United States Office of Administration
Environmental Protection and Resources Management
Agency Washington, DC 20460
Office of Human Resources Management
Summary Report of
Human Resources
Council Meeting
Andrew W. Breidenbach
Environmental Research Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
October 16-18,1985
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SUMMARY REPORT
OF
HUMAN RESOURCES COUNCIL MEETING
Andrew W. Breidenbach
Environmental Research Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
October 1985
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Human Resources Management
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The Cincinnati meeting of the Human Resources Council made it
very clear that change is occurring and we are making real progress
in a number of areas of human resources management in EPA. In addi-
tion to advising and working with the Office of Human Resources Man-
agement, one of the most gratifying aspects of the Council is the
way in which the members have worked to bring about changes within
their own offices.
We are continuing the practice of printing summaries of the pres-
entations and showcases given at the Human Resources Council meetings
because we believe the work of the Council is of interest to many
employees at EPA. The summary booklet is our means of sharing the
ideas and transmitting to others some of the excitement and enthusiasm
surrounding the Council. We hope you will find the contents both in-
teresting and useful. If you are considering adapting any of the
showcase ideas for use in your Office, you may want to discuss them
with the contact person whose name appears at the beginning of each
showcase summary.
We are proud of what is happening around EPA and we are confi-
dent that the Council will continue to be a positive force.
.
Kirke Harper, Dii/£ctor
Office of Human Resources
Management
^*r/
Paul Keougtf; Chair
Human Resources Council
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CONTENTS
I. ADDRESS BY DR. JOHN H. ZENGER
II. ADDRESS BY A. JAMES BARNES
III. ADDRESS BY HOWARD M. MESSNER
IV. ADDRESS BY NATHANIEL SCURRY
V. SHOWCASE PRESENTATIONS
DISCOVER
ENVIRONMENTAL SKILLS UPGRADE PROGRAM
HRM ACCOMPLISHMENTS-A TEAM REPORT
MINORITY RESEARCH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
WORKING
ADOPT-A-SCHOOL PROGRAM
FEDERAL WOMEN'S PROGRAM
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
VI. OHRM PRESENTATIONS
SES AND EXECUTIVE RESOURCES
WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT UNIT
WORKFORCE PLANNING TEAM
CAREER MANAGEMENT TEAM
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM
TRAINING NEEDS SURVEY/EPA TRAINING INSTITUTE
VII. ADVISORY COMMITTEES
MANAGERIAL CAREERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE(FAME CONFERENCE)
SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL CAREERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Appendix: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
1
5
7
9
Region III
Cincinnati
Region I
Region V
Region I
Comptroller
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
37
39
41
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ADDRESS BY DR. JOHN H. ZENGER
President, Zenger-Miller, Inc.
Recently, I have been impressed with the human resources
achievements of public sector organizations. Unlike the private
sector, you have the luxury of looking at things in the long
term. Of our public sector clients, I believe EPA has done
the most extensive, thoughtful job. Your kind of collaboration
is a remarkable accomplishment.
What we're about, and what I think you're about, too, is
improving organizations. How can we make people more productive
and more satisfied inside organizations? At the same time, how
can we make the organization a better place for human beings
to live in? We've been talking about participative management for
the last 25 years; however, it is my observation that it's only
been in the last 4-5 years that we've seen senior line executives
really committed to doing something.
For the previous 40 years, management emphasized control. Jobs
were designed to be narrow, specialized, and repetitive. We did
not reward risk-taking or keep employees well informed; policies
were framed in language which came across as adversarial.
in order to discuss the things we can do as human resources
professionals and line managers to bring about some dramatic
improvement in organizations, we must recognize the fact that
workers are different today than they were ten years ago. They
are more independent, more dedicated to a profession than loyal
to an organization, better educated, more mobile, and more
diverse (more women/minorities). They expect to be more involved
in decisions, and they want more balance to their lives.
Some of the writings of Tom Peters and others point out
that there are groups within organizations that are many
times more productive than their counterparts. That happens
because when you get groups committed to what they are doing,
they can produce at far higher levels. In "From Control to
Commitment in the Workplace," (Harvard Business Review, March-
April, 1985) Richard Walton says he believes the future in-
volves our moving from an emphasis on control to an emphasis
on commitment.
How do you bring about committment/productivity in the
workplace? An employee needs: the freedom to create something
and see it through to the end; interest on the part of top
management; appreciation from the people around; trust
from the boss; a tangible monument to the hard work that's
been done; and a sense of camaraderie with the team.
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We know what turns people on and what brings about higher
levels of productivity, but the challenge seems to be how to
get there. We must lift the expectations of our own manage-
ment about what people can do, lift the expectations of em-
ployees about what they can do, and give them the skills and
the behaviors to be a lot more effective and productive.
They need to be better communicators, so they can talk more
forcibly and more intelligently with each other, so they can learn
their jobs more rapidly and can find ways to streamline their
jobs, be good team members, work effectively with a boss and
survive in a large organization where changes occur.
In the last few years, people at the top of organizations
have become much more concerned about the culture of the
organization, as well as its climate, quality of values and
its vision. This is confirmed by actions of top executives,
e.g., their increased involvement with people at all levels.
What can we do to help the visions and values permeate
the organization?
1. These visions and values need to be well defined.
They need to be written down and talked about.
2. Leadership needs to be emphasized. People can manage
without really leading, i.e., by exercising control.
Our work has shown that people in organizations want
to be led, not managed. However, to be successful leaders,
managers must get out from behind their desks and set
the tone.
3. We can teach people to be leaders. Leadership means
that a person creates values through a communication
process. Leaders repeat the values that the organization
stands for, whereas managers communicate on a "need to
know" basis. Leaders develop committed followers.
Leaders have high expectations and set a high standard,
always want to move to a higher level of performance,
and focus attention on crucial issues. Leaders are
the link from their group to outside constituencies.
4. Middle managers must start to work toward, rather than
resist change. The job of the middle manager is going
to change and people in these positions are going to be
very frustrated unless we define a real role for them.
Their role is fundamentally a role of selecting and devel-
oping high quality people. As participative managers, they
will become more involved in project teams and task
forces which are looking at broader issues.
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5. Executives' visions and values will only penetrate through
the organization and stay in place if. t^here are reward
systems and support systems built in to make that happen.
Historian Arnold Toynbee studied 650 civilizations, looking
at the factors responsible for bringing about major cultural change
His conclusion was that he had never seen a society or a culture
change in good times because the pride and arrogance of leaders
keep change from occurring. Only during times of adversity does
major change come about. At that time people will follow new
leaders who talk about spiritual qualities.
If things are good today, it doesn't mean they can't be
better tomorrow. If we're successful in getting the whole
person on the job—heart, hand and mind—and if we have execu-
tives with clarity of vision and values, then some wonderful
things are going to happen.
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ADDRESS BY A. JAMES BARNES, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR
University of Cincinnati Faculty Club
Mr. Barnes talked to the group about three main issues: how
human resources work fits in with the substantive work of the
Agency; the priority of human resources activities in the Agency;
and the future of human resources development.
He opened his remarks by saying that the things being done
in the human resources area are among the most exciting things going
on in the Agency today.
He spoke briefly about the history of EPA and its record of
major accomplishments in its short history. The fifteenth
anniversary of the establishment of EPA provides a good time to
review accomplishments and future directions.
The problems being faced by the Agency today are too complex
to approach in the old media-specific way. We need a holistic
view of the environment and we need to refocus our approach so
that we are managing for environmental results.
The need for high quality people is even greater now than
when the agency was started. We have been given the responsibility
for dealing with complex problems in which very significant human
values are at stake. The issues are immensely complicated and
they will require the best efforts of the best people we can
develop. These people must also be able to be team players
because the issues cannot be solved unilaterally.
Human resources work is not a separate effort outside of the
substantive work of the Agency. We must offer our employees the
chance to utilize their skills and abilities effectively and to
have meaningful careers. This work must be closely linked with
the work of the programs. There must be broadscale involvement
of the Agency's managers so that the expertise and insights of
the most experienced people are applied to the development of our
people.
The reassignment of several members of the Senior Executive
Service illustrates the need to make human resources changes that
reinforce the nature of our substantive program. People were
moved into programs where their backgrounds provided skills that
are needed now for those programs to move forward. He spoke of
the transfers of Henry Longest to Superfund, where Henry's
experience in running the delegated construction grants program
will give strength to the future development of Superfund; Mike
Cook to the Drinking Water program, which reeinforces the ties to
RCRA and other programs Mike has worked in; and of John Skinner,
whose move to R&D will provide that program with a very strong
line manager to give a sense of what is needed in the programs.
