A Ready and Resilient Workforce for the Department of Homeland Security Protecting America's Front Line (2013) / Chapter Skim
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2 A Vision and Goals for Workforce Readiness and Resilience
2 A Vision and Goals for Workforce Readiness and Resilience
Pages 59-88
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From page 59... ...
-- Thad Allen, 2012, Admiral, US Coast Guard (Retired) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
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From page 60... ...
Much has been written by theorists and researchers about what resilience means and how it can best be achieved. In the context of the present report and the mission of the DHS workforce, the committee acknowledges that resilience is a multifaceted process that is promoted by a variety of individual and social factors (Earvolino‐Ramirez, 2007; Luthar and Cicchetti, 2000; Sutcliffe and Vogus, 2003; Tusaie and Dyer, 2004; Zolli and Healy, 2012)
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From page 61... ...
The meaning of resilience and its operational definition have been the subject of considerable debate and controversy over the years -- both at the individual level as well as at other levels of analysis (such as community, organizational) , and there is no readily accepted operational definition (Kaplan, 1999; Luthar et al., 2000; Masten, 2007; Windel et al., 2011)
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From page 62... ...
Many of the strategies necessary for promoting resilience at the two levels are needed for a resilient workforce. Focusing on resilience as a process rather than an end state, the committee acknowledges that resilience evolves as a dynamic, multifaceted process that takes into account a variety of personality characteristics, coping mechanisms, contexts, social-support systems, and biological predispositions.
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From page 63... ...
Although there is no DHS baseline measure of worker resilience, the committee believes that the DHS workforce is resilient in its duties; otherwise, it would not be performing adequately. The need for increased organization based resilience rests on the notion that the wear and tear of everyday stress can systematically erode the resilience of workers.
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From page 64... ...
VISION AND STRATEGY FOR THE DHS WORKFORCE To be successful, the DHS workforce readiness and resilience (WRR) effort needs clarity of vision, a mission-oriented focus, and clear and measurable goals and objectives to guide those implementing the effort and to promote its beneficiaries' understanding and acceptance of it.
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From page 65... ...
A FRESH APPROACH The DHSTogether program was developed to enhance the health and well-being of all DHS employees. Although initially there was a great deal of zeal for and commitment to the initiative, it was quickly realized that the plan was too ambitious and required modification (IOM, 2012)
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From page 66... ...
In the committee's first meeting, as noted in Chapter 1, OHA presented the draft goals that were under consideration (Green and Perkins, 2012) : Strengthen leadership understanding and support of resiliency and suicide prevention Strengthen individual resiliency Strengthen organizational resiliency Increase accessibility, timeliness, variety, and quality of inter vention services Reduce work-related stressors that decrease resiliency and increase suicide risk factors Establish and maintain structure and information/data needed to govern the elements common to all components It was surprising to the committee that 4 years into the program there was no formalized vision or goals that were vetted by all DHS component agencies, and accepted and embraced by upper DHS management.
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From page 67... ...
. Through a strategic perspective, the committee envisions that DHS wants both to strengthen its organizational identity throughout its heterogeneous components and to embed specific principles, practices, and resources in all DHS components.
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From page 68... ...
Establish a Powerful Guiding Coalition and Shared Vision Naturally, successful change requires the support of organizational leaders and transformation often starts because of a leader's desires. But successful change requires support from more than a few people (Kotter, 2007)
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From page 69... ...
But to be successful, DHS leadership needs to find ways to win commitment off all component agencies. As change processes progress, the more successful change programs involve large numbers of people.
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From page 70... ...
. The DHS Strategic Plan 2012–2016 is divided into five major mission areas, the fifth of which is "Maturing and Strengthening DHS." Goal V.2, "Enhance DHS Workforce," has two objectives that are related directly to the issue of enhancing workforce resilience and actions or tasks to be undertaken: "strengthen coordination within DHS through 2 See http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/dhs-strategic-plan-fy-2012-2016.pdf (accessed July 9, 2013)
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From page 71... ...
and is a departmentwide assessment of the programmatic activities and organizational structure BOX 2-3 DHS Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2012–2016 (Excerpt) Goal: Enhance DHS Workforce Continue to build human resource programs that support departmental mission goals and objectives, create high technical proficiency, and address the needs of the department's employees in executing DHS missions.
