BLM California Workforce Planning
January 31, 2013
In Reply Refer To:
1400 CA-945 (P)
EMS TRANSMISSION: 1/31/13
Information Bulletin No. CA-2013-005
To: All California Employees
From: State Director
Subject: BLM California Workforce Planning
In April 2012, I met with the California State Leadership Team. One of the topics discussed at this meeting was Workforce Planning. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed the Department of the Interior to provide “a workforce plan that shows how each major bureau, and Interior overall, could achieve a 7 percent reduction per year in direct Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs).” The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) implemented a two-phase workforce planning process for fiscal years 2011-2015 as part of the workforce planning cycle. The first phase is a strategic look at what and where the work will be in 2015. California’s Strategic Framework accomplishes the first phase and sets the roadmap for the second phase, the development of an operational Workforce Plan for BLM California.
California’s operational Workforce Plan will provide our state with a strategic tool that will be dynamic in principle for getting the right number of people with the right skills, experiences, and competencies in the right jobs at the right time over a 3-year timeframe. In California, we will reach this goal by capitalizing on opportunities to change and improve our workforce mix as attrition allows. This may include developing strategies that encourage restructuring or realignment of positions, but no one will lose their job as a result of this effort. Basically, starting now and thinking ahead allows progressive change that maintains effectiveness and minimizes impacts to employees.
First and foremost, I want to emphasize that the work you all do is critically important to the Bureau and to the Nation. Our work is continually evolving. Key areas of emphasis that I see for California include coastal collaboration, sage grouse protection, and energy development. In addition, we want to strengthen our capacity for relevant, productive efforts by achieving greater diversity in our workforce. With all this and more in mind, we in California are preparing our workforce planning strategy so that we can be poised to address immediate and longer-term opportunities and challenges.
We have some other directives to meet as well. Our budgets are uncertain, and the BLM WO has directed each BLM state to achieve either a 70% labor to 30% operations ratio, or a workforce that is 25% non-permanent within the next three to five years. Although California’s labor to operations ratio is currently 54% labor to 46% operations, only 15% of our workforce is non-permanent.
One way we hope to meet our workforce planning goals is by examining alternate ways to replace lost skills and re-configure vacant positions. As vacancies occur through retirements or transfers, we will consider:
o Restructuring the grade and recruitment level for a position. Instead of recruiting at the
full performance level of a position, recruit at a lower grade and mentor the incumbent to
the full performance level
o Hiring more Pathways Interns and temporary seasonal employees
o Zoning “scarce skill” positions within California and with neighboring states
o Considering career seasonal appointments for some of our traditionally permanent
appointments to allow the flexibility of having the employee work from a minimum of
six months to a maximum 50 weeks per year
As we move forward to implement the workforce planning initiatives, I want to restate again that we are committed to accomplishing these goals through the opportunities that attrition and employee development opportunities present. In summary, we are working to configure our workforce to match future demands while still maintaining the high quality stewardship we provide on California’s public lands.
Thank you for all you do on behalf of all Americans to care for our nation’s Public Lands!
Signed by:
James G. Kenna
State Director
Authenticated by:
Richard A. Erickson
Records Management