Year of Publication
2012
College
Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
Date Available
8-14-2014
Executive Summary
As strategic planning and human capital strategies become more regulated in the United States government, a decision must be made by federal agency heads. Will agencies fully participate and buy into the process of participative strategic planning and management or will they comply with regulations and reforms merely for the sake of compliance with little further effort? The intent of this study is to show that agencies that choose to do more than simply comply with GPRA and implement strategic planning and management can benefit from their increased effort in by increasing job satisfaction in their workforce.
The Government Performance and Results Act is a piece of legislation passed in 1993 that required agencies to complete strategic plans, performance plans, and performance reports in an effort to, among other things, improve government management through the gathering and measuring of agency results and reporting those results to Congress. Since 1993, presidents have implemented management reforms that will satisfy the requirements of GPRA in hopes that agency performance will improve. Agencies that are able to link their performance outcomes to their resources and inputs are better able to justify their budgets and lawmakers are better able to justify expanding or constricting certain programs based on performance results. However, without a clear plan for each agency, goals and outcomes can be ill-defined. While every reform is somewhat different, the general goal is to create better-performing agencies. Integrated workforce strategies that increase job satisfaction will help to better performance.
The Government Performance and Results Act is a piece of legislation passed in 1993 that required agencies to complete strategic plans, performance plans, and performance reports in an effort to, among other things, improve government management through the gathering and measuring of agency results and reporting those results to Congress. Since 1993, presidents have implemented management reforms that will satisfy the requirements of GPRA in hopes that agency performance will improve. Agencies that are able to link their performance outcomes to their resources and inputs are better able to justify their budgets and lawmakers are better able to justify expanding or constricting certain programs based on performance results. However, without a clear plan for each agency, goals and outcomes can be ill-defined. While every reform is somewhat different, the general goal is to create better-performing agencies. Integrated workforce strategies that increase job satisfaction will help to better performance.
Based on these results, I do not recommend a specific course of action for agencies or the federal government except that further study is needed into the effects of participative strategic planning and management on job satisfaction. As the federal government continues to compete for the best workforce, the needs and satisfaction of their human capital will become increasingly important. While human capital strategies may not be part of the central mission of the agency, they are important to the success and performance of the government.
Recommended Citation
Bopp, Tara, "Strategic Management and Job Satisfaction: Agency-Level Effects in the Federal Government" (2012). MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects. 59.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/mpampp_etds/59
