FederalDaily - September 22, 2006
GAO: Citizenship Key to Measuring Hispanic Presence in Fed Workforce
When analyzing the representation of Hispanics in the federal workforce, agencies should take into
account citizenship, which is required for most federal employment, said a Government Accountability
Office report. At last count, Hispanics constituted 7.4 percent of the permanent federal workforce,
compared to 12.6 percent of the civilian labor force, the report said. But GAO said its statistical
model “showed that when accounting for citizenship, required for most federal employment, Hispanics
were nearly as likely as non-Hispanics to be employed in the federal workforce, relative to the nonfederal
workforce…” Both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) analyze and report on government-wide and agency workforce data, which is then used
to address shortcomings or disparities in the federal workforce. Neither agency has assessed on a government-wide
level the factors contributing to the differences in Hispanic representation between the two workforces,
the report said. GAO recommended that both take citizenship into account in their comparisons of federal
workforce representation and that OPM provide additional tools for agencies to assess the effectiveness
of student employment programs. To see an abstract, go to: www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-06-832.
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Group Says FAA Needs New Safety Staffing Model
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should develop a new computer model for gauging the number
of aviation safety inspectors needed in the agency’s Flight Standards Service, said a new report
from the National Research Council. The report, sponsored by the FAA, said the current staffing model
is inadequate, making it difficult for the agency to predict the consequences of staffing shortfalls
or account for important factors that affect inspectors’ workloads. Inspectors and their managers
should play a role in the design, creation, and implementation of any new model, said the report, released
Sept. 20. Specifically, a new staffing model for the Flight Standards Service should accurately reflect
workforce supply and demand, use appropriate measures of both individual and system performance, and
allow frequent updates to work procedures, the report adds. The service is charged with overseeing
aviation operations, maintenance, training, and other programs. In 2005 there were over 3,600 aviation
safety inspectors. To see more, go to: www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=11742
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OPM Evaluating NSPS
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is coordinating three different evaluations of the Department
of Defense’s (DoD) National Security Personnel System (NSPS) for civilian employees, OPM Director
Linda Springer told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Sept. 20. OPM
worked with DoD to implement NSPS for about 11,000 DoD employees phased in during the initial implementation
known, as Spiral 1.1. Springer told the committee the evaluations include a review to assist the Secretary
of Defense in making a determination that NSPS will meet the statutory criteria for applying it beyond
300,000 employees; an ongoing program evaluation; and an independent OPM evaluation to assess the effectiveness
of NSPS. This evaluation will include assessing the comprehensiveness of the training provided to executives,
managers, supervisors and employees as they spiraled into NSPS, Springer said. OPM expects to produce
its first implementation assessment by May 1, 2007, and has included it as a goal in the agency's Strategic
and Operational Plan, she said. To see more, go to: http://opm.gov/news_events/congress/testimony/9_20_2006.asp
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