurement processes. A drawback to
   using such feedback as the sole measuring instrument is that the process can be very
   subjective and may provide only individual employee perceptions, regardless of whether they
   are accurate or true.

   As general guidance on conducting organizational surveys NACEPT recommends that the
   Agency be prepared to address any questions or issues that arise from the survey. In advance
   of conducting a survey, there must be top level commitment to take action on any issues that
   a survey identifies as a problem (or a perceived problem).

   It will be necessary to find ways to answer the "hard" questions. EPA needs to develop
   measures  for tracking progress toward goals, e.g., How do people move through the
   organization?  What are the actual Career Paths? What does it take for an individual to
   advance?

•  Surveys must provide for immediate feedback and response and acknowledgment of the
   issues from high levels of management.  Benchmarked organizations also use such measures
   to identify issues for deeper examination or "drill-down," and potential strategic planning and
   implementation. For example:

         Intel: On identifying Management expertise -Intel has 10 years of tracking of their
         successful managers to help identify determining factors for success. For example,
         the level of education has a huge impact on individual success versus more "political
         stuff'.

         Intel has identified a number of behavioral elements related to the success of its
         employees. To capitalize on these findings, they developed internal opportunities to
         enhance the professional growth of their managers. For example, management courses
         were developed based on the findings of the "Successful Manager" study. One of the
         "behavioral elements" finds that employees who utilized internal training
         opportunities were more likely to move up in the organization.

         Intel's human resources department has a research budget for collecting and analyzing
         data in support of studies such as the one described above. It maintains a substantial
         employee data base which helps to identify the qualities, background, and behaviors
         which correlate to higher levels of success in the organization.


                                          -5-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

         The Department of Defense stores data to identify how people move through the
         system. It has found that changes in compensation correlate with separations, i.e.
         people who moved up in the organization and have increased compensation tend to
         stay longer. Employees hi lower salary brackets and those in "dead-end" positions are
         more likely to leave. Longitudinal files are maintained on individuals which allows
         analyses on groups/categories based on the historical numbers (not limited by
         employee responses).

         Merck employee surveys utilize a mini-control group/panel to provide more frequent
         feedback on questions as they arise.  This sample group is surveyed by e-mail and
         results in effectively a 100% response. This sample group is periodically "calibrated"
         against the total population.

•  Many organizations in the public and private sectors regularly conduct analyses to link
   employee data with other stakeholder and/or organizational performance measures and
   outcomes. For example, several organizations benchmarked attempt to link changes in
   employee perceptions and satisfaction to changes in employee retention, absenteeism,
   productivity, and related measures of employee engagement/effectiveness.  This allows
   organizations to assess the success or failure of their human resource programs and
   initiatives.

How can OARM integrate its strategic planning process with the Agency's strategic plan?

•  Human resources strategic planning needs to be an integral part of EPA's overall strategic
   plan, and the process by which the strategic plan is developed.  This begins within the highest
   levels of management within EPA. If human resource planning is viewed as an add-on
   process or afterthought, it will not receive the attention or resources necessary to transform
   today's workforce to the desired workforce of tomorrow.

•  Only when Human Resources is integrated into the strategic planning process will the
   Agency be able to truly identify the necessary skills and knowledge needed to fulfill its
   objectives and reflect the capabilities of EPA's workforce.

•  The new Administration has a unique opportunity to fully integrate human resource planning
   with the overall strategic planning of the Agency.  To make a successful case for needing an
   integrated strategic plan, HR must have data and use statistics to support the issues, e.g.
   turnover - people leave when they are unhappy with management, training, career
   development, etc.
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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

Is OARM doing enough in human resource planning to identify appropriate priorities and
attain the Agency's human resource goals?

•  While the six goals are good concepts, they are general and are applicable to any
   organization. It is not clear how these goals specifically address the mission of the Agency
   and/or its strategic goals.  For example, Goal 3 states that EPA seeks to be innovative,
   creative, and risk-taking at all levels of the organization. It is unclear how EPA plans to
   measure any of these characteristics or to instill them in the workforce. If EPA cannot
   define, measure, or describe these characteristics, it is impossible to identify appropriate
   priorities and/or progress towards achieving relevant goals.

