Magazine

Letters

December 1, 2000

In preparing our business plan to address these trends, we found that no DoD codes and/or core documents give us the tools to address these skill requirements. Of the 1101 and 1105 skill codes for contracting officers and purchasers, none address program managers. Yet these are the people who run our programs and who are responsible for a complex team effort. Members of these teams come from the following areas: Budgeting/funding, contracting/purchasing, engineering, transportation, planning, environmental, depot overhaul, ranges and numerous contractors. Our personnel system fails to support such changes. We have written core documents reflecting generalist business skills but cannot get human resource officials to acknowledge "professional business skills" as a viable code (1101) to describe them.

Bring Us Up to Code

I agree with your magazine's assessment of the workforce crisis ("The Human Touch," September). Acquiring the skills needed to support today's DoD acquisition process will require a major overhaul of the personnel system.

At the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, we see the following acquisition and technology trends:

A smaller, aging workforce.
A need for employees with an understanding of multiple functions and generalists with strong business skills.
Lean budgets driving consolidation, competitive sourcing and activity-based costing.
A premium on the ability to operate in an integrated digital environment.
Government-industry partnerships.

Getting our upper managers to recognize that we must adjust our skill requirements has not been the problem. Our personnel system fails to support such changes.

Our personnel officials say 1101 is not recognized as a professional skill requirement, unlike the skill codes for engineers and scientists. Their position reflects the limited classification criteria based on materials published more than 25 years ago. Personnel officials say their hands are tied by federal laws.

Recognizing the importance of these skills is not the only consideration. Our industry counterparts receive 20 percent to 50 percent more compensation than the average DoD program manager. No procedures exist for compensating our program managers for overall program management responsibility, associated

stress, long hours and excessive travel. How do we plan to attract and retain new employees, support a government-industry exchange program or sustain a viable business function if we do not level the playing field soon?

Samuel Kuennen
Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center
Rocket Systems Launch Program

Walking the Tightrope
Franklin S. Reeder's article, "Walking the Transition Tightrope," (September) may refer to the transitions expected after the new President takes office, but it really offers good advice for anyone who'll ever be faced with the prospect of new management.

And who hasn't? In the last nine years I've held the same position under four different direct managers, six acting managers, three second level managers, and five lower level executives.

As my agency continues to restructure, who knows how many more changes employees at all levels will face? Reeder's practical suggestions provide a guideline for the tightrope.

Theresa B. Doran

NEXT STORY: Government Executive November 2000 Vol.32, No.13