APEX 29 Executive Roundtable
Sustaining the DoD SES Corps
September 2009
Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
The purpose of this “SES Sustainment” Executive
Roundtable Discussion is to . . .
 Stimulate Thinking – to stimulate your thinking about “Sustaining” the
SES Corps in the Department of Defense
 Examine Objectives and Historical Data – to examine the theory and
data underpinning the “sustainment” of DoD’s SES Corps
 Solicit Suggestions – to solicit your proposed suggestions about what
should and can be done to institutionalize and improve programs that
have been established or that need to be established to sustain DoD’s
SES Corps, including those that address recruiting, retaining, relocating,
maintaining morale, and governing the treatment DoD senior executives
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
Overview – the framework for Sustaining the DoD
SES Corps was shaped by the following factors
 Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978. The Senior Executive Service (SES) was established by
the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978. CSRA envisioned a senior executive corps with solid
executive expertise, public service values, and a broad perspective of government. Overall,
executives would be held accountable for their performance.
 Why have an SES Corps? The SES was designed to overcome some key issues:
•
There was no effective, government-wide system for selecting, preparing, paying, and managing
the government's top managers.
•
Minimal attention was given to an executive's managerial skills and expertise. Individuals were
placed in positions responsible for managing billion-dollar Federal programs and for supervising
thousands of employees with little or no managerial experience.
•
Agencies had limited authority to appoint or reassign executives to meet mission and program
changes. The rank-in-position system limited rotation and reassignment opportunities for career
employees and prevented the best use of executive talent.
•
Many of the top career positions were held by individuals who entered the government at junior
levels and spent their entire careers in the Federal service, many in the same agency or agency
component. Executives needed to broaden their perspectives and view their responsibilities in
the context of the larger corporate and public policy interests of the government.
 Balance. The goal today is to maintain a proper balance between an agency’s need for flexibility and
OPM's responsibility to preserve the government-wide interests of a corporate, merit-based executive
service.
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
There are several other considerations that
influence SES Sustainment
 Sustainment of the SES Corps is extremely critical in order to
compete with industry.
 Morale and Sustainment. As highlighted in the DoD concept
paper, “Developing 21st Century Department of Defense Senior
Executive Service Leaders” (November 20, 2006) - morale and
sustaining of the SES are paramount.
• Action should be taken immediately to reinforce and institutionalize the
value each SES member brings to the leadership team
• Consider long-term programs/initiatives to promote and sustain high
morale and esprit de corps within the SES
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
And …
 Under 5 U.S.C.5753 and 5 CFR, part 575, subparts A and B, an
agency may pay a recruitment or retention incentive
• OPM has reported to Congress that 41 Federal Agencies paid over
32,000 employees for recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives
worth more than $207M
 “The mission of OPM is to ensure the Federal Government has
an effective civilian workforce. In light of the upcoming
retirement wave and the increasing competition for talent we
face, it is crucial for agencies to have the necessary human
capital flexibilities to attract and retain the talent they need…”
Michael Hager, OPM Acting Director, 2008
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
And, in addition …
 Wellness. In support of the Administration’s Wellness Initiative, DoD
is institutionalizing the change for Federal community, to include SES
•
Along with GO/FO, our executives are part of the senior leadership team that
must execute the Department’s 21st Century strategy -- instituting a culture and
supporting programs that promote wellness will enhance our ability to be “ready
to respond” to the changing requirements and the defense of this nation
 As incentives, DoD is working to enhance access and opportunities
for physical activity, combined with health education, to enable or
facilitate access to physical activity programs, workshops, classes,
and other resources in a work setting.
•
Programs/practices vary across the Department and primarily focus on the Active
Duty population.
o
•
Current efforts predominately include building a fitness center at the worksite and/or
creating a par course (fitness trail)
Corporate communities are seen as being much stronger at providing strong
incentives and diversity of programs to enhance employee wellness
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
SES Survey Findings (June 2008) tell us that …
 DoD SES members were more likely than non-DoD SES members to
agree that:
•
They are proud to be a member of the Federal Government's Senior Executive
Service
•
Their work gives them a feeling of personal accomplishment
 The impression is that many in the SES Corps relish the importance of
their work and mission, but do not feel "inside the loop" in terms of
communications, recognition, respect and their level on the totem pole
 SES executives are not only underutilized but also dispirited
•
General sense among SES is that “they are about to be fixed,” but … the 21st
Century Leader concept is not to “fix SES” but rather to develop capabilities in
support of new security environment
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
What the data tell us about SES Pride
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
Defense Business Board Survey Findings (May 31,
2006) indicate the need to . . .
 Improve Community Building
•
Environment. Create an environment to promote understanding and
camaraderie
o
o
Social. Provide opportunities for at least occasional social functions that cut across
organizational lines – let SES community learn to listen to each other more
Professional. Hold regular regional SES forums – on leadership, strategic, or mission
issues to share and learn across SES corps
 Improve Recognition and Compensation
•
Celebrate success! Communicate accomplishments and recognize high
performers in a public way
•
Recognition. Recognize SES corps as a strategic enabler and a DoD
Enterprise asset
o
•
Pay Fairness. Make sure that subordinates do not make more than superiors
o
•
Vision for change management needs to show value of SES and their role in strategic
decision making
Pay compression with 15s
Retention Bonuses. Consider using retention bonuses
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
And, in addition …
 Worksites provide access to 65% of adults in settings where people
consume one or more meals daily.
•
The 2005 – 2006 NHANES survey shows that among adult men the prevalence of
obesity was 33.3% and among adult women, the prevalence of obesity was 35.3%.
•
Obesity and overweight contribute to chronic conditions such as hypertension, type
2 diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, and certain types of cancer
 Researchers found that corporate and community-based physical
activity programs appeared to reduce new cases of disease by:
•
•
•
•
•
5-15 cases per 100,000 people for colon cancer
15-58 cases per 100,000 for breast cancer
59-207 cases per 100,000 for type 2 diabetes, and
140-476 cases per 100,000 for heart disease
Study: http://www.ajpm-online.net/article/S0749-3797(08)00770-8/fulltext
 CDC Corporate Case Studies for Wellness Programs:
http://www.cdc.gov/leanworks/why/casestudies.html
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
What suggestions do you have for addressing the
following questions?
 Sustainment: SES are not motivated principally by pay compensation, but
as data indicates, job satisfaction is a motivator for service as an SES
• Are there any “sustainment” initiatives ( outside development) which
would be beneficial to attracting/retaining quality SES?
• What are the barriers (detractors) to effective sustainment and
retention? What practical plans would you put in place to overcome
them?
• What non-compensation forms of recognition should be used to
celebrate exceptional executive leadership?
For all the above, cost must be considered
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)
And …
 Wellness -- research also shows that a good incentive program can
increase participation rates by 12% to 35%
• Within the limitation of DoD, what type of incentive programs do you feel
would be most effective to encourage participation in wellness
programs?
• If your organization has a wellness program, what activity or strategy has
been shown to change behavior toward wellness?
o
If not, what do you feel is the best activity or approach to change behavior
and promote wellness within the Department?
• How do we help executives and leadership understand the critical link
between personal balance and successful leadership?
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Excellence in Executive Leadership
UNCLASSIFIED – For Official Use Only (FOUO)