Stabilization and Reconstruction Staffing - RAND Corporation

Process, Structure, and Management—What Can Be Done Today? 49Assessing DetaileesRegardless of how an individual is recruited, once that individual isidentified, it is critical to assess his or her qualifications and suitabilityto perform the job. Because most CPA employees were appointed usingthe provisions of United States Code, Title 5, Section 3161 (5 USC3161), which will be discussed later in this section (e.g., in AppointingEmployees), the standard rules for assessing, rating, and ranking applicantsdid not apply and were not used extensively in the early days.The CPA staff and others conducted extensive interviews and vettedall applicants; however, because the mission evolved and changedquickly, descriptions of duties to be performed were general rather thandetailed. Whether for outside applicants or detailees, the descriptionsoften did not identify specific qualifications or requirements againstwhich one could accurately measure the capability of a job applicantor the applicant’s likelihood for success in a highly charged, fast-paced,and insecure environment. It follows then, that the assessment was notalways well linked to the job requirements.In addition, consideration of the candidate’s suitability for the positionand ability to obtain a security clearance is an important elementof assessment. The delay in receiving security clearances deterred someindividuals: They could not deploy until the clearance was received,so the organization was harmed because the clearance-process timedelayed the arrival of needed personnel. We understand that OPM andDoD are working to improve clearance processing; if resolved, suchdelays might not be a factor in future SSTR efforts.Appointing EmployeesThe single most important tool in hiring civilians for Iraq was theauthority provided by 5 USC 3161, which gives wide latitude to appointand compensate employees to staff a temporary organization that hasbeen established by law or Executive Order. Because the CPA, as wellas its predecessor and successor organizations, was established by ExecutiveOrder, the 3161 provisions were available to DoD and, later, tothe Department of State. At the CPA, the “3161s” hired under thisauthority occupied critical positions—in many cases, the most seniorpositions in the CPA. Many were identified using nontraditional meth-