190B13005 United States Environmental Protection Agency Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategy FY 2013 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 to meet and address the environmental challenges of the 21st century. Executive Summary In FY 2013, cross-cutting Agency actions under Strategy 5 focused on improving the Agency's ability to work more collaboratively, efficiently, and effectively. Our efforts were directed at maintaining a talented and diverse workforce, providing employees with a flexible and collaborative work environment, and equipping them with the tools to work effectively in today's business environment. Our goal is to build a modern workplace where EPA employees are knowledgeable, skilled, encouraged, and enabled to do their best work in a collaborative environment, protecting human health and the environment while operating with fiscal responsibility, maximizing the use of limited resources, and demonstrating results. Accomplishments: •S Advanced Collaboration with My Workplace Deployment - EPA completed an Agency-wide migration to a new suite of tools and capabilities that included email, instant messaging, calendar, and contacts. The Agency also implemented Microsoft Office Online 2013 and provided access to SkyDrive shared storage to help employees work remotely. •S Accomplished Space Modernization and Consolidation Pilots -The Agency completed all three scheduled moves, for following offices: Region 7, the Environmental Appeals Board, and the Office of Administrative Law Judges. These moves are projected to save EPA over $1.6 million per year through rent avoidance. S Increased Telework Usage - EPA has increased telework usage every year in every regional and headquarters office since FY 2009 when the Agency began tracking this data. In FY 2013, the Agency increased telework hours by 18% over FY 2012. •S Strengthened Approach to Leadership Development - The Agency developed an EPA Succession Management Guide, incorporating lessons learned from beta tests in two offices to improve the Agency's ability to grow new leadership talent from within. •S Enhanced EPA's Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Program and Practices - EPA improved use of its Diversity Dashboard as an assessment tool, developed standard procedures to broaden opportunities for outreach and recruitment, and established a baseline for employee participation in leadership and development programs. •S Streamlined Contracting Through Strategic Sourcing - The Agency saved nearly $2.6 million in FY 2013 with the implementation of strategic sourcing solutions for cellular service, domestic deliveries, and office supplies. •S Reduced Unliquidated Obligations (ULOs) - EPA reduced ULOs on grants expired as of October 1, 2012, by 86% or $15.1million and on contracts expired as of October 1, 2012, by 62% or $26.3 million. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- Challenges: S Delayed Launch of SharePoint - The Agency experienced challenges with the My Workplace migration and decided to delay the SharePoint launch. EPA plans to provide full access to SharePoint functionality in FY 2014. •S Hiring Slowdown - EPA's FY 2013 average Time-to-Hire was 101 days for General Schedule new hires. The Agency's efforts to reach EPA's FY 2013 86-day goal were challenged by an intentional slowdown in hiring necessitated by budget reductions. The Agency will continue improving the hiring process through streamlining and the use of collaboration tools, including: Standardized Recruitment Packages, Virtual Job Analysis meetings via Adobe Connect, and the new FastTrack online solution which offers one-stop shopping for managers to assemble their standard recruitment packages. S Space Modernization Slowdown - EPA delayed space modernization projects due to resource constraints. The space modernization pilot for EPA's Office of Administration and Resources Management in the Federal Triangle complex in Washington, DC will be complete in April 2014. EPA will look for additional opportunities to achieve immediate space reductions with little to no construction required and achieve further reductions as part of the lease renewal process. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- FY 2013 Action Plan Activity Status/Explanation = Activity Complete 1. Improve the hiring process and reduce time to hire to ensure the best match between EPA positions and new hires. Issue quarterly "Time-To-Hire" reports to ensure headquarters and Regional offices are aware of hiring time requirements and how the Agency is performing. EPA issued quarterly "Time-To-Hhire" reports. By September 30, 2013, reduce average time to hire for (1) General Schedule (GS) positions to 86 days and (2) Senior Executive Service (SES) positions by 10%. GS Hiring: EPA did not meet its goal in GS hiring due to budget reductions. The FY 2013 average Time-To hire was 101 days. SES Hiring: EPA exceeded its goal in SES hiring. The FY 2013 average time to hire was 262 days (a reduction of 42 days or 14%). By March 31, 2013, utilize two surveys to establish baseline data going back through FY 2012 capturing: o EPA hiring managers' satisfaction with selected applicants, utilizing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Chief Human Capital Officer's 6-Month Management Hiring Satisfaction Survey. o Satisfaction of EPA new hires with their new positions, utilizing components of the existing EPA New Hire Survey. EPA administered the following two surveys. The FY 2013 results are listed below: SixMonth Management Hiring Satisfaction Survey Results: 1. What is your overall satisfaction with this employee? 