United States Office of
Environmental Protection Administration and December 2004
Agency Resources Management (3601) www.epa.gov/ohr
The Office of
Human Resources
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Mailcode 3610A
Washington, DC 20460
Phone (202) 564-3300
Fax (202) 564-4613
www.epa.gov/ohr
Redefining
Human Resources
at the
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
2004
i^ VL
People Focused, Environmentally Driven,
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Office of
Human Resources
People Focused. Environmentally Driven.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message from the Director of OHR
Chapter 1: Redefining Human Resources
The Reorganization Structure 3
Communicating with our Customers 5
Chapter 2: Planning for Success
Advancing Human Capital Initiatives 9
Agency Restructuring 10
Buyouts and Early Outs 11
Expediting the Hiring Process 11
Performance Management System 12
President's Management Agenda Commitments 12
Workforce Planning 12
Chapter 3: Making Human Resources More Efficient
Competitive Sourcing Study 13
HR of the Future 13
Information Technology 14
E-government Initiatives 14
Enterprise Applications 14
PeoplePlus 15
Chapter 4: Partnering for Success
Human Capital Innovation Fund Program 17
Human Resource Assessments 19
Human Resources in the Programs 19
Labor and Employee Relations 20
Working with our Program Management Officials 21
Chapter 5: Attracting Talent
Active Outreach 23
EPA Intern Program 23
Special Emphasis Recruitment Initiatives 25
African American Diversity Strategy and Initiatives 25
American Indians and Alaska Native Initiatives 25
Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiatives 26
National Hispanic Outreach 27
Senior Environmental Employment Program 28
Summer Student Employment Program 29
Talent Branding 30
Chapter 6: Hiring Talent
EZHire 33
Orientation Program 34
Human Resource Consulting Services 34
Processing Transactions 35
Chapter 7: Nuturing Talent
Benefits Program 37
Retirement Counseling Center 37
Leave Bank 38
New Hire Survey 39
Project Announcement Visibility Effort (PAVE) 39
Senior Executive Programs 39
SES Candidate Development Program 39
Placing SES Program Graduates 41
Enhancing SES Communications 41
Pay for Performance 41
Workforce Development 42
Chapter 8: People Focused. Environmentally Driven.
Refining our Future 45
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MESSAGE FROM THE
DIRECTOR OF OHR
Rafael DeLeon
Director
Office of Human Resources (OHR)
Office of/' "rn and Resources Management (OARIvf)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Nothing stays the same, nor should it. As we learn more
about the world around us, we use that information to
make advances that improve our lives. But advances big
or small start one step at a time. It's like the first time a
baby decides to walk all by herself. Everyone holds their
breath and waits. Will the child master a step or two?
Or will she stumble and fall? There will be many tries
before she is fully confident in her abilities. And yet,
inevitably, her hard work pays off.
This year, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
human resources organization took many steps - big steps
towards doing things differently in order to better serve
our customers and the environment.
In April 2004, we launched our newly reorganized Office
of Human Resources (OHR). With a Deputy Director
to lead our National Human Capital Strategy and a
Deputy Director for Customer Service, OHR is now
well positioned to lead the EPA's efforts to recruit, devel-
op, and strategically plan for the most talented workforce
possible to protect public health and the environment.
We have made great progress this past year in leading
EPA's efforts to achieve the President's Management
Agenda for the Strategic Management of Human Capital.
The initiatives discussed in this report will help to
demonstrate how we are developing our workforce to ensure
that the Agency has the right people with the right skills,
in the right place, at the right time.
We also focused on a very important aspect of Human Resources: our partnerships. We
worked diligently this past year with our program and regional offices to design and implement
improvements to our customer service policies and practices.
These improvements will help make our services more timely and accurate, and ensure that
our human resource professionals are accessible and attentive to the needs of EPA's managers
and employees.
We also made advances in E-government initiatives. This year we brought Web-based
training opportunities to EPA's employees, and found new and improved ways to integrate
data and automate the processing of forms. Working in partnership with the Office of the
Chief Financial Officer and the Office of Environmental Information, we went live with
PeoplePlus, an integrated human resources, payroll, time and labor system. It was a major
undertaking that will position us to move forward with the implementation of several other
electronic applications.
We took other steps as well: steps to attract highly qualified, diverse talent into EPA's
workforce through a number of special emphasis recruitment initiatives; steps to create a
talent brand and expand our EPA Intern and Summer Student Employment Programs so
that EPA employment opportunities would appeal to a wide variety of individuals; and
steps to nurture the talent already working at EPA through workforce development,
Senior Executive Programs, and an extensive benefits program.
And the most important step we have taken is our commitment. The employees of OHR
have committed to remain people focused and environmentally driven. This means we will
continue to work one-on-one with our customers to serve their needs while we scan the
horizon to identify trends which will impact human resources. Each step in the process
will bring us closer to our goal: becoming the premier Human Resources Office in the
Federal Government.
Rafael DeLeon
Director
Office of Human Resources (OHR)
Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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CHAPTER 1 -
REDEFINING HUMAN RESOURCES
THIS YEAR, EPA OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED A NEW HUMAN RESOURCES
ORGANIZATION, THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES (OHR).
OVER TWO YEARS IN THE PLANNING, THE GOAL OF THE OHR
REORGANIZATION WAS TO CREATE A STRUCTURE THAT WOULD
HELP EPA'S HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS TO WORK MORE
EFFICIENTLY, RESPOND FASTER AND SERVE CUSTOMERS BETTER.
After rigorously examining the best practices of private industry and the Federal
Government, and getting valuable input from EPA employees, a design was selected that
aligned human resource functions with the needs and mission of the Agency and
addressed changes happening in the field of human resources.
The Reorganization Structure
OHR is different from its predecessor organization in several key ways. Management
positions were reduced and executive resources and political appointment functions were
moved to a newly formed Executive Resources Staff. Other organizational functions
were split between two Deputy Directors, one for managing the National Human Capital
Strategy, and one for Customer Services. This structure enables OHR to provide program
managers and other EPA employees with one-stop human resources services. It also
enables OHR to focus EPA's financial and personnel resources to help optimize technology,
advance E-government, and implement the President's Management Agenda and Strategic
Human Capital Plan initiatives.
a
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CHAPTER 1 -
REDEFINING HUMAN RESOURCES
Communicating with our Customers
Creating a new human resources organization was step one. Explaining how the new
organization will operate for both OHR's staff and employees across the Agency required
a comprehensive communication campaign. It began with the creation of a new office
logo and name, and continued with the development of a variety of products and outreach
events that will be implemented throughout 2005.
To prepare OHR's employees for the change, numerous meetings were held with
organizational units both prior to, and following, the reorganization. All-hands briefings
and brochures were created to explain where new functions would be located. EPA's
employees were also kept informed through mailings and posters located throughout
the Agency complex.
On April 4, 2004, OHR hosted an official launch event for OHR's employees, EPA's
senior leadership team and human resource professionals from the program and regional
offices. A highlight of the event was the viewing of an eight minute video entitled,
'Renewed Commitment-EPA's New Office of Human Resources.' The video provided an
overview of the many services offered through OHR and featured EPA employees who
provided testimonials as to how these services had impacted their life. The video was also
distributed to program and regional human resource offices and continues to be a regular
feature of the Headquarter's new employee orientation program. The video also helped to
reaffirm for OHR employees that the work that they do is both important in peoples'
lives and contributes to the accomplishment of EPA's environmental mission.
In addition, a series of four displays were created to further inform employees about the
services offered by OHR Designed to be posted throughout 2005 in EPA's cafeteria and
main Headquarters office building, the displays cover the topics of employee benefits,
management services, workforce development, and Headquarters' services and feature
testimonials from employees. A smaller version of the series was also created and displayed
on tables throughout EPA's cafeteria.
OHR Reorganization Communication Materials
New Name, Logo and Tagline
Off ice of
Human Resources
People Focused. Environmentally Driven.