•  The general concepts and qualities embraced in any goal must be translated into specific
   measures and outcomes. For example, the Agency has a general goal of achieving and
   maintaining "clean air," but over time, it has developed specific standards and precise
   procedures for attaining this goal. Nothing less is required for defining and attaining EPA's
   human resource plans and goals.

Has EPA allocated the appropriate level of resources to support its human resource
development goals (i.e., address program administrator resources, as well as, resources that
should be directed toward individual development)?

•  It appears that EPA lacks a disciplined human resources planning process, and needs to have
   a comprehensive approach to human resource development. For example, development of an
   EPA employee should prepare him/her to serve anywhere in the Agency, and not just the
   specific program in which he/she is employed. In addition to education, job experience is a
   critical factor in career development. This could be accomplished through details,
   developmental assignments, IPA's, and open competition for advancement.  It is particularly
   important to have developmental assignments between and among Regional Offices and
   Washington headquarters.

•  Career development and developmental programs must be reinforced, both in daily work, and
   in the career/progression planning. For example, the Agency should reinforce career
   development by requiring broad experience as a prerequisite for advancement to higher
   managerial positions.

•  The commitment for personnel development has to start at the top, as the Administrator
   strives to relieve the burdened organization of the short-term costs of "giving up" an
   employee for training or developmental assignments. In other words, trade-off between
   short-term costs and longer-term benefits be acknowledged at the highest levels of the
   organization.
                                          -7-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001

How can EPA compete effectively in attracting and retaining talented employees in a job
market that offers job seekers multiple choices?

•  It is well understood that compensation needs to be competitive, and that EPA needs to be an
   advocate within the Federal government for competitive salaries that are specific to
   occupations and geographic locations.

•  The Federal government in general, and EPA specifically, has more to offer than just
   financial remuneration.  The Agency needs to emphasize and promote the high calling of
   public service, the cause of the environment, and the opportunity to work on "big problems"
   and to make a difference.  Nonetheless air compensation cannot be minimized.

•  It is clear that EPA has not catalogued or implemented the full range of programs being used
   by other Federal agencies to attract and retain personnel. Examples of such programs include
   repaying of student loans, recruitment bonuses, expedited hiring practices, expanded
   internships for new hires, and phased retirement for career employees. Such programs, once
   initiated, should be a continuing part of EPA's HR plan.

•  EPA should be aggressive in building partnerships with universities, and innovative in the
   use of Ph.D. research fellowships, grants, and contracts to expose graduate students and
   faculty to issues related to environmental  science and policy. This should include not only
   financial support, but also access to the Agency, its data, and its resources.

•  Creating awareness of and interest in the environment should start early. EPA  should
   continue to promote environmental awareness and career opportunities as early as elementary
   school.

•  Given the proj ected crisis of early retirement and loss of institutional knowledge, a target
   population for increased retention should  be those already employed by the Agency. If, in
   years past, it was  appropriate to offer "early out" bonuses to trim the workforce, it might be
   appropriate to offer retention bonuses to employees who are eligible to retire, but who agree
   to continue then* employment. This could be offered on a selective basis.

   This does need to be more expensive to the Federal government although it could represent
   increased cost to the EPA. This is because pension costs are not borne by the Agency. The
   advantage of such a program would be the maintenance of institutional knowledge, as well as
   an opportunity to transfer that knowledge to more junior staff, and a more orderly transition
   to a future workforce. It would also reduce the requirement for new hires and training in the
   immediate future.

NACEPT commends EPA for undertaking the human resource planning effort, and believes that
it is a productive approach for the Agency.
                                          -8-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

                             IV.  RECOMMENDATIONS

NACEPT endorses the concept of human resource planning, both as a means of meeting the
internal needs of employees, and in order to fulfill the mission of the Agency. The following
recommendations are made to assist EPA in developing and implementing a comprehensive
human resource plan and continuing planning process, recognizing that both the plan and the
process must be fully integrated into the Agency's strategic planning process.

