<DOC>
[110 Senate Hearings]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID: f:35530.wais]
S. Hrg. 110-74
NOMINATION OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON
HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON THE
NOMINATION OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, U.S. OFFICE OF
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
__________
MAY 1, 2007
__________
Available via http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut, Chairman
CARL LEVIN, Michigan SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii TED STEVENS, Alaska
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
MARK L. PRYOR, Arkansas NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana TOM COBURN, Oklahoma
BARACK OBAMA, Illinois PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico
CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri JOHN WARNER, Virginia
JON TESTER, Montana JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire
Michael L. Alexander, Staff Director
Kristine V. Lam, Research Assistant
Jennifer L. Tyree, Counsel, Oversight of Government
Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
Subcommittee
Brandon L. Milhorn, Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Jennifer L. Tarr, Minority Associate Counsel
Theresa Prych, Minority Professional Staff Member, Oversight of
Government
Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
Subcommittee
Trina Driessnack Tyrer, Chief Clerk
C O N T E N T S
------
Opening statements:
Page
Senator Akaka................................................ 1
Senator Voinovich............................................ 3
WITNESS
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Howard C. Weizmann to be Deputy Director, U.S. Office of
Personnel Management:
Testimony.................................................... 5
Prepared statement........................................... 17
Biographical and professional information.................... 21
Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics................. 29
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 30
Responses to post-hearing questions.......................... 53
NOMINATION OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN
----------
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2007
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:38 a.m., in
room 342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K. Akaka,
presiding.
Present: Senators Akaka and Voinovich.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR AKAKA
Senator Akaka. The hearing will come to order. I want to
say good morning to all of you, family and friends as well.
Today, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs meets to consider the pending nomination of Howard
Weizmann to be Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel
Management.
Mr. Weizmann is a native of Ohio and a graduate of Ohio
University and the University of Michigan. He also earned a law
degree from Georgetown University. Mr. Weizmann is a former
executive of Watson Wyatt, a global consulting firm focusing on
human capital and management issues. He currently heads the
Private Sector Council at the Partnership for Public Service,
which brings leaders from America's top companies together with
Federal decisionmakers to improve the management, efficiency,
and productivity of Federal agencies.
I want to welcome you, Mr. Weizmann, and your family and to
congratulate you on your nomination. I know your family is
here, for the record and for those who are present, may I ask
you to introduce your family.
Mr. Weizmann. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is my lovely
wife of 37 years, Jane Weizmann. This is my soon-to-be son-in-
law, Ernest Voyard, my daughter, Brooke Weizmann, and my
daughter, Haley Weizmann, and they are delighted to be here, I
can assure you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you so much, and welcome to your
family here.
I believe each of us is here today because we care a great
deal about improving the strength of the Federal workforce and
supporting its ability to meet the various missions of all
agencies. If confirmed, you will be central to carrying out
Director Springer's operational plan and ensuring
implementation of human capital strategies throughout the
Federal Government.
Senator Voinovich and I have dedicated a considerable
amount of time to addressing the human capital challenges in
the Federal workforce, and I would tell you that I consider
Senator Voinovich as a leader in that respect. We have listened
to the needs and concerns of employee and management groups. We
have heard the Administration's requests to provide greater
workforce flexibilities to agencies and their proposals to
carry out the largest civil service reform effort in more than
25 years.
If confirmed, your role with OPM is, no question, vital to
the success of all of our collective efforts. The Federal
Government is at a pivotal time in its history. Not since the
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 has its workforce undergone so
many fundamental reforms. The new personnel systems underway at
the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland
Security have struggled to get off the ground. Federal courts
have questioned the fairness of the appeals system at both
agencies and have enjoined each agency's regulations relating
to collective bargaining.
Furthermore, both DHS and DOD, in addition to the Senior
Executive Service, are implementing new pay-for-performance
systems. My concerns with pay-for-performance are well known.
As agencies continue to face diminished budgets that impact
employee training and incentive programs, I fail to see how
agencies will be able to properly train managers and employees
on how to measure performance and make meaningful distinctions
in performance, nor do I see how they will guarantee sufficient
funds for performance bonuses or pay increases. Without strong
training, there are no guarantees that employees will have fair
and transparent appraisal systems. We need to get these systems
right before we can move forward with broad sweeping reforms at
other agencies.
Another issue facing the Federal Government is the fact
that a generation of talented, knowledgeable, and dedicated
civil servants is on the brink of retirement. A wave of new
employees with similar aspirations but new expectations is
ready to take on the call to service. The upcoming generation
may not expect to work in the Federal Government for their
entire career. It is the responsibility of OPM to help agencies
implement management flexibilities and create an attractive
work environment.
