U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Department of Transportation
FAA Office of Research and Acquisitions’
Performance Management Program

Office of Personnel Management

Strategic Compensation Conference 2002

August 27, 2002

Background

• 1996: Department of Transportation Appropriations Act:
• "Develop and implement a personnel management system that addresses the unique demands of the agency’s workforce."
• February 1997: Associate Administrator for Research and Acquisitions created Office of Business Management
• Spring 1997: Management Team began strategic planning to define the organization's long-term goals
• September 1997: Performance Plan published
• Included measurable, outcome-oriented performance goals and strategies to accomplish those goals

Performance Management Program

Individual Performance Plans

• Developed Collaboratively
• Contain Critical Results Statements
• Include Monitoring and Feedback
• Strategies

ARA Performance Plan

• Performance goals/measures
• Strategies and Action Plans
• Annual Performance Targets

FAA Strategic Goals

• Safety
• Security
• System Efficiency
  
  

Implementation

• Awareness
  • Overview briefings
  • Hotlines
• Training
  • Managers
  • Instructor/Coaches
  • Employees
• Maintenance and Skill Enhancement
  • Coaching Workshops
  • Learning Support Groups
  • Mandatory Supervisory Results Statement
  • Tools for Managers

Evaluations

• Criteria
  • Results-based
  • Linked to larger goal
  • Measures
  • Stretch goals
  • Monitoring and feedback strategies
• Use
  • Provide feedback to managers
  • Identify interventions for improving implementation
  • Determine whether organization achieved target

Tracking our Progress

• Results-based
  • 1998 - 63.4%
• Results-based and linked to goal
  • 1999 - 88.6%
  • 2000 - 90.2%
  • 2001 - 95.3%

* Raised bar in 2001: Conducted Focus Groups to Assess Quality of Coaching and Feedback

Results

• FAA used as model for new agency-wise system
• National Academy of Public Administration:
  • "ARA’s experience indicates that linking performance management more clearly to organizational goals, making a special effort to provide feedback and coaching. . .has the potential to improve FAA’s performance."
• Compensation Evaluation:
  • ". . . The workforce and management are having real discussions concerning organizational goals and how those reflect on individual performance. . . The Performance Management Program clearly works."

We Have Learned A Lot...

• Leadership, Leadership, Leadership
• Involve employees as partners
• Plan broadly, but implement sequentially
• The impact on managers and supervisors can be significant
• Communication is absolutely essential
• Don’t underestimate the time & commitment needed

…and we are still learning