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Telework Exchange, Federal
Managers Association (FMA), and
TANDBERG recently released the
study, titled "Face-to-Face with
Management Reality - A Telework
Research Report." Based on a
survey of more than 200
government managers from 45
defense and civilian agencies, the
report reveals that Federal
management resistance is a strong
barrier to telework and highlights a
perception that there is limited topdown
support for telework.
Survey results indicate that only 35
percent of Federal managers believe
their agencies support telework,
despite a 2001 Congressional
mandate that requires agencies to
implement telework programs.
Despite these initial results, there is
hope. The study demonstrates that
attitudes toward telework improve
dramatically as managers become
more exposed to alternative work
arrangements. Fifty-four percent of
non-teleworking managers have
favorable views of telework. That
number jumps to 75 percent among
managers who telework themselves.
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The message is that more managers
should try telework and understand
its value.
Next Steps
Going beyond the statistics, the
study suggests recommendations
that would help to turn the tide on
managers’ attitudes and perceptions
of telework. Manager-specific pilot
programs are one way to address
telework concerns. If managers can
have a successful telework
experience, they are more likely to
consider alternative work
arrangements and agree their
employees could do the same, and
with equal or greater productivity.
Enhancing educational efforts across
government is another key
component to expanding
management perceptions of
telework. The study shows a low
awareness of telework’s importance
in Continuity of Operations (COOP)
strategies, and that making
managers aware of all of the
benefits and rewards of telework is
essential in achieving higher levels of
acceptance and adoption.
Another
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recommendation addresses
managers’ concerns about
productivity. In general, managers
who telework agree that teleworkers
are as productive as their in-office
counterparts.
Continued Below
The Federal Managers Association
(FMA) is the largest and oldest
professional association representing
managers and supervisors in the
Federal government - in operation
since 1913. Its leaders have had
telework on their radar for nearly five
years, and they are stepping up
efforts to push flexible work
schedules and arrangements.
According to Thomas Richards, FMA
Executive Director, "If it is a good
management workforce flexibility
option, then we will try to promote it
- and telework is one of those
options."
While FMA does not publish its
membership numbers or statistics,
the association represents nearly
200,000 Federal managers,
supervisors, and executives. From
grassroots efforts and a Political
Action Committee to frequent
congressional testimony, FMA has an
impressive track record in getting the
attention of lawmakers and top
agency decision makers on Federal
workforce management issues.
Action Center
To learn more about FMA, visit
www.fedmanagers.org.
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Kevin Messner working at the Herndon, Virginia Telework Center
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The General Services Administration
(GSA) is offering Federal managers
and supervisors free use of its
telework centers. Who better to
promote the offer than the head of
the agency making the deal? Kevin
Messner is GSA’s Associate
Administrator for the Office of
Congressional and Intergovernmental
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Affairs and the Acting Associate Administrator
for the Office of Governmentwide
Policy. He recently pulled up a chair
- in an office - at the Herndon
Telework Center.
"I went into it with a positive attitude
toward telework, and came out
feeling even better," says Messner.
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The center has desks for 30 workers,
ranging from enclosed office space
to roomy cubicles. He describes
the center's facilities as top notch,
with all the necessities (printers,
fax, copiers, videoconferencing,
broadband) and comforts of an
effective office environment (think
fridge, coffee, microwave, kitchen).
During his workday, Messner says,
"I was very productive and able to
catch up on a lot of work." For him,
it was the lack of interruptions that
made for such a productive day.
"The center was quiet, people were
diligently working throughout the day,
and I was able to finish paperwork,
catch up on e-mail, and make many
phone calls."
Messner also took time to talk with
the other teleworkers using the
Continued Below
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Continued From Above
Managers must base their
employees’ performance on work
output by implementing performancebased
review processes.
A final suggestion for improving
management’s support for telework
involves face time. Thirty-two percent
of respondents cited lack of face-toface
contact as a communications
barrier to expanded telework. More
than 60 percent of managers said
they had misinterpreted a colleague
through e-mail communications.
Given these factors, agencies should
stress the need for periodic personal
contact and implement technologies
that allow for face-to-face
communications from remote
locations. This is one area where
technology is available now that can
immediately improve operations and
communications between employees,
managers, and customers.
To download the full results of the
study, please visit
www.teleworkexchange.com/
managementstudy.
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Teleworking government employees
already help protect the environment
by avoiding lengthy commutes and
reducing the amount of pollutants
introduced in to the environment. It
seems the Administration has
provided another way teleworkers can
"go green."
