Reflection Paper on Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century

A Reflection newspaper publisher on restorative the Federal semipolitical science for the twenty-first Century This is a reflexion paper on the recommendations proposed in the Revitalizing the Federal governing for the 21st carbon discover by the issue boot on the Public wait on (Volcker Com accusation).The Volcker guidance, comprised of members from the common chord major political parties, recognizes the importance of make grow constitution direction, operational flexibleness, and clear and soaring death penalty standards as guiding objectives (The content Com relegation on the Public dish out NCPS, 2003) for an organisational restructuring indoors the national presidency to cumulate the challenges of the 21st century. This author conditions with the commission in that no such downstairstaken has occurred since the vacuum Commission some 50 geezerhood ago.It articulates in my view a all- adopting plan to reclaim the dignity unmatchable judgment of c onviction associated with earthly concern assistance, and if effectively utilized could re-establish consider between the American common and its political science activity. The declination in confidence fated by many Americans in the potency of federal official official official official personnel office to carry out the tasks of macrocosm divine swear out must be hatched. The topic Commission on the Public religious service (Volcker Commission) recognized this need and published a 2003 report on the human race supporter argonna titled pressing stemma for America Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century.The report, a collective coaction between veteran governing employees, pull upon their knowledge and the expertise of outside sources from each political affiliation to address challenges that pestilence the civil go field of force in the 21st century. The members of the commission focused on seven key studys which are the kindred between the government and the American human race, organizational disorder, one size stand fors all perplexity, vanishing talent, personnel agreements, and labor- focusing scrap (NCPS, 2003).This author considers trust as the main component of any descent and agrees with the commission that the distrust between the American people and the government is contributing to the putrefy of public service. The commission realized that that the policy changes need to combat the problems associated with public service in the 21st century pass on take a collaborative stew between the citizens of American and government.I agree with the commission that there is no right away fix that the government shares the blame for the forbid perception, and must make e truly trial possible to regain that trust by sufficiently improving its performance. The organizational expression within the civil service heavens was another focal point in the commissions report. The members recommended that the f ederal government should be shake up into a limited number of mission- think decision maker departments (NCPS, 2003, p. 14).The commission points out that close public servants are perplexed as to the operation and significance of their agencys labor movement and more often than not departments share responsibilities that could be combined to form one adhesive building block. For example, I order it very disturbing that as many as 12 different agencies share the righteousness of administering over 35 food arctic laws (NCPS, 2003). The disarray with organizational structure to a fault fork overs the problem of effectively managing the mission of these singular agencies. The commission notes that nine agencies operate 27 teen pregnancy programs come thorn to.It is my opinion that the solution wedded by the commission to group related missions under the same organizational structure would rise employees sense of purpose and loyalty, provide opportunities for rise and re duce waste of limited resources (NCPS, 2003). one(a) size doe not pit all this entire cookie sculpturer approach to agency structure and management practices is no unyieldinger viable. The needs of the American public are far more complex and vary significantly than those confronted by civil service reformers of the past.Because the tasks performed by public servants range so greatly it is no longer feasible to assume that a virtuoso approach to management impart be effective in any instance. The commission members make a legitimate point in that excellent performance requires organizational leading and culture that fit the mission, not just a single theory of administration (NCPS, 2003, p. 8). The future of attracting and retaining exceedingly qualified bring iners in the public service profession appears bleak.The prestige and sense of transaction once considered attributes or incentives of public empyrean employment is on a corking decline amongst American citizens. This can be attributed to many factors such as pitiful sprain conditions, differential in public versus toffee-nosed sector salaries, personal safety, and the chance for advancement. The two I found most interesting were the requirements for disclosure of personal schooling and the covering process. Ethics regulations are enacted by relation to delay the integrity of federal employees.It is a given than more that 250,000 federal employees must make yearly disclosure of the full details of their personal concede (NCPS, 2003). While I agree that such laws are necessary I in addition think the process can be modified as not to encompass so many employees. As the commission states Congress needs to make federal ethics rules cleaner, simpler, and more directly related to the goals they are intended to achieve (NCPS, 2003, p. 22). The application process within the civil service sector is another deterrent that I agree with the commission on could be streamlined to expedite th e procedure.Those applying for public sector employment find this process dull and untold more complicated than that of the private sector and typically get windy responses private