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Mr. Barnes then described the priority he and the Administrator
have given to human resources. As one of the Administrator's six
management goals, human resources development is one of the major
priorities of the Agency. [EPA's managers should devote sufficient
time to human resources issues.] The selection, development,
training, motivation, and guidance of people is the key function
of management.
There is a clear future for human resources development at
EPA. In addition to being a top management priority, there is a
grass roots element to it that will assure its future. The
function has the opportunity to blaze new trails for other areas
of the Agency. One example of this is the work that is being
done in communicating about human resources activities. This
work is showing the rest of the Agency how to use old and new
mechanisms to communicate inside the Agency, never an easy task.
Another area is technology transfer. The effort to get human
resources activities more widely understood by showcasing the
work people are now doing has demonstrated that ±here is a great
deal of value in sharing the knowledge we already have. New
isn't always best.
Mr. Barnes concluded his remarks by saying that he is
genuinely excited by the things he has seen the Human Resources
Council and the people in this area doing and starting. He is
confident that we will look back on this time in EPA's history
and see the human resources work as a significant achievement.
EPA will be seen as an organization that made itself a more
attractive place to work by taking seriously the career needs of
its employees.
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ADDRESS BY HOWARD M. MESSNER
Assistant Administrator for
Administration and Resources Management
Howard Messner began his remarks by paying tribute to the man
for whom the Cincinnati facility is named, former EPA Official,
Andrew W. Breidenbach. Howard recalled that two and a half years
ago in Cincinnati he challenged every EPA employee to do something
that would contribute to the reinvigoration of what he considers
the best Agency in the federal government. The 1983 National Academy
of Public Administration (NAPA) survey was the starting point for
that goal. Employees' participation in that survey and the
positive results of a recent follow-up survey by NAPA show that
we are moving in the right .direction.
Going on to discuss the Human Resources Council, he said the
idea behind it is to take the various skills, viewpoints and
backgrounds of the best of our employees and let them become the
self-generating leadership for this Agency. We have put together
a group of people under Paul Keough's and Kathy Callahan's leadership
and started on a path of discovery. The goal is to make it possible
for each one of our 13,000 employees to live up to his/her work
potential and to make their work meaningful. We do not have the
answers; however, through participation and intelligent choice good
things can happen. The Council is the investment in the future
direction of the programs of this Agency.
Howard highlighted three findings from the NAPA resurvey
which he believes are significant and which make EPA employees
stand out. The findings are: (1) a fourteen percent increase in
the number of employees who believe EPA is doing a good job of
protecting the environment; (2) a ten percent increase in employee's
views that they are proud of the high standards for performance
set at EPA; (3) a twelve percent increase in the willingness of
employees to do more than is required to get the job done.
As a follow up to this last point Howard referred to a recent
nationwide survey, Putting the Work Ethic to Work; A Public
Agenda Report on Restoring America's Competitive Vitality by
Daniel Yankelovich and John Immerwahr. The report says that
workers' ability and desire to do more at their jobs is in the
30% range; in our Agency 70% of employees are willing to do more.
He emphasized that we are in very good shape in this institution,
and we are at the stage of getting on with the work. The quality
of performance is now at a level that can sustain the issues
being placed on it. It is also important for us to get out of
the way of people who are motivated and allow them to do their
work with reasonable guidance.
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It is easy in government to blame those above you and point
out their flaws, and we sometimes find in our employees a tendency
to lay responsibility on others. Some of that is alright.
However, too much of it diminishes employees' taking responsibility
for themselves and their institution. As the Council acts as a
catalyst for new approaches, it should think about some old ideas
like performance standards and the way they are enforced. The
federal government is not a disciplinarian. If we are going to
have standards of quality, Council members have to be the ones to
set them, to protect them, guard them, and bring pressure on
those who are not performing.
The Human Resources Council is viewed as a positive, creative,
constructive group of people. However, it also has another
responsibility; it must deal with the behavioral and performance
problems in this Agency, a responsibility shared with the Executive
Resources Board. There is no greater discipline for a system
than self-discipline; there is no greater ethic or standard than
one developed and enforced by all the people who populate the
institution.
Howard also thinks the greater government community suffers
to some degree because it lacks cooperation across agency lines.
As this Agency progresses and more and more people discover what
is being done here, there will be an opportunity and perhaps a
responsibility to share the results with others. We particularly
hope we reach those who yearn for and would respond to creative
outlets and need some counter-culture of progress to point to as
an example of what they can do in their own agency. Howard serves
on the President's Council on Management Improvement, which will
be holding workshops all over the country to share ideas, in much
the same way that the HRC has. He encouraged those who have a
chance to talk to employees in other agencies to tell them what
is going on at EPA as a means of providing some very positive
counter-thrusts for the dourness in other agencies. The enthusiasm
at EPA is contagious.
Howard Messner concluded by saying he respects the Council
and what it has accomplished, and he appreciates that Lee Thomas
and Jim Barnes have taken these early efforts and made them
central to their own program.
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ADDRESS BY NATHANIEL SCURRY
Director, Office of Civil Rights
Nat Scurry began by defining the role of the Office of Civil
Rights(OCR) as having primary responsibility for ensuring that women
and minorities are afforded equal opportunity to participate fully
at all levels of the Agency's workforce. However, he sees human
resources as the responsibility of all managers and supervisors.
Before Nat became Director, OCR maintained an exclusive
ownership of programs and activities designed to increase full
participation of women and minorities. After Nat became Director
OCR moved toward a collegial approach through: 1) top management
hands-on involvement in setting broad policies 2) negotiating
specific goals with senior managers and 3) making implementation
of agreements the responsibility of managers and supervisors. He
pointed out that this was; a radical departure from the adversarial
approach that existed, previously.
OCR's ultimate goal is to integrate Civil Rights objectives
into the fabric of all human resource development policies,
programs and activities.For the second consecutive year, EPA
exceeded its overall affirmative hiring goals:
0 Fiscal Year 85 Agency goal was 52%; Agency achieved 61%,
for a success rate of 121%
0 Narrowed the gap from 20%-15% between the numbers of
women and minorities in the civilian labor force and
their representation in the EPA workforce.
Our success explodes the myth that we cannot locate and
attract highly qualified women and minorities. Through creative
means, such as the Minority Apprenticeship Program in Cincinnati,
we can attract and hire top flight women and minority candidates.
Switching from the Good News, Nat said, "The toughest part of
the job lies ahead. The task before us as an Agency and as major
partners in developing and implementing human resorces policies
is to resolve to implement all aspects of Affirmative Action."
To demonstrate the need for this resolve, he cited the following:
0 Minorities and women comprise about one-half of our
total workforce, yet they occupy 88% of Grades 5-8 and
95% of Grades 1-4.
0 Minorities and women comprise only 13% of EPA's SES
positions, an almost complete reversal. Between the
extremes, women and minorities constitute 46% of
Grades 9-12, and 24% of Grades 13-15.
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0 Even when one excludes technical and clerical jobs, in
professional and administrative categories, the pattern
is very similar and begs for continued attention.
Nat intentionally selected the data to make the point that
EPA must put together a long-term agenda with specific goals and
objectives to substantially change this disparity. He believes
it can be changed through a combination of external hiring and
internal movement. External hiring alone will not get us there.
Last year only 14% of our professional and administrative vacancies
were filled from the outside; that pattern will probably con-
tinue. Therefore, we must look to internal movement as offer-
ing the greatest opportunity. He is particularly concerned
about the movement of women/minorities into grades 13-15.
Since there is a significant pool of women and minorities in
grades 9-12, we might wish to target that population for OHRM
initiatives.
Next, Nat focused on creating a supportive environment
in which all employees, but particularly women and minorities,
can make the greatest contribution to the Agency mission. The
areas he addressed were: 1), role models 2), participation
in decision-making and 3), attitudes and perceptions.
A look at the Agency leadership shows no minority repre-
sentation at the top three levels in our regions. It is the
same at the three major labs; at headquarters there are no
minorities in AA or Deputy AA slots. Minority women must ask
themselves if there is any hope of becoming an SES, since
there are none in the 200+ SES Corps. Of the 4% minority men,
at least one-third are occupying staff support functions—jobs
that ambitious chemists, biologists, etc., would probably rather
not occupy. White females are about 10% of the SES Corps. Of
the 40-50 Division Director or equivalent positions in the
regions, less than five are held by women and minorities.
At headquarters about 12 such jobs are encumbered by women
and minorities.
