Federal Executive Boards tidy up

Federal Executive Boards’ restructured business operations helped improve federal regional programs in 2007, according to the latest FEB annual report from the Office of Personnel Management. The 28 boards located in various geographical regions comprise the highest-ranking regional officials from each federal agency. They are hubs for communication, coordination and collaboration among federal regional offices nationwide.In fiscal 2007, the boards revamped their operations to more clearly delineate their programs and services in three areas: emergency preparedness, security and employee safety; workforce capital readiness; and intergovernmental and community outreach. The report “demonstrates the effectiveness of our Federal Executive Boards in ensuring streamlined and efficient public services are made available across America,” OPM Director Linda Springer said. “With more than 88 percent of the federal civilian workforce located outside the Beltway, we must have close coordination of federal agency activities, regardless of their location or the situation.” The 2007 report, released Jan. 11, details how the Minnesota FEB improved emergency preparedness in its region in response to the Interstate 35W bridge disaster in August. After that bridge collapsed, FEB immediately opened lines of communication to federal agencies and employees in the area to make sure they were aware of detours and closures. FEB also kept federal employees informed about the effects of the accident on their colleagues and federal efforts to assist with the incident. That board also helped make local connections between federal agencies and state and local authorities involved in the disaster response. “FEB is a valuable partner for state and local emergency management agencies,” said an official at the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “It provides an extra layer of support and realism to preparedness discussions, tabletop exercises and daily emergency management business.” In addressing workforce concerns, the boards offered low-cost or no-cost training opportunities to more than 23,000 federal employees in 2007 to ensure the workforce maintains its skills and competencies.