Agencies struggle to meet job competition goals

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In their push to put hundreds of thousands of federal jobs up for competition with private firms, Bush administration officials have run headlong into a federal culture that could do without public-private competition. Privately, some managers say they wish the whole initiative would just end.

"If we're too enthusiastic about competitive sourcing, our employees would not be pleased," says an official at a civilian agency. "If we're not enthusiastic enough, it looks like we're dragging our feet on the administration's issue."

But Bush officials won't back down. They believe public-private competition can transform federal agencies, and they are prepared to make concessions on the details of competitive sourcing to make agencies stick with it. If government employees would just give competition a chance, the Office of Management and Budget believes, they would like the results.

Jason Peckenpaugh explores the implications of the competitive sourcing initiative in a new special issue of Government Executive. For the full story, click here.

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