On January 24, 2007, the President
signed Executive Order 13423 that
requires Federal agencies to buy
electronic products registered through
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Electronic Product Environment
Assessment Tool (EPEAT). EPEAT is a
system that helps buyers - from the
public and private sectors - to
evaluate, compare, and choose
computer desktops, laptops, and
monitors based on their
environmental attributes.
EPEAT is a three-tiered rating system
that sets clear and consistent
performance criteria for the design of
products. A bronze rating means that
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product meets all 23 of the EPEAT
requirements. Silver-rated devices
meet half of the 28 optional ecofriendly
criteria. Finally, a gold rating
- of which there are no apparent
winners yet - signifies a product
meets 75 percent of those optional
requirements.
Agencies are adding EPEAT-specific
language to their procurement
documents, and this will no doubt
trickle down to the newer equipment
Continued Below
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Continued From Above
center when he was there. Without
question, he says, all agreed they
were more productive working in the
center than in their usual office.
"These teleworkers are aware of the
perception that they might be less
productive when working at an
alternate location, so I think they
actually ‘fight’ the perception by
being more productive."
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He also has seen the recent telework
research findings in the study, "Faceto-
Face with Management Reality."
Asked about the fact that managers
cite lack of personal contact as the
reason they are hesitant about their
employees teleworking, Messner has
this to say: "If you are working down
the hall from an employee and you
have a question, do you walk down
the hall to look at them? Or do you
pick up the phone, or maybe send
them an e-mail?" He wants to tell
managers that teleworking does not
necessarily mean being away from
the office every day.
"How much
face-to-face time will you really lose
by allowing employees to
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telework one or two days on a regular
schedule?"
While Messner says the study
findings did not necessarily surprise
him, he thinks management culture
and attitudes toward telework need to
change. "We are hoping Federal
managers will take advantage of our
offer to use these Federal Telework
Centers at no charge during this trial
period," he says. "My message to
managers is to try a center for one
day. See how productive you can be.
Let others try telework, and watch
what happens to productivity and
morale. It is a real eye opener."
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Hord Tipton is the former Chief Information
Officer of the U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI), and now is President of Ironman
Technologies, LLC
Hord Tipton is the former Chief
Information Officer for the U.S.
Department of the Interior (DOI), and
now is finding his way as President of
Ironman Technologies LLC. He is
enjoying working with the information
technology (IT) industry as a
consultant. Just before his
retirement from government service,
The Teleworker spoke with him about
his views on telework and related
security concerns for a seasoned
Federal IT professional’s perspective.
At the end of 2006, DOI had some
3,500 people accessing its network
remotely for telework.
Q: What are the topmost
concerns regarding secure
telework within DOI?
A: Everything starts with policies and
procedures. To better ensure
Continuity of Operations, DOI now
allows employees to use personal
computers, but with appropriate
checks in place. The department is
working to find a better way to
ensure employees are complying with
published security policies. And, the
technology challenges are ongoing -
to quickly get to the optimal level
would take a sizeable sum of money.
Given the current budget and other
priorities, DOI is doing what is
practical and feasible where
resources allow.
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Q: What kinds of steps is DOI
taking to bring technology closer
to the level of efficiency and
security?
A: As hardware is refreshed and
departmental policies updated,
telework and security are kept in
mind. In 2007, DOI hopes to have
everyone who accesses remotely
doing so through an encrypted Virtual
Private Network (VPN).
Q: Many people say the
government lags behind industry
in telework. Is that true?
A: The public and private sector
markets have different sets of
standards. I have been on both
sides of the fence - public and
private - and I also have served as
the Federal representative to the
National Association of State CIOs
(NASCIO). The private sector can
accept more risk than the Federal
government can, since compromise
of private data has a different impact
than the compromise of Federal data.
Damage to Federal data often can
result in serious impacts to public
health and safety. All Federal data is
considered sensitive, some more
than other, and some is critical.
Categorizing all this data is one of the
most important requirements in
Federal IT management. In my
experience, there is no real
certification and accreditation (C&A)
in the private sector; or at least, not
the C&A we are accustomed to
undertaking in government IT
programs. Nevertheless, responsible
companies operate pursuant to other
accepted standards and best
practices.
Q: What needs to happen to
improve security in the telework
realm?
A: IT professionals need to stay
ahead of the curve with good change
management and dynamic
configuration control databases. It’s
all about data. When one realizes
that more data was generated in the
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last six years than all of the previous
years combined, we then can
understand the enormous challenge
in managing the sorting and control
of that data. When data leaves
secured databases and enters transit,
we become very nervous.