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Informational Brochures
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Environmental Protecllon
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Olflteof 210-F-04-001
Administration and Dtcumtier 2004
ROSOUICB Management (3601) »,..epa.go,/oj,
THE OFFICE OF
DOING THINGS r '
TO BETTER SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS
AND THE
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CHAPTER 1 -
REDEFINING HUMAN RESOURCES
Reorganization Launch Event Video
ructu
Intranet Video Clips
Poster Displays
Table Displays
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CHAPTER 2 -
PLANNING FOR SUCCESS
OHR IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO HELP THE AGENCY
ACHIEVE GREATER ORGANIZATIONAL FLEXIBILITY. ONE OF THE
WAYS WE DO THIS IS BY EXPEDITING AND SIMPLIFYING THE
RESTRUCTURING PROCESS. OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN
AN AGENCY WHICH is NOT ONLY RESULTS-DRIVEN, BUT RESPONSIVE
TO EMERGING CHALLENGES. To ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY REDEPLOY EMPLOYEES TO
MEET NEW AND CHANGING WORK DEMANDS.
Advancing Human Capital Initiatives
"Prior to the reorganization, most of our short-term and long-term human capital initiatives
were scattered throughout the organization," said Rich Bashar, OHR's Deputy Director
for National Human Capital Strategy. "By putting them together, we have been able to give
the efforts more visibility, clarify where to go for information on a particular issue, and
elevate the importance of this work," Rich added.
The OHR reorganization has enabled Rich to use matrix management more often
in addressing the wide variety of complex and intertwined issues that impact the entire
organization. "We are doing a much better job now of bringing together people from
across OHR and the Agency to lend their collective expertise to an issue. In addition,
we revised our Workforce Plan from a bottom-up to a top-down approach. This helped
us to achieve a yellow status score in meeting EPA's Presidential Management Agenda
goals," said Rich.
The approach also earned EPA a 2004 Leading Edge Award from the International
Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA.) "I am very pleased that
IPMA recognized OHR's success in aligning our human capital strategies with the mission
and goals of the Agency," said Rich. "We showed real progress on our executive branch
management scorecard and utilization of OPM's human capital dimensions," Rich added.
"I am also very proud of our work on PeoplePlus," Rich added. In 2004, OHR integrated
the Agency's human resource data with the Agency's payroll data. This was no small feat.
"We had to upgrade our human resource data to a Web-based system," said Rich. "At the
same time, we had to migrate EPA's payroll data to the Defense Finance Accounting
System and create a new IT investment plan. Our hard work paid off and the new OHR
IT investment plan was recognized as one of the best IT plans in the Agency," said Rich.
In 2005, the National Human Capital Strategy staff will be spending a lot of time working
on a new multi-tiered Performance Management System. But whether EPA uses a pass-fail
or multi-tiered system, or moves to a 'Pay for Performance' system, Rich believes feedback is
the key. "Both supervisors and employees need to be schooled in how to give and receive
feedback, so my office developed an online tutorial to help in this area," Rich said.
"OHR is preparing for the future, including
advancements in the field of knowledge
management," said Rich. "We're working towards
the day when employees can have their human
resource questions answered over the Internet using
a system similar to Askjeeves.com.' I am also
encouraged that we are looking at measurement
differently."
"We are not just looking at output measures, but at
accountability issues as well, to determine whether
something is really making a difference and what
that difference is. There is a lot to look forward
to," Rich added.
Rich is particularly excited about the new Level of
Business (LOB) concept that will enable agencies
to focus more on human resources planning and
policy tasks needed to accomplish the Agency's
mission, rather than processing paper forms. "Since
1996, I have been trying to find technological
solutions to reduce the burden of processing human
resource transactions," said Rich. "It has been an
uphill effort, but I am hopeful that LOB service
centers will help us to achieve this," Rich added.
Agency Restructuring
This year, we streamlined EPA's reorganization
process by revising a Delegation (1-44) to
allow Assistant Administrators and Regional
Administrators to approve their own reorganizations.
OHR and its parent organization, the Office
of Administration and Resources Management
(OARM), will still be responsible for reviewing
reorganization proposals. However, final
responsibility and authority for deciding to
reorganize will now rest with the organization
requesting it.
10
"OHR is preparing for
the futuret including
advancements in the
field of knowledge
management.
We are not just looking
at output measures,
but at accountability
issues as well, to
determine whether
something is really
making a difference and
what that difference is.
There is a lot to
look forward to.K
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CHAPTER 2 -
PLANNING FOR SUCCESS
One of the ways that OHR assists organizations interested in restructuring is through the
information and guidance that we have placed on the reorganization Web site, located at:
http://intranet.epa.gov/ohr/programs/reorganizations/index.htm. This year, we improved
the Web site to make it more user-friendly. We updated and expanded the 'Reorganization
Tool Kit' to add templates, as well as easy-to-use forms, current organizational charts and
functional statements. We also added a decision-making tool to help managers determine
if a reorganization is necessary, or if there are other significant management changes that
should be considered first, such as training, workflow changes, or technology improvements.
Our work in simplifying the reorganization process helps assure that EPA is structured in
the best, most efficient way to provide service and be accessible to the public. According to
our customers, it also helps them save time and resources by shortening their reorganization
process by several weeks.
Buyouts and Early Outs
The Office of Human Resources managed the Agency's plan to renew EPA's 2003
buyout/early out authority under the Homeland Security Act. The Agency's plan,
approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) in October, outlined the workforce succession planning efforts to
restructure mission-related positions in accordance with EPA's Strategy for Human Capital.
The 2004 buyout/early out plan, like the 2003 plan, focused on providing buyout/early
out opportunities to 3,359 employees in the SES, GSl4s, GS15s, and clerical and
administrative support personnel.
To support the buyout and early out program, OHR prepared option papers on back-filling
vacancies and deferral requests, statistically tracked buyout/early out activity, and worked
with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to ensure budget neutrality of the program.
Expediting the Hiring Process
EPA has adopted the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) 45-day hiring model to
be used to develop a process for tracking the steps and time it takes to hire someone into
the Agency, and to address significant deviations from meeting the 45-day goal. EPA
agrees with OPM that one of the ways agencies can better compete for talented workers
is to find ways to improve efficiencies in the federal hiring process. Placing a limit of 45
days from the date the vacancy closes to the day an offer of employment is extended to an
applicant is one way to do this. Using data from EZHire, OHR developed a standard hiring
process and a reporting system to monitor and help improve compliance with this goal.
11
Performance Management System
To further support the President's Management Agenda, OHR has been leading EPA's effort
to establish an effective performance management culture that fosters feedback and recognizes
the good work of employees. This year, the performance management system guidance and
training modules were updated to link performance standards to EPA's Strategic Plan goals for
all employees and managers. An online tutorial was developed for managers and supervisors
to assist them in learning effective feedback techniques, including recognition of outstanding
performance and procedures for improving poor performance. Work is also underway to
help the Agency change from a two-level to a multi-level performance system in 2005 to
ensure employee's outstanding contributions are recognized and appreciated.
President's Management Agenda Commitments
In 2004, OHR undertook several initiatives to support EPA's Strategy for Human Capital
and the President's Management Agenda. Most significantly, we reorganized human resources
activities under the Office of Human Resources. This will strengthen our ability to implement
and accomplish the Agency's Strategy for Human Capital.
OHR also brought EPA's entire human capital strategy community together for a Strategic
HR Partners Forum to focus on the new and emerging role of human resources in supporting
the Agency's human capital strategies. In addition to this successful meeting, EPA was able
to achieve a "yellow" status on our Human Capital scorecard, one quarter ahead of schedule.
Workforce Planning
In 2004, OHR completed work on refining EPA's workforce planning strategy and
implementation plan to ensure that it supported the Agency's strategic planning efforts
and would be useful in identifying current and future human capital needs.
During the year, approximately 1,200 employees from nine offices and regions participated in a
pilot to test our proposed workforce planning methodology and online competency inventory.
Based on lessons learned from this pilot, a strategy was developed to assess workforce
requirements for the Agency as a whole.
Once this assessment has been implemented, employees will have a better understanding of
what is expected of them, how their work relates to the Agency's mission and goals, and the
opportunities available to them across the Agency. With this knowledge, employees will be
more satisfied and successful. Managers will be able to use this data to forecast workforce
needs and skill gaps due to retirement, as well as identify and combat significant human
resource issues before they manifest themselves or escalate.
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CHAPTER 3 - MAKING HUMAN
RESOURCES MORE EFFICIENT
ONE OF EPA's PRIMARY HUMAN CAPITAL GOALS is TO PERFORM
HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES IN WAYS THAT ARE COST-EFFECTIVE,
RESULTS-DRIVEN, AND RESPONSIVE TO EMERGING CHALLENGES.