One reason I feel so strongly about this is that Senator
Voinovich and I have successfully moved forward a number of
significant workforce flexibilities. Unfortunately, as the
Government Accountability Office recently reported, the use of
these flexibilities by agencies is uneven. It will be up to you
and Director Springer to help agencies find the ways of best
utilizing these tools.
I am sure your many years of private sector experience will
enhance our public sector management, and I am encouraged by
your strong commitment to address the human capital challenges
within the Federal workforce. The Federal Government is 1.8
million employees strong. In this role, you will be responsible
for their rights, their paychecks, and their effectiveness as a
workforce.
I look forward to working with you and hope that we can
work together to address the challenges of the modern Federal
workforce.
Before I call on my good friend and partner on human
capital issues, Senator Voinovich, for his statement, I just
want to note that Senator Voinovich has been, and I repeat it
again, a leader in these issues. I know that he is very
interested in the work of OPM and your views on how to make the
Federal Government an employer--and he likes to use this--an
employer of choice. Senator Voinovich.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR VOINOVICH
Senator Voinovich. Thank you, Senator Akaka. I really
appreciate being a part of this hearing. As you know, the two
of us have worked for a long time on oversight of the Office of
Personnel Management and have been somewhat inspired by the
fact that Linda Springer seems to be doing some of the things
that we would like her to focus on. We do know that she needs
help.
Mr. Weizmann, thank you very much for your willingness to
step forward at the end of an administration. I am interested
in learning why you decided to step down from a private sector
job to work for the government. Maybe you watched and said,
instead of continuing to just watch, maybe I can go over there
and help Linda Springer. It will be interesting to hear your
testimony.
I want to thank your family for the sacrifices that you are
going to make and the hours that you are going to put in,
particularly since I know that Linda is going to not wind down,
but wind up.
Again, I want to thank you for your interest in public
service. Next week is Public Service Recognition Week, and I
hope, Mr. Chairman, we can move the nomination along
expeditiously so Mr. Weizmann can celebrate being part of the
team.
I think you know that the Federal workforce has an
increasing number of employees eligible to retire. As Senator
Akaka has mentioned, we are implementing the new performance
management and pay systems for the Senior Executive Service.
Although we have had some testimony that it has been uneven, I
will say, Senator Akaka, that the Defense Department's
conversion of employees to NSPS has been good to date.
I have now visited several bases in Ohio to discuss NSPS,
and the feedback is that it is very well received because of
the training provided to employees. We are hoping we can get a
report back from OPM on some of the unevenness that we have
observed with the implementation of the new personnel system
for the Senior Executive Service. We would like to get those
wrinkles ironed out because if we don't, I am worried the SES
system will cast a bad reflection on what we are trying to get
done.
Mr. Weizmann, OPM ought to be the model for the rest of the
government in terms of human resources and personnel practices.
The Director has worked closely with this Committee and has
demonstrated her commitment to leading the agency through
transformation. OPM has been working with GAO on a series of
reports to identify OPM's management challenges. OPM has also
involved its employees and stakeholders in publishing a
strategic plan with precise goals and target completion dates.
Director Springer is very proud of the strategic plan, and I
have been given the strong impression from the people that
Director Springer works with that the plan was developed by
them, not something that Director Springer did on her own,
which I think is real important.
Mr. Weizmann, I am impressed with your background. You are
a Bobcat, and my gosh, I have got to be for you. The Bobcat is
Ohio University's mascot. [Laughter.]
Mr. Weizmann, we are very happy to have you here today and
appreciate also your participation and your extracurricular
activities, particularly your leadership in your synagogue.
[The prepared statement of Senator Voinovich follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR VOINOVICH
Good morning, and thank you Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure to be
here today to hear the testimony from Howard Weizmann, the President's
nominee for Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
Mr. Weizmann, congratulations on your decision to join the
honorable profession of public service. As we all know, next week is
Public Service Recognition Week. I hope we can move your nomination
expeditiously so you can be part of this select group of Americans
during next week's celebrations.
The Federal civil service is in the process of a significant
transition. We all know too well that the majority of the civil service
soon will be eligible to retire. This will leave the government with a
considerable knowledge gap within agencies and poses an immense
succession planning challenge. In addition, agencies are implementing
new performance management and pay for performance systems for the
Senior Executive Service. The Department of Homeland Security and
Department of Defense are designing new personnel systems to meet their
national security missions.
OPM has a vital role to play in ensuring agencies are making
strategic human capital management a priority. In addition, OPM has an
important operational responsibility to work with Federal departments
and agencies to ensure reforms of performance management systems
provide employees a fair and transparent system, with meaningful
opportunities to enhance communication and improve individual
performance. These strategic human capital management challenges also
exist for OPM itself. As OPM's role in the Federal Government continues
to evolve, its workforce must be structured to tackle these challenges.