88% (Managers responded with an 8, 9 or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.) 2. How well does this employee meet your expectations? 88% (Managers responded with an 8, 9 or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.) 3. How does this employee compare to your idea of an ideal employee? 82% (Managers responded with an 8, 9 or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.) Note: Results reflect 17 responses since April 1, 2013. New Hire Survey Results: 1. EPA new hires agree their work duties are consistent with expectations described in the respective job posting. (85%) 2. New hires plan to remain at EPA for the foreseeable future. (72%) Note: Results reflect responses from 35 new hires.. By September 30, 2013, use survey instruments to measure the satisfaction of hiring managers and new hires after six months of service. The goal is to be determined. Due to limited results from the Office of Personnel Management's sixmonth Management Hiring Satisfaction Survey and EPA's New Hire Survey, these goals will be established at FY 2014 year-end, when more data are available. 2. Enhance EPA workforce diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunities. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- FY 2013 Action Plan Activity Status/Explanation = Activity Complete By September 30, 2013, provide information for utilizing the Agency's Diversity Dashboard as a workforce assessment tool in developing and monitoring Program and Regional Office action plans under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Management Directive 715 to expand access to employment and professional development opportunities. EPA's Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) finalized and adopted Diversity Dashboard enhancements in March 2013 and also developed Diversity Dashboard Guidance to improve the Dashboard's usefulness as an assessment tool. The Guidance will be fully vetted by all partners and released during the first quarter of FY 2014. • By March 2013, develop and utilize a list of organizations, professional associations, and academic institutions for EPA's Human Resources Shared Services Centers and the Executive Resources Division to forward USAJOBS.gov announcements for EPA permanent and internship positions. EPA developed and utilized a list of diverse recruiting sources and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment and Outreach. By September 30, 2013, participate in at least one each of outreach/recruitment event targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), Hispanics, veterans, and individuals with targeted disabilities. OARM completed Agency-wide outreach events targeting AAPIs, Hispanics, and persons with disabilities. EPA also completed Agency-wide outreach activities for veterans including releasing an article posted in the September/October 2013 issue of" Recruit Military Magazine" highlighting EPA's Injured Soldiers and Veteran Volunteer Placement Program - and supporting the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. • By September 30, 2013, establish a baseline capturing the percent of each demographic group of employees at the GS-13 through GS-15 level that participates in leadership development programs. OARM completed a comprehensive analysis of GS-13 through GS-15 employee participation in leadership development programs by demographic group over the previous two-year period and established a baseline for FY 2013 participation levels. By September 30, 2013, review hires for all supervisory GS-13 through GS-15 positions during the last quarter of FY 2012 and first three quarters of FY 2013 to benchmark the extent to which EPA used hiring panels and determine demographic diversity of hires. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) did not complete its review of hires for all supervisory GS-13 through GS-15 positions in FY 2013 due to resource limitations. For FY 2014, OCR is developing a benchmarking approach that includes: • Researching the most effective approaches for identifying and surveying hiring officials; • Researching Agency survey tools already in use to determine if they may be utilized to collect this data (e.g., OPM's Hiring Satisfaction Survey); and • Researching options for survey design and result analysis to benchmark EPA's use of hiring panels and to determine demographic diversity of hires. