EPA’s Workforce – Sharing The Responsibility

1. EPA’s Workforce – Sharing The Responsibility Joanne Oxley, Acting Deputy Director Office of Human Resources

2. Where We Are and How We Got Here • President’s Management Agenda • Human Capital Agenda • e-Government Initiatives • Strategic Workforce Planning

3. Meeting Human Capital Needs • EPA has designated our Human Capital Strategy to ensure that our workforce is high-performing, results-oriented, aligned with our strategic goals and objectives, and accountable for delivering environmental results consistent with the PMA. Toward this end, our human capital planning will require us to identify the skills we will need for future work, attract and retain diverse talent, provide continuing opportunities for organizational learning, develop leaders, and ensure adequate succession planning. 2006-2011 EPA Strategic Plan, pg. 151.

4. 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey How EPA Compares With The Rest Of The Federal Government

5. Federal Human Capital SurveyThings Employees Really Like About EPA • They believe their work is important and like the kind of work they perform. • They believe their organization produces high quality work. • They know how their work relates to the agency’s goals and priorities. • They feel their supervisor supports their need to balance work and family issues. • The ability to use information technology to perform work (intranet, shared networks).

6. Federal Human Capital SurveyAreas Where Employees Feel EPA Can Improve • Recognize difference in performance in a meaningful way. • Deal with poor performers who cannot or will not improve. • Provide more opportunities for career advancement. • Find ways to increase motivation and commitment in the workforce. (Do not feel that leaders are doing this now.) • Ensure that there are enough resources to do the work and improve the skill base of employees.

7. Workforce Realities • The projected “wave” of Baby Boom retirements will affect EPA, too. • The leading edge of baby boomers turned sixty last year (2006). • OPM estimates that 60% of the Federal workforce will be eligible to retire over the next ten years – 90% of SES. • Sudden loss of institutional knowledge. • Future smaller pool of qualified workers. • Associated increased demand for the reduced supply of qualified workers.

8. EPA’s Workforce • Today, approximately 10,000 of EPA’s workforce of 17,665 (more than half) are older than 45. • The retirement rate trend for EPA for the last few years has started increasing.

9. EPA’s Workforce • EPA’s demographic statistics are in line for the most part with statistics for the Civilian Labor Force. The three significant exceptions are • Hispanic males (2.39% to 6.20%), • Hispanic females (2.73% to 4.50%), and • Black females (14.59% to 5.80%). • Between 2000 and 2005, there has been less than one half of one percent increase in any of the special emphasis groups.

10. Number of people eligible to retire across ORD assuming steady population as of November 21, 2007.

11. Projected Change In EPA’s Workforce

12. Workforce Planning • Attract New Talent • Develop Existing Talent • Recognize and Reward Talent • Determine and Address Future Needs

13. Recruitment Activities • Find New Ways to Attract Entry-Level Employees • Greater use of flexible hiring authorities • Persons with Disabilities • Federal Career Intern Program • Presidential Management Fellows Program

14. Recruitment Activities • Career Patterns Analytic Tool • New OPM software tool to help analyze job requirements, categorize requirements into Career Pattern Scenarios, and identify work environment features. • Goal, to attract a broader range of potential applicants.

15. Recruitment Activities • Partnering with other agencies to share information, resources, and best practices – DOL, DOT, NRC, NASA. • Special emphasis group outreach and MOUs with universities in difficult-to-recruit markets. • Use of Title 42.

16. Developmental Programs • EPA’s Environmental Intern and Presidential Management Fellow Programs • Mid-Level Development Programs • (Under exploration rotational program for GS 13 through GS 15s) • Pre-Supervisory • Stepping Up to Supervision • Supervisors and Managers • Successful Leaders Program • SES • SES Mobility Program • SES Candidate Development Program (Additional programs can be found on the OHR website)

17. Successful Leaders Program • Participation in the SLP is a requirement for completion of all newly appointed supervisors and managers during their one-year probationary period. • Program costs less than $2,500 per participant – to be paid by Program Office, Regional Office, or Lab. • Consists of 80+ hours of training in human resources management, equal employment opportunity, diversity, performance management, etc. • Unique blended development approach, consisting of traditional classroom, on-line learning, mentoring, coaching, assessments, etc. • During and after the program, participants will work with their supervisors, managers and Training Officers to identify additional learning opportunities for meeting individual participant’s developmental needs.

