SEPA
190B12011
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategy
FY 2012 Action Plan Annual Progress Report
Strategy 5: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
Continuously improve EPA's internal management, encourage innovation and creativity in all aspects of our work,
and ensure that EPA is an excellent workplace that attracts and retains a topnotch, diverse workforce, positioned
Executive Summary
In FY 2012, cross-cutting Agency actions under Strategy 5 focused on support of the President's pledge to make the
government "smarter, leaner, and more effective." Guided by the overarching application of strong resource
stewardship, our efforts were directed at improving EPA's ability to attract and maintain a talented and diverse
workforce and equipping them with the tools to work effectively in today's business environment. Our goal is to help
EPA employees work collaboratively to protect human health and the environment while operating with fiscal
responsibility, maximizing the use of limited resources, and demonstrating results.
Accomplishment Highlights:
•S Reduced Unliquidated Obligations (ULOs) and Unobligated Balances: EPA reduced ULOs on grants expired as of
October 1, 2011 by 63% to $13M and on contracts expired as of October 1, 2011 by 92% to $7.8M. The Agency
reduced the number of active grants with project periods of 7 years or more by 23% (213 grants).
>^ Increased Telework Use: EPA increased the average number of hours teleworked in FY 2012 by 35%, well above the
10% target.
>^ Increased Use of Video-Conferencing: In FY 2012, EPA totaled 96,134 video-conference occurrences, a 73%
increase over the FY 2011 baseline of 55,373 occurrences.
>^ Collaboration Tools: EPA's new email and collaboration suite, My Workplace, is poised to enable more effective
communication, coordination, and information sharing; provide secure access to information, anytime and
anywhere; and help improve productivity and effectiveness. Transition to My Workplace will take place during the
first half of FY 2013, with employee training focused on email, calendar, and contacts.
>^ Advanced Design of EPA's Modern Workplace: The Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) is
working with offices across the Agency to plan for and build workplaces that promote collaboration and improve
efficiency. EPA began workplace analysis planning in Regions 7, 9, and 10 and three headquarters offices. The
Agency completed space consolidation plans in Regions 7 and 9 and three headquarters offices. Execution of the
new space plan will be completed in Region 7 during the first quarter of FY 2013. Plans to redesign space in Region
10 should be completed by the second quarter of FY 2013.
>^ Integrated Sustainable Waste Management: Region 9 decreased overall waste generation in the Regional office by
12% and achieved a 97% rate for diverting materials to composting and recycling, in lieu of landfills, saving $45,900.
Clear the Clutter efforts produced more than 30 tons of recycled paper and 8,000 pounds of e-waste and removed
450 file cabinets and other office furniture.
>^ Reduced Average Time to Hire: EPA streamlined tools that make the hiring process easier and faster for Agency
hiring managers, including:
• Released 13 standard recruitment packages in FY 2012. A total of 23 occupations now have standardized
recruitment packages. Seven percent of successful recruitment actions in FY 2012 utilized a standard
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities 1
-------
package, a 4% increase over FY 2011. When used, standardized recruitment packages decreased end-to-end
hiring time by an average of 32 days.
• Instituted the use of Adobe Connect during the hiring process, saving time and fostering a more
collaborative process between subject matter experts and human resources specialists.
• Issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for shared certificates, which allows a Region/program office
to make multiple selections across organizational components for like positions from a single certificate
when using standardized recruitment packages.
• The HR Fast Track System is ready for testing. This online solution will provide managers with one-stop
shopping to assemble their standard recruitment packages.
•S Strengthened Framework for Ensuring Workforce Quality and Diversity: The Agency issued the EPA Diversity and
Inclusion Strategic Plan and distributed quarterly Diversity Dashboard reports providing extensive demographic
information on EPA's workforce.
-S Key Finding in Workforce Planning: A key finding from the FY 2012 Gap Analysis Report is that EPA will need to shift
occupational series for approximately 236 positions over the next 4 years to secure scientific/technical skills and
competencies to meet future mission requirements.
