There was “broad agreement” following an April 2004 forum
on human capital reform hosted by the Government
Accountability Office and the National Commission on the
Public Service Implementation Initiative, that the next
phase of human capital reform should include a set of
guidelines “built on a set of beliefs that entail
fundamental principles and boundaries that include
criteria and processes that establish the checks and
limitations when agencies seek and implement their
authorities,” according to a new GAO report.
It said forum participants agreed that federal employees
should be able to organize and collectively bargain
through unions, and that a key aspect of reform should
be “merit principles that balance organizational missions,
goals and performance objectives with individual rights
and responsibilities.”
There was also agreement that human capital reform
should encompass “guaranteed due process that is fair,
fast, and final,” as well as “an integrated approach
to results-oriented strategic planning and human
capital planning and management,” according to GAO-05-69SP.
The panelists placed emphasized the need to involve
employees in the development and implementation of new
personnel systems, as well as a commitment to
transparency, reporting and evaluation.
