8 Principles for Managing People

In 2000 the US General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a Human Capital report.  If you did a quick assessment of your business you should quickly recognize that your employees are an asset or capital; do you recognize them as such.  The GAO sponsored a symposium of participants and the demand for faster, cheaper, and better service delivery led their organizations to develop new and more flexible ways of managing people.   Here are the eight interrelated principles common to these organizations:

1. Value people as an asset rather than a cost.
2. Emphasize mission, vision, and organizational culture.
3. Hold managers responsible for achieving results instead of imposing rigid, process-oriented rules and standards.
4. Choose an organizational structure appropriate to the organization rather than trying to make if “one size fits all.”
5. Instead of isolating the “personnel function” organizationally, integrate human resource management into the mission of the organization.
6. Treat continuous learning as an investment in success rather than as a cost to be minimized.
7. Pursue an integrated rather than an ad hoc approach to information management.
8. Provide sustained leadership that recognizes change as a permanent condition, not a one-time event.

Transforming the Civil Service: Building the Workforce of the Future—Results of a GAO Sponsored Symposium (GAO/GGD – 96-35, Dec 20, 1995)

EARTH DAY 2010

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs.  Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability.  Earth Day is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy.  Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for earth day April 22, 2010.

According to the Organic Trade Association’s Survey, the organic industry grew by 21% to reach $17.7 billion in consumer sales in 2006.  Over the last decade organic sales have increased by an average of 20%, and this rate is expected to remain steady over the next 20 years.

Should you be thinking of starting a ‘green’ business, consider the following:

• Find you niche – find opportunities that match your interests cleaning products is one area which is growing within the organic trade.
• Get Certified – Obtain certification from an independent third party.  Being ‘certified’ means you can include their “ecolable” on you products.
• Practice what you preach – Live a green lifestyle while selling it.  Build your brand and image as socially responsible.

CCR UPDATE RE: FAR CASE 2008-027

There is an update in CCR that you will want to be aware of.  When you log into CCR, you will notice a yellow exclamation mark indicating missing or invalid data.  This new request for information is due to the National Defense Authorization Act Section 872 and implementation through FAR case 2008-027. This new requirement is meant to improve the Government’s ability to evaluate the business ethics and expected performance quality of prospective contractors and protect the Government from awarding contracts to contractors that are not responsible sources. The information will be accessible by authorized Government officials through the Federal Awardee performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) which will also include information from contracting officials about your firm’s performance on past contracts as well as links to the Excluded Parties List System.  FAPIIS is designed to improve the Government’s ability to evaluate the business ethics and expected performance quality of prospective contractors and protect the Government from awarding contracts to contractors that are not responsible sources.  You can view the FAPIIS information for your firm through the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) at www.ppirs.gov .

Although this rule is not effective until April 22, 2010, it appears it has already been implemented. You can view the regulation at  http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docuamentDetail?R=0900006480ac6199

USDOE 11^TH Annual Small Business Conference & Expo

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization will host the 11^th Annual DOE Small Business Conference & Expo, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA.  May 10-12, 2010.

An exhibit hall with 200+ exhibitors/sponsors, as well as business matchmaking sessions, over 1600 attendees will represent all levels of federal, state, and local government agencies, the small business community, large/prime contractors, minority  educational institutions, and many more.

The largest civilian contracting agency within the Federal government, DOE spent over $30 billion in contracts in fiscal year 2009.  The 11^th Annual DOE Small Business Conference & Expo is a great opportunity for Small Business owners, large companies, and universities alike to network and partner.

For more information, visit the official Department of Energy website @ http://smallbusiness.doe.gov/business/index.htm

8(a)

The 8(a) Business Development Program was created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market.  The 8(a) program was created in 1953 with several revisions and finally signed into Public Law (PL) 95-597 in 1978 to be used as business development for small disadvantaged businesses.

Basic requirements an 8(a) applicant must meet are:

• Must be a small business.
• Must be unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who are of good character and citizens of the United States.*
• Must demonstrate potential for success.

The Small Business Association (SBA) provides free one-on-one counseling to assist you in preparing your application package for certification in the 8(a) Business Development Program.  There are numerous independent firms that charge fees to assist small businesses in completing the 8(a) application and in gathering the necessary supporting documentation for 8(a) certification.  However, these firms cannot guarantee that your 8(a) application will be approved. 

