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Strengthening and Empowering the Federal Workforce
Overview
Priority Area Leaders
Kiran Ahuja
TitleDirector
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
Dr. Kathleen Hicks
TitleDeputy Secretary
AgencyU.S. Department of Defense
Julie Su
TitleDeputy Secretary
AgencyU.S. Department of Labor
Summary of Progress
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May 2023
The Workforce Priority has begun delivering several products to support agencies’ abilities to strengthen and empower their workforce. Some examples include: a training for managers on “Thriving in a Hybrid Environment,” new OMB guidance on improving Organizational Health and Organizational Performance across agencies, new OPM memo on Advancing Future of the Workforce Policies and Practices to Support Mission Delivery, new functionality on USAJOBS—called Talent Pools—to facilitate the sharing of hiring certificates across agencies, issuance of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Advancing Pay Equity, and public data products to better understand workforce insights.
Inter-agency teams continue to work collaboratively to support outcomes related to hiring, retention, employee engagement and well-being, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), leadership and skill development, and data-driven decision making. In the coming period, the Workforce Priority team will focus its efforts on empowering agencies to take action in support of the PMA’s objectives and continue its focus on enabling data-driven workforce decision making. For example, OPM will develop a method to track pooled hiring actions and candidates hired through pooled hiring actions in future quarters.
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March 2023
The Workforce Priority has an ambitious set of goals and objectives to make progress for Federal employees and will be actively looking for ways to further engage agencies in supporting this work. PMA cross-agency Workforce Priority teams have begun implementing projects designed to further progress on the goals across each of the four strategies. Teams have launched Government-wide working groups and communities of practice (CoPs), including the inter-agency Mental Health & Well-Being and Recruitment & Outreach CoPs. OPM has also released priority policy guidance to address central challenges identified by agencies to agencies, such as internship guidance designed to strengthen and diversify agencies’ pipelines for early career talent. To help promote a data-driven approach and create accountability across Government, agency guidance was delivered and agencies are making progress toward the four PMA Workforce Priority metrics, supported by guidance from the Priority Area Leaders; the metrics can be viewed on the new data page.
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November 2022
In order to meet the opportunities outlined above, cross-agency teams representing almost 20 CFO Act agencies have identified a suite of activities to address some of the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the Government workforce. Across each of the strategies described below, these teams continue to keep diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) goals front and center as they consider and test solutions. Teams are now working to identify potential pilots for testing and evaluation, and to implement near-term actions. These actions could include, for example, new guidance for agencies or the development of shared tools or data. Below is a sampling of initial milestones that are guiding cross-agency groups as implementation gets underway. The PMA team has continued to engage stakeholders. Priority Area Leaders have developed guidance for agencies to support the adoption of Priority-level metrics.
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July 2022
Cross-agency teams are advancing the PMA Workforce Priority across the identified Strategies and Goals, with cross-functional representatives from many agencies participating. These teams have been scoping the activities to support their goal statements, working to understand challenges, and exploring a broad range of solutions. Milestones included in this update represent initial foundational work to implement this Workforce Priority.
Challenge
More than 4 million Americans—including more than 2.1 million Federal civilian employees—work for our Federal Government, both at home and overseas. To be a Government for all of the American people, we need to focus on those who keep our Government running and deliver services each day. Given the changing nature of work, new technology, and the evolving skills needed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, we must invest in our public servants who are the backbone of our Government.
Opportunity
Federal agencies must attract, hire, develop, and empower talented individuals who are well suited and well prepared to face the challenges the Government faces, both in the near and long term. Agencies must also use what they have learned about the resilience and adaptability of the Federal workforce to make the Federal Government an ideal, modern, and forward-thinking employer. As Federal agencies continue to chart a path forward together on the future of Federal work, they will engage with public servants as well as stakeholders within and outside of Government to make every Federal job a good job and give our workforce what they need to succeed.
Strategies
Highlights
A curated view of progress happening across this priority areaJoin the Action
Members of the workforce: join one of the three cross-agency communities of practices to identify promising practices and potential pilots
Mental Health & Well-Being community of practice; the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council Recruitment & Outreach community of practice; and CHCO Council Employee Engagement community of practice; If interested, please reach out to CHCOCouncilCoPs@opm.gov
Understand the priority metrics that support the Workforce Priority
Read the PMA Workforce Priority Metrics Memo and review the agency actions
Share
To deliver results for all of the American people, we need everyone’s help. Spread the word.
Understand the vision
Help answer high-impact research questions
Leaders
Nina Albert
TitleCommissioner
AgencyPublic Buildings Service
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
Jason Barke
TitleDeputy Associate Director, Strategic Workforce Planning
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
Dustin Brown
TitleDeputy Assistant Director for Management
AgencyOffice of Management and Budget
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
Roland Edwards
TitleChief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of Homeland Security
StrategyMake every Federal job a good job, where...
Wonzie Gardner
TitleOffice Head and Chief Human Capital Officer, Office of Information and Resource Management
AgencyNational Science Foundation
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
John Gill
TitleAssistant Director of Center for Leadership Development
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyBuild the personnel system and support required to...
Colleen Heller-Stein
TitleDirector, Office of Human Resources and Acting Chief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of the Treasury
StrategyAttract and hire the most qualified employees, who...
Veronica Hinton
TitlePrincipal Deputy Associate Director for Employee Services
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyBuild the personnel system and support required to...
Kristin McNally
TitleBranch Chief of Employee Engagement, Division of Worklife and Engagement in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
AgencyDepartment of Labor
StrategyMake every Federal job a good job, where...
