Public Sector Lags on IT Benefits

While providing a flexible and desirable working environment is necessary to attracting and retaining the younger, technology-oriented workforce, only 13 percent of state and local government agencies provide workers with laptop computers, according to a new study by Intel and IT consultant Wipro.

The study, which in 2009 conducted interviews with 58 state and local government IT professionals, found that while laptop computers attract young talent with flexibility, mobility and the ability to work from home, 84 percent of state and local agencies' average PC fleet consists of desktop PCs, with only 13 percent on laptop PCs. In addition, only 8 percent of agencies eligible for telework have a general telework policy in place to enable employees to work from home.

The study found that attracting young, tech-savvy workers to state and local agencies, particularly through the latest technologies, will prove critical in coming years as current workers near retirement. Sixty percent of state and 64 percent of local government employees are over age 40, the survey found, but despite this knowledge, only 32 percent of agencies have policies in place to recruit young talent, while only 53 percent have policies in place to retain and transfer the knowledge of retirees.

Anne Gregory, marketing program director for state and local government and education programs at Intel, said Tuesday that the public sector may lag behind leading private sector IT companies like Google in terms of attracting and retaining the younger workforce through the use of technology. But, she added, it's unlikely that public agencies lag behind many other private sector organizations, particularly small businesses, which also may be slow to adopt teleworking and laptop use.

Intel and Wipro recommended that state and local agencies migrate to laptop PCs and touted the ability of laptops to improve productivity by enabling workers to access information at any time and use collaboration tools both in and out of the office. Laptops also will help agencies cope with new open government mandates, become more energy efficient and better attract young talent with flexibility and mobility, the study noted.

Gregory said that while the results of the study have some implications for the federal government, she believes that the federal sector in general is steps ahead of state and local governments, particularly when it comes to teleworking and laptop use.

Gregory added that the General Services Administration has reached out to Intel to learn more about how to create a model telework program, including what days of the workweek are best suited for telework and whether to treat it as a privilege or a gift. "Intel's response was that we believe telework is task-oriented and job-oriented, not day-of-the-week-oriented," Gregory said. "Is it a privilege or a gift? We believe it's an alternative work option that requires management approval."