From: believer@telepath.com Subject: IP: Wanted: Y2K Workers Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 11:44:53 -0600 To: believer@telepath.com Source: Government Executive Magazine http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1098/102898b2.htm DAILY BRIEFING Y2K poses personnel challenges for agencies By Brian Friel bfriel@govexec.com As the deadline for fixing Y2K problems in federal computer systems draws closer, agencies are struggling to recruit and retain information technology personnel to deal with the millennium bug. In a new study, "Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Status of Efforts to Deal with Personnel Issues" (GGD-99-14), the General Accounting Office reports that the high demand for programmers in both the public and private sectors is making the difficult job of repairing all federal computers even harder. "As awareness of the criticality of the year 2000 problem grows throughout government and industry, there is a chance that competition for limited skilled personnel will increase. If this more vigorous competition occurs, the government may find it increasingly difficult to obtain and retain the skilled personnel needed to correct its mission critical systems in time," GAO said. In some agencies, the personnel problem has already surfaced. The Farm Service Agency lost 28, or seven percent, of its 403 technology staff in the first six months of fiscal 1998. Lucrative finders' fees and big salaries in the private sector have taken their toll on the government's ability to hire programmers. The Veterans Affairs Department, Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency reported having problems hiring programmers. Federal agencies aren't the only organizations having hiring and retention difficulties. Contractors are having an equally tough time competing for valuable workers. For example, at the Patent and Trademark Office, Y2K fixes were delayed three months on one of the office's systems after a contractor was unable to hire qualified staff for the project. PTO had to terminate its task order with the company and find a new contractor. A State Department contractor lost key technology personnel, resulting in a three month delay on Y2K work for the department's Management, Policy and Planning Information System. GAO noted that agencies reported delays in Y2K work for only six mission critical systems, adding that "it is not possible to determine the full extent or severity of personnel shortages from these concerns because they are often anecdotal." The federal government has taken several steps to attract Y2K workers. The Office of Personnel Management announced that agencies could waive the reduction of pensions for re-employed retired military officers and waivers of the reduction of pay for rehired civilian annuitants who need to be brought back on to fix agency computers. In addition, agencies can offer lump-sum payments of up to 25 percent of basic pay to a new employee or to an employee who must relocate. Agencies can also use retention bonuses of up to 25 percent of basic pay. Performance awards of up to $10,000 are also available. The President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion and the Chief Information Officers Council are looking at ways to help agencies hire and retain information technology staff, but GAO said no organization is working with agencies individually to help them find Y2K staff. ----------------------- NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ----------------------- **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo@majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************