Career Development Systems

Federal CIO Council IT Workforce Capability Assessment

Project Description

The Federal CIO Council, in partnership with the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Human Capital Leadership and Merit Systems Accountability Division and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) E-Gov Office, has contracted with Booz Allen Hamilton to develop, implement, and support a federal-wide capability assessment focused on the Information Technology (IT) workforce.  The IT Workforce Capability Assessment, as it is known, is meant to help Federal agencies realize the inherent value of strategic human capital management while satisfying a number of regulatory requirements specific to the IT workforce, including the Clinger-Cohen Act and the E-Gov Act (Section 209).  In addition, it helps Federal Agencies address a number of broader guidelines, requirements and mandates related to the strategic management of human capital, including the President’s Management Agenda (PMA), OPM guidelines on human capital management (the Human Capital Assessment and Accountability Framework, or HCAAF), and Government Accountability Office (GAO) guidance and reports on strategic human capital management.

Intended or Achieved Results

Booz Allen Hamilton developed and/or supported all aspects of the IT Workforce Capability Assessment, including the initial launch of the Assessment in 2003, a re-administration of the Assessment in 2004, support of post-assessment activities in 2005, and survey administration planned for September through October of 2006.  Key activities include(d):

• Facilitated the development, coordination, and support of multi-Department working groups to oversee different aspects of the assessment including Departmental coordination, assessment content, and communications
• Supported the conceptual development of the Assessment to include a web-based IT Workforce Assessment survey to capture the “supply” of IT workforce demographics and capabilities (i.e., competencies, skills, certification areas) and a process-driven tool to help Federal agencies identify a “demand” model in terms of capabilities needed to support their respective IT missions
• Supported content development of the assessment to include competency lists and definitions, skill lists and definitions, certification area lists and definitions, and applicable demographic and training questions
• Designed and developed federal-wide communications and outreach plan and supporting materials including posters, incentive gifts (e.g., coasters, pens), and a communications toolkit for Agency points of contact to use
• Developed, tested, administered, and hosted the web-based survey (administered to approximately 70,000 individuals in Year 1 and 86,000 individuals in Year 2)
• Supported series of discussions, focus groups, and work activities leading to the definition of a federal-wide “demand profile” of needed IT capabilities for a set of 19 critical IT functional areas
• Developed Capability Planning and Analysis Tool (CPAT) to enable Agencies to set specific “demand profile” scenarios, generate automatic survey (i.e., supply) analysis reports and automatic gap analysis reports
• Developed and administered two training courses on “demand” model setting and the use of the CPAT to perform analyses
• Authored final deliverables on federal-wide assessment results including survey analysis report, gap analysis report, and a resource and implementation guide

Department of Homeland Security: Design of a 21st Century Human Resource System

Project Description

The U.S. Congress granted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flexibility to depart from traditional civil service requirements to create a “contemporary and excellent” human resources system to support DHS’s mission and unify the 22 component agencies.  DHS created a design team to chart the course for these historic changes in Federal human resources policies based on innovative public and private sector policies in the areas of pay, classification, performance management, and labor and employee relations. 

Intended or Achieved Results

Booz Allen supported a joint Department of Homeland Security  (DHS) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) design team that researched and developed options for the new Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) at DHS.  Booz Allen helped the DHS/OPM design team identify a range of options for redesigning DHS’s personnel systems, including options for integrated “pay for performance” pay, classification, and performance management systems.  Options included features such as market-based pay band structures and pay progression linked with performance ratings and budgetary controls, competency and results-oriented performance measures linked with strategic goals and mission, performance appraisal review boards to ensure greater accuracy and consistency in ratings, mechanisms for greater communication between supervisors and employees, a dynamic labor relations policy designed to encourage collaboration while maintaining sensitivity to mission needs, and a streamlined discipline and appeals process.  This work included an evaluation of the options and potential implications of those options.  The identified options were presented to the Secretary of DHS and the Director of OPM in the fall of 2003; new personnel regulations for the Department were issued in the spring of 2004. 

The Booz Allen team provided services in five key areas:  (1) project management—to foster effective and timely decision making; coordinate, track, and manage project activities; and ensure the achievement of design team milestones, (2) facilitation—of design team meetings as well as employee focus groups across the country, (3) research—in terms of current and emerging HRMS practices in both the public and private sector, as well as strategies for conducting research, (4) communications and publicity—to build awareness and understanding among key stakeholders and to ensure ongoing collaboration and involvement, (5) writing and staff support—to help produce options that are innovative, effective, and implementable.