OPM Director Linda Springer has worked closely with this Committee
and has demonstrated her commitment to leading the agency through the
transformation. For example, OPM has been working with the Government
Accountability Office on a series of reports to identify the management
challenges within OPM itself. OPM also has involved its employees and
stakeholders in publishing a strategic plan with precise goals and
target completion dates.
Mr. Weizmann, I believe your background, including your experience
in human resources, would be a great asset to OPM as it prepares for
the challenges that lie ahead.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Weizmann. I am delighted to be here, and I thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you, Senator Voinovich.
Mr. Weizmann has filed responses to biographical and
financial questionnaires, answered pre-hearing questions
submitted by the Committee, and had his financial statements
reviewed by the Office of Government Ethics. Without objection,
this information will be made a part of the hearing record,
with the exception of the financial data. They are on file and
available for public inspection at the Committee offices.
Our Committee, Mr. Weizmann, has rules that require that
all witnesses at nomination hearings give their testimony under
oath, and so I ask you to rise and take the oath. Please raise
your right hand.
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to
give this Committee is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you, God?
Mr. Weizmann. I do.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much. Mr. Weizmann, you may
proceed with your statement.
TESTIMONY OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN, NOMINEE TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Mr. Weizmann. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I want to thank you
and Ranking Member Voinovich and the Committee for holding
today's hearing. I also want to thank the Committee staff for
the courteous and professional manner with which I have been
treated throughout this process. I want to thank President Bush
for the honor of being nominated as Deputy Director of the
Office of Personnel Management. Finally, I want to thank OPM
Director Linda Springer for her support throughout this
process.
As noted, one does not have to be an expert to recognize
that demographic trends will dramatically change the face of
the Federal workforce. It is no longer news that the Federal
Government faces a massive challenge as increasing numbers of
older, experienced employees become eligible to retire or leave
over the next few years. There is also a widespread belief that
in the near future, there will be a lack of skilled workers
affecting both the private and public sector. In sum, the
demand for qualified workers is likely to exceed the supply.
In this emerging world, Federal employers will have to
effectively compete for talent with the private sector. To do
so, we need to change widely held perceptions about Federal
employment. Surveys indicate that college-age individuals
believe that the private sector offers greater opportunity than
Federal employment. Private industry also inherently possesses
more flexibility than government to structure positions or to
employ foreign nationals, avenues generally limited or closed
to Federal employers.
But crises also present opportunities, and those are the
ones that really do excite me. The talent crunch creates a
burning platform for forcing Federal employers to establish new
career options for existing employees, new ways to recruit
prospective employees, and new challenges to existing ways of
doing things. This Committee has helped by creating hiring
flexibilities that fast-track certain potential employees or
that provide tools, such as educational loan relief, to attract
talented workers.
As President of the Private Sector Council, part of the
Partnership for Public Service, my organization worked closely
with OPM to develop OPM's online hiring tool kit, which
highlights ways to raise the effectiveness of the Federal
recruiting process. I know OPM has also suggested that agencies
use a 45-day target benchmark, measured from the closing date
of the announcement to the date the offer is formally made, to
speed up the process.
The challenge is not to fill empty seats with people, but
to fill those seats with the right people. If confirmed in this
position, I will work with Director Springer, OPM staff, and
this Committee to help address the difficult issue of how to
attract and retain Federal talent. I will do my best to support
the new career patterns initiative, which may help to create
more flexible work environments, appealing to workers at
different career stages. I am also looking forward to exploring
other ways to address the looming talent shortfall.
The future Federal workforce will be a mosaic of different
generations and work arrangements. Experts tell us that younger
workers entering Federal service will be better educated, with
more diverse backgrounds than in the past. They will be used to
instant communication and impatient with people who refuse to
adapt. They will be optimistic, hard working, and dedicated.
They will be looking for opportunities to grow, but less likely
to commit to a career with a single employer.
Retaining experienced Federal employees and attracting
recent Federal retirees will also be a priority. Enticing these
workers will not only require interesting work and flexible
schedules, but financial incentives and arrangements that do
not penalize retirees returning to work.
To address the future shortage of management and technical
expertise, the Federal service will also need to rely on
experienced knowledge workers, attracted to Federal employment
from active or retired careers in the private sector. Skilled
veterans are also another important source of future Federal
employees.
The new Federal manager will have to be skilled at managing
this diversity. They need to be supervisors, leaders, mentors,
referees, negotiators, and contract managers. In my view, these
demands will require greater investment in the selection and
training of future Federal leaders. We will need to use OPM's
good offices, working with agency partners, to support efforts
to enhance managerial skills.
