Attacking Understaffing

Federal Times focuses today on two agencies that are trying to address workforce deficiencies: the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Veterans Affairs Department.

At USAID, the problem is that in recent years the agency hasn't moved to replace employees who have retired, leaving it with a hole in the mid-management ranks. Now the agency is hiring, but its leaders are facing the prospect of burnout among managers who are being asked to take on multiple roles.

At the VA, the issue is the need to hire people with high-demand skills, especially in remote areas of the country. Two years ago, the agency spent almost $54 million on recruitment, retention and relocation incentives in an effort to attract specialists to its clinics. The plan better work, because the population of veterans is about to rise very quickly.