Going on to challenge the Council Members, he asked, "How
many of you are comfortable in communicating with persons of a
different race, sex, national origin, or even age? How often
do you consult with them and seek their input?" He highlighted
a number of positive changes that have begun to occur:
0 Region III has a training program for Secretarial/Clerical
staff, and has EPA's only participant in OPM's Women's
Executive Leadership Program
0 PMD designing Career Enhancement for Staffing Specialists
0 Region V "Adopt a School" and Faculty Intern Program with
historically Black Colleges and Universities.
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0 Increased support for upward mobility programs where
a 1% goal has been set by the Administrator
0 Special Emphasis Programs for Women, Hispanics, and Blacks
in every region and major lab
0 Joint Conference on the Environment with Atlanta University
by Region IV, focusing on minorities and women.
0 EEO complaints down for second consecutive year; settlements
are up.
Nat is also concerned about and recommends that as we estab-
lish mechanisms to implement policies and initiatives, we ensure
the presence of a woman and a minority on every taskforce and
advisory committee, expanding existing ones if they do not in-
clude a woman or minority. He also suggested that if women,
Hispanics and Blacks are not represented on the Council we might
want to expand the Council's membership.
Nat Scurry concluded his presentation by making several
points. As SESers are rotated and new employees enter the
ranks, we need to insure the inclusion and expansion of numbers
of minorities and women. We must continue the Agency's Civil
Rights policy which has attracted minorities and women to EPA's
workforce in professional and administrative positions at
unprecedented rates. We should also look at internal movement,
especially promotions to grades 13-15. We must avoid placing
women and minorities in token positions or in areas where they
will fail. Assure yourselves that they can stand scrutiny, that
they are qualified to serve and contribute, but, don't require
that they "walk on water," when the only critical skill is
the ability to swim. His final point was that EPA is a regulatory
Agency working in the public interest to administer programs that
focus on communities at the state" and local levels. Those programs
affect minorities and women who live in the heavily populated
urban areas and are therefore exposed to special health problems.
Shouldn't we provide minorities and women a more responsible role
to solve those problems that affect and impact on them? We have
an opportunity to do so.
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Presented by:
Danny Lee
Prepared by:
Sandy Bingham
FTS 382-3311
DISCOVER
DISCOVER for organizations is a micro-computer based career
development system designed to help employees become aware of and
improve their suitability to the organization. They are able to
plan their careers in concert with the organization's needs.
DISCOVER prepares employees to take on more responsibilities for
their own career development. Users gain awareness of self and
of career opportunities. They become more motivated, and better
able to set and reach goals.
DISCOVER combines sound career development theory with the
advantages of today's microcomputer and software technology.
Assessments, career information, and planning activities are all
offered on the computer.
DISCOVER has five modules:
1. Understanding Career Development and Change
The first half of this module helps users evaluate their
levels of job satisfaction. This is done with interactive
exercises at the computer. The first exercise provides employees
with a Career Development Quotient, and the second provides a
satisfaction/dissatisfaction profile for the past 24 months.
Each exercise is interpreted by the system, and a summary is
presented.
The second half of the module presents a 21-item questionnaire.
This helps employees identify the career stages they may be facing
These stages include moving from a technical to a management
position, planning for retirement, and feeling plateaued.
2. Assessing Yourself
This module offers users three separate activities that
are relevant to assessing oneself. The first is a 60-item interest
inventory that is completed and interpreted at the computer.
This inventory relates the employee's interests to working with
data, ideas, people, and things.
In the second activity, users state three significant
accompishments, and the computer assists them in identifying the
skills used to achieve each of them. Completion of these activities
provides the employee with a list of position titles related to
interests or skills or both. If the system has the localization
option, specific position titles within the organization are
provided.
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In the third activity, 17 work-related values are defined,
and the user is asked to rate each on its level of importance
in work. DISCOVER provides a summary of the user's stated values
and helps the employee relate these to the level of satisfaction
attained in past jobs.
3. Gathering Information
Planning for career changes involves the acquisition of
accurate and timely information about the organization. This
module helps the user to develop a personal Information Needs
Profile. On the basis of this profile, the system directs the
user to appropriate information within the module. One section
teaches employees how to do an organizational study, using both
formal and information data sources. Another section compares
the individual's assessment of an ideal work environment with the
perceived present work environment.
4. Making Decisions
This module addresses goal setting and decisionmaking. Six
distinct types of career changes are described—moving up, moving
down, moving across, enriching, moving out, and exploring. The
employee is asked to select the kind(s) of change which may be
appropriate. Instruction is provided about decisionmaking and
goal setting, and an exercise to identify personal decision-making
style is offered. The user writes one or more specific goals
related to type(s) of change selected. Finally, the individual
chooses the goal of highest priority. This is done using a
decision matrix, which utilizes the self-information acquired in
Module 2, ASSESSING YOURSELF.
5. Taking Action
The user is now ready to take action toward the selected
goal by analyzing the factors for and against it. DISCOVER
assists the employee in finding ways to minimize obstacles and
optimize strengths in pursuit of the priority goal. A specific
time-oriented action plan is developed. Optional assistance is
provided with skills or information needed to accomplish next
steps, such as instruction in job-seeking skills and locating
places for further education or training. In localized versions,
specific information may be given about tuition reimbursement
plans, company training programs, and local educational opportuni-
ties.
DISCOVER can be modified to portray an organization's specific
employment data and needs. The system can print information from
any screen display, alowing the user to keep a reference copy of
key information. It will provide summary reports, allowing
offices to monitor the extent and patterns of the system's use.
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Presented by:
Michael H. Kulik
Region III
FTS 597-8923
REGION III ENVIRONMENTAL SKILLS UPGRADE PROGRAM
Region III has designed a skills upgrade program that is
intended to solve recruitment problems and assist in achieving
affirmative action goals while stimulating the development of
employees who wish to advance into technical work. Historically,
professional recruitment has been increasingly difficult, with
engineer and scientist candidates declining job offers and
technical employees leaving because their work is more administrative
or legalistic than they would like. Upward mobility has been
useful in moving women and minority group members into higher
graded positions, but upward mobility positions are becoming more
difficult to establish.
The target candidates of the program are the same as those
for traditional upward mobility jobs - employees who are dead-
ended at lower-graded positions, who tend to be women and/or
minority group members. The program's intent is to provide these
employees with developmental opportunities that will allow them
to progress toward the professional occupations, the immediate
target position being that of Environmental Protection Specialist.
This specialization was chosen because its qualifications
requirements are less stringent than those of professional or
scientific series. It has no positive education requirement, and
is flexible in terms of substitution of education for experience.
Region III has worked out an agreement with Temple University
which provides for college coursework that is relevant to
environmentalist work. The curriculum planned consists of a core
of sciences, environmental studies, technical writing and computer
technology. Temple has agreed to give a six-session course in
how to study and to give placement tests and individual counselling
to participants. They will also develop specialized courses based
on the recommendations of a steering committee of program
specialists. Courses (both core and specialized) will be offered
on-site after work hours; those that are relevant to environmental
protection work will be funded by the agency. Participants may
take courses leading to a certificate in Environmental Studies
awarded jointly by Temple and EPA. They may supplement these
with courses which fulfill requirements for an Associate's Degree
or Bachelor's Degree.
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The educational work will be supplemented by rotational
assignments and details that will allow for practical application
of classroom theory and a realistic job preview of EPS work.
Entry into the program will not be competitive; instead, any
interested employee may join. Commitment to the program will be
signified by a participant's successful completion of two courses.
Essentially, this allows employees to take the courses offered
without forcing their participation in the program, while
eliminating the need to deny anyone's participation.
Benefits envisioned for the region include, at the very
least, a better-educated workforce. Potentially, the program
will provide a solid, well-qualified applicant pool for an
increasingly useful position. Availability of qualified EPS
candidates will allow better position management, lower the
average grade, lessen the reliance on professional recruitment,
reduce turnover, and improve internal movement and upward mobility.
These, of course, also function as benefits for the employees
of Region III. In addition, the program provides convenient
developmental opportunities for interested employees. Although
it does not gurantee advancement, the program allows employees
to develop their potential in preparation to advance, while at
the same time giving them credit toward a possible college degree.
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Presented by:
Floyd Winsett
Region 10
National Field Rep,
HRM ACCOMPLISHMENT-A TEAM EFFORT
The sixty-two seminars I have conducted in the past eight
months represent a team effort by a number of the people at this
conference. This three-tiered program includes:
For senior managers: "Toward Excellence" A program that
serves as a catalyst for senior managers committed to turning the
idea of excellence into a reality in their organization.
For supervisors: "Supervision" A program to provide first
and second line supervisors with the basic skills needed to
perform effectively day to day.