The Federal Government has also not been immune from the
technological winds of today. I know that Director Springer is
directly involved in supervising the automation of OPM's
retirement system, using modern technology to improve the
delivery of annuity payments to Federal retirees. The E-
Government initiative is another dramatic effort to improve
government effectiveness through information management
technology. The evolution to automated benefit administration,
online training, E-payroll systems, and other initiatives are
well on their way to increasing the efficiency of the Federal
processes. If confirmed, I would look forward to helping
Director Springer advance OPM's efforts in this regard.
Everyone wants an effective, results-driven Federal
service. In 1993, this Committee and Congress sought to
underscore these expectations by passing the Government
Performance and Results Act, or GPRA. The Act mandated, among
other things, a new focus on results, service quality and
delivery, and customer satisfaction in the achievement of
program objectives. The President's Management Agenda and the
Program Assessment Review Tool have taken GPRA a step further
by establishing the means to measure progress in a number of
critical areas consistent with the Act. I believe that OPM
takes this responsibility under the PMA Strategic Management of
Human Capital component seriously and that OPM monitoring of
agency performance can and has made a real difference in
helping agencies improve their human capital management
capabilities.
I believe Director Springer has also gone a long way toward
enhancing opportunities for agency coordination through her
recent reorganization of the Chief Human Capital Officers
Council. I look forward to learning more about OPM's and other
agencies' efforts.
Establishing metrics to measure results, while a necessary
step, is not sufficient to ensure effectiveness. The challenge
is to use these measures to focus agency efforts to create
program success. Performance-based pay initiatives directly
support this cultural shift. As Director Springer has
previously noted, performance-based pay is not a particularly
new idea. The private sector has successfully administered such
systems for years.
I am also aware that OPM has identified more than 90,000
Federal employees, not including those covered by the DHS and
DOD legislation we referred to earlier, as being covered
currently by some form of performance-based pay system. Some of
these programs date from as early as 1980 and are generally
regarded favorably by a wide variety of employees. I believe
that OPM has worked hard to promote and refine performance-
based initiatives. If confirmed, I look forward to being of
whatever assistance I can to support these efforts.
In the end, we cannot forget that when we talk about the
Federal workforce, we are really talking about people. While
attitudes may have changed, some things remain constant. People
everywhere respond to incentives and recognition. People fear
the uncertainties of change and value employers who meet their
needs for income and benefit security. To ensure an effective
civilian workforce requires addressing these attributes. OPM
needs to support agency efforts to reward employees for their
contributions to agency success. We should encourage efforts to
communicate the reasons for and the impact of change and to
help those who are affected by it.
In addition, OPM has direct responsibility to ensure that
Federal benefits address the needs of Federal employees at a
reasonable price. I recognize that your support is also
critical to ensuring the effectiveness of these efforts.
In preparing my comments, I looked up synonyms for the word
``deputy.'' I found that a deputy is an assistant, a
representative, a surrogate, an agent, an emissary, and an
envoy. As Deputy Director, it would be my job to act in many or
all of these capacities to help Director Springer achieve the
ambitious goals she has set for OPM.
I am also aware that, if confirmed, the relatively short
time horizon alloted to me will not be sufficient to
substantively address all the issues raised by the currents
shaping the future Federal workforce. My more modest aim would
be to work with Director Springer to identify areas where my
experience would be helpful. My goal is to help the
Administration make a lasting contribution toward advancing
solutions to some or perhaps many of these issues.
If confirmed, you have my promise that I will be open,
honest, and direct in dealing with this Committee specifically
and the Congress in general. I will use my best efforts to work
with all interested parties to craft useful solutions to the
complicated issues of the day. I believe we all want the same
thing, an effective, results-driven workforce populated by
talented individuals who are proud to be called Federal
employees.
Mr. Chairman, I look forward to any questions you or other
members of the Committee may have. Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Weizmann, for your
statement.
Let me begin by asking you some standard questions of the
Committee. First, is there anything you are aware of in your
background that might present a conflict of interest with the
duties of the office to which you have been nominated?
Mr. Weizmann. As I mentioned to the Committee staff and I
have answered in the written questions, as well, my wife, who
is sitting to my right, does do work for the Federal Government
and has in the past done work for OPM. I have signed an ethics
agreement which has precluded certainly her working for OPM or
directly communicating with OPM. At the same time, I have also
agreed to recuse myself from any decisions involving Watson
Wyatt while I am at OPM, where I used to work.
Senator Akaka. The second question is do you know of
anything, personal or otherwise, that would in any way prevent
you from fully and honorably discharging the responsibilities
of the office to which you have been nominated?
Mr. Weizmann. No, I do not, sir.
Senator Akaka. Third, do you agree without reservation to
respond to any reasonable summons to appear and testify before
any duly constituted committee of Congress if you are
confirmed?
Mr. Weizmann. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much for your responses.
