House Government Reform Committee - Beneficial or Critical, the Heightened Need for Telework Opportunities in the Post-9-11 World

Federal News Service July 8, 2004 Thursday

July 8, 2004 Thursday

HEADLINE: HEARING OF THE HOUSE GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE SUBJECT: BENEFICIAL OR CRITICAL? THE HEIGHTENED NEED FOR TELEWORK OPPORTUNITIES IN THE POST-9/11 WORLD

CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE TOM DAVIS (R-VA)

WITNESSES PANEL I:

KAY COLES JAMES, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT;

STEPHEN PERRY, ADMINISTRATOR, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION;

PANEL II: PAMELA J. GARDINER, ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR TAX ADMINISTRATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY;

SCOT J. CAMERON, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, PERFORMANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND HUMAN RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR; J. CHRISTOPHER MIHM, DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC ISSUES, GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE;

PANEL III: JAMES A. KANE, PH.D., PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SOFTWARE PRODUCTIVITY CONSORTIUM; STEVE DU MONT, VICE PRESIDENT, INTERNET BUSINESS SOLUTIONS GROUP, CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.; ERIC RICHERT, VICE PRESIDENT, IWORK SOLUTIONS GROUP, SUN MICROSYSTEMS;

CAROL GOLDBERG, FORMER TELEWORK PROGRAM MANAGER, FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA GOVERNMENT

LOCATION: 2154 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

REP. DAVIS: Well, thank you, Mr. Wolf, and thank you for your leadership?

Any opening statements over on this side? Mr. Davis, yes. Thank you.

REP. DANNY K. DAVIS (D-IL): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I will not read the statement but I would just indicate that this is indeed a very serious matter and it's a serious issue. And I think that we have great opportunity to demonstrate the capacity that exists to address it.

Therefore I will be introducing today a bill that is designed to enhance the ability of federal agencies to function using telecommuting systems that obviously we are developing and learning about in the case of an emergency. And so I look forward to not only the introduction of that legislation but further discussion of it and hope that out of all of this, we will be better prepared, should we experience any emergency that arises. And I think we can rise to meet the occasion.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

REP. DAVIS: Thank you very much.

Mr. Davis.

REP. D. DAVIS: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Director James, you've mentioned attitudes of managers and supervisors. Are these attitudes a feeling of the inability to supervise, that is to actually manage the quality of the work that's being done. Is that what the fear is all about?

MS. JAMES: I would say yes. It is managing in a different way. And our federal workforce, like most workforces, are hesitant to change, are cautious about new things. This is cutting edge technology, or it was 10 years ago but we're catching up. And people's attitudes have to grow and develop along with that. So I would say for a manger who is used to seeing 10 employees sitting near them that they can monitor and watch, the concept of having someone at a remote location is a little difficult for them to adjust to. So managers have to learn new skills, managers have to learn cutting edge technology, and managers and supervisors have to learn what it is like to have a contemporary workforce, and that takes time.

REP. D. DAVIS: Mr. Perry, any --

MR. PERRY: No, I would agree completely. And, you know, the manager is in the position of being held responsible for delivering certain volume of work by his or her team. And I think, as Director James points out, there is a little bit of anxiety or nervousness as to whether or not they will still be able to maintain the same or expected level of productivity and accomplishment if their workers are not there and they can observe the work happening. If you can put measurement systems in place that enable managers to be assured that the work is being done in a timely and accurate way, I think that fear will subside. But right now, their, quote, "legitimate" concern, if you will is that what will happen to my ability to be productive as a work team if I can't observe people doing the work?

REP. D. DAVIS: I've always maintained that a good part of work was the sense of being part of a group, being a part of an activity, a part of what's taking place. I mean, the team concept. Are there any experiences which would suggest that workers might lose some of that? I'm saying there are people who look forward to going to work because they're going to interact with other people in the office, or in plant, or in the setting, or in the facility. Have we had any experiences which would suggest that there might be some impediment to that kind of relationship building which I think becomes a great part of productivity and a great part of the ability to get tasks accomplished?

MS. JAMES: Well, very few of our teleworkers do it 100 percent of the time. So as a result of that, you have the opportunity for both. You are still a part of a very active team and you are plugged into that team, but you also have the opportunity on several days a week or a month, depending on how often you do it, to use that particular efficiency as well.

You know, I'm sure that data exists out there, and perhaps some of the panels that come later can actually talk about that phenomena-I have seen it, I don't have it available in front of me right now-that talks about the kinds of things that happens in a work in a work environment when people telecommute. And the data suggests that individuals who do that are able to maintain their sense of teamwork and camaraderie and mission. Of course, a lot of that depends, as I said, on how often a person actually telecommutes.

Some of that is overcome, by the way, again, when we go back to the centers, because they're not isolated and at home by themselves, but are in telework centers with other employees, either from the federal government or the private sector, and I'm sure those kinds of relationships develop as well.

REP. D. DAVIS: Well, thank you very much.