THIS YEAR, OHR LED MANY OF EPA'S ACTIVITIES IN THIS AREA,
HELPING THE AGENCY TO MOVE CLOSER TO RECEIVING A "GREEN"
RATING ON THE PRESIDENT'S MANAGEMENT AGENDA HUMAN
CAPITAL SCORECARD.
Competitive Sourcing Study
The Office of Human Resources, utilizing OMB Circular A-76 guidelines, completed an
extensive study in preparation for competing out the delivery of employee benefit services
for EPA's employees. As part of the study, OHR examined workload data, interviewed
employees performing the affected work, provided workload projections, developed
performance standards and benchmarked other federal agencies. A Request for
Proposals (RFP) was posted in FEDBIZOPPS in Mid-September.
The competitive procurement included the following benefit services: Federal Employees
Health Benefits (FEHB); Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI); The Thrift
Savings Plan (TSP); Retirement Benefits and Counseling; Unemployment Compensation;
Workers' Compensation; Leave Bank and Leave Transfer; Employee Counseling and
Assistance Program (ECAP); Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); Decedent Affair
(death); Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); Long Term Care (LTC); and Childcare
Tuition Assistance.
HR of the Future
In 2003, the Office of Management and Budget directed federal agencies to find ways to
provide services using five specific E-government Lines of Business (LOB). One of these
E-government initiatives deals with human resources. Throughout 2004, OHR worked
with the Office of Personnel Management on the Human Resources Line of Business
(HR LOB) Task Force.
Work on the Task Force has entailed responding to an Enterprise Architecture survey,
taking an inventory of EPA's HR systems, participating in workshops to validate HR
sub-functions and business processes, and commenting on a number of HR LOB Task
Force documents.
On behalf of EPA, OHR recently signed the HR
LOB Charter and Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) to support the development and
implementation of a modern, government-wide,
cost-effective and interoperable human resources
system which will rely on the creation of
independent service centers.
Information Technology
An important goal for OHR's information
technology professionals is to develop and
roll-out resources that give managers, program
management officers, human resource practitioners
and employees the tools they need to create,
access, and maintain critical human resource
data and information.
E-government Initiatives
In 2004, a government-wide effort was launched
to consolidate all federal agencies into two payroll
providers. As a result, OHR is analyzing the
requirements necessary to help EPA's payroll
system migrate to a system managed by the
Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS).
Expected in 2006, EPA's payroll will be processed by
DFAS, with EPA continuing to have responsibility
for our own human resource, time and labor
systems. OHR is also working with the Office of
Personnel Management to review human resource
data elements that will need to be integrated
government-wide for various workforce analytical
tools, electronic forms, and an electronic Official
Personnel Folder (OFF).
Enterprise Applications
Using the human resources data that is stored in
PeoplePlus, OHR has been working to create a
number of systems to automate business processes
that are currently time and labor intensive.
13
14
X»
"The Enterprise
Applications Project
(E-apps) will enable
EPA's managers and
employees to partner
with OHR to make all
of our jobs easier."
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CHAPTER 3 - MAKING HUMAN
RESOURCES MORE EFFICIENT
"It is very exciting to work on a project that helps to open up the mystery of human
resources to everyone in EPA," states Joanne Alfano, Manager of the Enterprise
Applications Project (E-apps). E-apps will enable EPA's managers and employees
to partner with OHR to make all of our jobs easier," Joanne added.
The first E-apps systems will deal with training administration and E-development.
An employee who requests a training course currently fills out a form which is signed
by their manager, financed by their funds certifying officer and processed by a Regional
or Program training officer. These forms are routed from office to office, by hand or
inter-office mail. E-apps will allow all of these individuals to create, review and approve
a training request electronically. Employees will receive automatic e-mail messages each
time their request has completed another step in the approval process, and have the
ability to track the status of their request at all times.
Employees and managers will be able to have access to a complete record of the employee's
training, which will be updated and maintained automatically. Training offered through
OPM's Go Learn program or the National Environmental Training Institute (NETI)
will eventually be automatically fed into an employee's training record. Employees will
also have the ability to record other training that they have taken on their own.
According to Joanne, "This system will also assist individuals throughout the Agency
who have a responsibility for serving as the registrar for various Agency training activities.
Employees will be able to register for courses electronically, be placed on waiting lists,
and notified of their registration status quickly and with much less effort on the part of
the registrar."
In 2004, Training Officers and funding officers throughout the Agency participated in design
sessions to define requirements and streamline processes. A pilot project was pre-launched with
a test in Region 9. Additional pilots are in the works and a full launch is expected for
spring 2005.
"This is just the beginning," adds Joanne. "Next in line for production is electronic routing
of personnel action requests, commonly referred to as an 'SF 52.' This will really help
to expedite and transform the way the Agency provides human resources services.
Employees will be able to initiate many simple changes such as name changes, and
managers will be able to easily track the status of all actions. It will help everyone to
work more efficiently," Joanne added.
PeoplePlus
Delivering an integrated human resource, payroll, time and labor system in a Web-based
environment seemed a daunting and somewhat impossible task two years ago.
Every employee
now enters their
time into the
PeoplePlus system.
While the effort has been immense, the cooperative efforts of OHR, the Office of the Chief
Financial Officer and the Office of Environmental Information came to fruition this year as
PeoplePlus went live. OHR was involved in every step of the process through its development,
implementation, and production. OHR's information technology specialists worked with
employees from every region, lab and headquarters office to test, train, identify and resolve
business process issues.
The benefits and opportunities achieved through PeoplePlus are numerous. PeoplePlus provides
the opportunity for EPA to automate many current paper processes by allowing managers to
view, route and reassign actions from their desktop. Of course, there were challenges too.
In implementing PeoplePlus, EPA needed to have a better way to handle 'Identity Access
Management (IAM).' Initial improvements were made by creating a way to use a single
point of authentication. As a result of these improvements, the system's security is more
reliable, individuals only have to use and remember a single password for both LAN and
PeoplePlus access, and Network Ids have been standardized.
To prepare for going live with PeoplePlus, OHR held numerous Fit/Gap sessions to determine
how to improve methods for reporting productivity for our regional and program partners. Several
new and improved reports were created and are being electronically transmitted bi-weekly to
customers. Ad-hoc reporting tools are also being developed to provide users with the ability
to see, print, and extract the precise data that they want.
15
16
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CHAPTER 4 -
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS
THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES WOULD NOT SUCCEED IN ITS
MISSION WITHOUT THE COLLABORATION OF ITS PARTNERS.
EVERYDAY, OHR WORKS WITH EPA's UNIONS, PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT OFFICERS, AND HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICES IN THE
REGIONS. TOGETHER, WE PROVIDE HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES TO
THE AGENCY'S 18,000 EMPLOYEES.
Human Capital Innovation Fund Program
Creating organizational systems that foster and fully utilize employee creativity and innovation
is one of EPA's human capital goals. To support this effort, OHR awards small "grants"
to regional, field and program offices to fund initiatives that integrate human capital
efforts with the Agency's environmental mission.
This year, the following projects received support from OHR:
O An Office of Water (OW) Training Evaluation Scorecard to calculate the return on
investment of training programs in relationship to progress made in meeting
EPA/OW strategic goals.
O A Diversity Marketing Plan created by the Office of Research and Development (ORD)
to promote jobs and other scientific opportunities to external customers, and an
ORD-specific Orientation Program.
O An Assistive Technology Center in Region 9 for employees and members of the public
who have disabilities.
O A skills and competencies assessment of all agency HR professionals, conducted by
Region 2.
The grant to Region 2 is for conducting work on behalf of EPA's human resource
community in all ten regions and three laboratories. The result of this work is
expected to make a real difference for human resource professionals Agency-wide.
According to Carmen Negron, Assistant Branch Chief for Human Resources in Region
2, and the coordinator for the Region 2 grant, "The purpose of this grant is to conduct
an assessment process that will identify the current proficiency levels of core and technical
competencies of EPA's human resource professionals and to identify employees' aptitudes
and motivation for learning."
"With the information obtained through the
assessment, the Human Resource Officers (HROs)
will be able to make decisions about training and
development, identify the skill gaps that affect
employee performance, and provide employees
with a framework for personal career planning,"
states Carmen.
"HR staff will also learn and understand their current
proficiency levels as they relate to the future role and
responsibilities of a human resources professional.
