Increased training of federal supervisors “is necessary and welcome” but agencies also need to recognize that training has its limits in improving supervision of the federal workforce, MSBP has said.
“Merely attending training courses does not guarantee that employees have acquired the competencies those courses purport to impart. Additionally, some competencies needed to excel as a federal supervisor may not be well-suited to development through training. Accordingly, federal agencies should maintain sound programs for selecting supervisors and take appropriate action when a supervisor is unable or unwilling to adequately carry out supervisory responsibilities,” it said in a recent report.
MSPB made those comments regarding the Federal Supervisory and Managerial Frameworks Guidance that OPM issued last fall, which provides direction on developing individuals in supervisory, managerial, and executive positions, as well as employees whom agencies identify as potential candidates for such leadership positions. That includes mandatory and recommended training on leadership competencies and human resources technical knowledge as well as required and refresher training mandated for all supervisors and managers.
The merit board noted that it had made suggestions along those lines as far back as 2008 in a report calling for improved first-level supervision of federal employees.
Of particular importance, it said, is training on prohibited personnel practices and the merit system principles. In a 2015 report, MSPB cited surveys it had done of HR staff finding that only about half believed that supervisors and managers at their agencies were trained on them to a great extent and that nearly a fifth said there was little or no such training.
