The Office of Personnel Management is taking steps to strengthen its ability to lead human capital reform, the Government Accountability Office has said.
It said that while the agency recognizes the need to develop a government-wide framework for human capital reform, because OPM will likely be required to assist, guide and certify that agencies are themselves ready for reform, important questions about its capacity to do so exist.
The agency has made progress transforming into a more effective leader of human capital reform, but needs to build on that by addressing a number of challenges, according to GAO-06-861T.
It said information from OPM leadership does not cascade effectively throughout the organization — based on a survey and focus groups — and that many employees do not feel senior leaders generate a high level of motivation and commitment in the workforce.
OPM’s workforce planning has not sufficiently identified future skills and competencies that may be necessary in its reform role, and it could improve customer service to agencies and create more opportunities for dialogue, the report said.
Officials in executive agencies have said OPM guidance is not always clear and timely, that OPM’s human capital officer structure is often a barrier to efficient customer response, and greater opportunities exist to collaborate with agency leaders — or to use partnerships like the CHCO Council, GAO said.
It said OPM has made progress aligning SES expectations and organizational goals, and that it should build on that and effectively implement new performance standards for employees in support of the agency’s strategic and operational plan as well as ensure that all employees receive the necessary training.