Challenges:
•S Reduce Average Time to Hire to 86 days: EPA's FY 2012 average time to hire was 94 days for all General Schedule
(GS) and Senior Executive Service (SES) positions. Factors that challenged the Agency's efforts to reach EPA's FY
2012 86-day goal:
• To help manage the Agency's budget, EPA instituted a hiring pause during the first half of FY 2012, which
resulted in an intentional slow-down of hiring actions.
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directed agencies to include hiring for SES positions in their time-
to-hire calculations. The timeline for SES hiring does not align with the 80-day process established by OPM for
GS positions.
• The interview and selection timeframe consistently exceeds the 21 days provided for in OPM's model.
• Other challenges: Many EPA scientific/specialist occupations require longer hiring times, and the 13-day limit on
the period a vacancy is open (a key part of the OPM model) cannot be required for many positions due to EPA's
collective bargaining agreements.
Next Steps:
• Building upon an email sent to senior Agency leaders stressing the need for hiring officials to make selections
within 20-30 days, continue ongoing partnerships and communication with customers/hiring officials regarding
hiring targets and expectations.
• Establish quarterly targets as part of a graduated approach to meeting the 86-day goal in FY 2013, and issue
quarterly "Time-to-Hire" reports to ensure headquarters and Regional offices are aware of hiring time
requirements and how the Agency is performing.
• Create applicant "how-to" videos. These quick clips will be part of EPA vacancy announcements on USAJobs to
assist applicants with navigating the site and completing their applications.
•S Modern Workplace: This is an ambitious, multi-year, cross-Agency effort for which we need continued
headquarters and Regional leadership, communication and collaboration, commitment, and mutual adherence to
timelines to ensure progress and success. Challenges faced in FY 2012 included the need to adjust the timing of our
plans in response to funding uncertainties and the need to resolve union concerns.
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
-------
FY 2012 Performance Summary
Strategy 5: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
FY 2012 Action Plan Activity
Status/Explanation
= Activity Complete
1. Reduce time to hire and ensure a well-qualified and
diverse candidate pool: Shortening the timeframe for
making selections for Agency vacancies is the key to
having the talent in place when needed to meet
mission requirements. We expect to continue reducing
hiring time by automating processes and improving
hiring tools and practices, including increased use of
standardized recruitment packages, to ensure we hire
the best talent available (Supports Principle 1).
Reduce average time to hire to 86 days, 10% below
the FY 2011 baseline. (September 30, 2012)
EPA's FY 2012 average time to hire was 94 days for all
positions (GS and SES).
The Office of Administration and Resources
Management (OARM) continues to develop and
implement tools to reduce time to hire.
• Released 13 standard recruitment packages in FY
2012. A total of 23 occupations now have
standardized recruitment packages. 7% of successful
recruit actions in FY 2012 utilized a standard
package, a 4% increase over FY 2011. Use of
standardized recruitment packages decreased the
end-to-end hiring time by an average of 32 days.
• Instituted the use of Adobe Connect during the
hiring process, saving time and fostering a more
collaborative process between subject matter
experts and human resources specialists.
• Issued Shared Certificates SOP. Allows a
Region/program office to make multiple selections
across organizational components for like positions
from a single certificate when using standardized
recruitment packages.
• Developed the HR Fast Track System, which is ready
for testing. This online solution provides managers
with one-stop shopping to assemble their standard
recruitment package. It is scheduled for Agency-
wide release in the second quarter of FY 2013.
• Email issued by OARM to Agency senior leadership
stressing the need for hiring officials to make
selections within 20-30 days.
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
-------
FY 2012 Performance Summary
Strategy 5: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
FY 2012 Action Plan Activity
Status/Explanation
= Activity Complete
Key Challenges:
• The impact of the hiring pause and subsequent 1-
hire-for-2-vacancies policy on the time used to make
hiring decisions.