18. Recognizing and Rewarding Performance – EPA’s Performance Culture • According to the FHCS: • Employees felt our performance culture was equal to or slightly better than the government-wide average (55% vs. 52%). • Tend to believe their performance appraisal is a fair reflection of their performance (Positive 61.8%, Neutral 18.5%, Negative – 18.3%).

19. PARS Enhancements • CY 2007 • Implement agency-wide uniform benchmark standards for all five levels. • Impact and implementation being negotiated with EPA’s five unions.

20. PARS Enhancements • CY 2008 • Begin transition to Fiscal Year cycle beginning October 1, 2008. • Will have a shortened CY 2008 cycle – January 1 through September 30. • Impact and Implementation being negotiated at the national level.

21. PARS Enhancements • Proposal to link performance and performance awards at the end of the CY 2008 cycle. • Previously awards had been linked prior to the PERFORMS Pass/Fail System. • Proposal still being vetted throughout the agency. Once final, will be provided to and negotiated with the unions.

22. Awards Linkage Proposal • Performance Awards -percentage of the employee’s base pay. • Organizations allocated 1.0% of payroll for all awards, but can choose to spend up to an additional 0.5% (total up to 1.5%). • Outstanding – Up to 3%. • Exceeds Expectations – Up to 2%. • Fully Successful – Up to 1%.

23. Awards Linkage Proposal • Awards made for Outstanding employees first, then those receiving EE, and finally those with FS summary ratings. Employees with higher rankings should be receiving the higher amount of award. • Employees who receive an Outstanding may be eligible, but not entitled, to receive a Quality Step Increase (QSI). Employees who receive a QSI are not eligible to receive another rating-based award for the same rating cycle.

24. Awards Linkage Proposal • All employees, regardless of the amount of performance award, are eligible to receive other monetary recognition awards (e.g., Q-Award, S-Award, T-Award, OTS Award, or TO Award) in recognition of other special acts. These awards may be awarded throughout the year. • Criteria will change for “Q” and “S” awards to remove language that includes reference to “performance.”

25. Addressing Future Needs Through Competency Assessments • Identified Mission Critical Occupations. • Identified Competencies needed in these occupations. • To date, IT, Human Resources, and SES employees have undergone initial assessment. • Currently assessing Toxicologists, Contracts and Grants Specialists. • Additional assessments of GS 13-15 supervisors/managers to occur later this year.

26. Addressing Future Needs Through Competency Assessments • Hope to conduct additional assessments in 2008. • Once identify a competency “gap,” work to address it through recruitment and developmental activities. • Need to re-assess to determine if gaps have been closed.

27. Toxicologist Competencies • Oral Communication • Collaborating and Fostering Teamwork • Written Communication • Partnering • Problem Solving • Knowledge of the Agency’s Business • Strategic Thinking • Research Skills • Technical Credibility • Hazard Assessment • Analytical Reasoning

28. Summary of EPA Competency Assessment Activities • The IT assessment results showed that while there were no proficiency gaps in identified competencies, there were new IT activities (e.g., Enterprise Architect) for which no in-house competencies existed. • This alerted senior managers to set a hiring goal of two-to-four people with the necessary competencies, and to set interim hiring targets.

29. Summary of EPA Competency Assessment Activities • The HR assessment revealed small gaps in the general competencies that are most critical for HRM Specialists in supporting the agency’s mission [Customer Service, Problem Solving, Knowledge of Agency Business]. • Based on the limited amount of recruitment and development resources for addressing competency gap closures, the Agency has determined it would be most effective to look closer at competency gaps from a local level perspective.

30. Summary of EPA Competency Assessment Activities • The senior Leader (SES) assessment identified two competency gaps (Interpersonal Skills, and Oral Communications), for which the Agency is providing training opportunities.

31. A Role For ORD Managers • Give meaningful performance input throughout the year. • Recognize difference in performance in meaningful ways. • Deal with poor performers who cannot or will not improve. • Support rotations and other employee developmental activities. • Explore the use of flexible hiring authorities. • Enroll your new managers in the Successful Leaders Program.

32. A Role For ORD Managers • Embrace strategic workforce planning efforts. • Don’t just think about succession planning, start doing something about it. • Recognize and acknowledge your employees for the wonderful contribution they make to your staff, ORD, and for accomplishing the mission of the Agency.

33. We All Have A Responsibility For EPA’s Workforce….. …and What A Great Workforce It Is!