Chief’s sensing group October 15, 2009

What things can we implement immediately that would improve morale?

Idea Details/notes Category Local help with AVUE & 52 Tracker HR Return authorities back to Human Resource To help correct pay problems, code COLAs (R10), correct HR Liaisons and Employee Relations folks leave audit problems, help fill vacancies etc. Have contacts in HR for specific units; HR designated contact for R&D

Comment was for HRM, but applies to all 3 help desks HR, CIO, B&F Have ability for customers to decide when a case is resolved, not Help Desk

52Tracker – make sure all steps are HR transparent for hiring Open and continuous rosters—ensure all External applicants especially have a difficult time applying HR applicants can see what locations they are through OCRs. applying to; allow for as many locations as possible to apply for

Develop a site that shows FS vacancy A listing of one-line entries that are easy for interested HR announcements and career development candidates to scroll opportunities in a simple manner

On-the-spot hiring authorities: expand Interest in ability to use these authorities regionally and HR authority, improve training locally; easier access to info on how to do this

Fire hiring—minimize training for fire hires Identify minimum training requirements for fire hires, so they HR can get the job done they are hired for Housing of employees in remote/expensive What is the agency’s role in providing housing? We limit HR? locations diversity when housing is too expensive Rules for panels to ensure most qualified Rule now seems to be have to get people from other units on a HR people on cert panel to ensure getting qualified people on cert; this is not efficient Communicate HR improvements in honest Perceived lack of accountability with HR – have frank HR manner communication to all employees that the system has been broken; describe changes to fix problems R&D and term employees—make it easier Project funding is often more than 4 years, but term employees HR for hiring employees with soft funding can only work 4 years. Lack of continuity frustrates all employees and reduces efficiency/effectiveness of projects

Deny access to executive assistants for This removes leaders from understanding what all employees HR AVUE, 52Tracker, etc. must deal with. Communicate HR redesign decisions and This has not been communicated well. Employees would be HR progress less anxious if they knew some changes are coming Have a quicker process for seasonal Seasonal employees need to travel immediately. Speed up this B&F/Finance employees to get a travel card process Find better travel management system than B&F/Finance Govtrip Reduce use of temps and personal services AQM/HR/leadership contracts Institute permanent seasonal jobs with career ladders USBank purchase card approvers—revise This is repetitive of individual approval of payments AQM policy for monthly verification Get local help with IAS AQM

Contracting/G&A: Develop a cadre of We have a lack of skilled employees coming up through the AQM employees to develop for the future ranks.

Improve grants and agreements process for This process is tedious and inhibits working with others AQM working with other agencies Ensure E-authentication access remains for Currently if in non-pay status, employees are dropped so can’t CIO employees in non-pay status access pay, leave, dashboard, etc. It takes a long time to get E-authority back once reinstated Ensure adequate bandwidth Ensure adequate bandwidth to support the infrastructure. CIO Researchers often use University sites instead, with security and other issues. Resume access to Lotus Notes email from CIO any internet browser Stop encrypting agency laptops Especially for non-line officers. This is a security CIO overreaction for machines without PII on them. Revise plans to encrypt flash drives so they In R&D it is critical to share documents and data and use these CIO can’t be exchanged with others for powerpoint presentation at scientific meetings Review ASC processes to see what is causing HR/CIO/B&F most heartburn locally Name a change czar to manage all systems Changes are overwhelming and seem to occur randomly. Management/leadership and other changes Schedule changes. Open house in Chief’s office for employees Use opportunity of new Chief’s office configuration to have Leadership to get to know the Chief an open house.

Healthier food choices in the Yates Building Health and wellness/WO snack bar Bring back paper towels for all restrooms in This is an ongoing issue with half of the Yates Building, with Health and wellness/WO the Yates Building potential health ramifications. Policy for out-of-office messages Put in place a policy to ensure all employees leave voicemail CIO/Communication and email messages when out of the office Develop a portal like Army’s Army This is a single entry portal where all military and nonmilitary CIO/Communication Knowledge Online: look at their system personnel enter their computers and can get all info they want/need to do their jobs Make government websites more user Examples are GovTrip, 52Tracker, IWEB Computer systems friendly and remove or define all acronyms GovTrip has inadequate instructions and is not user friendly 52 Tracker is not user friendly for non-personnelists IWEB is not user friendly for nonG&A specialists Make 52Tracker and IWEB web-enabled People Places and Things – should include Add stories that improve morale by showing more Communication accomplishments accomplishments that show we care for our forests like research discoveries, replanting after fires, etc. Military’s PERMIS website links to all Topics are alphabetized, so easy to find. Communication information that takes much digging to find: look into this Develop a website for noncritical The site would house PPT, newsletters and other info that Communication information: pull rather than push clogs emails Name an information czar to ensure Information from CIO and others is sometimes inaccurate, Communication consistent and accurate information often overwhelming, sometimes conflicting.

Stop having AgLearn send spam to FS This clogs inboxes and is annoying AgLearn inboxes Improve scope of fleet cards for rural areas Ensure that more local stores accept fleet cards so employees Fleet don’t have to drive hours to purchase things like windshield wiper fluid Quit the daily logging miles and use for Seems to be busy work; no one believes this is used by local Fleet GOVs managers to monitor fleet Get final budget numbers out as soon as Budget possible