MSPB, an agency best known for deciding appeals of disciplinary cases and certain other personnel matters, has set an agenda for its other major function, producing reports on civil service policies and practices.
The agenda, carrying through 2018, “addresses both continuing imperatives, such as achieving a workforce free of prohibited personnel practices, and contemporary issues, such as making the best possible use of advances in technology and the impact of policy changes on the federal workforce,”MSPB said in a statement.
The focus will be on defending merit; recruitment and hiring; pay and performance management; supervision and leadership; building an effective workforce; and oversight of OPM.
Specific topics within those categories will include whistleblower reprisal, sexual harassment, hiring practices, supervisory and managerial probation, poor performers, selection of supervisors, flexible workplaces, succession planning, and more.
Recent MSPB reports have focused on issues including whether job competitions are fair and open, the impact of veterans preference policies, assessing job applicants, favoritism in hiring decisions, and employee motivation.