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From page 72... ...
Invest in the DHS workforce and improve retention and morale by strengthening employee health and wellness programs. Strengthen coordination within DHS through cross-departmental training and career paths.4 The DHSTogether program is explicitly mentioned in the BUR as an initiative to ensure that the workforce has the tools and resources that it needs to manage the stresses inherent in their jobs.
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From page 73... ...
Suggested Goals Government performance and accountability practices require that government programs have well-defined and measurable objectives. The committee heard from staff in DHS headquarters and the DHS components that data to measure resilience of the DHS workforce (or even obtain a baseline state)
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From page 74... ...
The committee was moved by the comments of (now former) Deputy Secretary Jane Lute in its second meeting, who provided passionate insight into the need and purpose of a healthy, resilient DHS workforce, and from former US Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen in testimony to Congress (Allen, 2012)
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From page 75... ...
Implementing these kinds of policies throughout the department requires certain authority and accountability. The conditions needed for success of any initiative are discussed earlier in this chapter and suggest that the more successful change programs involve large numbers of people, a powerful guiding coalition, and high levels of engagement -- in the case of DHS, engagement by component agencies.
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From page 76... ...
Recommendation 2: Clarify and expand the roles and responsi bilities for workforce readiness and resilience in the Department of Homeland Security. The committee recommends that the Secretary of the Depart ment of Homeland Security review the current roles and respon sibilities of the workforce readiness and resilience (WRR)
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From page 77... ...
The committee also believes that to ensure successful implementation at all levels of the department, clear, measurable goals and objectives for WRR need to be developed, and DHS consider holding component heads accountable for WRR activities as part of their performance evaluations. Both at the department level and within the components, implementation of WRR will call on the best efforts of a variety of staff and leadership, including human capital, information technology, communication, and financial offices, among others.
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From page 78... ...
DHS Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alex Garza addressed the committee at its first meeting to discuss the study's statement of task, the committee asked for his thoughts about the placement of DHSTogether.
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Recommendation 3: Review and align responsibility and ac countability for workforce readiness and resilience in the De partment of Homeland Security. Given the need for a fresh approach to workforce readiness and resilience (WRR)
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The committee heard from OHA staff that top leadership is responsive to issues of workforce resilience, but leadership attention in any organization waxes and wanes as other priorities arise. That is why it is paramount that the new approach to DHS workforce readiness and resilience become an intrinsic part of the organization so that WRR efforts can be sustained as top leadership changes and competing priorities arise.
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From page 81... ...
In the 2013 Annual Status Report of the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, DHS noted that OHA, in collaboration with the Office of Management and OCHCO, "will jointly establish a cross-component DHS Prevention Council to formalize interdepartmental collaboration activities. The Council will explore the feasibility of a ‘One Healthier DHS' campaign that would incorporate incremental selection of consensus action items taken from the National Prevention Strategy.
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From page 82... ...
Roles of such committees or councils might include evaluating current programs and policies; assessing employee needs and preferences; developing a health promotion operating plan, including a vision statement, goals, and objectives; and assisting in implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of worksite health activities (CDC, 2013)
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From page 83... ...
This averages 4 hours per month, and for special projects, as much as 2 to 4 hours per week A policy is developed so supervisors give committee members time to attend and plan wellness initiatives Committee Members' Roles and Responsibilities Conduct meetings with a clearly defined agenda and have a chair and co-chair Record decisions made and plan agreed upon committee activities by the quarter and year -- follow the National Calendar of Health as an example Form subgroups and assign them specific tasks and timelines for completion Coordinate specific wellness initiatives and have a good communica tion plan Prepare and submit materials to organizational leadership as needed for annual program approval and evaluation Stay within budgetary constraints permitted Distribute, collect, score, and report the results of employee surveys and evaluations for activities completed SOURCE: Gantner, 2010.
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From page 84... ...
2012. Testimony of the Honorable Rafael Borras Under Secretary for Management US Department of Homeland Security before the US House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management, March 1.
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From page 85... ...
Presentation to the IOM Committee on Department of Homeland Security Workforce Resilience, December 13–14, Washington, DC. Harquail, C
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From page 86... ...
Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management. 112th Congress, 2nd Session, March 22.
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From page 87... ...
2012. Wellness Committee guide.
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