The federal government is working to enable simple and strategic hiring practices. Toward this end, the authors identified best practices for recruiting, hiring, and compensation in 41 federal demonstration projects and alternative personnel systems that began between January 2008 and May 2019. These best practices offer solutions for agencies seeking to modernize and refine current personnel programs.
Review of Federal HR Demonstration Projects and Alternative Personnel Systems to Identify Best Practices and Lessons Learned
ResearchPublished Sep 28, 2020
The U.S. government employs around 2 million civilian personnel. The authority to hire and manage civilians is covered by a patchwork of human capital programs and rules that, over time, has failed to keep pace with the dynamics of a twenty-first century workforce. Federal human resources (HR) managers have complained that federal hiring procedures were rigid and complex. In an attempt to address such problems, the government has created an intricate system of demonstration projects, alternative personnel systems (APSs), and direct-hire authorities that have targeted select agencies and job types. While adding flexibility, these reforms have often resulted in multiple HR systems and greater complexity in managing federal personnel. One goal of the 2018 President's Management Agenda is to enable simple and strategic hiring practices, and the Department of Defense was tasked with examining best practices of federal demonstration projects and APSs. Toward this end, the authors identified best practices for recruiting, hiring, and compensation in 41 federal demonstration projects and APSs that began between January 2008 and May 2019. Informed by a literature review and discussions with civilian human resource professionals, the authors categorized best practices into three effectiveness groups: best, promising, and innovative. This review of program practices also revealed shortfalls in the evaluation process and implementation of these programs. The findings can inform the government's direction as it addresses the need for a talented and high-performing workforce supported by contemporary and effective human resource systems and practices.
This research was sponsored by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy and conducted within the Forces and Resources Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute.
This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.