Technology keeps getting more robust
and expansive - personal data
assistants, messaging systems,
cellular phones, thumb drives, blogs,
and more. To suitably secure these
new technologies as they impact
networks, IT departments must have
a skilled group of technologists to
apply the appropriate controls and
assure compliance with good policies.
They also must have trusted industry
partners, since no one can really go
down this path alone.
Continued From Above
being purchased for teleworkers.
According to officials, the EPEAT
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
Case has been submitted to the FAR
Council and is expected to be
released as early as this spring.
In a February 28, 2007 press release,
Edwin Piñero, Federal Environmental
Executive, said, "Highly advanced,
affordable, and environmentallypreferable
computers are already
being sought by the Department of
Homeland Security, NASA,
Department of Energy, Department of
the Interior, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, and the Executive
Office of the President."
Jeff Omelchuck, Director of the Green
Electronics Council, which oversees
EPEAT implementation, welcomes the
additional Federal support. "We are
thrilled to see Federal purchasing
power promoting significant
environmental improvements in the
electronics industry."
More than 380 products, from 15
major manufacturers, are in the
EPEAT registry. Individual buyers also
can use the EPEAT site
(www.epeat.net) to search for
Continued Below
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More than half of Federal government
employees are eligible to telework,
compared to 16 percent of their
private-sector counterparts, according
to CDW Government, Inc.’s (CDW-G)
third annual Telework Report. In
addition to everyday telework
adoption, the Federal government
also is outpacing the private sector
when it comes to the ability to
continue working in the event of a
major disruption. CDW-G’s survey
found that only 33 percent of privatesector
employees could continue to
work if their offices were closed due
to a natural or man-made disaster,
whereas 75 percent of Federal
employees said they could work
remotely under the same
circumstances.
CDW-G surveyed nearly 2,200
Federal government and privatesector
employees and IT
professionals nationwide. Beyond
sheer eligibility numbers, the survey
showed that Federal telework
programs are growing faster than
private-sector telework programs.
Thirty-five percent of Federal
employees began to telework during
the last year, compared to 10
percent of private-sector employees.
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"The private sector is lagging when it
comes to allowing employees to
telework," said Ken Grimsley, vice
president of strategic sales for CDW
Corporation. "Executive decision
makers need to better understand
the importance of having a telework
program - such as ensuring the
ability to operate during a storm,
pandemic, or other disaster. Add in
other benefits such as employee
availability and retention, as well as
potential cost savings, and the
benefits can quickly outweigh the
costs."
To enable increased teleworking in
the Federal government, Federal IT
departments have been stepping up
their efforts to support the workforce.
Sixty-two percent of Federal agencies
have written IT policies in place for
teleworker support compared to 40
percent for the private sector.
"The year-over-year progress for both
employees and IT professionals
underscores that agencies are taking
the requirement and the benefits of
implementation seriously," said Andy
Lausch, director of Federal sales for
CDW-G. "The real surprise is the gap
between the Federal government and
the private sector, where agencies are
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simply doing a better job of
identifying teleworkers and supporting
them appropriately."
The Federal workforce is at the
forefront of the telework adoption
movement due in part to a law which
requires all eligible Federal employees
to have the option to telework to the
maximum degree, so long as there is
no detrimental effect on their
performance. Another driving force is
the 2005 Defense Base Closure and
Realignment Commission’s relocation
of many in the Federal workforce.
Many Department of Defense
organizations are adopting telework to
retain employees who are unable or
unwilling to move or commute long
distances to their new work sites.
While the Federal government is
leading in telework adoption, there’s
still work to be done. Although the
Federal telework law says that 100
percent of the eligible Federal
workforce should have the
opportunity to telework, according to
CDW-G’s survey, only 52 percent of
Federal workers are eligible for the
benefit, based upon their job
description, agency policy, or Federal
statute; and only 44 percent actually
have the option to telework.
For more information on the CDW-G
Telework Report or to download a
copy, please visit
www.cdwg.com/telework.
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Continued From Above
computers that meet environmental
requirements. However, certain
industry-specific criteria will not apply
to consumers - product, packaging,
and battery take-back services apply
only to institutional purchasers.
EPEAT-rated products in the bronze
category should not cost a buyer
more than non-rated products.
However, much like the side-impact
airbag option adds to the price of a
car, those extra options at the silver
and gold levels may add small costs
to computer purchase prices.
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With the recently-celebrated 37th
Earth Day on April 22, now is the
time to take a moment to look at
green options for your home and
office computers, and consider these
criteria in your next agency
technology refresh for all employees,
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including teleworkers. See
www.epeat.net before your next
computer purchase and ask your
agency procurement officials if their
contracts employ the EPEAT-specific
language.