The overall effort will have considerable impact on people and performance throughout the Department of Homeland Security.   Most significantly will be the design of 21st century human resources systems that consider best practices in both the public and private sectors, that are developed in partnership with DHS employees, and that fully support the accomplishment of the DHS mission.  Accomplishments achieved by the Booz Allen team:

• Project management – Booz Allen worked with the Design Team and key senior leaders, providing proven tools and experience to help them meet their objectives and deadlines as they finalized design concepts and prepared for implementation
• Facilitation support – Booz Allen facilitated over 50 employee focus groups involving more than 600 employees from around the country to gain their perspective on current and future HR practices and systems.  A critical role for Booz Allen has also been to facilitate Design Team meetings using experienced, flexible, and unbiased individuals to assist the Team in defining its scope and objectives, conducting research, and developing options.  Booz Allen has also been instrumental in planning and executing several senior meetings around the design of the new systems
• Research and writing—Booz Allen supported the research phase by developing research templates, providing literature reviews, and summarizing key themes from the employee focus group sessions
• Communications—Booz Allen worked with Design Team leadership to develop a communication strategy to ensure ongoing collaboration and employee/stakeholder involvement.  Additionally, the team is providing communications implementation support (e.g., DHS newsletters, websites, briefings) in order to keep employees and stakeholders informed about design and implementation principles and to respond to questions and concerns about the new systems

Department of the Treasury, Office of the Chief Information Officer IT Workforce Development Assistance

Project Description

The Department of Treasury contracted with Booz Allen Hamilton to support the Treasury in their strategic human capital planning efforts to realize the benefits of the strategic management of human capital while satisfying regulatory and administrative requirements.  Booz Allen was tasked with analyzing Treasury’s survey data collected during the second annual administration of a Government wide capability assessment focused on the Information Technology (IT) workforce.  This capability assessment comprises two parts.  The first part is an analysis of the IT Workforce Assessment Survey data describing the “as-is” state.  The second part is the facilitation of a “to be” or demand picture that outlines the desired capabilities for a select set of mission-critical specialized job activities (SJAs).  Current capabilities are then compared to this “to-be” or demand picture so that gaps may be identified, and strategies to mitigate those gaps developed.  The results of this assessment will allow Treasury to identify and document their current and future IT workforce capabilities in terms of competencies, skills and certifications which will allow them to plan accordingly for future workforce needs.

Intended or Achieved Results

Booz Allen's first task was to conduct an analysis of the supply data collected during the administration of the IT Workforce Assessment Survey and the Internal Revenue Service’s skills inventory to form an “as is” picture of the Treasury IT workforce capabilities.  The “as-is” analysis provided Treasury with a demographic profile of their IT workforce including, but not limited to, occupational series, parenthetical titles of 2210s, grade level, age, race and national origin, tenure, and retirement estimations.  Moreover, the “as-is” analysis provided Treasury with a clearer understanding of how their IT workforce is spending their time through a time-spent analysis of 19 IT-related specialized job activities.  Finally, the “as-is” analysis provided Treasury with a snapshot of their IT workforces’ skill set in terms of competencies, skills, and certifications.  Booz Allen identified the top ten competencies, skills, and certifications for Treasury’s IT workforce using the highest average proficiency levels for competencies and skills and the highest number of certifications held as indicated by the survey respondents.  Booz Allen also provided Treasury with the bottom ten competencies, skills, and certifications which allows Treasury to see where proficiency is low among their IT workforce.   

Once the “as-is” analysis was complete, Booz Allen facilitated a discussion with Treasury SMEs to define target profiles in order to analyze proficiency gaps in mission critical job activities as well as across Treasury.  As a first step, the OCIO and Bureau representatives identified up to six specialized job activities that were deemed as mission-critical.  A series of focus groups were then conducted with groups of Treasury SMEs in different functional areas to identify the needed competencies, skills, certifications, and target proficiency levels.   Booz Allen then conducted a gap analysis to identify where proficiency gaps exist in Treasury’s mission-critical activities.  For each mission-critical SJA, gaps were identified and categorized as large, medium, small, or strength.  Other types of analysis provided Treasury with a prioritization of training needs and gaps based upon retirement estimations.

Booz Allen is now in the process of facilitating discussions with representatives of Treasury Bureaus and the Department’s Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer to inform the identification of critical gaps and potential risks associated with those gaps.  Once critical gaps are identified, Booz Allen will develop a Workforce Development Strategy that will outline possible mitigation strategies, along with a plan for implementing selected interventions.