EPA's Human Resource Officers have identified the
competencies and the proficiency levels that we believe
human resource professionals need, and our human
resource employees should have, in order to succeed
both today and in the future," added Carmen.
The Human Capital Innovation Fund grant money
will be used to obtain the services of a consultant in
order to access current employee skill levels (basic,
intermediate or advanced) and include a description
of the proficiency level. With the proper identification
of skill gaps, a corresponding developmental program
may be recommended such as more classroom training,
Web site courses, or an actual HR Certification program.
"We expect to begin the assessments in early 2005,"
said Carmen.
" -
"The purpose of this
grant is to conduct an
assessment that will
identify the current
proficiency levels
of core and technical
competencies of EPA's
human resource
professionals and to
identify employees'
aptitudes and motivation
for learning.y'
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CHAPTER 4 -
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS
Human Resource Assessments
To ensure that human resources merit system principles are maintained, OHR oversees
a self-assessment program for all Human Resource Offices and conducts several on-site
reviews each year. This year, using newly developed Agency assessment guidance, OHR
reviewed how personnel transactions were processed in Region 2 - New York, Region 10
- Seattle, and the Cincinnati Field Office (which includes OARM, OCFO, OW and the
ORE) organizations).
Human Resources in the Programs
"In the Office of Water (OW), we are striving to manage our human resources in ways
that actively help us achieve our mission," said Susan Gilbertson, the Program Management
Officer (PMO) for OW. Susan knows what she is talking about because she has spent
15 years working in EPA's water programs both in Region 5 and Headquarters. "We
have strategic goals and objectives at the Agency level, the OW level and the program
level. Cultivating a diverse, creative and flexible workforce is essential to us in terms
of accomplishing those goals and objectives. The questions we ask are not just about
why someone wants to work at EPA, but why they are motivated by Public Service,"
Susan added.
According to Susan, the human resource challenges for OHR and OW are large. "EPA
is no longer a young agency with major new statutory requirements accompanied by big
budgets," she said. "Now we must work with lower funding levels to achieve even greater
economic and environmental benefits as outlined in our strategic plan. In addition,
implementing the President's Management Agenda will require many changes in our
business practices and tools over the next few years. This can be daunting, but it also
provides great opportunities," Susan added.
To respond to the coming changes, Susan believes that employees will need different
skill sets than in the past. States Susan, "Gone are the days when someone was hired as
a scientist and only had to focus on the "science" of their area of expertise. Now, employees
need to utilize good writing and public speaking skills, excellent analytical skills and use
of collaborative problem solving and consensus building abilities to accomplish their
projects. OW needs financial analysts, marketing experts and security specialists as well
as engineers, economists, and toxicologists." Susan pointed out that, "As we add water
security to our portfolio of program responsibilities, we are going to be adding new and
different career paths for staff."
OW is working to identify and fill the gaps in training needed by the existing workforce,
and to supplement those skills with additional training and recruits. Adds Susan, "OW
is working with supervisors to recognize and articulate the new skill sets needed in the
workforce. We are also working with OHR so we can more effectively advertise and
recruit for a diverse and qualified pool of applicants."
Labor and Employee Relations
Partnering with EPA's unions is a priority for the
Office of Human Resources. By working together,
EPA has been able to reduce grievance activity and
provide for better communication between the
Agency and its unions. Partnering has also helped
OHR to use resources more wisely and negotiate
more efficiently.
This year, the Office of Human Resources National
Labor Relations Team organized a number of
National Partnership Council (NPC) and
Headquarters Partnership Council (HPC) executive
board and annual meetings. These meetings
provided an opportunity for management officials
and union representatives to explore issues, review
materials, and discuss ways to cooperate and
collaborate to the mutual benefit of both parties.
In the spirit of partnership, much work has
occurred this past year in implementing EPA's
Labor-Management Partnership Strategic Plan
and Operational Guidance. The plan, which was
put into effect in April 2003, called for increased
use of Pre-Decisional Involvement (PDI). PDI
enables employees, through their elected union
representatives, to have an opportunity to shape
decisions which impact employees' work before
final management action is taken.
To ensure that all parties fully understood the PDI
process, OHR published an EPA Pre-Decisional
Involvement (PDI) Handbook. The PDI
Handbook, approved by the NPC in June 2004,
provides guidance and exercises to help managers
and employees use a collaborative and voluntary
approach towards changing working conditions
for bargaining unit employees.
19
20
"The questions we ask
are not just about
why someone wants
to work at EPA, but why
they are motivated
by Public Service.K
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CHAPTER 4 -
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS
i
In addition to completing the PDI Handbook, an Agency-wide PDI Training Plan was
completed and launched. The plan calls for providing PDI training to one management
representative and one union official for each of EPA's different geographic locations. The
first training session was held in San Francisco, California in November 2004, with others
to follow. After completion of the training course, the management representative and
union official in each location will become the joint PDI trainers for their employees.
This will facilitate implementation of PDI Agency-wide.
A significant achievement this past year has been our successful negotiations with
EPA unions on the implementation of PeoplePlus, an electronic time, labor, and
attendance system.
Working with our Program Management Officials
"One of the outcomes of the OHR reorganization was the creation of two Deputies, each
with responsibility for an important human resources function. By placing equal importance
on both strategic planning and customer service, OHR is much better poised to address
the evolving human resource needs of EPA and the Federal Government," states Bob
Thorlakson, Deputy Director for Customer Service.
According to Bob, "Organizing the human resource staffs to be multifaceted has
enabled them to provide one-stop-shopping and function more like the Regional
Human Resource Officers. Even though our structure has changed, the work is still
very paper-intensive. While the piles of paper never seem to end, we have begun to
streamline our business processes and find ways to improve the timeliness of our service
to our program managers."
"While we are still working towards greater Agency adoption of new HR technologies,
there are exciting changes happening in the Federal Government as a result of the Office
of Management and Budget's 'HR Line-of-Business.' There will be more self-service
made possible through expanded use of technology. Transactions will be processed at a
centralized Federal location, and EPA's human resource professionals will be spending
more of their time providing strategic consultative services. It is just a matter of time,"
said Bob.
Bob Thorlakson has worked in EPA's human
resource organization for the past 14 years. "Over
time" he said, "I have come to realize that the
Agency can't accomplish its mission without the
right people. OHR's job is to assist managers in
the daily challenge of running their organization
by helping them to hire the right people in the
right place at the right time. It is also our
responsibility to help ensure that the Office of
Human Resources supports EPA's employees
throughout their career. These are important
functions that contribute to the accomplishment
of the Agency's mission. Customer service work is
not easy and requires a lot of dedication. I am
fortunate to work with a staff that is very
dedicated and hard working, and we all look
forward to finding new and better ways to serve
our customers," said Bob.
21
22
"One of the outcomes of
the OHR reorganization
was the creation of two
Deputies, each with
responsibility for an
important human
resources function.
By placing equal
importance on both
strategic planning and
customer service, OHR
is much better poised
to address the evolving
human resource needs
of EPA and the
federal government.K
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CHAPTER 5 -
ATTRACTING TALENT
OHR's RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH PROGRAM HELPS THE AGENCY FIND
A DIVERSE POOL OF CANDIDATES THAT IS THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO
APPLY FOR POSITIONS AT EPA.
Active Outreach
While hiring decisions rest entirely with the program managers and supervisors, OHR
works with these managers to help ensure that the pool of potential employees is highly
qualified, would help us to achieve/maintain diversity, and would enhance the retention
of employees who are ultimately hired. OHR also works to support recruiters across the
Agency by organizing a Recruiting Coordinators Conference, preparing a comprehensive
calendar of recruiting events, and developing a wide variety of tools and materials for their
use. Each year, OHR actively organizes, attends and helps to sponsor and coordinate a
number of local and national job fairs. This year OHR recruiting and outreach staff,
along with EPA employees from program and regional offices, participated in 26 job fairs.
EPA Intern Program
Over the past six years, OHR has facilitated the hiring of 191 highly qualified and diverse
interns. This year, OHR once again completed the advertisement and screening for
EPA's seventh Intern Program class. The 38 interns were selected out of a group of 1,267
applicants. The two-year program includes work rotations, developmental assignments,
classroom instruction and field work.
As a 2004 graduate of the EPA Intern Program's fifth intern class, Bruce Franklin has
experienced a lot since he graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University just two years ago. He spent much of that time in Washington, DC
and New York City, and has decided that EPA is a good place to call home.
