The National Academy of Public Administration and the
National Commission on the Public Service Implementation
Initiative met recently to explore innovative approaches to
competitive sourcing.
One federal department uses a scorecard for operational
divisions that proved valuable in rewarding and motivating
staff and reinforcing accountability, something that resulted
in the successful completion of eight standard competitions
in 12 months, according to a report following that meeting.
An un-named sub-agency instituted a policy where senior
management resolved impasses as soon as they arose, an
obvious point, but the report noted that focusing on such
a policy eliminated bottlenecks and led to consistent progress.
Because the human capital initiative and the competitive
sourcing initiative naturally complement and reinforce one
another, successful agencies took advantage of this synergy
by overlaying the competition plan with workforce planning to
ensure goals were compatible with deadlines. They also made
sure that both the human capital representative and the
competitive sourcing representative reported to the same
individual, and the representatives and their joint boss
communicate frequently, attend each other’s team meetings
and meet twice a week, said the report.