For all employees: "Effective People Skills" A program
that develops individual understanding of how their own behavior
impacts others, develops skill in identifying the needs of others,
and how to develop positive interaction skills and cooperation.
I would like to share with you the ingredients that went
into this HRM accomplishment.
CLIMATE: Many of us here have been pushing human resource
issues, mostly uphill, for the past ten or twelve years in EPA.
Our efforts have met with varying degrees of minor success. The
past 18 months or so it has been more like riding the wagon
downhill or running to keep up with the interest and concerns
management have with our work force. The big difference, and one
I feel OHRM is responsible for, is a major positive change in the
climate toward human resources. It is this positive climate that
makes it possible for what I've been doing, and I think for most
of the efforts that have been "showcased" this past year.
COMMITMENT: It is this positive climate that has led to a
management awareness and commitment to support new HRM issues
and programs. For example: Ernesta Barnes, RA for Region 10, not
only provided encouragement when I requested to teach Effective
People Skills full time, but also provided 100% of the ceiling
and salary for 1984 and 50% for 1985; Don Ehreth, Deputy AA for
ORD, gave his full support to implement a three level program in
HRM for ORD, Toward Excellence for Senior Management, Supervision
for all ORD supervisors and Effective People Skills for all
levels of employees in ORD. Also, 50% of the ceiling and salary
was provided by ORD for 1985 and 1986. Office directors, lab
directors and other headquarters and regional managers not only
requested training for their people but also attended the seminars
themselves and funded travel and material costs.
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COORDINATION: Personnel Officers Art Sandoval, Mike Watkins
and Hector Suarez have coordinated these seminars and have trained
their own staff to conduct the Supervision program. RTF is
also conducting the Toward Excellence program for some of its
managers.
RESOURCES: No program can get off the ground without someone
willing to take the risk to say "I think this is a good program"
and provide funds to purchase it. Don Sadler is responsible
for the purchase of the Effective People Skills and Toward
Excellence modules . He and his staff provided additional support
that made many of my efforts possible.
DELIVERY: With the kind of team effort outlined above, this
part is easy, a far cry from just a few years ago. These
ingredients make for "ongoing" HRM accomplishments.
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Presented by:
Clarence demons
Cincinnati
684-7315
ANDREW W. BRIEDENBACH ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CENTER
MINORITY RESEARCH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Since the summer of 1980, the AWBERC has participated in a
Minority Research Apprenticeship Program with considerable success.
This past summer, 35 Black, Hispanic, and Asian students from
Cincinnati area high schools and colleges participated in an 8
week workstudy program, gaining work experience and exposure to
scientific careers. The students support and supplement ongoing
research projects within the laboratories and offices of the
Center. EPA scientists and engineers volunteered to be mentors
and to work one-to-one with the students.
The students compete to be accepted in the program.
Approximately 120 students representing 27 high schools applied
for the 1985 Program. A series of aptitude tests, interest
surveys, and interviews are used to screen and evaluate the
students. Students chosen are highly motivated, extremely
talented, and have a very high aptitude for the sciences. Within
weeks the students have mastered the basic skills and almost
without exception have become contributing members of the work
force.
The program grew out of a White House initiative designed to
stimulate broader interest in science and engineering within the
minority community and to increase the number and proficiency of
minority students entering technical occupations. High priority
is given to assignment of each student to a mentor who agrees to
serve not only as a Supervisor but also as a role model and
advisor.
The Program is administered through a cooperative agreement
between EPA and the University of Cincinnati's College of
Engineering and the Office of Minority Programs and Services.
Through the cooperative agreement, the University organizes and
implements a student selection process, pays the necessary
salaries, develops and implements an enrichment program and
provides an evaluation of the overall program.
Despite severe budget cut-backs and constraints, the Cincinnati
laboratories and programs have continued to support the program -
it being the only one maintained for the six years since its
inception. During this period 262 apprentice positions have been
made available. Funds are prorated between the participating
laboratories. The total cost of the 1985 program is $83,210.
New students are paid at a rate of $100.00 per week. Experienced
students receive minimum wage.
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Presented by:
Georgie Bishop
Region I
FTS: 223-4955
WORKING
The Region I committment to a supervisory-management training
program focused our attention on the management skills of the work
place at large. For several years we have recognized the need to
provide management training and career development opportunities
for our senior level professionals. The non-supervisory GS 12's
and 13's are the target group that will compete for most of the
new regional supervisory positions. The decision to provide
management training for all of our senior professionals required
us to train one third of the existing work force (165 employees).
We have successfully used the Zenger-Miller SUPERVISION
Program for all of our incumbent supervisors and managers since
September 1984. The selection of a subsequent Zenger-Miller
training program WORKING provided us with the opportunity to
establish training continuity and reinforce the skills learned in
the SUPERVISION Program.
WORKING is a value driven skills program designed to improve
the individual's ability to resolve issues with others, deal
with changes, participate in group meetings, be a team player, take
on a new assignment, keep the boss informed, provide positive
responses to negative situations, etc. The program is designed
to be offered in the work place and the sessions are facilitated
by our own employees. In Region I twelve of our supervisors
and managers are conducting the monthly sessions of the WORKING
program. The role of the facilitator provides our supervisors
with the opportunity to learn new skills, interface with senior
employees from all the regional programs and reinforce the skills
they are learning in the SUPERVISION program. The program offers
our senior employees the opportunity to learn the skills
necessary to communicate and participate effectively. We are
confident that these skills will increase their job satisfaction
in their present positions as well as prepare them for higher
levels of responsibility in the future. The program is voluntary
and we have almost 100% of our target audience attending the
monthly sessions.
WORKING, like SUPERVISION, is an attempt to apply practical
skills that will help employees to learn how to get the best work
from others as well as how to service other people who rely on
them for their work. The emphasis in both of these programs is
"to learn that cooperation, communication and contribution, not
manipulation and gamesmanship get faster and longer lasting results,
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Presented by:
Nicholas Bollo
Region V
FTS 353-8915
REGION V ADOPT-A-SCHOOL PROGRAM UPDATE
SCHOOL YEAR 1985-86
In May, 1984 EPA Region V initiated an Adopt-a-School
partnership with Washington High School in Chicago. The objective
of the partnership is to support instruction in academic skills
and enrich the educational program at the school by utilizing the
talent, idea power, and unique human resources of EPA volunteer
staff.
During school year 1984-85 a number of interesting projects
took place including the following:
- A team of EPA biologists spent a week with Washington High
School students examining potential environmental impacts
of the proposed 1992 World's Fair.
- EPA office staff were encouraged to save their aluminum
cans to be donated to Washington High School Can Recycling
Program. The funds received from the recycling program
are used for summer and senior students scholarship program.
- Several EPA engineers assisted students in developing
school science fair projects. One student's science project
advanced to the School District's finals.
- An Environmental Engineer in the Air Management Division
taught aeronautics and meteorology to honor physic classes
consisting of juniors and seniors.
- Another adopt-a-school project involved explaining to
students the damage caused by automobile fuel switching
and emission-control tampering. By explaining the damage
caused by fuel-switching and tampering, EPA hopes to help
lower the incidence of these activities in the Chicago area.
Planned activities for school year 1985-86 include:
- Assist students in developing science fair projects to
compete in the Chicago Area Annual Science Fair Program.
- EPA staff will participate in Washington High School's
Career Day Program.
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EPA staff will be conducting tutoring for students who are
at pre-algebra level as well as tutoring students in Earth
Science and General Science classes.
EPA Regional Attorneys will provide classroom instruction
to Business Education classes. Subject matter will cover
how environmental laws affect business operations.
EPA Public Affairs staff have volunteered to assist
Washington High School students in developing a school
newspaper.
Washington High School has acquired personal computers and
is in the process of developing a computer science curriculum,
EPA volunteers with computer expertise will be assisting
the school in developing the computer science curriculum.
EPA volunteers will assist in expanding the school's Social
Studies curriculum. The EPA Master Plan for Improving
Water Quality in the Grand Calumet River/Indiana Harbor
Canal will be used as a tool and serve as a foundation for
a unit on multi-media environmental concerns.
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Prepared by:
Connie Griffin
Region I
FTS 223-7215
FEDERAL WOMEN'S PROGRAM - REGION I
The purpose of the Federal Women's Program is to ensure
equality of employment and advancement opportunities for women.
It is integrally related to Human Resources and Personnel Management,
as well as to the Civil Rights Programs of the Agency.