"I never really thought about coming to work at EPA," said Bruce. "I had always
planned on going to work in private industry as a safety inspector where I could make
more money. But one of OHR's recruiters came to visit my university and really sold
me on the benefits of the EPA Intern Program, and I was hooked," Bruce said.
While interning at EPA, Bruce has found many ways to apply his degree in Occupational
Safety and Health. In fact, he found ways that he never expected. "I worked on emergency
response issues with the Mayor of Washington, DC; I worked for the Office of Research
and Development in their Research Triangle Park laboratory (which was a great opportunity
to really see a laboratory environment up close); I spent a few months in our New York
Regional Office (Region 2) working on Environmental Justice issues; and I spent some
time in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance helping with their federal
facilities work," Bruce said.
"There is no doubt in my mind that EPA's Intern Program is one of the best programs
in the Agency," added Bruce. "It has been a great ride, and I have learned a whole new
range of skill sets. I am definitely going to make
EPA my home and hope one day to be an SES in
a program office. At EPA, I know I can make it
happen," Bruce said.
Erika Wilson came to EPA after budget cuts
eliminated her county conservation corp
reforestation job. "I decided to explore a
clearinghouse which advertised environmental
employment," said Erika, a member of the 2003
EPA Intern Class. "A notice there directed me
to the EZHire site and a listing for internship
opportunities," she added.
"I have really enjoyed my intern experience,"
Erika added. "My intern class is a very close
group. We get together for lunch and outside of
work. We are so diverse in every way and I have
really enjoyed learning from people who are so
very different from my background," said Erika.
Erika has completed a detail dealing with
environmental justice issues and is currently
learning about EPA grants. Before she completes
the program, she will spend some time learning
about environmental issues that impact Native
Americans, and hopefully spend some time in a
program office working on regulatory and policy
issues. According to Erika, "It has been a great
experience to learn about so many different things,
even things out of my comfort range of knowledge.
I have gained a great deal of experience and I look
forward to focusing on one environmental issue
more aggressively," said Erika.
"There is no doubt in my
mind that EPA's Intern
Program is one of the best
programs in the Agency.K
23
24
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CHAPTER 5 -
ATTRACTING TALENT
"One of the exciting experiences that really struck me was attending a National
Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) meeting. It was fascinating to be
around EPA, industry, university, and community group experts as they all discussed
ways to make the environment better for all groups. My education taught me that it
really is a global world where we need to be sensitive to each other's differences. Attending
the NEJAC meeting helped me to see how coming to EPA will allow me to use the
lessons of my formal training while working for issues that I love," said Erika.
Special Emphasis Recruitment Initiatives
African American Diversity Strategy and Initiatives
This year, OHR supported the African American Male Forum (AAMF) in their
development of a strategy that builds upon the Agency's efforts to create a culture in
EPA that allows all employees to succeed on their own skill, abilities and performance.
Key components of the strategy address the goals of increasing representation of
African Americans in the Agency, advancing current diversity programs and initiatives,
and clarifying management's responsibility for diversity results.
American Indian and Alaska Native Initiatives
Also this year, EPA created a position within OHR to work on American Indian and
Alaska Native outreach, recruitment and retention issues. A plan for EPA is in the final
stages which will address a broad array of issues including: environmental training and
technical assistance, scholarships, internships, recruitment and retention, and training
employees to work effectively with Tribes.
Special projects are planned to enable members of the Senior Executive Service to have
a detail assignment with an American Indian Tribe, to arrange for Intergovernmental
Personnel Act (IPA) mobility assignments with tribal colleges, and to develop partnerships
with these collegues to recruit more American Indians into the environmental fields.
Asian American and
Pacific Islander Initiatives
The White House launched its Asian American and
Pacific Islander Initiative to increase employment
opportunities while also improving public health
and addressing the environmental needs of Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). The
initiative is managed by OHR, but responsibility
for outreach to this community is spread throughout
all the program offices and regions.
One of the major projects for the AAPI community
this past year has been the implementation of the
EPA Nail Care Project. The goal of this project
was to provide information on the health and
environmental effects of working in the nail care
industry, and to provide technical training to nail
care salon owners and workers. With support from
all of the regions and leadership from Region 6
and OPPTS, seven workshops were conducted
throughout the country to educate and train nail
care owners and workers. A Nail Care Booklet
to complement the training was developed and
printed in both English and Vietnamese; a Korean
version is currently in translation.
"It was fascinating
to be around EPA,
industry, university, and
community group experts
as they all discussed ways
to make the environment
better for all groups.K
25
26
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CHAPTER 5 -
ATTRACTING TALENT
Providing environmental education and employment opportunities to AAPI students is
another priority area for EPA. This year, nine AAPI students were selected for inclusion
in the first round of EPA Intern Program interviews and seven were selected into the
two-year program. In addition, eight AAPI interns participated in EPA's Summer Intern
program. OHR also worked with numerous institutions serving Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders throughout the year to organize internships and we attended recruitment
conferences and programs.
In addition, numerous activities were organized to provide environmental awareness and
education to AAPI and other youths. States Piyachat Terrell, AAPI Program Manager,
"Through Earth Day activities, mural painting, tree planting, field trips, river clean-up
and other science group projects, AAPI interns and regional staff provided both fun and
educational opportunities for many children to learn about their environment."
Working with the Superfund Redevelopment Program, Community Outreach groups,
and the Office of Environmental Information, efforts are underway to simplify, translate
and find ways to transform EPA's browser to read Chinese to communicate more
effectively with the AAPI community.
National Hispanic Outreach
This year, OHR revised and updated its National Hispanic Outreach Strategy (NHOS)
to reach out and improve upon the recruitment and hiring of Hispanics. One key element
of this strategy calls for developing new business and professional partnerships with
organizations that support the development and employment of Hispanics. A significant
success in this area was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) of Washington, DC, a private non-profit organization
founded in 1993 to develop the next generation of Hispanic business and government
professionals. The purpose of the MOU is to cooperate with HCF in outreach efforts geared
towards increasing the number of qualified applicants for environmental positions at EPA.
EPA was very active this year in sponsoring and participating in numerous national,
regional, and local conferences that support EPA's work on the White House Hispanic
Initiative. EPA participated in the National Hispanic Environmental Council
Conference (NHEC), the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers Conference
(SHPE), and the League of United Latin American Citizens Conference (LULAC).
EPA also worked with Hispanic Outreach and
Recruitment coordinators in other federal agencies
including the Department of Interior, Bureau of
Land Management and the National Park Service to
enhance and share information about Hispanics who
are interested in working for the Federal Government.
Additionally, OHR conducted a study of EPA grant
and contract assistance to the Hispanic community
and made recommendations for ways to include
more universities, colleges, and non-profit Hispanic
organizations in EPA's work.
Senior Environmental
Employment Program
Susan Street has been involved with the Senior
Environmental Employment (SEE) Program for
many years and has been EPA's SEE Program
Manager for 10 years. The SEE Program was
initially funded through a 1976 partnership
between EPA and the U.S. Administration on
Aging as a demonstration project. Formal
legislation creating the program was later signed
into law in 1984. The legislation authorized EPA
to provide grants to certain nonprofit organizations
to place individuals age 55 and over in assignments
that support environmental pollution prevention,
abatement and control. Several years ago, EPA
began to expand the program through Inter-Agency
Agreements and now, eight other agencies and a
few states are using SEE enrollees.
"Through Earth Day
activities) mural painting?
tree planting? field trips,
river clean-up and other
science group projects,
AAPI interns and
regional staff provided
both fun and educational
opportunities for many
children to learn about
their environment.*'
27
28
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CHAPTER 5 -
ATTRACTING TALENT
According to Susan, "Currently about ten percent of EPA's workforce is comprised of
SEE enrollees and the benefits are many. Through the SEE Program, EPA's managers
have expertise at their fingertips for short- or long-term projects. Older workers have a
wealth of knowledge, skills and abilities that they have acquired throughout a lifetime
of work experience-experience that the Agency can, and has, put to good use. SEE
Program enrollees gain access to employment opportunities, as well as affordable health
insurance coverage that may not otherwise be available to them."
At Headquarters, SEE enrollees provide a wide variety of support services, from clerical
to professional. In the Regions, many SEEs can be found working side by side with
EPA employees in emergency response assignments.
