The plans are in. Reform is in motion. Now what?
Welcome to the first issue of our new agency reform e-newsletter. The Center for Organizational Excellence (COE) has created this space to make it easy for key players, influencers and government employees to know what to expect during this time of change and to learn from the experiences of other agencies traveling the same path to reform. Our short e-newsletter focuses on key reform topics, summarizing recent happenings, highlighting new developments, and offering guidance for successfully executing reform initiatives at your agency. The newsletter will include takeaways, links to articles, and insight on how to address the effects of the plans, as well as original work from COE that reflects the current climate in government. Agency and industry input will further enrich this e-newsletter, so please contact us at agencyreform@center4oe.com if you are interested in contributing to future e-newsletters.
Change is never easy — but we hope to make this very significant change a bit easier. Tune in, send feedback, and help turn this reform into something lasting.
Steve Goodrich
President and CEO
The Center for Organizational Excellence, Inc.

This month's takeaways on agency reform:
- Federal agencies submitted their final Reform Plans on Sept. 30, 2017.
- OMB is currently in the review process and will release the Reform Plans after OMB submits the fiscal 2019 budget request to Congress.
- Despite OMB's reform memorandum calling for a "comprehensive plan for reforming the federal government reducing the federal civilian workforce," many agencies have indicated their Reform Plans will not focus on cutting their full-time staff. Read more
- Because agency Reform Plans are not public yet, federal employees remain anxious regarding possible layoffs and workforce reductions.
- In order to realize long-term change, Reform Plans should not be narrowly focused on reducing the workforce, but instead aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency while maintaining a workforce with the right skills and of the right size to execute the mission. Read more
REFORM ITEMS YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO
2017 Federal Invest in What Works Index — Results for America
Check out an overview highlighting the extent to which certain agencies are currently building the infrastructure necessary to be able to use data, evidence and evaluation in budget, policy and management decisions.
Reform Should Focus on Workforce Alignment, Not On Staffing Cuts
COE president, Steve Goodrich, weighs in on agency reform, "A narrow focus on reducing the workforce is absolutely the wrong way to achieve efficiency and effectiveness... the key is to align the workforce with new priorities."
House Democrats: Hold Hearings on the 'Degradation of the Federal Workforce'
House Democrats call mandated reorganizations "degradation of the federal workforce."
OMB Needs Bigger Budget So It Can Cut Other Agencies, Director Says
OMB looks for a bigger budget while other agencies have theirs cut.
A Ray of Hope in Government Management
The GAO assessed that agencies still aren't very good at being results oriented, but they do seem to be making progress in collaborating across organizational boundaries.
Some Agencies Say Reform Plans Won't Focus on Job Cuts, Layoffs Unlikely
Big reform doesn't need to mean big staffing cuts. VA, Interior and other agencies are not focusing on cutting their workforces as part of their reform plans.
Making Trump's Government Reforms Stick
Reform plans require persistence. Government Executive reports on advice shared by agency reform leaders at COE's August Reform Summit. The goal: long-term, systemic change.
One Reorganization Idea That Nearly Everyone Can Agree On
The House Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management learned that experts agree that there are too many layers of management during a second panel on OMB's agency reorganization, this time getting input from experts on the successes and failures of past efforts.
Read the full testimony.
AGENCY REFORM
The Effect Agency Reform Has on Human Capital
Contributed by COE Consultant Anna Weldon
Check out more INSIGHTS on Agency Reform!
Related Posts
September 28, 2017
Making Trump’s Government Reforms Stick
September 25, 2017
Program Management Office Effectiveness
September 18, 2017
Aligning an Efficient and Effective Workforce with Organizational Reform
September 7, 2017
Change Management
December 5, 2013