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VOINOVICH
TO HOLD HEARINGS ON FEDERAL HUMAN CAPITAL REPORT
GAO Calls Human Resources
Management Inadequate, Puts Issue on "High-Risk" List
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator George V.
Voinovich announced today that he will hold hearings in February
on the U.S. General Accounting Office’s (GAO) report released
yesterday that says inadequate management of human resources and
poor workforce planning in federal agencies poses a "high
risk" to the operations of the federal government.
Voinovich is chairman of the Governmental
Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management and
last year released a report that reached similar conclusions as
the GAO report.
"We could face serious consequences
to our national security, health and safety, and economy if we
fail to address this critical issue now. At the same time, the
human capital crisis creates an opportunity for Congress and the
Bush Administration to reshape the federal workforce for the 21st
century. It is time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to
work," said Voinovich.
More than half of the federal workforce
will be eligible for regular or early retirement by 2004. Such a
mass exodus of workers could threaten the ability of the
government to perform its functions.
To prepare for this expected wave of
departures, Voinovich’s report calls on the next
administration to make federal employment more attractive to
today’s fluid workforce. Experiments in
"broad-banding" or "pay-banding" as an
alternative to the current General Schedule salary system, a
streamlined hiring process, and a better focus on training could
provide American taxpayers with the skilled federal workers they
need.
The full text of GAO’s report is available
at www.gpo.gov It is entitled
"High Risk Series: An Update (GAO-01-263)."
The full text of the original subcommittee
report is available at www.senate.gov/~voinovich
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