The Federal Women's Program achieves a triple purpose: it
brings women together around common concerns and creates strong
inter-program networking; it broadens awareness and understanding
of attitudinal bias and institutional inhibitions which face
women within the EPA; and it lays a conceptual framework for
sharing of power, for genuine organizational and structural
changes—ultimately for full participation of women, with men, in
the workforce. >
The Program has initiated a Needs Assessment Program which
will serve as a model for the Agency; it is co-funded by the
Office of Human Resources Management, the Office of Civil Rights,
and Region I. This one-year program will be carried out in two
phases: phase one will include regional and headquarters
interviews, from which a questionnaire will be developed, reveiwed
and distributed. In September the results of this survey will be
presented in a number of briefings. Phase two will include
programs such as workshops, forums for discussion, as well as
training and will take place over a six month period. The forums
will address key areas of the interviews, the questionnaires and
the responses. The Needs Assessment Program will conclude with a
written evaluation of program effectiveness and recommendations
for further program development.
The Federal Women's Program is a diverse program addressing
a variety of careers within EPA. As such, it includes the
Secretarial Advisory Council (S.A.C.) as well as the Women in
Science and Engineering (W.I.S.E.) Program. It includes people
from all walks of life at EPA and fosters networking and
communication across programs and throughout the hierarchy of the
organization. Thus, the Program strives to foster interpersonal
communication and well-being, as well as professional development
and opportunity.
'"•*%
Materials Belong To:
OPPT Library
401 M Street, SW (TS-793)
Washington, DC 20460
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Presented by:
Leslie Baldwin
Budget Division
FTS 382-4204
OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
In November 1984, the Office of the Comptroller (OC)
established a Human Resources Task Force chaired by John Sandy,
Deputy Director of the Financial Management Division. The Task
Force included staff from a variety of grade levels and positions
in all three OC Divisions (Budget, Finance, and Resource Management)
The genesis of the Task Force was an OC management retreat during
which concerns were expressed regarding the development of our
staff into an effective "team." Specifically, it was determined
that there was no uniform way of integrating new staff into the
office, no clear policy in support of career development, and no
centralized method of identifying training needs.
The Task Force had several purposes: (1) to encourage
training and career development activities in the Office of the
Comptroller; (2) to establish a simple and clear process for
identifying the training and career development needs of all OC
employees; (3) to educate supervisors and employees on training
procedures and opportunities; (4) to increase mobility among the
three OC Divisions and among different job categories; and (5) to
provide an opportunity for staff of the three Divisions to
"network" and produce a useful cross-Divisional product.
The Task Force met frequently throughout the fall of 1984 and
the first half of 1985. After initial brainstorming meetings to
identify the problems and potential solutions, specific tasks
were divided up among members of the Task Force with the intent of
producing four specific products:
(1) Development of a Manual which would state OC policy on training
and career development, and provide employees and supervisors
with specific guidance on training.
(2) Development of a Comptroller Intern Program designed to bring
in new blood, provide mobility for OC employees, and develop
future managers who would have the benefit of experience in
all three OC Divisions.
(3) Identification of networking opportunities among the Divisions
and creation of an OC newsletter to provide news and
announcements about the activities of OC employees.
(4) Management of a contract to conduct team-building sessions for
OC managers, analysts and secretaries.
By mid-1985, all four products had been developed. Their
major features are as follows:
Career Development Manual - A brief, concise document was
issued setting forth an OC policy on career development. The
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Manual includes a one-page form which all employees are to complete
each May — intentionally separate from the annual Performance
Evaluation process. This "Personal Career Development Plan" will
list training and other desired developmental activities. Plans
are for these forms to be collected centrally in OC to provide
management with a broad view of training needs and enable group
training to be arranged to conserve resources.
The Manual also contains several Appendices to help employees
develop their Plans. Appendix A lists generically the major job
positions in OC (such as Budget Analyst, Voucher Examiner, and
Branch Chief), the types of skills required in those positions,
and the types of training that will help employees acquire or
improve those skills. Appendix B provides a description of the
types of career development activities employees should consider,
including "non-standard" activities such as rotational assignments,
projects with other branches, participation in Task Forces, and
meetings and seminars outside of EPA. Appendix C lists specific
courses and sources of training by subject area such as management,
computer skills, and secretarial skills. Appendix D describes
the process for requesting and approving training.
Upon completion of the Manual, members of the Task Force
conducted a briefing for all OC supervisors on the activities of
the Task Force and the purpose and requirements of the Manual.
Comptroller Intern Program - Working with staff of the Office
of Human Resources Management and Office of Personnel, the Task
Force developed a proposed Intern Program. General procedures
and Position Descriptions appropriate for internships in the
three OC Divisions have been drafted and reviewed by Personnel,
and are expected to be announced in the fall of 1985. The program
is designed to bring in candidates from within or outside OC at
the GS-5, 7 or 9 level, provide them with a variety of rotational
assignments and training courses for several years, and ultimately
place them in a permanent position in one of the OC Divisions.
OC Newsletter and Networking - Several issues of an informal
newsletter have been issued to date. Reaction has been very
positive and employees in all three Divisions have contributed.
Also, OC staff have arranged a number of "meet your colleagues"
brown bag lunches, as well as subject-oriented lunches which have
been informative and well attended.
Teambuilding Sessions - Throughout 1984 and 1985, a contractor
conducted sessions in which a large number of OC staff participated.
These included a session on communications between staff and
managers, another on communications between secretaries and
supervisors, and a planning session for managers to identify
cross-Divisional projects and priorities for 1986.
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Presented by:
Peg Anthony, SES/Exec
Resources Unit
FTS 382-3328
SES AND EXECUTIVE RESOURCES:
A PROGRESS REPORT, OCTOBER 18, 1985
The SES and Executive Resources staff, headed by David R.
Alexander, is one of the two units in the Office of Human Resources
Management. To assure high quality managerial resources for the
Agency now and in the future, "SESERU" develops policies and
programs affecting the Agency's supervisors, managers, and
executives. The staff also provides the full range of personnel
services to members of the Senior Executive Service.
In 1985, one of SESERU's most notable accomplishments was
the conceptualization and initiation of FAME — a Framework for
Achieving Managerial Excellence. This program, which will take
three years or more to fully implement, focuses on three key
processes to drive the quality of the Agency's managerial workforce:
recruitment and selection, training and development, and performance
and rewards. SESERU and the 50-60 Agency managers assisting in
the development of FAME will be integrating a set of criteria
including managerial skills, personal effectiveness characteristics,
and a mix of a varied career expriences into the three processes.
The FAME program is well underway. Over 50 managers and
personnel experts have agreed to work on the FAME project, and
met in September to get started. Senior officials have been
briefed and are in full support of FAME; in fact it is one of the
Administrator's top human resource priorities. Already the FAME
criteria are being used as requirements for SES positions and in
the performance appraisal process. Plans are to incorporate the
criteria into all supervisory and managerial job requirements,
vacancy announcements, applicant ratings and performance agreements.
The criteria were used to develop a mandatory course for new
supervisors, and are shaping similar courses for new and incumbent
managers and executives. This will continue through the development
of a full environmental management curriculum. Managerial
excellence — defined by the FAME criteria — are being used as
the basis for rewards for the Agency's supervisors, managers, and
executives.
SESERU has accomplished many other things during 1985:
(1) Issued two important policies — SES Pay and SES
Sabbaticals;
(2) Continued strengthening the Presidential Management
Intern Program;
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(3) Continued the SES Forums — a series of lunchtime seminars
featuring stimulating speakers;
(4) Began development of the SES Information Bank, an
automated system for matching senior executives and jobs;
(5) Supported the Performance Review Board in its efforts to
improve the SES performance appraisal and bonus/rewards
processes;
(6) Began revisions to the SES Candidate Development Program;
(7) Cut the backlog of SES recruitment actions in half;
(8) Brokered reassignments for underutilized executives
thus reducing that group from 45 to 4;
(9) Contacted all current and former SES members entitled to
backpay (resulting from a recent government-wide court
order) to speed the OPM refund process; and
(10) Conducted a study of how the Agency is allocating SES
positions.
SESERU recognizes the importance of communications and broad-
based support for institutionalizing these programs. Through its
weekly mailings and "SES Grams," SESERU has tried to keep members
of the SES informed. Wide distribution of a FAME concept paper
and a special Management Memo devoted to FAME have started
familiarizing EPA managers with FAME. Finally, the FAME Advisory
Committee and Task Force, the Executive Resources Board, and the
Performance Review Board have been avenues of two-way communications
and support.
