March 25, 2004
OPM's Director for E-Government Testifies
to Success of USAJOBS Expanding the Applicant Pool for Federal
Employment
E-Payroll
savings to taxpayers estimated at $1.1 billion
Washington, DC
– A senior executive from the U.S. Office
of Personnel Management testified late Wednesday before a
congressional panel on the progress of the Bush Administration's
key E-Government initiative to recruit top college graduates
into federal public service.
Norm Enger, OPM's Director for E-Gov Initiatives,
told members of the House Subcommittee on Technology, Information
Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census, that the
human resources agency successfully launched the Recruitment
One-Stop initiative in short order, and added that use of
OPM's USAJOBS web site (www.USAJOBS.opm.gov)
by college graduates and other federal job seekers has increased
significantly following a major redesign.
"One business day after the redesigned site went live
August 4, 2003, more than 200,000 people visited USAJOBS,"
Enger told the subcommittee chaired by Florida Congressman
Adam Putnam. He said this was a 10-fold increase over the
20,000 visitors to the site the previous business day. During
a recent five-day work week, the site averaged more than 290,000
visitors.
Enger told the subcommittee that OPM Director
Kay Coles James' vision for Recruitment One-Stop and four
other E-Gov initiatives owned by the agency has allowed the
HR agency to become "a leader in E-Government."
He highlighted OPM's ascension to "green status"
in President Bush's quarterly E-Gov scorecard, adding that
only one other federal agency has reached this milestone.
Enger noted that USAJOBS continues to receive high customer-satisfaction
marks. "We've transformed the federal business process,
and we've done this in a very short period," he said.
"And we have a matrix to prove our success."
The most recent American Customer Satisfaction
E-Government Website Index tracking system gives USAJOBS a
score of slightly more than 75, which is four points higher
than the government-wide average and one point better than
the combined government and industry average.
"USAJOBS helps the individual get
through a simplified process, so we don't lose talented and
qualified people," said Enger. "By reducing this
frustration, we'll attract greater numbers of qualified people
into the federal sector."
Enger also confirmed for the subcommittee
that OPM's e-Payroll initiative, another of the Administration's
24 e-Government initiatives, will save taxpayers $1.1 billion
through standardizing payroll processing systems and closing
redundant payroll centers.
In summing up OPM's experience with the
Administration's e-Government initiative, Enger said his skepticism
about government making fast progress has ended.
"Change can take place rapidly with
intelligent planning and leadership."
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