Article

2019-01-22 Government

Reduction in Force in Federal Government

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Posted by 3dc 2019-01-22 00:00|| || Front Page|| [8 views ] Top

#1 The most difficult part of my 'career', as it is, was to get work in the Dreaded Private Sector after I was laid off at the Mass. Department of Revenue after four years as an auditor. I almost feel bad for the saps who'll hopefully be getting these notices soon.

Posted by Raj 2019-01-22 09:43|| 2019-01-22 09:43|| Front Page Top

#2 I almost feel bad for the saps who'll hopefully be getting these notices soon. Yes!

Does the government make use of large simulation models where they play the "What if" policy game? That is, if so many Federal employees are RIFed, what does it do to the economy, revenues and expenditures, the debt and the Federal budget?

Posted by JohnQC 2019-01-22 10:11|| 2019-01-22 10:11|| Front Page Top

#3 I think it’s important for people to understand the difference between essential and nonessential personnel. Essential versus nonessential is only language used for government shut downs. Essential personnel that stay on the job are essentially those that do safety related duties. Nonessential people may still perform important duties, but they are sent home to make the money for safety related functions last longer. Scientists, engineers, attorneys, and in fact a whole host of Professional and STEM employees comprise a good chunk of these “non-essential” people. The agency will eventually grind to a halt without them, much like an army can fight for a while but eventually must surrender when supply lines have been cut.
I would also point out that a RIF would preserve the oldest and most deeply institutionalized feds of all, while clearing out the younger, more motivated people that you probably don’t want to lose. A RIF plan could be useful for eliminating positions or functions altogether that the government shouldn’t really be performing, but I don’t know if they’re smart enough to do that.
Take me for instance, I am a currently furloughed GS-13 Civil Engineer and a COR of multi million dollar constitution projects. My projects are suspended, the contractors on Stop Work Order, materials sitting in the rain. Delay claims racking up day by day, planned facilities half built. I am non-essential for the purposes of a Shutdown, I am not non-essential if you want to let any kind of government construction contract. You would spend all your money and have no useable product or service to show for it. Contract workers would not be paid properly, materials would be no compliant, stolen or overbilled. Seismic and fire life safety codes would be disregarded, etc, etc, etc. And that’s just the stuff I catch regularly and with decent contractors, imagine what I go through with the bad contractors, I’m still working on the civil and criminal investigation if the Inspector General from two years ago with one of the bad ones.
Point is, essential and nonessential don’t mean crap, it’s another con to keep the govt open for a few more days while Congress screws around. And RIFs don’t mean squat the way they do them. You could clean out tens of thousands of pointless jobs from the DC agency “headquarters” buildings and regional offices, a significant number of those people are sitting at a desk doing nothing, and haven’t done anything for YEARS in many cases.
Not all government is bad, there are still some patriots and hard working, smart people making things happen. But there are entire buildings full of otherwise unemployable do nothings that have become a welfare program.
Once again, I have no confidence that OPM can excise the rot and keep the productive elements.

Posted by Gomez Elmolurong6499 2019-01-22 12:24|| 2019-01-22 12:24|| Front Page Top

#4 Thank you for explaining, Gomez Elmolurong6499. That does indeed make a difference.

Only, what is a COR? I got as far as Chief Operating, but the R escapes me.

Posted by trailing wife 2019-01-22 15:25|| 2019-01-22 15:25|| Front Page Top

#5 COR stands for contracting officers representative. It’s usually an engineer that administers the contract and all of its day to day aspects. This is done because the contracting officer is often far away in an office building not in the field. The contracting officers representative manages all day to day administration of the contract with a few important exceptions like terminations, contract modifications, or stop work orders. It’s a difficult and time-consuming certification to obtain, first you need to be an engineer with construction experience and then you need several years performance on the job then you can do the training certification at level one and finally progressed to level two where you can supervise complex construction projects.
There may indeed be a RIF, however I take comport and pride in the fact that I am not part of the “government waste” part of the equation.

Posted by Chese Threreth4665 2019-01-22 15:53|| 2019-01-22 15:53|| Front Page Top

#6 Why you outsource construction projects. Rule #1

Just put the finance up front and agree a legal framework for change.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2019-01-22 15:54|| 2019-01-22 15:54|| Front Page Top

#7 Thank you for your thorough explanation, Chese Threreth4665. I do adore engineers!

Posted by trailing wife 2019-01-22 21:34|| 2019-01-22 21:34|| Front Page Top

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