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Presented by:
Mary Lou Melley
Team Members:
Kenn Cones &
Geoff Lewis
FTS 382-3311
WORKFORCE PLANNING FOR FY 1986
The Workforce Management Unit has as its focus the set of
all employees in EPA. We are working to improve three aspects of
the employees: the employee and his or her own career - in career
management; the employee and his or her job - in workforce
planning; and the motivation of the employee as a member of the
EPA community - organizational development/effectiveness.
The Workforce Planning Team has been working on the fit
between the employee and his or her job. How does a person fit
the job? Is the choice of a job left entirely to chance? Is it
like taking a number and seeing what luck will bring you?. The
team has defined the workforce planning goal as having the right
person in the right job at the right time.
The overall objectives of workforce planning are two-fold: for
the Agency - the optimal management of human resources; for the
employees - to be skilled and highly motivated.
In the workforce planning process, there are four major
steps. One of the hardest steps is for managers to describe what
the short and long term future holds, what will be the tasks to
perform and what skills will be needed to perform those tasks; in
other words, what kind of workforce will be needed. The next
step is to describe the skills of the employees on board. The
third step is the analysis of the differences between what the Agency
needs and what it has. And finally, a plan to provide for the
future skills by "reskilling" the workforce, by hiring strategies
and by staffing plans.
After a number of months of research and interviewing, the
Workforce Planning Team produced in August 1985 a Draft Strategy
for Workforce Planning in EPA. It contains a review of related
workforce initiatives in EPA, a data profile of Agency employees,
a summary of trends for the next few years, and specific Agency
workforce planning activities such as the effort in Region IV
last year. It also contains the results of interviews with twenty
Federal agencies and a review of private sector human resource
documents.
From the information gathered, the team has defined the
following four alternatives for Agency workforce planning:
Issue management involves study and resolution of problems on
a case-by-case basis, with the analysis being a personnel
operations function.
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Manpower planning provides workload and productivity indicators
for all activities and relates FTEs to these indicators.
Local workforce planning encompasses the standard approach
and is initiated by a particular problem needing resolution.
There is a high degree of commitment from those managers
involved, and it results in individual employees being
reskilled, to ensure they have the skills to meet the needs
of the organization for the next few years. An example would
be the Region IV effort.
Comprehensive human resource managment combines much valid
information about the employees, their skills and experiences
and career goals, with valid information about jobs, about
positions, and occupations, including the knowledge, skills
and abilities required for those jobs. This results in a
better match of people to jobs, better career management,
stronger accountability in the management of resources,
easier succession planning, and a very good tool for strategic
planning of the workforce.
For workforce planning to succeed, there must be an expressed
need for it, strong management commitment for it, substantial and
valid information on people and jobs, and staff dedicated to using
the system for better management of human resources. Ideally,
workforce planning should be part of the Agency's human resource
planning process, adding faces to the FTEs in the budget process.
In FY 1986, the workforce planning team will be taking the
next steps to see how workforce planning can be implemented at EPA.
We have written a task order and project approach for a
workforce planning pilot for the Superfund program. It will
help them determine what kind of activities and skills they
will be needing in the next three to five years, what their
current workforce looks like, and what hiring and training
strategies they should have to prepare for the future.
We are working with the Office of Water Regulations and
Standards at Headquarters to help them prepare the Regional
workforce for more complex wasteload allocation tasks.
In addition there are other projects in the planning stage
which are designed to initiate employee interest and
communication about his/her desires of obtaining a job or a
temporary assignment and having easy access to information
about job opportunities.
From these projects we hope to arrive at a workforce planning
methodology that will work in EPA, additional employee information
and training and staffing plans for the participating programs.
After evaluating these projects, we will be able to more clearly
define Agency workforce planning.
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Presented by:
Kenneth L. Wright
Team Members:
Sandy Bingham &
Carolyn Scott
FTS 382-3311
CAREER MANAGEMENT TEAM
OHRM's Career Management Team developed several initiatives
during fiscal year 1985. Many of these initiatives were shared
with attendees at the Hunt Valley Human Resources Planning
Conference in November 1985. The team's initiatives dealt with
conducting methodologically sound research in Human Resources to
identify data appropriate for use in a Career Management Program.
The project, SCIENTIFIC and TECHNICAL JOB ANALYSIS STUDY, has
progressed through the data collection phase.This included the
review of a representative sample of 450 position descriptions,
identification of over 340 tasks performed by employees in the
Environmental, Physical Science, and Chemistry occupations. A
series of subject matter expert panels were held in six locations
including Headquarters, and the Regions, to review the initial
task list and cull from it a listing of the most frequently
performed generic tasks for these occupations. This was followed
by the development and pilot testing of a task inventory survey
which was mailed to the 1700 empoyees in these occupations.
Survey responses are being loaded into a computer and analyzed to
determine if the responses are representative of these occupations,
organizations and grade levels.
Once this data is determined to be representative, several
reports will be generated to aid OHRM in the development of
appropriate guidance to aid employees in these occupations in
their career development. This informtion will be shared with
the Scientific and Technical Careers Advisory Committee and other
interested employee groups prior to launching a prototype Career
Development Activity for these employees.
A second phase of this study deals with a review of the
state of CAREER DEVELOPMENT with emphasis on the public sector.
A draft paper on this subject is being reviewed by OHRM to
determine sufficiency of the document and applicability and
linkage to the job task data. We expect this will result in a
practical and useful process for career planning at EPA, beginning
with Scientific and Technical occupations. We also hope this
data will prove useful to OHRM in clearly defining dual career
paths for these employees as well.
The third part of this study will result in the demonstration
of the JOB TRAK SYSTEM, a computerized job matching system. The
contractor is developing a coding plan to code SF 171s (government
applications/employee qualification statements) into the Job Trak
system. Tasks from the job analysis study will also be coded into
the system along with job descriptions. The computer will then
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produce a list of employees who are qualified for the particular
position. As this comes into operation, OHRM will be able to
demonstrate a computerized job matching system and examine its
utility to EPA for staffing positions.
The Career Management Team has also been involved in other
initiatives this fiscal year and the following briefly summarizes
them. The design and conduct of the HUNT VALLEY HUMAN RESOURCES
PLANNING CONFERENCE was the responsibility of the Career Management
Team. At that conference OHRM provided the basis for establishment
of the Human Resources Council. We reviewed OHRM responsibilities
of serving as a catalyst for Agency Human Resource activities.
We also discussed our commitment to this effort, examined the
ideal work environment and constructed a charter for the Council.
Beyond this and the job analysis study, a member of the
career management team served on a major prototype study titled
the ANN ARBOR RETENTION STUDY. OHRM introduced the Survey of
Organizations (SOO) for use in this study. An internal task
group has been appointed to deal with the broad umbrella issues
faced by the organization and the Office Director has committed
himself to moving Ann Arbor to a better balance of people with
concern for output.
Other initiatives include the revised TRAINING NEEDS
ASSESSMENT, the EPA INSTITUTE, the DISCOVER self instructional
career development program, PROTOTYPE ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS including pilots in OPPE(Managing for Inspired Performance)
and ODW (Managing Relationships at Work). Finally the Career
Management Team has been responsible for setting up the SCIENTIFIC
AND TECHNICAL CAREERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, the SUPPORT CAREERS
ADVISORY COMMITTEE and serving as liaison to these committees.
One major effort upon which the Scientific and Technical Careers
Advisory Committee is advising OHRM is the job analysis study and
the policy on membership in professional societies.
During FY'86 the Career Management Team will work to complete
the first phase of the Job Analysis Study and related projects
and evaluate them for application to other occupations. We will
complete work on the Discover program, and implement the EPA
Institute. We will also begin work on implementation of an Agency
specific career management program using the data from the job
analysis study as background for developing this workshop. With
these initiatives, we hope to address the major issue identified
in the National Academy of Public Administration study, EPA's need
to give more attention to employee concerns about Career Development.
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Presented by:
John Alter
Team Member:
Elaine Newman
FTS 382-3311
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM
The Organizational Development Team completes the Workforce
Management Unit's approach by focusing on employees as members
of the EPA community. We presented these goals at the 1984 Hunt
Valley Planning Conference: to be a catalyst for change in EPA
and to promote a vision of EPA as a community in which we value
people as our principal resource. To accomplish these goals our
near-term strategy was to do the following:
0 to develop and disseminate these human resource goals from top
management throughout the Agency to every employee;
0 to facilitate the exchange of information by establishing an
~ effective communications network;
0 to publish a variety of materials on human resource initiatives;
and
0 to advise organizations on team-building, improving their internal
communications, quality and productivity.