John Marshall, a SEE enrollee assigned to the Office of Ecosystems Protection and
Remediation in Denver, Colorado, is just one example. John assists EPA's emergency
response efforts by helping to write and review standard operating procedures, working with
local fire departments to help prepare for emergency incidents, and setting up training.
John's SEE Program assignment is in many ways a continuation of his work for 27 years
with the Denver Fire Department. Prior to retiring, John focused on arson investigation
and hazardous materials response, while also teaching hazardous waste investigation at
the Federal Law Enforcement Center.
John's EPA Monitor, who heads up counter-terrorism efforts for Region 8, feels that
John is helping to bridge a gap that sometimes exists between federal and local agencies.
According to John, his work is both exciting and meaningful. "If something happens,
I like being in there doing something to help," John said. "That's what I like about it.
I've got the training and I can work with the people who are taking action," John added.
Summer Student Employment Program
This year, OHR created an Agency-wide online hiring process for students seeking summer
employment and managers looking to find qualified summer help. The Web site-enabled
program offices to customize their own specific pages and receive e-mails containing actual
applications for positions within their organization. Applicants received greater clarity
about the nature of positions, as well as, the window of opportunity in which to apply
for a position. Program offices and summer students found the system easy to use and
are excited about additional enhancements planned for next year.
Talent Branding
OHR was extremely busy this year working to
establish and promote an EPA 'talent brand' to be
used in recruiting and outreach activities.
Through 50 personal interviews and three focus
groups involving individuals who are involved in
recruiting activities, OHR was able to determine
which types of materials would be most effective in
supporting EPA's recruitment goals. An inclusion
study was conducted with members of various
audiences, including American Indians, Hispanics,
African Americans, Asian Americans, people with
disabilities, Generation X and Yers, older employees,
second career candidates, and others to ensure that
recruiting materials and outreach advertisements
would appeal to their intended audience. In
addition, a handbook was developed to help
recruiters and managers learn how to use the
Brand and understand its value.
wealth of knowledge) skills
and abilities that they
have acquired throughout
a lifetime of work
experience-experience
that the Agency can, and
has, put to good use.K'
29
30
"If something happens, I
like being in there doing
something to help. I've got
the training and I
can work with the
people who are
taking action"
-------
CHAPTER 5 -
ATTRACTING TALENT
Based on this research, OHR created and distributed to recruiters a number of
marketing materials, including two new brochures (each containing a small disk or
"digi card" with information about EPA's careers Web site), job announcement
stationery, posters, print advertisements, and more. In addition, OHR completed
a new career Web site which incorporates the 'talent brand' and features a diverse
group of EPA employees sharing their employment story.
31
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-------
CHAPTER 6 -
HIRING TALENT
EPA'S SCIENTISTS, POLICY MAKERS, CONTRACT SPECIALISTS,
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND OTHERS ALL PLAY A PART IN
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT. AND IT ALL BEGINS AT THE
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES. EVERY DAY, USING RESOURCES
LIKE EZHlRE, DIVERSITY OUTREACH, AN AWARD-WINNING
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, TRAINING AND MORE, THE OFFICE OF
HUMAN RESOURCES RECRUITS AND DEVELOPS THE MOST TALENTED
WORKFORCE POSSIBLE. IT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE HELP EPA
PRESERVE OUR ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
EZHire
EPA's "EZHire" online employment application process received praise this year both
from employees seeking positions within the agency and EPA's IT investment group
which awarded the system the highest possible score. The EZHire system has become an
invaluable tool to help the Agency track and monitor compliance with OPM's 45-day
hiring model. It does this by accurately tracking the number of days it takes from the
close of a vacancy announcement to the date the job offer is made to the applicant.
Four years ago, Eileen Mayer came to EPA from an environmental law firm. An
Environmental Protection Specialist with the Office of Environmental Information's
Toxics Release Inventory Program (TRI), Eileen has her position today as a result of
using the EZHire process. "Since high school, I have always wanted to work at EPA
because I felt, and still feel, that EPA is the place to work if you want to work in the
environment and make a real difference," said Eileen.
Eileen found out about her first job at EPA through the USA jobs online system. She
applied for several job series and took the first position offered to her, even though it
was not exactly in an area she preferred. It took a while, but one day she came upon a
job advertisement in EZHire for a position in the TRI Program which would utilize her
interest and background in environmental regulations. "I applied as soon as I saw the
vacancy," said Eileen. "EZHire is really a vast improvement to other online recruiting
tools because you know exactly what office you are applying to, you know exactly what
position you are applying for, and you have some idea of what the position entails,"
Eileen added.
"I am very proud to tell people that I work at EPA in the TRI Program," Eileen continued.
"In a way, it's the completion of something that I've wanted for a very long time. In fact,
I've referred my friends to EPA and EZHire and they have gotten positions here as well,"
she said.
Orientation Progam
"I had just graduated from the University of
Maryland and was attending a job fair when I
learned about employment positions at EPA,"
said Jasprit Kaur Matta. "I applied through
EZHire and now I am an IT Specialist in the
Office of the Inspector General's audit group,"
Jasprit added. Although Jasprit has only been
with EPA for one month, she has found it to be a
really friendly environment and looks forward to
the training opportunities that await her. "I am
excited about acquiring all the knowledge that I
can," says Jasprit.
Jaspirit's learning opportunities started on day
one. "The the new employee orientation session
was very informative," Jaspirit said. "While there
were a lot of documents to fill out, I also took
ethics training and learned a lot about benefits,
such as the Leave Bank and the transit subsidy,"
Jaspirit added.
"From the day the Team Vegas Human Resource
Office called me with my job offer, I have found
everyone to be very helpful and ready to answer my
questions," said Jaspirit. "They explained things
very well. I tell my friends that I am somewhat
overwhelmed with the size of Washington, DC,
and that my building looks like a museum, but that
it is really beautiful. I believe my position has a lot
of promotion potential and I am glad I took the
job," Jaspirit added.
To further improve the orientation process at
EPA's Headquarters Offices, new employees like
Jasprit will soon be able to fill out many of their
employment forms electronically prior to their
first day at work.
Human Resource Consulting Services
Twenty-nine years is a long time to work someplace,
especially doing the same thing. For Le'Ontyn
Buggs, a Human Resources Specialist who services
"EZHire is really a vast
improvement to other
online recruiting tools
because you know exactly
what office you are
applying to, you know
exactly what position you
are applying for, and you
have some idea of what
the position entails/
33
34
\
\
The new employee
orientation session was
very informative.>:
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CHAPTER 6 -
HIRING TALENT
the Office of the Administrator, advising EPA's program managers and employees on
human resource matters. This is what she loves to do. "A great deal of my work involves
providing guidance and options to managers so they can make informed decisions about
hiring," said Le'Ontyn. "I also spend part of my day talking to employees, either on the
phone or in person, helping to walk them through the online employment application
process and checking the status of their paperwork," she said.
The hiring process is a very paper- and labor-intensive effort with numerous steps along
the way. It starts with a manager preparing a SF 52 that outlines the type of position they
would like to fill. This form gets logged into an OHR tracking system, sent to Personnel
Security for their review, and assigned to a Human Resources specialist to make a variety
of classification determinations ranging from establishing the official title of the position
to determining the position's promotion potential.
"After a position has been properly classified, I will meet with a Subject Matter Expert
(SME) who has been designated by the manager doing the hiring," Le'Ontyn said.
"Together, we analyze the major duties of the position and the percentage of time spent
on each duty. I help the manager select from a series of questions found in our online
EZHire application system. Based upon the position, we determine how to weigh those
questions in terms of their importance. Once the manager is satisfied with the questions,
I draft a vacancy announcement and assign an opening and closing date. I will review
the applications for the vacancy and develop a certificate for the manager that lists the
top 10 candidates. Later, I will call the applicant who has been selected and make a job
offer, making sure that a completed SF 52 is inputted into the PeoplePlus system and
that an SF 50 is produced," outlines Le'Ontyn.
According to Le'Ontyn, "I went to school to learn the Human Resources field and I can
truly say that I enjoy what I do. I try to dig deep to figure out what managers want. It
warms my heart to finally see an enthusiastic applicant be hired. I view this as having
completed my assignment," she said.
"To make a career in human resources, you have to be organized, focused, patient and a
good communicator to your customers," said Le'Ontyn. "Even though there is never
any down time, and everyone expects you to focus on their need as if they are your only
customer, there are days when I know that I have really made a difference in someone's
life," Le'Ontyn added.
