MEMO TO HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES FROM ALAN K. CAMPBELL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A001700110024-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2006
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: July 27, 1977
• Content Type: MEMO

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P
R IDENTS
w!o~ REORGANIZATION
FEDERAL PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PROJECT
C/O U.S. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
1900 E STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20415
July 27, 1977
To: Heads of Departments and Agencies
The Personnel Management Project is a key portion of the President's
Reorganization Project designed to make government more effective.
The purpose of the Personnel Management Project is to study the
basic laws, rules, regulations, and procedures in all phases of
personnel management as well as the organization of the Government
for personnel administration.
The Project will develop draft Option Papers on a number of subjects
relating to Federal personnel management. Those papers will be
sent out for review and comment as they are completed.
The first draft option paper is on the subject of an executive
service, a copy of which is enclosed for your review and comment.
A copy is also being sent to all personnel directors through the
Interagency Advisory Group. Please send any comments to Dwight
Ink, Executive-Director, Personnel Management Project, in care of
the U.S. Civil Setvice-Commission, 1900 E. Street, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20415.
The comments should reach Mr. Ink-by August 15 to be given full
consideration in the Project. It would be very helpful if you
could forward your informal preliminary reactions by August 8,
.in advance of any comments you make formally.
This review period. is quiteshort because of our hope that we can
move rapidly enough to recommend a course of action to the President
and forward proposed legislation to Congress'during this session.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The outcome of this study of the Personnel Management Project will
affect a minority of Federal employees. These are, however, the
managers and executives who have responsibility for managing Govern-
ment programs, for delivering government services to the public,
and for carrying out the policy directions of changing political
leadership while maintaining the continuity of government. The
personnel practices that relate to these employees have a great
effect on the way government works and on the way people perceive
that i t -L-
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT- OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
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The basic issue underlying this paper is: What characteristics of
an executive service would best enable the government to serve the
needs of the people?
We do not now have a personnel system which enables able employees to
compete effectively for higher managerial opportunities in other
agencies. Further, when a career manager is willing to take the
risks associated with a key leadership role, the employee now may
be forced to leave government at the end of the assignment or with
a"change in the agency head since there are no rights of reversion
to a lower level managerial position. At the same time, agency
heads are often handicapped in assigning managerial people because
of the rigidities of the current system. Moreover, the system
is fragmented and inefficient.
This paper describes alternative features that a comprehensive
personnel system for executives could have and indicates some pos-
sible advantages and disadvantages of each choice identified. It
describes some alternative models of complete systems and indicates
some possible advantages and disadvantages of each. These models
are included as illustrations of possible complete systems. The
paper is not presenting them as definitive models of personnel
systems for executives.
This Option Paper does not make recommendations regarding any
of the options or models available. It only describes the options
and some points.to consider in choosing among them.
As you can see, this review of the draft Option Paper provides an
opportunity to get a wide range of views on the issues and alterna-
tives involved. The comments-you and others make at this stage
will-help to shape-,the-direction of the Task Force's continuing
study of this subject.
In reviewing this draft, we suggest the following:
1. Focus the comments on:
- Adding viable options which may have been omitted.
Indicating preferences for particular options, or for an
option not included.
Telling us what you think is undesirable or won't work.
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2. Get the views of all groups in your agency which would be
directly affected by a new personnel. system for executives.
You will need to discuss the options with senior careerists
(both managers and nonmanagerial professionals), with
supergrades in Noncareer Executive Assignments, and with
Executive Level appointees. It would also be desirable to
get input from the field.
3. Prepare as detailed a report as possible on the viewpoints
within your agency. We do not expect these viewpoints to
represent agency consensus. On some issues,. interests of
top management and of career employees will. coincide; on
others they can be expected to diverge significantly. It
is very important that differences of opinion not be submerged.
Do not feel constrained by the options outlined in the attached pack-,
age. It is impossible to list all conceivable alternatives; if you
or your colleagues can devise approaches other than those listed,
the Task Force will welcome them.
The Task Force needs ideas-in all the areas discussed in the Option
Paper. The Task Force has asked that we give some special thought
to the matter of incentives for better management - what kinds of
benefits would help to attract, retain, and motivate top-quality
managers for Government programs.
The Task Force will remain receptive to additional comments and
suggestions. Thank you for your help in this important process
of shaping this study of the Personnel. Management Project.
Ian K. Campbell
Chairman
Personnel Management Project
Wayne G. G
Personnel Management Project
Vice Chaian
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