David Padrino
TitleExecutive Director, Office of Human Capital Data Management and Modernization
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyBuild the personnel system and support required to...
Nancy A. Speight
TitleDeputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy
AgencyDepartment of Defense
StrategyMake every Federal job a good job, where...
Tracey Therit
TitleChief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of Veterans Affairs
StrategyAttract and hire the most qualified employees, who...
Metrics
Create a more equitable employee engagement experience across the Federal workforce, including across employee groups and organizational units within agencies
- Increase agency OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) Employee Engagement Index (EEI) scores by narrowing agency-identified gaps in EEI by employee group or organizational unit by 20 percent.
- Agencies will select an EEI subfactor (Supervisor, Leaders Lead, Intrinsic Work Experience) or a minimum of three OPM FEVS questions as topics to target for action and quantifiably improve results on these factors/questions. Subfactor/questions should be chosen due to overall low score, gaps across employee groups and organizational unit, or some other mission- or performance-driven factor.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Improve the Federal hiring process to efficiently hire the best talent
- Increase the percentage of hiring manager satisfaction with the hiring process.
- Note : This survey currently is going through improvements to automate its dissemination and to improve data collection and availability. Improvements will be integrated by fiscal year (FY) 23 Q3. A baseline will be established using the current data from the last 3 years, and targets will be determined following the implementation of survey improvements.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Attract the right talent for the right roles
- Increase the percentage of agencies meeting projected mission-critical occupation (MCO) hiring and staffing targets.
- Agencies will be asked to create robust projections for selected MCOs and report progress towards filling those goals in order to highlight areas of needed support to compete for talent.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) strategies and practices across all human capital activities
- OPM FEVS DEIA Measures
- Agencies will review initial scores for DEIA measures newly established in 2022 OPM FEVS, and seek to understand and improve upon agency baselines, benchmarks, and trends over future years.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Members of the workforce: join one of the three cross-agency communities of practices to identify promising practices and potential pilots
Mental Health & Well-Being community of practice; the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council Recruitment & Outreach community of practice; and CHCO Council Employee Engagement community of practice; If interested, please reach out to CHCOCouncilCoPs@opm.gov
Understand the priority metrics that support the Workforce Priority
Read the PMA Workforce Priority Metrics Memo and review the agency actions
Share
To deliver results for all of the American people, we need everyone’s help. Spread the word.
Understand the vision
Help answer high-impact research questions
Create a more equitable employee engagement experience across the Federal workforce, including across employee groups and organizational units within agencies
- Increase agency OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) Employee Engagement Index (EEI) scores by narrowing agency-identified gaps in EEI by employee group or organizational unit by 20 percent.
- Agencies will select an EEI subfactor (Supervisor, Leaders Lead, Intrinsic Work Experience) or a minimum of three OPM FEVS questions as topics to target for action and quantifiably improve results on these factors/questions. Subfactor/questions should be chosen due to overall low score, gaps across employee groups and organizational unit, or some other mission- or performance-driven factor.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Improve the Federal hiring process to efficiently hire the best talent
- Increase the percentage of hiring manager satisfaction with the hiring process.
- Note : This survey currently is going through improvements to automate its dissemination and to improve data collection and availability. Improvements will be integrated by fiscal year (FY) 23 Q3. A baseline will be established using the current data from the last 3 years, and targets will be determined following the implementation of survey improvements.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Attract the right talent for the right roles
- Increase the percentage of agencies meeting projected mission-critical occupation (MCO) hiring and staffing targets.
- Agencies will be asked to create robust projections for selected MCOs and report progress towards filling those goals in order to highlight areas of needed support to compete for talent.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) strategies and practices across all human capital activities
- OPM FEVS DEIA Measures
- Agencies will review initial scores for DEIA measures newly established in 2022 OPM FEVS, and seek to understand and improve upon agency baselines, benchmarks, and trends over future years.
- Guidance to agencies on implementing PMA Workforce Priority metrics
Nina Albert
TitleCommissioner
AgencyPublic Buildings Service
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
Jason Barke
TitleDeputy Associate Director, Strategic Workforce Planning
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
Dustin Brown
TitleDeputy Assistant Director for Management
AgencyOffice of Management and Budget
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
Roland Edwards
TitleChief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of Homeland Security
StrategyMake every Federal job a good job, where...
Wonzie Gardner
TitleOffice Head and Chief Human Capital Officer, Office of Information and Resource Management
AgencyNational Science Foundation
StrategyReimagine and build a roadmap to the future...
John Gill
TitleAssistant Director of Center for Leadership Development
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyBuild the personnel system and support required to...
Colleen Heller-Stein
TitleDirector, Office of Human Resources and Acting Chief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of the Treasury
StrategyAttract and hire the most qualified employees, who...
Veronica Hinton
TitlePrincipal Deputy Associate Director for Employee Services
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyBuild the personnel system and support required to...
Kristin McNally
TitleBranch Chief of Employee Engagement, Division of Worklife and Engagement in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
AgencyDepartment of Labor
StrategyMake every Federal job a good job, where...
David Padrino
TitleExecutive Director, Office of Human Capital Data Management and Modernization
AgencyOffice of Personnel Management
StrategyBuild the personnel system and support required to...
Nancy A. Speight
TitleDeputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy
AgencyDepartment of Defense
StrategyMake every Federal job a good job, where...
Tracey Therit
TitleChief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of Veterans Affairs
StrategyAttract and hire the most qualified employees, who...