House passes GAO management bill

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to approve the General Accounting Office Human Capital Reform Act, which is intended to expand GAO's management flexibility.

The act grants GAO Comptroller General David Walker the ability to push performance pay efforts, increase personnel benefits and reshape the congressional watchdog agency's workforce.

The bill was introduced last July by Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Va., chairwoman of the House Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization. A similar bill, introduced by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, passed the Senate last year.

Because of a minor reference to the IRS Code, however, it was determined that the legislation was legally required to begin in the House. Considering that the two versions are almost identical, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has decided to send the House bill to the Senate floor, where it currently awaits action.

"This legislation will be a great benefit to the GAO and to Congress, which relies heavily on the expertise and skill of the GAO employees," Davis said.

During testimony Wednesday morning, Walker praised Davis for her stewardship of the bill. He said that pay-for-performance initiatives were working at the GAO and the expansion of those programs is an essential next step for the civil service.

In a report released Wednesday (GAO-04-83), GAO said that it "strongly supports the need to expand pay-for-performance in the federal government."

The report examined seven performance pay initiatives in the federal government and concluded that "high-performing organizations seek to create pay, incentive and reward systems that clearly link employee knowledge, skills, and contributions to organizational results."

The report found also that "these organizations make meaningful distinctions between acceptable and outstanding performance."

The merit-based pay initiative has generated some anxiety among federal employees who are wary of their manager's ability to accurately gauge performance. Walker said that thorough and ongoing manager training was essential to implement effective performance pay initiatives.