So, What Comes Next?
As we at the National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) think about how to safely and productively “return to work” we have been struck by the complexity of the decision and potential next steps. The phrase above is in quotes because as we have discovered, we have never not been at work since the first week of our all-virtual work environment commenced in March of 2020.
We are not alone in our amazement of staff resiliency, ingenuity, and perpetual commitment to the organization and its mission. Metrics are demonstrating high levels of engagement and confidence in the quality of work being done within the federal government. The 2021 Federal Employee View Survey (FEVS) overall engagement score rose by almost four percent and, while there was a small dip in the percentage of employees who said “their work unit can meet the needs of their customers,” 86 percent remained confident that this was happening, even in the middle of a global pandemic. While so few people were physically in their office, work was getting done and getting done well.
We attribute much of the Academy’s success over the past 16 months to the organization’s ability to be flexible and to draw on the research and lessons learned from our strategic initiatives, studies, and forums. The Agile Government Center, which brings together governments, non-profits, foundations, academic institutions, and private sector partners to assist in developing and disseminating agile government principles has informed our efforts to allow necessity to drive innovation and to empower Academy employees to reimagine how we respond to client agencies and partners. We documented and analyzed rapid infusions of economic relief working with the National Association of Counties to better understand real-time examples of flexible responses to new realities and we explored efforts underway to Modernize and Reinvigorate Public Service including Honoring Public Servants in the Midst of a Pandemic.
The Academy recently hosted a discussion on the Future of the Federal Workforce in the Post Pandemic Era and several themes emerged that are informing leadership decisions for shaping how we all work at the Academy. There was an acknowledgment that there is an economic imperative to bringing people back to the District and that space needs in town are changing. Decisions about real estate will need to be informed by evolving human capital functions and decisions. Additionally, the roles of Chief Information Officers and those in charge of procurement will be refocused on supporting new ways to collaborate. Another key point that emerged was that the future of work as a hybrid model of both virtual and in-person options expands the opportunities for recruiting. Talent can be drawn from more diverse geographical areas and creates new availability of prospective employees. The new approach infuses another focus on equity as leaders work to ensure equal treatment and advancement to both those working from a remote location and those who are in the office regularly. There will need to be a concerted effort to manage both groups without bias.
While larger, decentralized agencies will have to manage complexities and challenges that our smaller organization will not face, some universal good practices have already been established. These include acknowledging the uncertainty and taking advantage of the opportunities to reshape how the work gets done. A participant at our recent forum reminded us all that “work is not where you are but what you do.” We look forward to the newly imagined future of our work as we continue to support federal agencies in meeting their missions and provide valuable services to the American public. We are excited to see what comes next.
The National Academy of Public Administration is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, accountable, and transparent organizations. Chartered by Congress to provide nonpartisan expert advice, the Academy’s unique feature is its over 950 Fellows—including former cabinet officers, Members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, and career public administrators. The Academy helps the federal government address its critical management challenges through in-depth studies and analyses, advisory services and technical assistance, congressional testimony, forums and conferences, and online stakeholder engagement. Under contracts with government agencies, some of which are directed by Congress, as well as grants from private foundations, the Academy provides insights on key public management issues, as well as advisory services to government agencies. If you would like to find out more about how the Academy can support your organization, please visit us at www.napawash.org.
The column from NAPA is part of the FEDforum, an initiative to unite voices across the federal community. The FEDforum is a space for federal employee groups to share their organizations’ initiatives and activities with the FEDmanager audience.
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