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The City of Alexandria, Virginia
wanted a far-reaching outdoor
wireless network to support the
mobile aspects of its operations -
police officers, inspectors, fire
fighters, and more. Officials also
wanted the network to be free to the
public in hopes it would support
tourism and business alike. Sounds
expensive and fraught with conflict,
yes?
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Actually, the City’s wireless wishes
have been granted - for free, and
with little room for dispute from
industry. As part of an innovative
"franchise agreement," EarthLink has
agreed to build and operate the
wireless network free of cost. Over
an eight-year period, and factoring in
all the services Earthlink is providing
free or at a discounted rate,
Alexandria will save $13 million.
The city launched a pilot network in
April 2005 to test the feasibility of,
and public interest in, a municipal
wireless network. A year later, the
pilot concluded successfully and
received a resounding "yes" from the
public and municipal officials. In
December 2006, after a competitive
bidding process that drew 10
proposals from industry, the City
Council awarded the franchise
opportunity to EarthLink. Current
plans show the City will launch the
entire expanded network in
June 2007.
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According to Craig Fifer, the City’s
E-Government Manager, Alexandria
examined a number of options for
building wireless networks. "We took
many factors into consideration," he
says. "If the government built the
network, the public might be
excluded from using it. And, we did
not want to compete with other
telecommunications providers.
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The number of Federal employees
eligible to telework may be sharply
increasing soon. For the first time,
the U.S. Senate has proposed
legislation that would make Federal
employees eligible to telework, unless
shown otherwise by their employer.
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To encourage more Federal
employees to start teleworking,
Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and
Mary Landrieu (D-LA) introduced the
Telework Enhancement Act of 2007,
S. 1000, on March 27, 2007. The
bill includes a requirement for each
agency to create a new position, the
Telework Managing Officer (TMO),
who is responsible for their respective
agency’s telework programs.
Specifically, the bill clarifies the
definition of telework by defining it as
a work arrangement in which an
employee regularly performs official
duties at home or other worksites at
least two business days per week on
a recurring basis.
"This legislation will build on the
existing Federal telework program to
ensure maximum participation in the
program among those in the Federal
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Continued Below
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Consider two departments within an
agency: one with a workforce that
regularly teleworks, one with a policy
that allows for telework when
necessary. Both must comply with
the agency’s Continuity of Operations
(COOP) plan. Now imagine a
disaster, natural or manmade, that
shuts down the agency’s main
building for a week or more.
Which organization is more prepared
to continue operations and
successfully carry out that continuity
plan? Ronald Simmons can answer
that question based on recent
experience. He is the Director of
Knowledge Management Integration
for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).
Simmons was conducting a course
on virtual work environments (VWE)
when one of his students mentioned
an upcoming COOP exercise in his
division. The original plan was to
send employees home with
computers and a few files, then
conduct business via phone and
e-mail through a Virtual Private
Network (VPN).
The student asked Simmons to help
set up a VWE to help streamline the
exercise to be held in a just a few
weeks. "I trained a few people on
how a virtual environment would
work, and they trained others in the
organization. It wasn’t enough, and I
predicted it would not go well," says
Simmons.
It did not. The organization sent
more than 20 employees to work
from their homes for several weeks.
They were called back into the office
after several days. Simmons
attributes the failure to a lack of
practice working from an alternate
location. "Those people didn’t have
enough practice teleworking," he
says. "They didn’t know the
behaviors that were expected of them
when working remotely."
Simmons usually works for the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
but is on a one year detail to the
USMC. At the FAA he designed a
VWE, called the Knowledge Services
Network (KSN) that connects 22,000
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employees, contractors, and partners.
The agency has a team of business
continuity planners that conduct all
their business in the KSN, and are
promoting it as the potential FAA
COOP environment.
The good news, according to
Simmons, is this: if the employees
had been more practiced in telework,
the COOP exercise most certainly
would have been a success. "The
key is comfort," he adds. "If you
work remotely on a somewhat regular
basis, you are prepared to access
your work even if you cannot access
your office."
Simmons is hoping to soon work with
another group eager to employ a
VWE and promote telework as a way
to prepare employees for a COOP
situation. He is certain a properly
planned and conducted VWE-focused
business continuity pilot would
provide the definitive proof for other
agencies, and offer appropriate
guidance for others to follow.