Accomplishments
At the HUNT VALLEY PLANNING CONFERENCE, we encouraged and
assisted the Council in developing a set of goals and a sense of
direction for its future activities. We conducted sessions aimed
at confirming the individual members' commitment to creating the
kind of Agency in which we all want to work. To make sure we
approach these tasks in a practical way, we discussed the scope
of potential Council actions and the possible resource and time
constraints members might face in their home offices. An effective
part of the Hunt Valley meeting was the voluntary showcase present-
ations given by several members on innovative human resources
initiatives that worked well in their organizations.
In May, the Council met at the MERIDIAN HOUSE in Washington
to go over their progress as a group and to explore further their
relationship with OHRM. The participants began to recognize the
uniqueness and significance of the Council as a force for change
in EPA. The group elected officers, assumed responsibility for
its own management, and proposed a committee structure to address
key areas of work. Another round of showcase presentations gave
recognition to successful programs and stimulated dialog among
members.
The OD Team managed the NAPA FOLLOW-UP STUDY of EPA in 1985.
Specifically, we helped redesign the questionnaire for the second
employee values/attitudes survey, preserving the majority of the
1983 questions for comparative analysis and adding new questions
related to OHRM strategies and programs. We served as a sounding
board for NAPA in interpreting the survey findings and producing
a quality report to the Administrator. We began to publicize the
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findings by developing and distributing a briefing which shares
the "good news" in the NAPA report and indicates the areas they
found still needed emphasis and continued effort.
We recognized in the EXPERT WITNESS SEMINAR an extremely
successful effort with potential for Agencywide benefit, and we
acted as a catalyst to bring together the Training Office, the
Office of General Counsel, and interested Agency clients to begin
to expand and institutionalize the Seminar. We provided seed
funding to initiate courses on a pilot basis and helped with
Agencywide marketing.
The Team was active in the COMMUNICATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AGENCYWIDE, including the circulation of the
Vision Paper presented by the Deputy Administrator, publication of
Summary Reports of the Hunt Valley and Meridian House Council
Meetings, EPA Times and Management Memo articles, and distribution
of audio-visual productions on human resources issues. We have
promoted the use of electronic mail and other new technologies in
support of our human resources communications network.
We also provided DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO EPA ORGANIZATIONS by
informing and advising individual managers seeking help with
organizational development. We were able to assist with the
planning and design of initiatives such as employee surveys,
interviews, retreats, and other tools for improvement, and
provided information on consultants or contractor assistance.
Plans for the Coming Year
The Organizational Development Team will continue to work
closely with the HUMAN RESOURCES COUNCIL in an oversight, support
and assistance role, focusing on the activities of the new
Committees (Communications, Policy Review, and Training) and
publicizing Council activities.
We will continue to publicize and promote dialog about the
1985 NAPA FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF EPA. We plan to distribute the NAPA
Summary Report to every EPA employee, and we will expand our
analysis of the 1985 employee survey data to incorporate the
findings into OHRM's program plans for the coming year.
ASSISTANCE TO EPA ORGANIZATIONS will continue to be a part of
our work, within our resource and time constraints. This year we
will compile data on organizational interventions (team-building,
communications workshops, planning and goal-setting retreats, etc.)
Agencywide to develop an understanding of managers' needs and the
consulting and contract services they have found helpful. This
will form the basis of a related effort to develop a "user's guide"
to aid managers in undertaking organizational improvement efforts.
COMMUNICATIONS is our overriding priority — we will work hard
to get the message out to managers, supervisors and employees
throughout EPA about OHRM strategies and programs.
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37
Presented by:
Carolyn Scott, OHRM
FTS 382-3311
PART I: TRAINING NEEDS SURVEY
The Training Needs Survey for FY'86 was sponsored by the
Office of Human Resources Management with cooperation from the
Personnel Management Division and the Human Resources Council.
The approach used this year to assess Agency-wide training needs
was different from procedures that have been used in the past.
We were interested in gaining a better understanding of organizational
trends in the Agency that would predict not only short range
training needs but the longer range career development needs of
our workforce.
Human Resources Council Members were asked to conduct group
or individual interviews among the senior managers (Office
Directors and Division Directors) in their respective organizations.
A questionnaire, developed by OHRM/PMD, was to be distributed in
advance to interviewees to facilitate the process. Interviewees
were asked to do long range thinking about issues that could
impact their organizations such as major staff changes, new
technologies, mission changes, etc. Then they were to think
about knowledge, skills and abilities that need to be developed
among current and/or new employees. Each respondent reported
their top 4 training priorities which resulted in seven major
training needs across the Agency. They are: Computer Technology;
Supervisory and Management Techniques; Personnel Management; Time
Management; Risk Assessment/Toxicology; Stress Management and
Effective Writing.
The Survey found that organizations throughout EPA are
considering several options beyond formal classroom training to
meet training and development needs of their employees. Some of
these options include on-the-job training, details and rotations
between offices (e.g. Headquarters to region, region to region,
etc.) and Intergovernmental Personnel Assignments. Responding
organizations reported the Annual Performance Appraisal process
and Individual Development Plans (IDP's) as Career Development
practices in use in some offices. Others reported they were not
using any Career Development procedures.
The objectives of the Training Needs Survey for FY'86 were
to:
0 provide a framework for managers to do longer range planning
to meet training and development needs of their employees;
0 provide OHRM/PMD with an information base to guide the
administration of the Professional Training Fund and for
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38
designing a Career Management System for the Agency; and
0 provide an information base for the EPA.Training Institute
to target course offerings.
A final report is scheduled for distribution in November '85
to Human Resources Council Members and Personnel offices.
Part II: The EPA Training Institute
The EPA Training Institute is a project which will expand
training opportunities for employees utilizing in-house talent
and expertise. This concept has been in practice in various
parts of the Agency for some time; however, the idea of an
Institute is to centrally coordinate employee-instructed training
to stretch training funds while supporting job enhancement and
career development for our employees.
OHRM will conduct an inventory of all in-house training
activity throughout the Agency during the month of November.
This project will support the Institute in its role as Clearinghouse-
Broker for identifying aggregate training needs and for organizations
requesting information on options for meeting training and
development needs of their employees.
A Director and Steering Committee are to be appointed in the
near future to develop policy and operating guidance for the
institute. The priority training needs reported in the Agency-
wide Training Needs Survey will influence the types of courses
the Institute will sponsor. A limited number of courses will be
presented during the first year with the initial offerings scheduled
for Spring of 1986.
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39
Presented by:
Kathleen C. Callahan
Region II; Managerial
Careers Advisory Com,
FTS 264-0455
FRAMEWORK FOR ACHIEVING MANAGERIAL EXCELLENCE
IMPLEMENTATION CONFERENCE
Easton, Maryland - September 23-25, 1985
Approximately forty individuals attended, representing the
Office of Human Resources Management, the Personnel Management
Division, regional, field and Headquarters program offices, in
addition to a consultant/facilitator and an Office of Personnel
Management representative. The purpose of the Conference was to
establish a task force for the implementation of FAME. Activities
at the Conference were divided into three major categories:
"What EPA's program for achieving managerial excellence should
achieve;
"What is needed to get from the present to this future and what are
the impediments; and
°What are the action plans required for instituting a management
excellence program.
These issues were addressed in small groups which reported
their findings to the task force members. Key elements of group
consensus on what EPA's managerial excellence program should
achieve included: emphasis on management as a.profession, consensus
within EPA on definition of management excellence, change within
EPA to a more positive culture, a reward and rating system which
reflects these elements, ensuring agencywide participation,
understanding and ownership of FAME, need and willingness for
systems and managers to be self-correcting, review make hard
assessments of who we are, where we are.
At the action plan stage, individuals selected the groups
which they wanted to participate in. Five major groups were
formed; the key program aspects which they will address are
outlined below.
The Communications Subcommittee will;
On a short term basis, highlight the FAME in as many appropriate
meetings publications as possible; get feedback from Agency
managers and other special interest groups, e.g., Women-in-Science
and Engineering, the Scientific and Technical Careers Advisory
Committee, Federally Employed Women, et al. Longer term issues
will be a marketing strategy, better definition of target audience,
integrating FAME concepts with other agency policies, such as,
classification, SPMS, Operating Guidance, the Performance Management
System, etc.
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40
The Training/Curriculum and Course Development subcommittee willt
Identify and consolidate agencywide needs assessments; identify
current EPA course offerings for executives, managers and supervi-
sors (E,M,S); identify offerings of other agencies/ the private
sector; relate course offerings to the Managerial Excellence
Framework (MEF) competencies or characteristics; develop a catalog
of courses; develop a "participative" developmental program,
e.g., IPAs, details, sabbaticals (other than SES), rotational
assignments; address policy issues related to this; develop a
training policy after reviewing current EPA and 0PM policies,
deciding where change is needed, who it should cover; consider
management training policies of other agencies, the private
sector; identify decision points; make recommendations.
