Human Resources Management Consortium

The Human Resources Management Consortium provides public-sector managers and human resources professionals with a source of practical expertise, best practices, and innovative solutions for improving the management of human resources. Services include providing technical assistance on specific human resources management issues, evaluating human resources management systems, designing new programs and developing strategic plans, undertaking benchmarking studies, identifying best practices and lessons learned, conducting seminars and workshops to disseminate results, and providing a forum to address common challenges.

News from the Center

21st Century Manager Study--- A Product of the HRM Consortium

The Academy's recently completed five-study series, The 21st Century Federal Manager: A Study of Changing Roles and Competencies, paints a picture of the behaviors, skills, and competencies of successful 21st Century federal managers:

Report 1: The 21st Century Federal Manager: A Study of Changing Roles and Competencies
The first report documents and analyzes demographic data; discusses government-wide initiatives on federal management, development, and performance; summarizes the analyses and recommendations made by leadership and management experts; and offers a literature review and annotated bibliography. Read Report 1.

Report 2: First-Line Supervisors in the Federal Service: Their Selection, Development and Management
The second report summarizes the challenges involved in identifying, selecting, and developing supervisors; examines their preparation and training; and evaluates their management of the workforce. Read Report 2.

Report 3: Leadership for Leaders: Senior Executives and Middle Managers
The third report discusses current environmental issues driving "leadership of leaders" programs; reviews the trends in identifying and selecting senior executives and middle managers; and analyzes agency initiatives in succession planning designed to meet human capital goals. Read Report 3.

Report 4: Developing the Leadership Team: An Agency Guide
The fourth report defines the challenges of identifying and developing leaders and leadership teams; reviews existing successful leadership programs within the government; and serves as a hands-on manual for federal managers to build leadership development programs and strong leadership teams in the workforce. Read Report 4.

Report 5: Final Report and Recommendations: The 21st Century Manager
The final report provides a summary of the previous reports; details the latest developments within the federal system; provides a synthesis of recommendations drawn from the first four report discussions and current research; and outlines the Academy's follow-up activities. Read Report 5.

HR Directors Series and Seminars

As part of its Human Resources Management Consortium, the Center runs a Directors and Seminars series. For information on the Directors series events, please click here. For more information on Seminars series please click here.

Organizing for the Future at Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

February 2003 - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) structure, designed for 20th Century programs and technology, must be changed to permit EEOC to meet its mission and take full advantage of technology advances, an Academy Panel has found. The Panel's report, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Organizing for the Future, recommends how EEOC can improve its effectiveness and enhance its use of scarce resources-including people, technology, space, and money.

The Academy Panel offers wide-ranging recommendations addressing such issues as organizational structure, budget realignment, technology deployments and new approaches to human capital management and performance management. The Panel believes these changes are necessary to help lower costs, improve organizational effectiveness and individual performance, and meet other challenges. The report suggests how EEOC can implement these changes and pursue a communications strategy for successful organizational and cultural transformation.

Click here to read the executive summary.
Click here to read the full report.

Click here for an HTML version of the report

Strengthening Senior Leadership in the U.S. Government

March 5, 2003--The federal government should have a structured succession planning and leadership program that more effectively identifies and utilizes excellence among its top leaders, according to an Academy report released today. The Panel overseeing the study concluded that the Senior Executive Service's structure and composition have barriers that impede the government's ability to recruit, retain, and develop its top executives. It recommended that SES' pay and benefits systems give more appropriate incentives to reinforce the link between senior executive and organizational performance, that management reviews make better distinctions between high and low job performance, and that agencies' leaders commit to increased diversity within the SES.

To read Strengthening Senior Leadership in the U.S.Government, click here.

Homeland Security Act 2002

The Center for Human Resources has taken excerpts from the Homeland Security Act of 2002 that pertain to the HR community. To view the excerpts please click here.

2002 Transitions Conference - A Great Success

The National Academy of Public Administration's Center for Human Resources Management held its annual conference, "Partnering for Success: Real-World Solutions," on September 9-10, 2002 at the University of Maryland's Inn and Conference Center. To view selected presentations from that conference, please click here.

Study Calls for Change in Federal Government Hiring and Compensation for IT Workers

September 2001--A study released by the National Academy of Public Administration calls for significant changes in the federal government's antiquated recruitment, retention, and compensation practices for its IT workforce.

The study, The Transforming Power of Information Technology: Making the Federal Government an Employer of Choice for IT Employees, recommends specific reforms to enhance the federal government's ability to attract and retain a skilled IT workforce, alleviating its already depleted ranks. It also identifies critical steps needed to make a successful transition to new human resources and management policies for IT professionals. In addressing these issues, the study anticipates concerns and changes that may soon be felt throughout the government.

Click here for more information.