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- FY 2013 Action Plan Activity Status/Explanation = Activity Complete By September 30, 2013, revise the No FEAR Act Training to include a diversity and inclusion module. In FY 2013, OCR researched several companies that provide e-learning No FEAR Act training. In September 2013, OCR selected a revised No FEAR Act training from Skillsoft that is Section 508-compliant. OCR will launch the diversity and inclusion training in Spring 2014. 3. Improve workforce planning: Use of workforce analysis and skill need projections improves EPA's ability to broaden the talent pool and meet mission objectives by guiding effective management decision making on employee development, staffing levels and resource allocation, and recruitment activities. From January 2013 through August 2013, conduct a succession management pilot program in OARM focusing on the developmental needs of senior leadership, including the Agency's Senior Executive Service (SES) Corps. Issue the EPA Succession Management Guide by September 30, 2013. OARM completed a beta test of two OARM offices (the Office of Grants and Debarment and Office of Administration). OARM also updated its Succession Management Guide to reflect lessons learned; the guide is undergoing final review and will be issued in the next 60 days. • By September 30, 2013, develop a plan for implementing a centralized, one-stop shop for employee training and development. OARM developed and obtained approval for the plan and is currently working on implementation. 4. Build a supportive work environment: Use 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. In FY 2013, EPA will deploy My Workplace, a new suite of email and collaboration tools and complete provisioning for 18,000 users. My Workplace will provide users with integrated email, calendars, contacts, instant messaging, collaborative documents and workspaces; as well as web conferencing, video conferencing, and professional networking. Training will occur in a phased approach throughout FY 2013. The Agency will align all communications related to My Workplace with the One EPA Change Management Strategy. The Office of Environmental Information (OEI) completed the migration of email, calendar, and contacts in February 2013. In May 2013, EPA completed an Agency-wide migration to a new suite of tools and capabilities that included email, instant messaging, calendar, and contacts. The Agency also implemented Microsoft Office Online 2013 and provided access to SkyDrive shared storage to help employees work remotely. Training and webinars are available for these tools. Next steps include resolving usability and reliability issues, making SharePoint available to the Agency, and completing the migration of existing collaborative sites to SharePoint. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- FY 2013 Action Plan Activity Status/Explanation = Activity Complete Build a modern workplace to enhance collaboration. o Complete Region 7's move to its new office space by October 2012, which will reduce the Region's square footage by more than 15% and achieve rent savings in FY 2013 of approximately $654,000. o Complete office moves of the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) by December 31, 2012 and the Office of Administrative Law Judges (AU) by March 31, 2013 to the EPA Federal Triangle Complex for a combined reduction of 19,658 square feet and total FY 2013 rent savings of approximately $959,000. o Begin space modernization pilots in OARM/HQ and Regions 2, 4, 6, and 8 during FY 2013. OARM completed all three of its scheduled moves in FY 2013 for Region 7 EAB, and AU. The projected rent avoidance is $1,617,481 per year. • Region 7 Move: OARM successfully completed this move in November 2012. This project is an example of collaboration between headquarters and a region, which resulted in timely completion. Savings were $654thousand. o Region 7 Telework Pilot: • In FY 2013, 61% of Region 7 of employees were teleworking each pay period - EPA's highest rate. • From FY 2012 to FY 2013, Region 7 increased its number of telework hours by 40%. • From FY 2011 to FY 2012, Region 7 increased its number of telework hours by 176%. • EAB Move: OARM relocated EAB from the Colorado Building to the Federal Triangle campus in Washington, DC in November 2012. Savings were $551 thousand . • AU Move: OARM relocated AU from Franklin Court to the Federal Triangle campus in March 2013. Savings were $412 thousand. Construction is underway on the OARM/HQ space modernization pilots, with anticipated completion in April 2014. Regions 2 and 4: Due to a lack of funding for space modernization, OARM is looking to identify areas for immediate space reduction with little to no construction required. Regions 6 and 8: OARM continues to pursue space modernization as part of the office lease renewal process. Region 8's current lease expires December 31, 2016; and Region 6's lease expires February 8, 2017. