Human Resources Roles and Responsibilities Study Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1998 13:56:33 -0500 To: "USGS Employees" From: "Vicki K. Gray" Subject: Human Resources Roles & Responsibility Study In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 601 SUPERVISORS PLEASE SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH EMPLOYEES THAT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO E-MAIL. Memorandum To: ALL EMPLOYEES From: Barbara J. Ryan Associate Director of Operations Subject: Human Resources Roles and Responsibilities Study The Operations Council, as part of its focus on improving bureau support operations, recently chartered a team to study human resources (HR) roles and responsibilities within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The need for such a study is two-fold. First, there is a need to deliver human resources services in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Second, there is an ever-increasing emphasis being placed on HR and the role it plays in enabling the bureau to meet its mission goals. The outcomes expected from the study are recommendations and an implementation strategy on how USGS can best maximize its human resources expertise in meeting both management and employee needs. To do this, the team will begin by looking at the current state of HR functions within USGS. The team has developed a data collection strategy to obtain the best picture of the current state of our HR programs and future HR needs: 1) The first step will be to conduct a survey of a bureauwide cross-section of employees. This survey will be in the form of a questionnaire developed with input from the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). The purpose of this initial survey is to obtain indicators of what issues relate to HR activities in general, and the relative importance of these issues. We anticipate the questionnaire will be distributed to the sample group and returned by mid-November. 2) Once the survey results have been analyzed to determine relevant issues, the next step will be to clarify these issues to make sure we have a complete picture of what these issues involve. To do this, team members will be conducting interviews and focus groups in a number of geographical areas throughout USGS. This process is currently scheduled to take place in November and December. The study report, including recommendations and an implementation plan, is expected to be completed and presented to the Operations Council by the end of March 1999. Team Membership: The team consists of a chair and six representatives. The team chair is Curt Dierdorff, a senior consultant from NAPA. He was asked by the Operations Council to lead this effort because of his extensive knowledge of HR issues, models, processes and best practices and his experience in leading similar review teams. Team members were chosen by the Operations Council based upon their backgrounds related to the delivery of HR services within USGS. Team members are: Division HR Specialist: Laure Wallace (GD) - lwallace@usgs.gov Division Administrative Officer: Alice Sabatini (WRD) - aasabati@usgs.gov Personnel Office Staff: Bill Fordyce (OPS) - wfordyce@usgs.gov HR Customers: Greg Smith (Eastern Region - BRD) - gregory_smith@usgs.gov and Marilyn Myers (Central Region - NMD) - mamyers@usgs.gov Field Representative: Anne Gartner (Western Region - GD) - aegartne@usgs.gov The Operations Council feels very strongly that this study and its resulting recommendations and implementation strategies will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of HR functions to our entire organization. This is an essential factor in ensuring we have the ability as an organization to meet our strategic HR goals. Since we all stand to gain a great deal from this study, I ask for your cooperation should you be called upon to participate in this study in any way. If you have any questions, please contact any one of the team members or Vicki Gray in the Office of Personnel at (703) 648-7436.