As you know, Mr. Weizmann, the previous OPM Deputy Director
was charged with overseeing the Combined Federal Campaign and
conducting outreach with veterans' service organizations. Have
you and Director Springer discussed whether you will play a
similar role at OPM, and if so, what are your goals in this
area?
Mr. Weizmann. Mr. Chairman, Director Springer and I had a
conversation in which I generally offered to fulfill the same
duties that the former Deputy Director was doing. At this
point, I do not think we have finalized anything specifically.
And, of course, these are programs that I believe in, as well,
and I would make whatever effort I could to the best of my
ability to support the success of these programs.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. For years, Congress has been told
of an impending retirement tsunami bearing down on the Federal
Government. The potential loss of thousands of Federal
employees over the next 5 to 7 years could have a major adverse
impact on Federal programs. What is your assessment of the
Federal Government's preparedness for this retirement wave and
what recommendations do you have for improving Federal
agencies' preparedness?
Mr. Weizmann. Mr. Chairman, I can really only bring my
experience in the private sector to bear and my observations
from what I have read and certainly my service at the Private
Sector Council in observing what is going on, and my knowledge
is really, of necessity, limited in terms of the scope of
agencies. I think there are--in my experience, or my
understanding--some agencies better prepared than others, and
yet I think there is a full recognition, at least from the
Federal employers or the executives that I have spoken with,
that there is an appreciation that, in particular areas, this
is an issue.
The good thing about this, I think, is that it is forcing
all human resource professionals within the Federal service to
recognize that efficiencies need to be established in hiring
people and incentives better used to attract willing or
interested potential employees.
I noted in today's newspapers, for example, that the
Federal Student Loan Repayment Program utilization among
various Federal agencies has been, to date, increased
significantly and been very successful in terms of attracting
individuals to the Federal service. My understanding is that
this Committee had a very instrumental hand in establishing
that flexibility, in particular.
Those kinds of efforts to fast-track employees into the
Federal service, but also to identify employees who are the
appropriate ones to come in, I think are really critical.
People will retire. In every organization, it happens, whether
it is in the private sector or public sector. It is what we do
to address the future that is most important. By bringing in
talented employees at all levels, some with more experience,
some with very little experience, and grooming them and
training them into the Federal service, I think we can address
the tsunami about which you have spoken.
Senator Akaka. OPM is promoting new career paths or
initiatives in the Federal Government whereby Federal employees
no longer work a 40-hour week or work for 20 years. Rather,
efforts are focused on part-time or temporary work. What
changes in the Federal Government's benefit package do you
believe are needed to recruit individuals to work in these new
career patterns?
Mr. Weizmann. I do not know that I am in a position to tell
you what changes need to be made because I am not yet very
familiar with the benefit package of the Federal Government. In
looking at survey responses, generally, the Federal Government
fares very well when compared to private sector with regard to
both retirement and health benefits. There are benefits within
the Federal program that are what we refer to, in human
resources terms, as security benefits, and those really go to
the issue of health care and also retirement.
Retirement benefits, depending on the kind of plan, may
retain employees, but generally employees or potential
employees do not come to an employer, in my experience, for the
benefits. They come to be a part of an exciting organization
with a dynamic mission. In some instances, it is pay that
attracts them, but pay, I will tell you, is probably one of the
over-rated issues, certainly among private industry in terms of
attracting people.
Overall, I would have to look at the benefit package to see
if there is more that can be done or more that should be done
in making that benefit package attractive to potential
employees.
Senator Akaka. Only last year, OPM had an initiative to
have more flexible work arrangements and to make them more
attractive. I think they have been working on that. Last year,
OPM closed Hawaii's field office in Honolulu and also along
with some other regional offices. I believe that having OPM's
presence in a State with nearly 50,000 Federal employees and
retirees is critical given its geographic location and also
other Federal employees in the Pacific in addition to the
50,000.
For example, the President's proposal to replace a non-
foreign COLA with locality pay, I believe that an OPM presence
could better respond to questions from employees throughout the
State of Hawaii and the Pacific, which in turn allays concerns
about the proposal.
How do you propose for OPM to support the personnel needs
of Hawaii Federal agencies when the nearest field office is
2,500 miles away?
Mr. Weizmann. Mr. Chairman, customer service, of course, is
tremendously important. I am not really familiar specifically
with the issues and the concerns that led to the closing of the
office in Hawaii. However, I am eager to learn more should I be
confirmed. I know this is an issue, Mr. Chairman, that is
important to you, and as a result, it is something that I would
be pleased to look at further.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much. Senator Voinovich.
Senator Voinovich. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
What caused you to decide to give up your responsibility as
chairman of the Private Sector Council and come to work at OPM?