For more information on the 8(a) Business Development Program and the application process visit http://www.sba.gov/8abd/     

*socially disadvantaged individuals are those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of their identity as members of a group.  Social disadvantage must stem from circumstances beyond their control.  In the absence of evidence to the contrary, individuals who are members of the following designated groups are presumed to be socially disadvantaged:

• Black Americans
• Hispanic Americans
• Native Americans (American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, Native Hawaiians)
• Asian Pacific Americans
• Members of other groups designated by the SBA

Recently, I have been working on a project with major congressional scrutiny.  While researching to truly understand the direction the new Administration is taking, I was introduced to The Public Manager.  The mission of the journal is to act as a knowledge transfer and collection of best practices developed at all levels of government and was created in 1972 and originally called the Bureaucrat.  The latest issue covers many of the approaches the Obama Administration is taking in its role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the executive branch of government.  The two I found most exciting are technology and human asset management (HAM).

President Obama’s technology agenda is changing government in a huge way by implementing collaboration, participation and transparency.  By using technological tools that provide fast, cheap and effective support to the government decisions are made quicker as well as initiate more public outreach.  

The President is also capitalizing on employee motivation by following through with highly transparent performance management.  The last few Administrations have implemented different tools to assess the performance of executive branch programs.  President Clinton enacted the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and George W. Bush supplemented the program with Program Assessment and Rating Tools (PART). 

The contrast of the programs with the previous Presidents and President Obama is that Clinton and Bush did not follow through to actually meet with cabinet officials, the President’s direct reports, to discuss goals and the results in achieving those goals.  “By pledging publicly to meet regularly with cabinet officers about whether they have met their performance objectives, President Obama has assumed responsibility for implementing public policy.”  Obama’s strategy to improve the executive branch performance is to “lead-from-the-top.”

Performance Management Progress:  Tobias, Robert M., The Public Manager, pg 32. Winter 2009-2010

SHOW ME THE MONEY

Are you wondering where all the stimulus money has gone?  Want to know who has paid all of it or any of it back?  Do you know if any stimulus money came to your community?  The good news is there are answers out there.  

To find stimulus projects in your neighborhood, check out http://stimuluswatch.org . You can find, discuss, and rate the projects in your city.  Search by state or city, recipient, or federal agency. The website offers tutorials to help you navigate the information.

A site that was set up to offer transparency and accountability is http://www.fedspending.org .  The ‘recovery’ tab allows searching of over 160,000 reports from recipients of the 159 billion dollars in contracts, grants and loans awarded under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

The U.S. Government’s official website related to Recovery Act Spending is http://www.recovery.gov .

5 Criteria for Collaboration and Participation

An example of President Obama’s commitment to collaboration and participation is an Executive Order managed through the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) calling for federal employees “to produce ideas that will yield savings while also improving the way that government operates”.  Using the following criteria as a guide:

1. Does the idea reduce costs in a way that is concrete and quantifiable?
2. Does the idea improve the way that government operates by:

                Improving the quality of output at lower costs; or

                Simplifying processes to reduce administrative burden; or

                Improving the speed of government operations to improve efficiency?

1. Does the idea have a tangible impact on citizens’ lives or environment?
2. Is there a clear and practical plan for implementing the idea?
3. Will it be possible to begin realizing savings immediately?

Even though these criteria have been lined out for the federal government by President Obama they ring true as sound business advice no matter the size of your business.  If you ask yourself these questions, and use the criteria as a guide your business will continue to grow with endless possibilities.

Why Outsource Your Invoicing?

The short answer is, so you can concentrate on your business. After all, you probably did not get in to government contracting to monitor invoices or learn the federal finance systems, design comprehensive fund tracking reports or to continually consult with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA).

By outsourcing your invoicing to Federal Resource Solutions, you maximize efficiency with experienced federal invoicing professionals doing all the research, the paperwork, the discussions and everything else involved with keeping your companies federal government account receivables running smoothly.

REGISTERING IN CCR

Following are the four key items you will need before beginning registration in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) site. 

1)      Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number provided by Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), if requested over the phone, DUNS is provided immediately.  Webform requests take 1-2 business days.  Request a DUNS number at www.dnb.com .

2)      Tax Identification Number (TIN) and taxpayer name used in Federal tax matters.  A TIN is either an Employer Identification Number (EIN) assigned by the internal Revenue Service (IRS) or a Social Security Number (SSN) assigned by the Social Security Administration (SSA) if you are registering as a sole proprietor.

3)      Statistical Information about your business.  You will be required to provide the receipts and number of employees on a world-wide basis, which includes all affiliates.  Information on your organization’s profile location is optional.  Organizations that sell or generate electricity, refine petroleum, or that are financial institutions will be required to provide additional data. 

4)      Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Information for payment of invoices.  You will need to provide your bank routing number, account number, Automated Clearing House (ACH) point of contact, Remittance point of contact and Accounts receivable point of contact.     

CCR registration will take 3-5 business days to complete.