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Homeland Security 5 Year Anniversary 2003 - 2008, One Team, One Mission Securing the Homeland

Department of Homeland Security Personnel System Fact Sheet

Release Date: 03/31/03 00:00:00

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 1, 2003

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Cole James today launched the process for designing the new DHS human resources management system called for in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.  The goal is to create a 21st century personnel system that is flexible and contemporary while preserving basic civil service principles and the merit system. The process is designed to produce a personnel system that incorporates the following key elements:

  • Hiring: seeking and employing the best and the brightest
  • Pay: providing for pay determined by individual merit and value to the organization
  • Classification: creating a system that is fair and quantifies the value of a work product to the Department
  • Employee Input: creating a cooperative, positive work environment that benefits from the input of its employees
  • Accountability: linking individual performance to organizational goals

 
Process

A Senior Review Committee will develop personnel system options to be considered by the Secretary and the Director and their senior staff.  The committee will include, among others, the Under Secretary for Management, Department program leaders, officials from OPM, and major union leaders.  A small number of academics and policy experts will serve as ex officio members who will advise the committee on specific issues.

A Design Team will be tasked with conducting research and outreach to provide a full range of options for the Senior Review Committee to consider.  The team will include DHS program managers from all directorates and disciplines, union and employee representatives and human resource specialists from DHS and OPM.  Expert consultants from the private sector will also support the team.

Timeline

The process to create a new personnel system begins today with the initial meetings of the Design Team. The target for beginning the implementation of the new system is the end of this calendar year.

The Design Team will conduct outreach at seven field meetings in those cities with the largest concentration of DHS employees: New York, Miami, Detroit, El Paso, Atlanta, Seattle, and Salt Lake City.  To ensure coordination with rural areas, the team will either bring employees into the major cities or conduct smaller sessions in rural settings.  In addition, a website is in the process of being set up that will allow employees from across the country to email the team their suggestions for the new system.

The Design Team work will continue through early September when it will deliver a full range of options to the Senior Review Committee.  The Senior Review Committee will present a refined range of options to the Secretary and the Director.  The Secretary and Director will issue proposed rules.

The Homeland Security Act provides a reconciliation process that includes a notice of proposal to the employee representatives for their comments; notice to Congress; and conference with employee representatives, including the possible use of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.  

Upon completion of this process, the Secretary and Director will issue implementing regulations.

This page was last modified on 03/31/03 00:00:00