Mr. Weizmann. At a very general level, I think the Federal
Government is an exciting place to be, and one of the things I
have come to appreciate at the Private Sector Council is the
amount of good that can be done by the Federal Government in a
way that the private sector can never match. So at a very
general level, I was impressed, quite frankly, in working at
the Private Sector Council, by the dedication and the
intelligence of the Federal employees and the Federal
executives with whom I worked.
Senator Voinovich. Did Director Springer recruit you?
[Laughter.]
Mr. Weizmann. She knew I was interested in the directorship
at one point, and she knew of my interest in that, and she
ultimately was appointed as Director. White House personnel
actually coordinated with her and called me to ask if I would
be interested in this position.
And to be honest with you, on a very personal level, one of
the things that attracts me about this position at OPM is
Director Springer. The comments that you made earlier, Senator,
are very telling. I think she is a very good leader. I think
she has done things that I think will lead ultimately to
success and a much more effective agency. And I think it would
be a great opportunity to work with her.
At the same time, I have to say that I am coming to the end
of my career, more or less. I may have another job after this,
but my wife tells me not too many more.
Senator Voinovich. That is what my wife has been telling me
for the last---- [Laughter.]
Senator Akaka's wife, I am sure, has been telling him the
same thing, but here we are. [Laughter.]
Mr. Weizmann. I have to tell you that I also do feel a
sense of giving back. To the extent I have any expertise or
have developed any experience that is useful to the Federal
Government, I would like to do that. I would like to make a
difference.
Senator Voinovich. That is good. Have you talked to
Director Springer about your role as Deputy Director and how
she is going to take advantage of your talents to enhance her
ability to get the job done?
Mr. Weizmann. We have generally talked about the issues and
about what she is dealing with. I certainly have read the
strategic plan that she has put forth. There are areas in which
I am interested, and I have expressed those areas of interest
to her, and basically what we have agreed to, at least until
the actual confirmation, rather than making specific
assignments or addressing which areas I would go into, is to
wait until after the confirmation.
I will tell you the areas that do interest me have to do
with workforce management. Both the planning, the recruiting,
the hiring processes are of great interest to me. I have some
expertise in the use of technology in the workplace and the
kind of impact that has. I think I could perhaps lend some
expertise in that area, as well. Those areas are ones that I
mentioned to Director Springer, and we just have not made any
final decisions as of yet.
Senator Voinovich. How much help can and should the private
sector give to a Federal agency? I know when I was mayor and
governor, we used our Operations Improvement Task Force to
bring the private sector in, asked them to spend time with
people who had worked in the government for a long time, and
get their best ideas on how we could improve. Have you given
any thought to some of the management challenges that need to
be addressed within our Federal Government and how you might be
able to jump-start reform, or is there some reservation about
having the private sector become involved? I am referring to
pro bono assistance.
Mr. Weizmann. Certainly. I understand. I think there are
things that the Federal Government can learn from the private
sector for instance, with recruitment. As a senior VP of HR at
one organization, I spent a good deal of time on the recruiting
effort and trying to identify talent and trying to retain
talent during the dot-com era. I think there are useful
approaches that could be adapted to the Federal Government.
There are some things that are different. The number of
stakeholders, for example, is much broader in the Federal
Government and the number of people that you really do need to
bring into the effort is much greater. As a consequence, I
think things often take more time in the Federal Government
than you would find in the private sector.
Senator Voinovich. As governor of Ohio, I had Xerox come in
to help establish Total Quality Management in State Government.
I convinced McKinsey and Company to examine the Ohio Bureau of
Workers' Compensation and come back with a pro bono
recommendation on how it could be reformed. Are you able to do
this, or are there laws that would make this a conflict of
interest?
Mr. Weizmann. My understanding is that, by law, I am not
technically allowed to interact with the Private Sector Council
for a year after my employment there because they are my former
employer, technically. I do not know how substantial an
impediment that really is.
The short answer is yes, in two areas. Again, I think the
private sector has developed a lot of expertise in the
recruitment area. I also think one of the understated areas
that needs to be at least focused on is the impact of
technology on Federal processes. It is one thing to adopt a new
retirement system. It is another thing to scope out how you get
information to people, what your expectations of them are in
terms of self-service. The same thing with enterprise-wide
financial systems.
There is a lot of expertise that I know personally where I
could reach out to those folks. So from that standpoint, I
think there is a lot the private sector has to offer. At the
same time, the private sector folks are very skeptical about
government, and the issues for government are different to some
extent. But those issues really do coincide.
Senator Voinovich. Will we have a second round?
Senator Akaka. Yes, we will do a second round.
Senator Voinovich. OK, good. Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Senator Voinovich.
Let me reach out and ask you about the Human Capital Survey
of the Federal Government. In your pre-hearing questions for
the Committee, you talked about the competitive environment for
recruiting talented workers----
Mr. Weizmann. Yes.
