Senator studies GAO's managerial flexibilities
The ranking member of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee is studying managerial flexibilities at GAO to help inform the debate over civil service protections for employees in the proposed Homeland Security Department.
In an Aug. 6 letter, Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., asked General Accounting Office Comptroller General David Walker for information about GAO's experience with personnel flexibilities. GAO has had a pay-for-performance system in place since 1980, and Congress granted the agency additional flexibilities in October 2000, allowing GAO to offer early-out retirements and create senior executive service-type positions.
"The GAO's experience in this area might prove helpful to the Senate as we consider governmental management issues in general and, in particular, the establishment of a Department of Homeland Security," Thompson wrote.
Unlike the few other federal agencies with managerial flexibilities, such as the FAA and the Internal Revenue Service, GAO operates under congressional oversight. GAO is an independent agency in the legislative branch that regularly examines management in executive agencies.
Michelle Semones, a spokeswoman for the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee minority staff, said Thompson wanted GAO's perspective to provide a comparison with the experience of other agencies with managerial flexibilities.
"He wanted to see how it's been used, and if it's been effective and useful," Semones said.
In an Aug. 9 response, Walker described GAO's flexibilities, including the authority to bring in experts and consultants for three-year terms, and to realign the agency's workforce based on skill needs. The comptroller general also provided a snapshot of the agency's progress in implementing some of the flexibilities added in 2000. To date, 57 employees have taken advantage of early-out options, and those vacant positions are being reallocated to areas of critical need within the agency, according to Walker. Nine senior-level positions were created and seven of those have been filled, while reduction-in-force regulations are in the draft stage.
"We believe the above tools have provided GAO with much needed flexibility to deliver on our mission in an efficient, effective and economical manner while incorporating adequate safeguards to prevent abuse of employees," Walker wrote. "These authorities benefit our employees, the Congress and ultimately the American people by helping us improve our performance and ensure our accountability."
Lawmakers have spent the past two months haggling over what civil service rules and regulations to include in homeland security legislation, with President Bush insisting on managerial flexibilities in the areas of pay and hiring.
The Senate will debate a motion to proceed to the homeland security bill when it reconvenes in September with Thompson and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., controlling the debate time for proponents. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., will control the debate time for opponents of the motion.