Separations: 865
Reassignments: 704
Promotions: 992
New Appointments: 1,389
Quality Step Increases: 299
Awards: 11,585
Processing Transactions
Hiring talent, and making other employee status
changes, involves another important function in the
Office of Human Resources: processing human resource
transactions. It's a quiet role, but no less important.
It is also a labor- and time-intensive job that requires
attention to detail.
This year was no exception as the Customer
Service teams that service Headquarters employees
processed approximately 16,000 different personnel
transactions.
"I think I enter around 50 transactions a week,"
said Pat Moore, a Human Resource Specialist in
OHR "Some transactions take ten minutes,
others take 45 minutes," she added. Pat is a
"PeoplePlus Power User" and it is her job to
verify and enter human resource transactions for
some of EPA's program offices. "I have always
found this work to be very challenging. I am still
learning something new everyday that I can share
with other members of the Customer Service
staff," she said.
"Everyone wants to be treated fairly and be paid
on time, so this pile on my desk represents much
more than file folders-it represents an employee's
promotion or hiring paperwork. I want to be paid
on time and paid the right amount, and they do
too," said Pat.
According to Pat, she spent a lot of time the past
year helping to train HR Specialists to make the
transition from entering human resource data in
HR Pro to entering the data in PeoplePlus. "We
did a lot of testing to make sure that the human
resource data entered into the system was being
captured correctly," said Pat. "The testing and
verification process was worth it because when
we went live with PeoplePlus, and an employee
had some difficulty with their pay, we were able
to figure out why there was a problem and to
help that employee resolve the issue quickly,"
Pat added.
"To make a career in
human resources, you
have to be organized,
focused, patient and a
good communicator to
your customers.K
35
36
"I've always found
this work
to be challenging.K
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CHAPTER 7 -
NURTURING TALENT
AFTER HIRING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST, OHR WORKS
HARD TO RETAIN EPA'S TALENTED WORKFORCE. To DO
THIS, OHR ENSURES THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE A WORKING
ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDES EXCELLENT BENEFITS,
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, CAREER GROWTH AND MOBILITY
AND WORK/LIFE BALANCE.
Benefits Program
Like many federal agencies, EPA offers a wide variety of employee benefits. These benefits
include life insurance, child care tuition assistance, health insurance, federal long term
care insurance, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance programs, sign language
interpretation services, and a thrift savings plan (TSP).
Retirement Counseling Center
Every day, Nicole Early helps EPA's managers and employees with benefit services. For
example, when an employee gets married, she helps to process a life insurance change of
beneficiary form. When an adult child moves out of their parent's house, she may assist
in changing the employee's health insurance contributions from family coverage to single
coverage. And everyday, numerous requests come in for new benefits. The most popular
request in 2004 was for supplemental dental coverage.
But one of the biggest parts of her job is providing retirement
counseling. In September 2004, in preparation for a new round
of buyouts and early outs, OHR established a Retirement
Counseling Center. Managed by Nicole Early and staffed with
both EPA employees and contractor counselors, the center has
been busy helping EPA's employees sort through retirement
calculations, insurance continuation questions, survivor benefits,
and the difficult decision to retire.
The Retirement Counseling Center is available to all EPA employees, but is especially
critical for employees interested in taking advantage of the buyouts and early outs.
Whether a walk-in or scheduled appointment, counselors help employees explore the
various retirement options that are available. "Many of our employees have already
participated in a three day retirement seminar, or have tried to do their own calculation
before seeking out our help," said Nicole. "Most of the individuals who come here have
already made up their minds and are ready to go," she said.
"But we don't want people to feel they have to
retire; we want them to be comfortable with
their decision," Nicole added. "I worked with
one lady who was very indecisive about leaving.
She had worked for 37 years, was alone, and
really loved to work. It took three hours of
discussions and many e-mails before she decided
her heart's desire was to leave," said Nicole."
"One of the best things about this job is my
ability to listen to peoples' stories, to learn
what they have done professionally and to
hear of their current challenges. Their stories
are both amazing and touching. Sometimes I
will get a call or postcard from someone who
has retired telling me how happy they are with
their decision and thanking me for helping them
during the final stage in their government
career. It is just one of the things that makes
my job very rewarding," Nicole said.
Leave Bank
Another benefit which sometimes gets taken for
granted is the Leave Bank. For Dona Canales,
an Environmental Protection Specialist with the
Office of Air and Radiation, this benefit turned
out to be one of her most important ones.
"I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I
was five months pregnant," said Dona. "It
was a shock and we didn't know what to do.
The staff in the Office of Human Resources
really helped. They were sympathetic and
compassionate and they worked very hard to
expedite getting me the time I needed to have
my treatments and take care of my newborn
son," Dona added.
"When my son was born, after three rounds
of chemo, it was one of the most amazing
moments. I was bald, and he had hair. But,
it was just another miracle," Dona said.
"One of the best things
about this job is my
ability to listen to peoples'
stories, to learn what they
have done professionally
and to hear of their
current challenges.>:
37
38
"I was diagnosed with
breast cancer when I was
five months pregnant.
It was a shock and we
didnt know what to
do... the staff in OHR
really helped.x £
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CHAPTER 7 -
NURTURING TALENT
New Hire Survey
Welcoming new hires into the Agency is an important first step in an employees' career,
and what may ultimately turn out to be a factor in whether their EPA career is lengthy or
short-lived.
To get a better sense of employees' early experiences with the Agency, the Recruiting
Roundtable developed and conducted a survey of newly hired employees. Information
gained from the survey was disseminated to unions, Human Resource Officers and Program
Management Officers, Recruiting Coordinators, IT and LAN managers, survey recipients
and others. Information from the survey will be used to help improve both the recruitment
and orientation processes.
Project Announcement Visibility Effort (PAVE)
"One of the best things about EPA's Project Announcement Visibility Effort (PAVE) is
that it broadens opportunities for all employees to work on high-profile projects," said
Tyrone Aiken, PAVE Project Manager.
Until PAVE was introduced into EPA in 2000, many EPA employees learned about
high-visibility projects or details only through word of mouth or from their manager.
Consequently, many qualified people never heard about volunteer opportunities for
many interesting and challenging projects.
In the last four years, over 1,200 employees have used PAVE's online project posting
system to request an opportunity to work on one of the over 450 high-profile projects
and details in the system. Initially created for use in the Office of Prevention, Pesticides,
and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), the system has been used by the Office of Air and
Radiation, Office of Administration and Resources Management, Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance, Office of Research and Development, Office of Water, Office
of the Administrator, Office of Solid Waste, and EPA's Region 10. Work is currently
underway to place the system on the Internet so that it can be expanded Agency-wide.
"I have seen several of my colleagues reborn as a result of the opportunity PAVE gave
them to show what they can do," said Tyrone. "I knew a chemist who was ready to retire.
She learned about an assignment through PAVE and applied. As soon as she went on
the new assignment, her demeanor and health changed almost immediately. She enjoyed
the feeling of being valued and considered putting off retiring for a while. PAVE is a
good thing for managers and a good thing for employees. Everyone wins," said Tyrone.
Senior Executive Programs
SES Candidate Development Program
In March 2004, all fifty-one Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development
Program participants graduated after an intensive eighteen-month program. All of the
candidates received certification from the Office of Personnel Management and are
eligible for non-competitive placement into SES positions.
Given the expected number of SES retirements
over the next few years, the Agency is currently
considering whether to conduct another class in
the near future.
A recent SES graduate described his experience in
the program. "In 1991, I left private law practice
to join the staff of EPA's Office of General
Council (OGC)," states David Lloyd. "I worked
in OGC for ten years as an attorney and eventual-
ly became an Assistant General Counsel," he said.
"After attending several briefings about the Senior
Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development
Program, I was convinced that I wanted to apply
in order to enhance my chances of moving into
the SES."
"The rigorous application process was very useful
and the program provided me with the opportunity
to interact and build relationships with other leaders
throughout the Agency," said David. "I also enjoyed
working with fellow candidates on our SES team
project. There were many different people with
really strong personalities, but we worked through
the challenges and ended up learning a lot in
the end," David added.
Shortly before being accepted into the program,
David had taken a detail with the Office of
Administration and Resources Management
(OARM). It was in OARM where he received
his SES appointment and assumed responsibility
as the Director of the Facilities Management and
Services Division.