Senator Akaka [continuing]. Specifically the need to
recruit a diverse and talented workforce. What do you see as
the government's biggest challenge to hiring diverse talent?
Mr. Weizmann. There are a variety of levels, Mr. Chairman.
One is the image of the Federal worker, I think, which really
has suffered over the last 10 to 15 years. I am old enough to
remember the John F. Kennedy years and the call to service that
was placed on potential employees and remembering the sense of
real dedication. Government at that time, I think, really did
begin to focus on attracting the best and the brightest.
That is not to say that we do not have in the Federal
Government the best and the brightest today; it is just that
the image, at least according to the surveys that I am aware of
and also just anecdotally, of Federal employment is not what it
ought to be. So at that level, there is an image issue.
Beneath that level, there are very technical issues, which
is that it takes too long to get people into Federal service at
all levels, and I am not just talking about Presidential
appointments, but at all levels, it takes, in many cases, way
too long from the date that people first express an interest to
the date they are actually made an offer to join the Federal
service.
I think there is also not enough marketing for a variety of
really specialized talent that I think that could be obtained.
For example, in the area of science or engineers or other kinds
of professionals, what we call knowledge workers, I think the
Federal Government in that instance, I think, does not do as
good a job as I have seen in the private sector in terms of
going to the best schools and attracting really talented
people. People still come because they are interested in what
the Federal Government does, and quite frankly, there is no
other place in the world where you can have the scope of
activities as a scientist or an engineer or even, quite
frankly, as a manager.
One curious statistic, I think, was a survey done by the
Council for Excellence in Government which indicated that
managers, people who are mid-career, who might, in fact, be
attracted to the Federal service, by a very substantial margin
are not attracted to Federal service, and I am curious as to
why. But I think you, Senator Voinovich, and you, Mr. Chairman,
have addressed quite eloquently the issue of the importance of
having trained managers to supervise performance-based systems,
and I think that is a critical need. So that is another
talented population that I think that we should really focus on
and try to get more talented managers into the Federal service.
Senator Akaka. Before I move to a training question, I just
want to say that in the Human Capital Survey of Federal
Government, it shows that the African-Americans were low in
SES, and also Hispanics, across the government. I raise that
just as another part of this diverse kind of employees for the
Federal Government that we need to pay attention to.
As you may know, Mr. Weizmann, I recently introduced the
Federal Supervisor Training Act, S. 967, on March 22, 2007,
which is supported by the Federal employee unions, the
Government Managers' Coalition, and the Partnership for Public
Service. It is to require mandatory supervisor training for all
managers on a recurring basis. In order to accomplish this, OPM
will need to reach out to all agencies and provide them with
the resources necessary to meet the training requirements.
The question is, what steps do you think OPM needs to take
to ensure supervisors are receiving proper training?
Mr. Weizmann. Mr. Chairman, until I am confirmed, I do not
know what specific steps I am prepared to recommend. I am also
not directly familiar with the legislation that you introduced.
Having said that, no performance management system anywhere can
function without trained supervisory personnel who understand
both the nuances of management and are able to address the
issues I outlined in my statement. And so in general, I would
think that any help that this Committee could do, or Congress,
to support the whole effort around training would be quite
useful.
Having said that, should I be confirmed, I will look into
those issues you have raised to see, in fact, what OPM's
responsibilities would be under your proposed Act and what our
relations are with the various agencies so that we can foster
that kind of effort.
Senator Akaka. As the nominee to be Deputy Director of OPM,
I assume you saw the Partnership for Public Service 2007
rankings----
Mr. Weizmann. Yes, I did.
Senator Akaka [continuing]. Of the best places to work in
the Federal Government. In the 2007 rankings, OPM placed 25 out
of 30 large agencies. In regard to training and development,
OPM placed 28 out of 30. As OPM is to be a leader to human
capital management, I am deeply concerned by these survey
results. Do you have any idea why OPM ranked so low?
Mr. Weizmann. Well, with regard to the first statistic that
you quoted, I am also aware that if you take the populations of
OPM that were in existence at the time that the survey was last
done in 2004 as opposed to this 2006 survey, excluding the
investigative services that moved over to OPM from DOD, it is
my understanding that the improvement was actually better than
any other agency referenced in the survey.
That said, the second statistic you quote, and there are
other statistics, I believe, in there concerning OPM, there are
still issues to be addressed, not only the specific issue that
you identified in terms of training and development, and that
is clearly an area that I do believe in and I think is very
important, but also to look at various segments of OPM and to
see what the issues are that individuals have, whether it is
uncertainty, whether it is a leadership issue, or whatever
issues there might be and work to correct those.