• OPM's requirement to include SES hiring in time-to-
hire numbers.
• The interview and selection timeframe consistently
exceeds the 21 days provided for in OPM's model.
Other Challenges:
• Many EPA scientific/specialist occupations require
longer hiring times.
• The 13-day limit on the period a vacancy is open (a
key part of the OPM model) cannot be required for
many positions due to the Agency's collective
bargaining agreements.
Next Steps:
• Issue quarterly "Time to Hire" reports to ensure
headquarters and Regional offices are aware of
hiring time requirements and how the Agency is
performing.
• Establish quarterly targets as part of a graduated
approach to meeting 86-day goal.
• Create applicant "how-to" videos. These quick clips
will be part of EPA vacancy announcements on
USAJobs. They will assist applicants with navigating
the site and completing their applications. The first
of these videos will be completed in January 2013
and will serve as a prototype for additional videos.
• Continue ongoing partnership and communication
with customers/hiring officials regarding hiring
targets and expectations.
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
-------
FY 2012 Performance Summary
Strategy 5: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
FY 2012 Action Plan Activity
Status/Explanation
= Activity Complete
• Establish a baseline for assessing the quality and
diversity of the candidate pool for EPA new hires
through collection and analysis of information from
existing data sources. (September 30, 2012)
OARM, in collaboration with other Agency offices,
evaluated data sources to judge their utility for
improving our understanding of the quality and
diversity of EPA's candidate pool. For FY 2013, we
adopted a measure that utilizes the Diversity
Dashboard workforce data as a basis for conducting
targeted outreach and recruitment to under-
represented groups.
OARM distributed quarterly Diversity Dashboard
reports providing extensive demographic
information on EPA's workforce.
Establish a baseline for assessing quality of EPA new
hires through revision/ administration of an EPA
survey for supervisors of new employees.
(September 30, 2012)
By March 31, 2013, EPA will utilize two existing OPM
survey instruments to develop baseline data going back
through FY 2012 that captures:
• EPA hiring managers' satisfaction with selected
applicants after 6 months of service, and
• Satisfaction of new hires with their new positions
after 6 months of service.
2. Improve workforce planning: Organizations use
workforce analysis to guide organizational
developmental opportunities, direct recruitment
activities, enhance use of individual development plans,
and promote team-building initiatives. This will broaden
the strengths of the EPA's talent pool to better meet
mission objectives. Workforce skill need projections will
support management decision making on resource
allocations and effective management of staffing levels
(Supports Principles 1 and 3).
The Office of Administration and Resources
Management (OARM) issues a Gap Analysis Report
based on workforce projections from program and
Regional offices, analyzing potential gaps in mission
critical occupations, and identifying the data's
implications for hiring efforts, succession planning
initiatives, and training/professional development
needs. (February 29, 2012)
Gap Analysis Report issued August 30, 2012.
Key Finding: EPA identified the need to shift
occupational series for approximately 236 positions
over the next 4 years to secure scientific/technical
skills and competencies to meet future mission
requirements.
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
-------
FY 2012 Performance Summary
Strategy 5: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
FY 2012 Action Plan Activity
Status/Explanation
= Activity Complete
• OARM will work with program and Regional offices
to identify next steps in response to issues identified
in the Gap Analysis Report. (June 30, 2012)
OARM briefed and sought feedback from the EPA
Human Resources community, including senior
leaders and the Human Resources Council, on FY 2012
Gap Analysis and FY 2013 Workforce Planning
Process.
Lessons Learned: FY 2012 workforce planning process
provided a foundation for expanding the FY 2013
process.
OARM initiates Succession Management Pilot
Program focusing on developmental needs of senior
leadership, including the Agency's Senior Executive
Service (SES) corps. (September 30, 2012)
Draft business case and guide for succession
management beta testing is under internal review.