On April 2, Telework Exchange
announced the results of a new
Federal Telework Coordinator survey,
"The Telework Two-Step: Agencies
Dancing Around the Issue." The
study, with responses from 26
Federal Civilian and Defense
agencies, polled agency-appointed
Telework Coordinators for an insider
perspective on Federal telework
programs.
Drawing on parallel surveys from
2005 and 2006, the study shows a
lack of dedicated telework personnel,
yet also reveals increased interest in
telework from agencies. Key findings
include:
- Telework Coordinator Hat Dance
- Agencies lack dedicated telework
personnel. The majority of current
Telework Coordinators spend 25
percent or less of their time
dedicated to telework programs
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Continued From Above
workforce," Senator Stevens said in
a statement accompanying the bill’s
introduction. "This measure will
improve the cost-efficiency of the
Federal government and will also
serve to reduce traffic congestion
and thereby save fuel and
greenhouse gas emissions. It will
also enhance efforts by the Federal
government with respect to Continuity
of Operations, provide employee
incentives to attract and retain
highly-skilled, Federal personnel,
and provide a model for the private
sector."
Congress initially passed legislation in
2000 (Pub. L. 106-346) mandating
each executive agency establish a
telework policy under which eligible
employees may participate.
However, recent studies prove that
Federal employees are not
participating in this program to the
maximum extent possible.
For more information on the
Telework Enhancement Act of 2007,
the full text is available at
www.telework
exchange.com.
- The Telework Upswing - Telework
is gaining momentum and
attention. All surveyed Telework
Coordinators saw an increase in
telework interest throughout their
agencies
- Telework Tango: Drivers vs.
Barriers - Work-life balance,
fluctuating gas prices, and
Continuity of Operations (COOP)
planning are significant telework
drivers. Telework Coordinators said
that management resistance is the
leading obstacle to Federal
telework adoption
To download the full results of the
study, including recommendations for
increasing telework adoption in the
Federal government, please visit
www.telework
exchange.com.
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On March 13, the General Services
Administration (GSA) announced
publication of a new Federal
Management Regulation (FMR)
bulletin designed to provide technical
assistance and guidance to Federal
agencies implementing telework
programs.
FMR Bulletin 2007-B1 is titled
"Information Technology and
Telecommunications Guidelines for
Federal Telework and Other
Alternative Workplace Arrangement
Programs." It lays out, in detailed yet
understandable terms, how to
effectively use technology and
telecommunications in telework
programs and other alternative work
arrangements.
From equipment recommendations
and system security, to training and
authorizing cost reimbursements, this
bulletin is one-stop shopping for
Federal managers examining the
technology options and support for
telework programs.
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To see the full text of the bulletin, go
to: www.gsa.gov and click on
Regulations.
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and
Congressman Christopher Shays
(R-CT) reintroduced the
Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act of
2007, S. 785. This legislation would
prevent states from collecting taxes
from employees for work performed
outside of the state. For example,
teleworkers in Connecticut now pay
income tax on 100 percent of their
earnings so long as their company is
based in New York. This bipartisan
measure includes a provision that
employees have to be working in the
state for the state to collect income
tax. For more information on this
issue, see the April 2006 issue of
The Teleworker, and visit
http://thomas.loc.gov/.
Continued From Above
We did our research, talked to other
cities and even other countries, and
decided on a model that avoids
taxpayer funding or government
competition with the private sector."
Virginia law requires a franchise
agreement when the city allows a
private company to use city property
for more than five years. In an eightyear
agreement, EarthLink will mount
its wireless equipment on street
lamps, buildings, and other property.
In return, EarthLink will build and
operate a citywide network at its own
expense, and sell accounts to homes
and businesses to recoup its
investment. In addition, EarthLink
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will provide numerous public benefits
to the community (see below).
At first, EarthLink’s will be the only
wireless network in the City of
Alexandria, giving it a selling
advantage as they market to convert
residents from traditional Internet
connectivity (cable modem, DSL,
dial-up) to wireless service. Other
service providers are not locked out
of the market though. Fifer says the
EarthLink franchise is not exclusive,
and the network will be open to
others. "Other companies can buy
wholesale access to the network, and
re-sell it to their customers."
The "feasibility study" phase of
municipal Wi-Fi is coming to an end
as more and more cities embrace
the concept and realize its value
to both government and citizens.
For government employees and
managers that understand the power
of flexible schedules and mobile work
solutions, "muni Wi-Fi" is another
option in the workforce tool belt.
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Phone 703.883.9000 | Fax 703.883.9007 | Cindy Auten 703.883.9000 x101
921 King Street | Alexandria, VA | 22314 | info@teleworkexchange.com
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