The Department of Homeland Security faces a number of
challenges implementing its proposed personnel system, one
that would set precedents for the executive branch and
change the way the department is managed, the Government
Accountability Office has said.
It said that while strategic human capital planning can help
DHS prepare organizational needs it has not gathered relevant
data on legacy human capital approaches or workforce
challenges systematically or consistently.
DHS is making an effort to collect detailed human capital
information and design a centralized information system so
that such data can be gathered and reported department
wide, said GAO.
It said sustained leadership commitment is required to
secure “appropriate resources for the design, implementation,
and evaluation of the human capital management system;
[for] communicating with employees and their representatives
about the new system and providing opportunities for
feedback; training employees on the details of the new
system; and continuing opportunities for employees and
their representatives to participate in the design and
implementation of the system.”
DHS proposed having its performance management system comply
with the merit principles and avoid prohibited personnel
practices, and provide for employee involvement in the
design and implementation of the system to be fair, credible
and transparent, according to GAO-04-790.
