Please reply to this classmate’s discussion post. This reply must be at least 250 words and incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the textbook, the Bible, etc.

Reform of Government to Include Civil Service and Contract Workforce

The push to reform the federal government has deep roots in our country’s history, much which is centered around the refinement of government practices and the functions of human resource management. This system serves to oversee practices within government including employee benefits, compensation, records, recruitment, and retention. At the federal level there has been a great deal of controversy related to these practices and if they are driven by politics rather than the overall good of the community. There have been many approaches in history to address these concerns including the Pendleton Act which called for an improved merit system and called for changes related to the spoil system (Nigro et al., 2013). This was a step in the right direction for improving employment practices at the federal level, but it was not enough to address the underlying needs in the community and a demand to have fair representation at the federal level. Additional acts including the Hatch Act of 1939, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Service Rights Act of 1978 were implemented to address additional concerns related to human resource management at the federal level (Liberty University, 2021). Although these acts have paved the way for an improved system, they have not provided a full pathway for Federal Government to meet the growing community demands of the 21st century. These new challenges require the federal government to implement reform.

Although the federal systems in place have been designed to serve the community, the new challenges we have seen during the 21st century presents an increased level of difficulty in meeting community demands. In the face of a dramatic labor shortage and a growing demand for providing services to the community current practices at the federal level are inadequate at retaining employees and maintaining levels of service required by the communities. This growing gap has been furthered escalated by the pandemic. The current pandemic, social and cultural climate we live in has brought further attention to inequalities that can be seen broadly across the world and the country, which has led to an increased demand for services to be provided via public service. This increased demand calls for changes including adaptations to civil service and contract workforce.

We as public administrators and human resource managers we must be prepared to address shortages when the demand for manpower is higher than the supply (Sifuna-Evelia, 2017). For many the pandemic has shifted the way people think and the values they uphold. We must be prepared to address these things and embrace them as they occur. Thompson (2020) states that one of the biggest challenges facing civil service at the federal level is its rigid classification and compensation system which acts as a limiting factor for the recruitment and retention of highly qualified candidates. Additionally, the hiring process timeline is much greater than that seen in the private industry which can deter candidates or cause them to be lost during the recruitment process. Reform in these areas can aid our federal government in maintaining service to their community in the 21st century. In addition to this, gaps in service can also be filled using contract workers.

Budget limitations can often be a tipping point for the federal government to meet the demands of the community. These limitations include the ability to provide adequate compensation for the number of employees required to meet the service demands they have. One approach to addressing this is by utilizing contractual workers since these often are obtained at a significantly reduced cost over the cost of a full-time benefited employee. This approach to meeting community demands allows for services to be provided during labor shortages and during budget limitations. Although these changes can produce desired results for meeting service demands they are not without limitations.

One downfall of shortening the recruitment timeline and increasing the number of contractual workers is that positions may be filled by individuals that may not have a high level of desire to serve their communities and this can lead to performance challenges. This makes performance management a critical component of this process to ensure accountability among governmental workers.

Fairness and Integrity of a Civil Service that Uses Human Resources Practices like a Typical Private Sector

Transparency and accountability should be at the forefront of building trust and confidence with the American Public. By demonstrating to the public how these approaches work and the level of accountability that is required for all employees, contractual workers and entire branches of government allows the government to demonstrate fairness and integrity in their practices. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011, Proverbs, 15). The government must be open to the input and feedback from the community they are serving. They should disclose policies and procedures to increase awareness to how issues are addressed on all levels related to human resource management. They can instill a feedback loop to better monitor the performance of those receiving federal funding whether through civil service or contractual. The Bible reminds us of how we should approach one another and collaborate to ensure practices are working as they are intended. Allowing for public comment and input into how services are provided and how issues are addressed increases the level of accountability in our system. This however comes with significant challenges that must also be addressed including how to effectively implement a system for feedback and maintain confidentiality that is required for employees and businesses that may be addressed for performance during their course of tenure with the government. Clearly identified statutes, policies, procedures, and goals must be in place for this system to work effectively.

Overall, the call to reform the federal government and its approaches to workforce is a complex process that requires input from multiple entities. Public service should be rooted in bringing the public together to become one unified identity and culture (Scott & Macaulay, 2020). The changes required to meet the growing demands of the 21st century and still provide the American Public with confidence that civil service is handled with fairness and integrity requires a large amount of transparency and community input. Reforms that are driven by the needs of the community and the functions that must be met to deliver appropriate services are more likely to be successful than those that are implemented simply based on ideologies and political preferences (Thompson, 2020). All changes need to stem from addressing the needs of the system and the community and not just the needs of the individuals in charge.

Holy Bible, New International Version (2011). NIV Online. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

Liberty University. (2021, May). The American Public Service. PADM704: Human Resources and the Legal and Regularity Context of Public Administration. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/202406/pages/watch-the-american-public-service?module_item_id=25233018

Nigro, L. G., Nigro, F. A., & Kellough, J. E. (2013). The New Public Personnel Administration (7th Edition). Cengage Learning US. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781285500102

Scott, R. J., & Macaulay, M. (2020). Making sense of New Zealand’s ‘spirit of service’: Social Identity and the Civil Service. Public Money & Management, 40(8), 579–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2020.1735109

Sifuna-Evelia, M. (2017). Human Resource Management Practices a Biblical Perspective. Partridge Publishing. ISBN: 9781543742282

Thompson, J. R. (2021). Civil Service Reform Is Dead: Long Live Civil Service Reform. Public Personnel Management, 50(4), 584–609. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026020982026