Workforce a priority for Accenture

Accenture is taking aim at government workforce problems with a new service

designed to help agencies address their human resources needs.

The company, formerly Andersen Consulting, launched a human capital

management service in February that will help federal, state and local agencies

manage their workforce issues.

The announcement comes on the heels of a decision by the U.S. General

Accounting Office to place people management on its list of high-risk programs.

The new service will "help clients get their arms around this issue,

the issue the [U.S.] comptroller has put on his hit list for important issues,"

said John Hrusovsky II, a partner in Accenture's government practice.

The service involves asking a series of questions about how an agency

is managing its human resources, Hrusovsky said. Questions include:

* What percentage of your budget is spent on training?

* Do you have a succession plan for key executives?

* What is your retention rate over the past five years?

Consultants analyze the results, develop a list of key risk factors

and an action plan, and highlight high-priority items that an agency should

address.

The process evaluates an agency's entire workforce, including information

technology employees.

Remedies can include how to attract and retain employees, how to capture

an employee's knowledge about government operations and how to develop tools

that can be used to transfer institutional knowledge to new recruits.