•  EPA should continue the human resource planning process that began with the
   Workforce Assessment Project and the EPA Strategy for Human Capital, and the original
   tasks (i.e., Task 5: create a workforce development strategy for recruitment and retention, and
   Task 6: integrate human resource planning and EPA's strategic planning) should be funded
   and completed.

•  The plan should incorporate more quantitative information, with attention devoted to
   measures that will allow  the Agency to develop and assess progress toward tangible
   goals.

•  A "transformation" plan should be developed that defines the specific goals and, more
   importantly, the specific actions that the Agency needs to take to reach those goals.

•  EPA must address its workforce crisis and identify actions necessary to ameliorate the
   crisis.

•  EPA must address career planning and training.  This will represent a significant
   commitment on the part of the Agency to incur short-term costs for longer-term benefits.

•  EPA should collect, maintain, and archive human resource data that is used for trends
   analysis and program assessment, in support of the human resource plan and planning
   process.  This  should include use of longitudinal files on individuals, a "mini-control
   group/panel," etc., so that  linkages among employee perceptions, career development, and
   retention/longevity may be established and understood.

•  EPA should use employee opinion surveys and similar "soft" measures on a continuing
   basis to track  employee perceptions, as well as the Agency's progress in meeting the needs
   and aspirations of its employees.  Many of EPA's human resource goals and challenges
   center on issues that do not lend themselves to "hard" or objective measurement.

•  EPA must fully integrate its human resource planning into the Agency's overall
   strategic planning process, so that there is full coordination between the funding,
   development, and implementation of human resource programs, and the development of the
   Agency's strategic goals and objectives. This will require significant support from the
   Administrator and the Agency's senior leadership.

                                         -9-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

•  EPA must design and sustain a career development program that emphasizes both
   formal training and broad experiential assignments as a prerequisite to employee
   advancement Commitment to such a program starts with the Administrator supporting the
   concept of career development as an Agency-wide priority. This entails trade-offs between
   short-term costs and longer-term benefits that must be managed at the highest levels of the
   organization.

•  EPA should be aggressive in aU of its programs to attract and retain the required
   personnel to achieve its mission. The Agency needs to be an advocate for competitive
   salaries that are specific to occupations and geographic locations.

          EPA should emphasize and build upon the high calling of public service, the cause of
          the environment, and the opportunity for employees to work on "big problems" and to
          make a difference.

          EPA should catalogue the full range of programs being used by other Federal
          agencies. Specifically, it  should expand its partnerships with universities, and be
          innovative in the use of fellowships, grants, and contracts to expose graduate students
          and faculty to issues related to environmental science and policy.  Building awareness
          of environmental issues should start as early as elementary school.

•  EPA should take the lead within the Federal government in managing the upcoming
   retirement crisis, so that institutional knowledge is maintained and transferred to more
   junior staff. Rather than being passive, the Agency should be proactive in developing
   programs to counter early retirements, such as a retention bonus for critical personnel. EPA
   also should be innovative in creating new ways to engage former employees, such as phased
   retirements.
                                         -10-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology
                  April 2001
                                ATTACHMENT A

                           SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS

                                 Dates & Location
September 2000
(Full Council Planning Meeting)
Washington, DC
November 8-9,2000
(Full Council Meeting)
Alexandria, Virginia
February 21-22, 2001
(Workgroup Planning Meeting)
Tampa, Florida
March 21,2001
(Full Council Meeting)
Washington, DC
                                       -11-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology
                            April 2001
                                     ATTACHMENT B

                Members of the NACEPT Workforce Capacity Workgroup
               (The following individuals are also members of the NACEPT Council)
Chair: Ms. Dorothy Bowers
Merck & Co., Inc.
One Merck Drive
Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889-0100

