Senator preps workforce reform

Proposing what would be the first reform of government personnel policies in years, Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) soon will introduce a bill that would create agency chief human capital officers.

The Federal Workforce Improvement Act of 2002, which could be introduced as soon as next week, is a comprehensive reform of the civil service laws, Voinovich said during a speech at the National Academy of Public Administration's Performance Conference in College Park, Md., June 4.

Workforce problems have had a great impact on the government's ability to carry out its duties, Voinovich said. He noted that he was disheartened when the government had to issue a call for people who spoke Arab languages following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"It has become critical to have well-trained federal employees," he said.

The proposed legislation will require agencies to make human capital plans part of overall performance plans as required by the Government Performance and Results Act, he said.

Furthermore, it will reform some hiring processes that cause the government to take as long as a year before hiring personnel, he said.

Specific provisions of the bill are still being negotiated. However, one version of the bill requires the Office of Personnel Management to create a system for assessing how agencies are managing workforce issues.

The bill has a much better future as a result of the terrorist attacks. "Until now, this has not been easy," Voinovich acknowledged. Federal workforce issues were not a priority on Capitol Hill, but now lawmakers can make a real connection between workforce issues and homeland security, he said.