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- FY 2013 Action Plan Activity Status/Explanation = Activity Complete Encourage and support increased use of telework by issuing quarterly "telework usage" reports to Regional and program offices' senior managers, providing documentation of both the number of employees and number of hours teleworked per pay period. OARM issued its quarterly Telework Usage report. FY 2013 results are listed below: • Number of Teleworking Employees: o 64% of employees teleworked one or more times in FY 2013. o The average number of employees teleworking per pay period was 5,956 (35%). o The three locations with the most employees teleworking were Region 7 (61%), Region 5 (50%), and Region 4 (48%). o FY 2013 is the first year EPA collected/reported on the number of employees teleworking. • Number of Telework Hours Increases in Telework Hours: o EPA's number of FY 2013 telework hours increased over FY 2012 by 18%. o The three locations with the largest increases in hours teleworked were OITA (49%), Region 7 (40%), and OARM and OSWER (29%). Telework Hours and Usage Rates: o EPA's average number of telework hours per pay period was 109,498 (approximately 8% of 1,368,720 available hours). o The three locations with the highest telework usage rates per pay period were Region 7 (15%), Region 5 and Office of Inspector General (13%). By September 30, 2013, develop a methodology to track reductions in average Agency greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with employee commuting, including impacts from teleworking, from the FY 2011 baseline. OARM is developing new reporting tools for GHG emissions associated with commuting and telework; however, this work in FY 2013 paused as a result of budget constraints. By the end of FY 2013, implement a framework for the new Section 508 Program that includes updating the Section 508 policy with clear roles and responsibilities, providing Section 508 training and outreach, and facilitating the testing of Electronic and Information Technology developed for or procured by EPA. Issue draft policy by March 31, 2013. The Office of Environmental Information has incorporated comments from the Quality and Information Council Steering Committee on the draft Section 508 policy. As a result of the comments received on the draft Section 508 testing procedures, the Agency is conducting a pilot in FY 2014 to validate the testing procedures. 5. Practice outstanding resource stewardship, ensuring operational excellence and maximum use of Agency funds by reducing unliquidated obligations (ULOs) and reducing unobligated balances. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- FY 2013 Action Plan Activity Status/Explanation = Activity Complete By September 30, 2013, reduce ULOs in grants expired but not financially closed out as of October 1, 2012 by 15% to $15 million and reduce ULOs in contracts expired as of October 1, 2012 by 40% to $25.7 million. As of September 30, 2013, EPA: • Reduced ULOs by 86%, or $15.1M, on grants expired as of October 1, 2012; and • Reduced ULOs by 61.5%, or $26.3M, on contracts expired as of October 1, 2012. By September 30, 2013, ensure close-out of 90% of grant awards that expired during FY 2012 and 99% of grant awards that expired in fiscal years prior to FY 2012. EPA's Office of Grants and Debarment exceeded its FY 2013 goal for: • Grant awards that expired during FY 2012 (93.4%); and • Grant awards that expired in fiscal years prior to FY 2012: (98.3%). Advance centers of expertise (COE)/strategic sourcing: Throughout FY 2013, conduct transformational change management activities to reduce the cost of acquisition within EPA. o By March 31, 2013, initiate Phase 1: cellular service, printer/multi-functional devices, office supplies, and conference support services. o By September 30, 2013, initiate Phase 2: lab supplies, lab equipment, and software. FY 2013 savings were $2,575,000. • Cellular Service savings were $550K. • Domestic Deliveries savings were $1.7M. • Office Supplies savings were $325K. In Phase 1, OARM implemented strategic sourcing solutions for cell services regarding cell phone policy, no use lines, and guides for establishing service plans appropriate for the user's needs. OARM also continued to manage Agency- wide office supplies contracts awarded under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initative and oversaw an Agency-wide initiative to implement a strategic sourcing solution for conference support services. OARM will implement strategic sourcing for lab equipment, software, and print management in FY 2014. This was delayed due to the government shutdown. FY 2013 Annual Progress Report: Strengthening EPA's Workforce and Capabilities ------- |