Dr. Randall Brandt
Senior Vice President, Integrated Services
Burke, Inc.
805 Central Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Ms. Kirby Dyess
Vice President/Director of Intel Capital
Intel Corporation, JF3-151
2111N.E. 25th Avenue
Hfflsboro, OR 97124-5961

Mr. Grover Hankins
Professor of Law; Director of the Environmental
Justice Clinic
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Texas Southern University
3100Clebume
Houston, TX 77004

Dr. Charles Kidd
President, York College
The City University of New York
94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11451

Dr. Marc Rogoff
Vice President, HDR Engineering, Inc.
2202 North Westshore Blvd., Suite 250
Tampa, FL 33607

Dr. Bernard Rostker
Senior Associate
RAND Corporation
1200 South Hayes St.
Arlington, VA 22202-5050
Ms. Carrolle Rushford
Rushford & Associates
615 South Xenon Court
Lakewood, CO 80228-2820

Mr. Ned Sullivan
Executive Director
Scenic Hudson, Inc.
9 Vassar Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Ms. Anita R. Hanson,
Designated Federal Officer, NACEPT Workforce
Capacity Workgroup
Office of Cooperative
 Environmental Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C.

Ms. Gwendolyn C.L. Whitt
Designated Federal Officer, NACEPT
Office of Cooperative
 Environmental Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C.
                                             -12-

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

                                  ATTACHMENT C

    Charge to the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

             EPA's Strategic Planning for Meeting Human Resource Needs

The Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) has developed EPA's
Strategy for Human Capital: FY 2001 through FY 2003 which provides a fundamental direction
for the management of the Agency's workforce. It serves as the basis for the development of
Agency-wide annual plans and for the allocation of resources to support OARM's overall
priorities, which include:

   •      Succession planning;

   •      Attracting and retaining a diverse workforce with the competencies necessary to meet
          the changing demands of the Agency's mission;

   •      Enabling employees to perform to  their highest potential to achieve the Agency's
          mission;

   •      Simplifying and streamlining processes to provide superior customer service as well
          as to keep up with the challenges facing the Agency in the future; and

   •      Aligning management and planning systems to support employees in achieving the
          Agency's mission.

OARM is in the second year of implementing the Workforce Development Strategy, ensuring
that employees develop and maintain the skills and competencies needed to meet current and
future challenges. It recognizes that different  workforce skills will be needed hi the future, as
well as personnel with multiple disciplinary backgrounds and the ability to communicate more
effectively with the public in a multilingual and multi-cultural society.

Therefore, EPA is requesting the NACEPT to assess these efforts and related initiatives, and help
the Agency to focus its strategic planning for human resource development in the right direction.
In particular, EPA is interested hi receiving advice on the following questions:

•  How does the Agency's human resource efforts compare to those considered to be
   benchmarks in the private sector?

   - Using the Workforce Assessment Project and Strategy for Human Capital, workgroup
   should look first at what is happening within their own organizations that is similar and
   provide examples or resources to explore for benchmarks in private industry.
                                         ~13~       US. EPA Headquarters Library
                                                          Mail code 3201
                                                   1200 Pennsylvania Aveniie W
                                                      Washington  DC ?043';

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National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology	April 2001	

•  How can OARM integrate its strategic planning process with the Agency's strategic plan?

          Process identification for integrating the OARM's and the Agency's strategic
          planning processes.

•  Is OARM doing enough in human resource planning to identify appropriate priorities and
   attain the Agency's human resources goals?

   -   Based on a review of the Workforce Assessment Project and the Strategy for Human
       Resource documents.

•  Has EPA allocated the appropriate level of resources to support its human resource
   development goals (i.e., address program administration resources, as well as, resources that
   should be directed toward individual development)?

       Council members should general comparisons of percentage of expenditures dedicated
       to human resource development in their current or past organizations.

•  How can EPA compete effectively in attracting and retaining talented employees in a job
   market that offers job seekers multiple choices?
                                         -14-

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