The Performance/Rewards subcommittee will;
Deyelop a Performance Management System (PMS) that measures and
communicates performance goals consistent with FAME expectations;
evaluate how the MEF might be used by EPA in its PMS: sample
existing standards of E,M,S; collect data on how other agencies
handle managerial evaluations; consider establishing generic
portions of E,M,S performance agreements; consider the possibility
and means of employee input to E,M,S appraisals; develop strategies
and incentives for rewarding managerial excellence; collect data
on non-financial incentives in other agencies; review current
thinking and practice on incentive awards; explore alternative
financial incentives to those currently in place.
The Recruitment and Selection subcommittee will;
Establish a pilot talent bank for SES positions and personnel;
evaluate and develop standard language for use in position
descriptions, vacancy announcements, rating plans; define specific
indicators for MEF competencies and effectiveness characteristics;
define aspects of the selection process, i.e., applicant assessment,
appraisal forms, interview topics; consider modifications to the
Agency Merit Promotion Plan; consider issuing a recruitment/selection
policy; define and examine trend data to evaluate validity and
effectiveness of MEF.
The Program Evaluation subcommittee will;
Define realistic program success measures; assure adequate
justification for and communication of program as it develops;
establish an on-going evaluation of FAME, identifying corrective
actions and revising program design as needed.
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Penny Fenner-Crisp
Sci/Tech Advisory
Comm.
FTS 382-7589
SCIENTIFIC/TECHNICAL CAREERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Vision and mission statements for the Scientific/Technical
Careers Advisory Committee were just two of the significant
accomplishments to come out of the September meeting of the
Committee. Under the skilled direction of Jack Rosenblum from
the Atlanta Consulting Group who served as process consultant, the
Committee became a team, identifying its vision and mission and
proposing a series of objectives on which to work. The objectives
are being refined; nonetheless, individual Committee members have
made commitments to work on those initiatives believed necessary
to achieve the Committee's goals and to make the vision a reality.
The Committee has two standing subcommittees: 1) Training
(chaired by Mavis Bravo) and 2) Disincentives (chaired by Rosemarie
Russo.) This latter subcommittee serves to identify, and recommend
ways to obviate, those policies and situations that cause the
"science drain." The science drain is defined as the spending of
time by Agency scientific staff on non-scientific, usually
administrative, tasks.
The Committee also has a number of Ad Hoc subcommittees.
There are subcommittees to: 1) develop a policy statement of Agency
support of individuals' certification in specific disciplines, e.g.
engineering and toxicology; 2) evaluate the feasibility/desirability
of requiring a separate Critical Job Element/Performance Standard
for Professional/Career Development in individuals' Performance
Agreements; 3) monitor the Job Task Analysis for chemists and
physical scientists; 4) categorize and prioritize the Committee's
Strategic Objectives; and 5) determine the desirability/feasibility
of Agency ombudsperson(s) for career development.
The Committee recently completed a significant task-the
revision of the draft policy statement on Participation in
Societies and Associations. This policy statement, to be signed
by the Administrator, describes both the Agency's and employees'
roles in outside organizations whose activities are pertinent to
the mission of EPA. The draft statement will be circulated widely
throughout the Agency for review and comment. The key elements
of this policy statement include proposals that:
1) Each Office (budget unit) set aside sufficient travel
and/or training funds to permit no less than a specific
percentage of its employees to attend society and
association meetings each year.
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42
2) Excused absence be granted to employees willing to pay
their own way to at least one meeting per year.
0 Employees be encouraged to chair sessions and present
papers at society or association meetings.
0 Employees be encouraged to submit original and review articles
and reports to peer-reviewed journals; supervisors are
encouraged to support and promote such endeavors.
0 Employees be responsible for paying their own membership
fees and dues unless the Agency finds that membership is a
job requirement for the individual or that institutional
membership is advantageous to the Agencyt in which cases the
Agency will pay.
0 Employees be encouraged to assume leadership roles in job-
related professional societies and associations. Employees
appointed or elected to leadership roles shall be allowed
reasonable time and resources to carry out their responsibil-
ities.
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Appendix
HUMAN RESOURCES COUNCIL MEETING PARTICIPANTS
CINCINNATI, OHIO, OCTOBER 16-18, 1986
HEADQUARTERS
A. James Barnes
Deputy Administrator
LaJuana S. Wilcher
Assistant to the Deputy Director
Robert S. Cahill
Special Assistant to the Deputy
Administrator ;
Nathaniel
Office of
Scurry, Director
Civil Rights
Diane Bazzle, Director
Office of Executive Support
Office of the Administrator
Howard M. Messner
Assistant Administrator
for Administration and
Resources Management
Kenneth F. Dawsey
Deputy Director
Office of Administration
and Resources Management
Gerald Yamada
Deputy General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
Mary Boylen, Chief
Administrative Support Staff
Office of General Counsel
John Beecher, Chief
Program Management Staff
Office of Policy, Planning and
C^T -» 1 i i a t- i *"\r»
Office of Policy
Evaluat ion
Mavis Bravo, Engineer-
Office of Policy, Planning
Evaluation
Anne Miller, Director
Special Programs & Analysis Division
Office of Federal Activities
Office of External Affairs
Edwin Canady, Director
Administrative & Management Services
Division
Office of Inspector General
Robert Blanco, Director
Municipal Facilities Division
Office of Water-
Penny Fenner-Crisp, Chair
Scientific/Technical Advisory
Committee
Human Resources Council
Patricia Keitt
Office of Water
Joyce Hay
Office of Solid Waste and
Response
Emergency
Charles Freed, Director-
Manufacturers Operations Division
Office of Air & Radiation
Marylouise Uhlig, Director
Office of Program Management
Operations
Office of Pesticides and Toxic
Substances
and
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REGIONAL OFFICES
Paul G. Keough
Deputy Regional Administrator
Region I
Boston, Massachusetts
Georgianna Bishop
Personnel Management Specialist
Region I
Boston, Massachusetts
Connie Griffin
Federal Women's Program Manager
Region I
Boston, Massachusetts
Herbert Barrack
Assistant Regional
Administrator for Policy
& Management
Region II
New York, New York
Kathleen Callahan
Deputy Assistant Regional
Administrator for Policy &
Management
Region II
New York, New York
Donna Fishman
Presidential Management Intern
Region II
New York, New York
Stanley Laskowski
Deputy Regional Administrator
Region III
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Michael Kulik
Human Resources Development
Officer
Region III
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Howard Zeller
Assistant Regional Administrator
for Policy & Management
Region IV
Atlanta, Georgia
Lynn Agin
Employee Development Specialist
Region IV
Atlanta, Georgia
Nicholas Bollo, Chief
Personnel Branch
Region V
Chicago, Illinois
John S. Fleeter
Assistant Regional Administrator
for Management
Region VI
Dallas, Texas
William Rice
Deputy Regional Administrator
Region VII
Kansas City, Missouri
Delores Platt, Associate
Assistant Regional Administrator
for Policy & Management
Region VII
Kansas City, Missouri
Linda Adams, Chief
Personnel & Organization Branch
Region VIII
Denver, Colorado
John Spafford, Chief
Personnel & Organization Branch
Region IX
San Francisco, California
John Duff
Region IX
San Francisco, California
Nora McGee, Director
Management Division
Region X
Seattle, Washington
Floyd Winsett
National Field Coordinator for
Human Resources
Region X
Seattle, Washington
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LABORATORIES
Frank Princiotta, Director
Air & Energy Engineering Research
Laboratory
Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina
Michael Watkins
Personnel Officer
Office of Administration
Cincinnati, Ohio
William Frietsch, Director
Program Operations Office
Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, Ohio
Arthur Sandoval, Chief
Personnel Operations Branch
Las Vegas, Nevada
Hector Suarez, Director
Personnel Management Division
Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT DIVISION
Clarence Hardy
Director
Michael Hamlin
Training Officer
Program Assessment & Support
Branch
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
K. Kirke Harper, Director
Workforce Management Unit
F. Cleo Spartin, Director
Mary Lou Melley
Workforce Planning Team
Kenneth Wright
Career Management Team
Carolyn Scott
Career Management Team
John Alter
Organizational Development Team
Elaine Newman
Organizational Development Team
Donald Sadler, Chief
Program Assessment & Support
Branch
SES and Executive Resources
Peg Anthony
Executive Development Programs
Doris McCurdy
Executive Operations Team
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