** f
0g-'
u
"One of the best things
about EPA's Project
Announcement Visibility
Effort (PAVE) is that it
broadens opportunities
for all employees to work
on high-profile projects."'
39
40
"... the program
provided me with the
opportunity to interact
and build relationships
with other leaders
throughout the Agency.K
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CHAPTER 7 -
NURTURING TALENT
"As I reflect on my experiences in the Candidate Development Program, I am convinced
that there are many benefits to individuals and the Agency when we provide detail
opportunities and training to help managers learn how to better manage people and
budgets," states David. "I don't know if there will be another candidate development
class any time soon, but whether or not there is one, I endorse the concept of managerial
mobility and giving individuals an opportunity to broaden their professional experiences,"
David said.
Placing SES Program Graduates
In May of 2004, OHR formalized the non-competitive solicitation process for current SES
members and SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) graduates in the Merit Staffing
Plan. This new process will allow program offices to view and select eligible SES CDP
graduates for SES vacancies without having to go through the process of formally announcing
an SES vacancy.
Enhancing SES Communications
Ensuring that communication to and among members of EPA's SES is a priority, OHR
organized the Annual SES Meeting, "Managing the Future of EPA: Leadership Challenges."
The conference, which had over 250 executives in attendance, provided an opportunity
for SES members to discuss global environmental priorities, public attitudes about the
environment, and ways to solve environmental problems through collaboration.
Also, OHR continues to produce a quarterly newsletter for EPA's executive corps.
Executive Update, features articles on performance management issues, names of SES
members joining and departing the Agency, and executive developmental opportunities.
The SES Program Intranet Web site has been revised as well, to provide more current
information of interest to SES members.
Pay for Performance
Improving SES program performance is a priority for both EPA and the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM). Last year, OPM gave agencies the authority to adjust the
pay of senior executives above the current rate limitations. In response, EPA developed a new
SES appraisal/rating system for 2004. The new system will pay the highest-performing
SES members up to the rate of Level II of the Executive Schedule ($158,100) and apply
a higher aggregate limitation on pay equivalent to the rate payable to the Vice President
($203,000), pending issuance of the final pay regulations.
Options were also developed to establish pay bands, set pay for new members of the SES,
and to adjust base pay based on performance ratings. OPM approved EPA's plan for 2004
'provisional certification' and OHR is continuing to work for full certification of its SES
'pay for performance' plan for 2005-2006.
Workforce Development
OHR continues to make significant contributions to the development of the Agency's
workforce by offering the following courses on an ongoing basis:
O New Skills/New Options - an online developmental training program for administrative
employees;
O Mid-level Development - a training curriculum for EPA's 14,000 mid-level employees
which focuses on core competencies and the five SES Executive Core Qualifications;
O Excellence in Supervision - a highly successful training program for first-line supervisors;
and
O Stepping Up to Supervision - a training program for those contemplating entering the
supervisory ranks.
To further support the professional development of our workforce, OHR, in partnership
with the Office of Personnel Management and their Gov Online Learning Center
(GOLearn), will offer EPA employees one-stop access for more than 40 E-learning
courses covering a wide variety of topics including those on team-building, IT security,
PC and business applications, and leadership and management.
In addition, OHR will be working with OPM in early 2005 to provide more than 2,000
online courses, including courses that lead to professional computer certifications and
college credit toward an associate's degree. An online searchable library containing more
than 5,000 titles supporting the E-learning courses will also be available.
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42
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CHAPTER 7 -
NURTURING TALENT
E-learning is just one of the many advances in Workforce Development at EPA. "We are
transforming workforce development at EPA," said Sharon Ridings, OHR's Leadership
Development Program Manager. "We are not just developing training programs, we are
working to develop a process to help build employees' competencies," Sharon said.
"One example of this is our Excellence in Supervision course," said Sharon. "It has had
a tremendous impact by helping supervisors to understand that one of their major
responsibilities is to encourage and partner with employees as they develop the skills
needed for current and future challenges and opportunities. Supervisors are realizing that
when employees develop new skills they are more confident and dedicated to providing
quality products and services to their customers. We all want to do our best. We need
our leaders to work with us and provide feedback that will help us to build on current
abilities and develop new skills," said Sharon.
"I often receive calls two to six months after someone has taken the course and they tell
me that they did not realize how much it has changed their life," said Sharon. "For example,
one Division Director told me she had no idea why she did not trust her employees to
do the work they were hired to do, but realized that this was probably contributing to
her high staff turnover. The information shared in the course helped her to understand
how her management style was impacting her employees. By adjusting the way she responds
and interacts with her employees, she saw how she could improve her department's work
environment," added Sharon.
As the Agency works on expanding its Leadership Model, it has come to recognize that
everyone is a leader in this organization, and that everyone needs to utilize leadership
competencies at their own level. Competencies include: the way we communicate, handle
conflict, make decisions and work on an ever-increasing number of cross organizational
and cross-functional teams. In OHR, one of the challenges is to find ways to develop
five different generations of employees, each with different needs and learning styles. To
address this, OHR has adopted a "blended learning approach" which utilizes E-learning,
classroom instruction, mentoring, coaching, book learning and other tools.
"EPA has an amazingly talented workforce that is eager and hungry to learn," said Sharon.
When I teach a course, I watch the participants' faces. I love to see that moment when
someone has an epiphany and realizes they have the ability to change something that they
have been doing for years. I think I have the greatest job in the Agency," Sharon said.
"I also have been very fortunate to work with
many wonderful volunteers from around the
Agency who share my passion for helping to
develop others. Some of the facilitators who have
really helped out this past year include: Steven
Johnson, Region 3; Richard Wooster and Mary
Rogers, Region 6; David Doyle, Jan Tarpey, and
Mark Hague, Region 7; Debbie and David Janik
and Elyana Sutin, Region 8; John Ong and John
Yonemura, Region 9; Linda Gerber, Office of
Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
(OPPTS); Julie Taitt, Office of the Administrator
(OA); and Edna Rodriguez, OHR. They share
their passion for learning and their talent for
sharing information in a way that engages the
learners. We are fortunate to have their support
and the support of their leaders," Sharon said.
Many employees benefit from learning experiences
offered through the Office of Human Resources.
For Al Gallegos, Hispanic Employment Program
Manager and Network Operations Service
Manager for the Office of Environmental
Information, this training really paid off.
"I've taken a number of classes here at EPA dealing
with management, leading teams and how to
conduct meetings, and I found them very helpful,"
said Al. "The classes have helped to broaden my
level of confidence as a speaker. Now I feel more
comfortable participating in diversity recruitment
conferences and talking to students on a one-to-one
basis. I tell them about EPA and our mission,
and how they would really like to work here,"
Al added.
"We are not just
developing training
programs, we are working
to develop a process to
help build employees'
competencies.K
fe~
,
43
44
"I've taken a number of
classes here at EPA
dealing with
management, leading
teams and how to
conduct meetings, and
I found them
very helpful.K
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CHAPTER 8 - PEOPLE FOCUSED.
ENVIRONMENTALLY DRIVEN.
Refining our Future
This year, EPA's Office of Human Resources took many steps
forward to ensure that it will be positioned to meet the human
resource needs of the future.
Progress was made in achieving many of our National
Human Capital Strategic Planning goals. We have worked to
enhance our workforce planning and Agency restructuring
efforts, to expedite the hiring process, to develop and implement
a performance management system, and to find ways to
bring greater efficiency to our work through advancing a
number of E-government initiatives.
Working collaboratively with our unions, Human Resource
Offices throughout the Regions and laboratories, and
Program Management Officials at Headquarters, we are
implementing new human resource programs. We are finding
ways to improve customer service for all of EPA's 18,000
employees so that they can achieve a 'career balance' that
is good for them and the environment.
45
We have stepped up our special emphasis recruitment initiatives,
continued to offer the successful EPA Intern Program, and
helped to develop a new group of SES managers to help ensure
that we have the right people-with the right skills-to meet
the workforce needs we face today, and know we will face in
the future.
Our reorganization was a challenging first step, but now we
are dedicated and determined to keep moving forward and
take all the necessary steps to ensure that the Office of Human
Resources remains people focused and environmentally driven
as we recruit, develop and strategically plan for the most talented
workforce possible.
Office of
Human Resources
People Focused. Environmentally Driven.
r \
46
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