Agencies with Under 2-Percent Teleworkers in 2002
House Report 107-575 on the Treasury, Postal Service and
General Government Appropriations Act, 2003, included $500,000
to carry out a "Telecommuting Training Program … to
educate executive branch managers about the benefits and logistics
of telecommuting." The conferees directed OPM "to target executive
agencies where less than 2 percent of employees telecommute."
Working in partnership with GSA, we provided special assistance
to these 20 agencies, mostly small organizations, helping
them individually to develop policies and programs. We also
held a special workshop for them, featuring presentations
by other small agencies who had successfully met the unique
challenges of a small agency telework program.
Multifaceted Educational Campaign
We found that many of the needs of the 2-percent agencies
were similar to those of other agencies whose programs were
still growing. They needed user-friendly promotional materials,
practical guidance for managers, and help in addressing common
telework barriers. In partnership with GSA, we developed an
educational campaign to help all agencies, including the
2-percent agencies, to become more self-reliant in promoting
their own telework programs and overcoming common obstacles.
Campaign elements included Telework 101 web-based training
modules for employees and managers available at www.Golearn.gov,
a video loop for lobby displays, promotional materials such
as posters and tent cards, and materials to be placed in agency
publications. At an all-day meeting, we trained agency telework
coordinators and human resources officials in how to structure
a campaign and use the materials. We also offered sessions
on the latest in telework policy, technical discussions with
experts, and two hours of hands-on training in consultation
skills for overcoming barriers. The training was conducted
by Mr. Gil Gordon, a noted telework authority, and based heavily
on the findings from our focus group studies. At the same
event, Human Resources Directors were provided an opportunity
to meet with OPM's Associate Director for Strategic Human
Resources Policy for a discussion of telework in the context
of strategic policy.
Other Strategies for Empowering Agencies
We also provided empowering resources to agencies through
a new manager's guide to telework, improvements to the joint
GSA/OPM website, www.telework.gov,
and quarterly meetings for agency telework coordinators. A
teleconference option makes the meetings accessible to coordinators
in other cities. Together and separately, OPM and GSA have
presented at numerous professional associations, community
groups, managers' training programs, and other forums attended
by Federal leaders. During 2003, OPM and GSA solidified our
longstanding partnership through a formal Memorandum of Understanding.
To promote telework's role as an element in the continuity
of operations, OPM updated its guidance on telework in emergency
situations. Director James encouraged agencies to use telework
in a variety of business-disrupting situations, ranging from
Hurricane Isabel to traffic congestion caused by huge public
events.
Preparation for Evaluating Agency Telework Programs
In keeping with our strategic focus on enhancing agencies'
responsibility for telework, we have begun laying the groundwork
for including telework in OPM's evaluation of agency human
resources programs. Besides holding agencies accountable,
this change will define telework clearly as a basic human
resources tool, rather than as a new program in need of promotion.