Civilian workforce planning in the Department of Defense : different levels, different roles / Susan M. Gates, Christine Eibner, Edward G Keating.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gates, Susan M., 1968-

Contributor:

Eibner, Christine.

Keating, Edward G. (Edward Geoffrey), 1965-

United States. Department of Defense

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Department of Defense.

Manpower planning--United States.

Manpower planning.

Personnel management.

United States.

United States--Armed Forces--Civilian employees.

Armed Forces.

United States. Department of Defense--Personnel management.

Physical Description:

xxix, 120 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 2006.

Summary:

The Department of Defense (DoD), along with other federal agencies, is striving to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its civilian workforce and to address impending personnel challenges, such as a significant increase in retirement rates. The DoD asked the RAND Corporation to explore how workforce planning and requirements determination are accomplished at specific installations, to identify potential roles for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) in the planning process, and to identify potential data sources for Department-wide workforce planning.

The research was based on a review of the literature on workforce planning and requirements determination, an analysis of existing data sources, and interviews with individuals involved in workforce-planning activities at the service, agency, and local levels. Results show that while Defense Civilian Personnel Data System (DCPDS) data provide rich information for characterizing workforce supply both DoD-wide and at various organizational levels, no DoD-wide sources of data are available for forecasting workforce demand. Recognizing that additional data collection is costly, the authors recommend that the DoD carefully consider the specific occupations and/or geographic regions that might benefit from a Department-wide (rather than a local) workforce-planning perspective, and focus additional data-gathering and coordination efforts in these areas.

This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND monographs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

Contents:

Methodology 3

The Workforce-Planning Framework 3

Workforce Planning in Large Organizations 5

Site Visits 7

Review of Data Sources to Support Department-Wide Efforts 11

Organization of the Monograph 11

Chapter 2 Local Workforce-Planning Efforts 13

Overview of Sites Visited 13

Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center 16

Defense Supply Center-Philadelphia 17

Fort Lewis 17

Patuxent River Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division 18

Norfolk Naval Shipyard 19

Tinker Air Force Base 20

Key Findings from Site Visits 20

Each Installation Conducts Workforce Planning to Some Degree 21

Local Supply Analysis Is Based on Defense Civilian Personnel Data System Data 23

Approaches to Demand Analysis Vary Widely Across Installations 27

DoD Installations Identify Workforce Gaps 35

Installations Use a Variety of Strategies to Address Workforce Gaps 36

Data Have Benefits for Workforce Planning and Workforce Flexibility, but the Costs of Collecting Data Can Be High 44

Summary of Site-Visit Findings 46

Chapter 3 Data Sources for DoD-Wide Workforce Planning 51

Data Sources for Supply Analysis 52

Overview of the DMDC/DCPDS Data 52

Using DMDC Civilian Workforce Data to Support Department-Wide Supply Analysis 54

DMDC Data Can Also Support an Examination of Employee Turnover 55

DMDC Data Can Provide Useful Information to Support Departmentwide Supply Analysis, but Questions Remain 58

Data Sources to Support DoD-Wide Demand Analysis 61

Manpower Estimates Reports as a Potential Data Source for Demand Analysis 63

Overview of MERs Reporting Requirements 63

Information Provided in MERs Is Not Particularly Useful for Civilian Workforce Planning 65

Analyses Underlying the MERs Are Not Supported by a Systematic Civilian Workforce-Planning Process 66

Information Developed for A-76 Studies Would Be a Much Richer Target for Data-Gathering Efforts 66

DMDC Data Can Be Used to Help OSD Identify Targets for Centralized Coordination 69

Workforce Planning in DoD Is More Complicated Than the Basic Workforce-Planning Framework Would Suggest 86

DCPDS Data Provide a Rich Starting Point for Supply Analysis at All Levels 87

Approaches to Demand Analysis Are More Varied and Sources of Data Are Limited 88

Gaps Analyses and Policy Responses Depend on the Level at Which Workforce Planning Occurs 90

It Is Important to Weigh the Costs and Benefits of Additional Data Collection 90

Recommendations 91

Certain Occupations or Geographic Regions Might Benefit from a Department-Wide Workforce-Planning Perspective 92

OSD Could Help to Improve Existing Data Systems 93

OSD Could Promote the Collection of Requirements Data Through CAMIS 94

OSD Could Work to Make the Gaps-Analysis Process Meaningful 95

Better Integration of Strategic Workforce Planning and Budget Processes Is Needed 95

Ensure That the National Security Personnel System Is Responsive to Strategic Workforce-Planning Needs 96

A Site-Visit Interview Protocol 99

B Examples of Civilian Workforce Analyses Using DMDC Data 107.

Notes:

"Prepared for the office of the Secretary of Defense."

"MG-449-OSD"--P. [4] of cover.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [117]-120).

ISBN:

0833039016

OCLC:

64624975

Publisher Number:

9780833039019