Stabilization and Reconstruction Staffing - RAND Corporation

Process, Structure, and Management—What Can Be Done Today? 55agencies must use in developing human-resources programs. 7 TheFramework, described on OPM’s Web site, provides a guide to thoseissues deserving of most consideration by those creating the capabilityto field large civilian staffs. The Framework includes critical successfactors and metrics for SSTR planners, and we use it to assess the elementsof a system to provide civilian staffs in SSTR operations. Had aprocess based on this model been in place and used to plan and staffthe CPA, then a more appropriate staff, perhaps even one resemblingan A-Team, might have been fielded for the CPA.The Framework advocates the following:•••••strategic alignment, including workforce planning anddeploymentleadership and knowledge managementresults-oriented performance culturetalent managementaccountability.We examine each of these characteristics below, focusing on strategicalignment and talent management, those parts of the Framework thatare most relevant to SSTR planning and execution.Strategic AlignmentOPM describes strategic alignment as a system “that promotes alignmentof human capital management strategies with agency mission,goals, and objectives through analysis, planning, investment, measurementand management of human capital programs.” Strategic alignmentrequires that an agency describe human-capital goals that supportmission accomplishment, set progress milestones, identify thoseresponsible for the milestones, and include human-capital activities in7 We use the Human Capital Assessment and Accountability Framework because it is avalidated existing tool mandated for use by U.S. government agencies. Our assessment is apreliminary one, derived from discussions of the research team and based on subject-matterexpertise. The evaluation criteria and associated metrics deserve additional attention. Weencourage and welcome work that would extend this effort further.