Federal manager groups unite

Five federal management associations have formed the Government Managers Coalition to work on civil service issues, its representatives announced this week.

The five — the Federal Aviation Administration Managers Association, the Federal Managers Association, the National Council of Social Security Management Associations, the Professional Managers Association and the Senior Executives Association — represent about 200,000 federal supervisors, managers and executives.

“Often the most basic management concerns are the ones overlooked," said William Bransford, general counsel at the Senior Executives Association. "The fixes we’re seeking will make a big difference in the management of the civil service,” he said.

The Government Managers Coalition already works with lawmakers on issues that will engage the new group. Those include mandatory supervisor training and re-training for anyone who manages other federal employees, an extended probationary period for most new employees, and greater clarification of the status and treatment of managers who are the subject of Equal Employment Opportunity complaints.