In my own experience, I have been with organizations that,
when I have taken them over as a manager, morale was low or a
variety of issues for a variety of reasons, and I have worked
hard to address those and successfully, I think. One area was
recognized. We were named one of the best places to work in
Washington, for an organization of about 325 people when I was
at Watson Wyatt. A lot of it had to do with structural issues.
A lot of it had to do with leadership. I believe in Director
Springer. I think that over time leadership and that sense of
direction and that sense of fairness ultimately will bring
people's interest up.
At the same time, there are specific issues like training
and so forth that I would like to look at more should I be
confirmed. At this point, I am not prepared to discuss each
issue, but certainly there are indications that this is an area
that needs to be looked at more.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much. Senator Voinovich.
Senator Voinovich. Mr. Weizmann, once confirmed you have a
year and a half or so to accomplish reform before the
transition to the new Administration. To help guide this
Committee's work in the future, it seems to me OPM should
submit a list of reforms to the Committee and the
Administration that will need to be given continued attention.
Mr. Weizmann. Right.
Senator Voinovich. We want to see them continued. It would,
I think, help Senator Akaka and me to know the areas that need
to be given continued attention so when the new team is in
place, we can be part of the process of making sure that some
of these reforms are carried out. I know that it takes a long
time for transformation to occur, and I would just hate like
heck to have, for example, your strategic plan left undone.
I would also like you to look at the extent to which
agency-specific and government-wide flexibilities that we have
legislated are being utilized.
For instance, agencies have made greater use of student
loan repayment. Senator Akaka and I have introduced legislation
to make student loan repayments nontaxable.
Another topic that Senator Akaka and I are interested in is
training. When I first came to the Subcommittee, we asked
agencies how much money they were spending on training, which
is important to help employees grow in their jobs. I question
where we are in terms of providing training and what percentage
of agencies' budgets are being used for training.
I continue to be interested in the concept of a Chief
Management Officer. Senator Akaka and I are working on GAO's
high-risk list, with a focus on DOD supply chain management and
the security clearance process. Our oversight work has led us
to question whether these agencies have the capacity to
continue transformation. Within the Department of Defense, I
believe we need a Chief Management Officer to be in charge of
transformation. Absent a strategic plan, the transformation
will continue to have problems.
Again, pay-for-performance is important. Senator Akaka and
I know that the unions don't want it. The biggest experiment in
pay-for-performance in the Federal Government today is at TSA.
We must be sure the system, known as PASS, is working well at
each airport.
These are some of the concerns that I have, and I really
hope that you would give some consideration to them.
Mr. Weizmann. Senator, all your concerns are concerns that
I share. You asked me earlier about why I wanted to take this
position. I am very concerned about not specifically my legacy,
and I am not speaking about Republican or Democrat legacies,
either. This Committee and this Congress, at least since 1993,
if not before, has set forth a very direct statement, I think,
of the kind of Federal service that we would all like to have.
It is very important to me that in those critical areas you
identify, whether it is pay-for-performance or whether it is
just improving the training, that any human resources system be
like a garden. If you walk away from a garden, it gets
overgrown tomorrow. You need continuous training of people in
not only management skills but just skills to do their job
every day. If you bring people in, including older, more
experienced workers, as well, and train them, it is important
that we keep making progress. It is undeniably spotty in
places, and I think we need more information, and certainly if
I am confirmed, I would like to know more about why some of
these things are successful and some are not.
At the Private Sector Council, we are currently working
with OMB to look at agencies who have been very successful in
linking performance to program success, and there are some that
are more successful than others, and we are trying to set up a
system by which we can involve the agencies who have been
successful to talk to the agencies who are struggling with
those kinds of things to really have that kind of information
shared.
Again, should I get to OPM, I would hope that we would be
able to foster that kind of environment where there is a kind
of information sharing between successful agencies and those
agencies that are struggling to make sure the improvement is
really over the entire Federal Government.
But the important thing to me, the most important thing is
not to retreat from some of the good work that has been done by
this Committee, by Congress, by this Administration, and by
prior Administrations to making the Federal service a much more
effective place to be.
Senator Voinovich. Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Senator Voinovich.
I want to thank you, Mr. Weizmann, for responding so well
to our questions. I have further questions that I will submit
for the record, which we will submit to you in writing. The
hearing record, let me say, will remain open for 1 week for
Members of this Committee to submit additional statements or
questions that they may have.
I want to thank you and your family for being here today.
Senator Voinovich and I are of the same mind, and we will make
every effort to move this confirmation process as expeditiously
as we can here. Then we will have a vote on this in the near
future, the vote on your nomination and confirmation.
Do you have any final words?
Senator Voinovich. No, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Akaka. With that, again, thank you so much, and I
wish you well in all that you do.
Mr. Weizmann. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator
Voinovich.
Senator Akaka. This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 10:43 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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