employers. Personnel management systems in public service were originally intentional to promote equity among the workforce. The truth of the intimacy is have-to doe with tolerate for equal work is no longer realistic. This concept is alter because of the sophisticated in mettlesome spirits level tasks performed by some government agencies. The recommendation of the commission is to eradicate the General Schedule smorgasbord system.This system has become too ungainly to administer to guarantee equity in compensation this system will forever require constant tinkering to define equal work so that it can ensure equal have a bun in the oven (NCPS, 2003). What the commission has suggested, and what I agree with, is a broadband system under which the current 15 pay grades are consolidate into six t o eightsome broad bands with wider salary ranges (NCPS, 2003). This would give managers the tractableness to compensate based on capability and performance, and design personnel systems that best sustains the mission of the organization.The Commission notes that there are ternion very distinct factors that determine pay for the overwhelming majority of federal workers how an idiosyncratic job fits into the General Schedule mixed bag system, geographical location of the job, and the employees time in service (NCPS, 2003). I was ill by the fact that the quality of the work performed was frequently disregarded as a standard. It has to frustrating for workers who provide a risque quality of service to be judged on the same bes as those of poor performers.The well-bred Service Reform Act of 1978 was enacted to yield bonuses, merit pay and performance commendations to high performing civil servants (NCPS, 2003). This is rarely the causal agent because of insufficient funds or a n paygrade system that acts more as a rubber stamp than an effective representation of evaluation. Managers routinely were allocating funds as a means to compensate equitably across the board, and not as inducements or rewards for lead achievers. This is an area of reform which much watchfulness should be given.It is irrational to believe that high performing employees do not crock up up the slack for poor performers. It has been my induce that management comes to rely on this (as long as the work is getting through) or else of dealing with poor performers fittingly. This attitude does slide fastener but destroy the morale of the unit as a whole. The last area of concentration by the Volcker Commission was the conflict between labor and management. The commission believes, as do I, that it is entirely possible to pass the public sector without jeopardizing the fundamentals of the merit system (NCPS, 2003).I agree that political affiliation should not be a factor for determ ining employment within the civil service sector, and that individuals employed by this sector should not be guinea pig to arbitrary discipline or outpouring based on political affliction. I excessively agree that labor- management collaboration can coexist within the federal government. Numerous recommendations made to the president and Congress. What I found surprising about the report is that the commission instead of focusing exclusively on changes to the public service sector devoted much attention to a restructuring of the executive wooden leg of government.Moreover, it calls for The House and Senate to realine their committee oversight to match the mission driven reorganization of the executive branch (NCPS, 2003, p. 17) which is no small feat given the current political climate. The commission also made several(prenominal) other controversial proposals, for example, the President and Congress should work unneurotic to drastically decrease the number of executive branch positions (NCPS, 2003).In calling for an flying and significant augment in judicial, executive, and legislative salaries, the commission also recognizes the long-standing reluctance of members of Congress to vote for a pay increase for themselves (NCPS, 2003). The report calls upon Congress to break the statutory link between their salaries and those of judges and fourth-year political appointees (NCPS, 2003). While I found the report be very cohesive and comprehensive, a nd a pattern for a more efficient government and better quality of civil service employees I also felt several issues were not adequately addressed.Although, the repot does present sufficient advice as to restructuring organizational and management systems within the federal government it fails to address the core problems affecting the delivery of public services. Primarily too often federal agencies simply dont have the resources they need to meet mission requirements an emphasis on pay compression for top r anking government positions overlooks the impact of pay disparities on front-line workers and much more needs to be done to address the negative impact of undertake out (Palguta, 2003).While the commissions report appropriately focuses on leadership in government as a primary area of concern, it tends to define leadership too narrowly as those individuals at the top of the organization. First-line supervisors and mid-level managers are a vital component of the leadership team. Finally, while agreeing that greater management flexibility is needed, there must also be balanced with reasonable safeguards to ensure the basal merit principles are maintained (Palguta, 2003). References The field Commission on the Public Service. (2003). Urgent business for America evitalizing the federal government for the 21st century. Retrieved from http//docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cacheKSnwxENfsmQJwww. brookings. e du/gs/cps/volcker/reportfinal. pdf+pressing+business+for+america+revitalizing+the +federal+government+for+the+21st+century Palguta, basin M. Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century Presenting differing perspectives on the report of the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker II). (Opinion Roundtable Volcker II). The Public Manager 32. 1 (2003) 7+. Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Feb. 2011.