Congress gave the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authority to develop new personnel systems in several areas, including pay and classification, performance management, disciplinary matters, and labor-management relations.  Secretary Ridge and Director James of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will jointly decide what the new systems should be and how to fairly administer them.  

To help in this effort, the Secretary and the Director have assembled a design team comprised of DHS managers and employees, personnel experts from DHS and OPM, and representatives from the agency's three largest unions, the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union, and the National Association of Agriculture Employees.  

The Design Team was chartered to develop a range of options for a human resources system that is both excellent and fair and supports the vital missions of the Department of Homeland Security.  Options are descriptions of potential personnel systems that the Department could adopt.  They represent a range of possible systems for one or more of the six HR functional areas under consideration.  The options were developed based on a broad array of data sources including town hall meetings and focus groups with DHS employees, supervisors, and HR professionals, public and private sector research, communications with internal and external stakeholders, as well as discussions with DHS, OPM and union leadership.  

Options for DHS Human Resources Management System

On Wednesday, October 29, 2003, senior members of the DHS HR Design Team participated in a hearing on Capitol Hill before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization to brief committee members on the outcomes of the Senior Review Committee meeting to discuss HR options for the Department's new personnel system.

DHS and OPM officials who testified at the hearing included Ron James, Chief Human Capital Officer, DHS, and Steve Cohen, Senior Advisor for Homeland Security at OPM.

Statement of Steven R. Cohen
Statement of Ronald J. James

Resources

Statement from Secretary Ridge on DHS HRMS

HR Design Authorities

HLS Act of 2002

HRMS Research Report

Research Appendix

Design Team Information

HR Design Team

Senior Review Committee

DHS Design Team Town Hall Meetings, Focus Groups, and Site visits

The DHS Design Team held a series of Town Hall meetings as well as 54 Focus Groups across the United States.  Participants included a diverse representation of DHS employees to obtain perspectives across DHS components including  job/series, geographic locations, union/non-union, age, gender, and ethnicity.  Focus groups were with rank and file employees as well as managers.

In the focus groups, participants were asked to provide their views on "what works" and "what, if anything, could be improved" with respect to the six HR functions under consideration:  pay, classification, performance management, labor relations, discipline, and appeals.

Focus Group Analysis Report

Focus Group Synopsis

The HR Design Team welcomes feedback throughout the HR Design process.  If you have ideas or feedback on options, please email your comments to  hrdesign@dhs.gov.