3. Build a Supportive Work Environment; Take advantage
of technology to improve collaboration and change the
way we work, including enhancing our ability to
telework and increasing employee connectivity and
productivity, while reducing costs, energy, and
greenhouse gas emissions (Supports Principles 2, 3, 4,
and 5).
• Increase the number of hours teleworked by 10%
over the FY 2011 baseline. (September 30, 2012)
• EPA increased the number of hours teleworked in FY
2012 by 35%, well above the 10% target.
Conduct and complete up to 6 collaboration tools
pilots. (September 30, 2012) Two examples of how
the use of these tools in the agency will help build a
flexible workplace are: (1) using an expertise locator
to find employees with specific skills across
organizations; and, (2) providing the capability to
allow employees to post and share work products
from both the office and remote locations.
• EPA conducted six mission-oriented pilot projects to
evaluate different cloud-based email and
collaboration tools. Business requirements
identified through the pilots were used in the
procurement of a new Agency
email/collaboration/professional networking suite.
• My Workplace will enable more effective
communication, coordination and information
sharing; provide secure access to information,
anytime and anywhere; and help improve
productivity and effectiveness.
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
-------
FY 2012 Performance Summary
Strategy 5: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
FY 2012 Action Plan Activity
Status/Explanation
= Activity Complete
Advance space consolidation goals by initiating
workplace analyses in at least 3 Regional offices and
a Headquarters location by May 2012 and
completing space consolidation plans in those offices
by September 2012.
OARM continues to work with offices across the Agency
to plan for and build workplaces that promote
collaboration and improve efficiency.
• OARM began workplace analysis planning in Regions
7', 9, and 10 and three headquarters offices.
• Space consolidation plans have been completed in
Regions 7 and 9 and three headquarters offices.
Execution of the new space plan is anticipated to be
completed in Region 7 during the first quarter of FY
2013.
• Plans to redesign space in Region 10 should be
completed by second quarter FY 2013.
Key Challenges:
• The need to adjust the timing of our plans in
response to funding uncertainties.
• The need to resolve union concerns.
4. Practice outstanding resource stewardship and ensure
maximum use of Agency funds by reducing
unliquidated obligations (ULOs) and reducing
unobligated balances (Supports Principle 3).
• Reduce ULOs in expired grants by 15% to $17.6
million and reduce ULOs in contracts expired as of
October 1, 2011 by 30% to $67.5 million. (September
30, 2012)
The Agency has exceeded the targets for both grants and
contracts.
• As of September 30, 2012, EPA reduced ULOs on
grants expired as of October 1, 2011 by 63% to $13M.
• As of September 30, 2012, EPA reduced ULOs in
contracts expired as of October 1, 2011 by 92% to
$7.8M.
By September 30, 2012, all Responsible Program
Implementation Offices (RPIOs) must close out,
shorten the period of performance, or provide
justification for 100% of grants 7 years or older as of
October 2, 2011.
All RPIOs responsible for grants identified as having
project periods of 7 years or more as of January 1,
2012, certified in their FY 2012 assurance letters that
100% of these grants were reviewed, and closed out,
shortened, or had a continuing need for the project
period length.
Reduced the number of active grants with project
periods of 7 years or more by 213 grants (23%) - from
932 grants on January 1, 2012 to 719 grants on
November 27, 2012.
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
-------
FY 2012 Performance Summary
Strategy 5: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
FY 2012 Action Plan Activity
Status/Explanation
= Activity Complete
5. Increase use of Green Conferencing and Green Meeting
practices to reduce business travel and the EPA's
environmental footprint (Supports Principles 2, 4, and
5).
• Increase use of video conferencing equipment by
10% over the FY 2011 baseline of 55,373
occurrences.
FY 2012 videoconferencing usage as of September 30,
2012:
• Total sum of duration (minutes): 3,178,469
• Total sum of occurrences: 96,134
% increase over the FY 2011 baseline (55,373
occurrences): 73%
FY 2012 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities
------- |