CNA Organizational Learning & Effectiveness
Is Online Leadership Training Effective?
As part of its ongoing “Revolution in Training,” the Navy asked CNA to evaluate its online Situational Leadership II (SLII) course, which supplemented training during the Chief Petty Officer (CPO) accession process. CNA’s research in this area, the first of its kind for the Navy, evaluated the effectiveness of the online course in the areas of Sailor satisfaction, learning, behavior change, and leading indicators of performance improvement. The study also identified when in a Sailor’s career the online leadership training should be offered, provided recommendations for future uses of the online SLII course, and recommended ways to improve the feedback and course evaluation parts of the training.
A Review of the US Coast Guard's Chief Warrant Officer Workforce
CNA was asked to conduct a comprehensive workforce assessment of the US Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) community and to make recommendations to strengthen it.
In May 2004, the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard approved the implementation of our recommendations. The Commandant's directive for the implementation of these changes is contained in the ALCOAST message 234/04, which can be found on the Coast Guard web site.
As recommended in CNA study, the Coast Guard will provide training for CWOs in the areas of business administration and personnel management. The Coast Guard will also assign a warrant officer force manager to each specialty. Additionally, as a result of the study, the Coast Guard is establishing new CWO specialties for Marine Safety and Information Technology. The Coast Guard is also reorganizing its Communications CWO specialty and reassigning some current Communications CWOs to the new Information Technology specialty. Finally, the Coast Guard is following our recommendation to make adjustments to the enlisted-to-warrant career path.
Integration of Competitive Sourcing and Human Capital Initiatives
For the U.S. Department of Transportation, we developed an integrated database that supports both human capital management and competitive sourcing initiatives. We identified succession planning challenges in the face of high retirement rates and formulated ways to address these challenges. We also developed a measure of organizational performance based on the degree to which employee skills matched the organization's strategic goals. We identified existing competency gaps and developed a 5-year forecast of competency challenges. As a result of this project, the client was better able to develop succession plans and address existing skill gaps.
Assessment of Information Technology Workforce
This study pioneered the use of competency data to assess the health of the Navy workforce. It developed competency standards for hiring, promotion, and assignment of people to jobs. We implemented a process that links tasks to knowledge, skills, abilities, and tools as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor. This study analyzed the work performed by the Navy's IT workforce and evaluated alternatives to improve its professional development. The study found that Navy training did not cover mission critical tasks performed by the workforce in the areas of information systems administration and communications. The study also assessed the Navy's performance appraisal process. After completion of this study, we assisted the Navy in the implementation of this methodology Navy-wide for more than 300,000 positions.
Quantity and Quality of Attrition
Recruiting and retaining a highly trained workforce is critical for organizational success. Understanding internal attrition trends and their causes provides leadership with important information that can be applied to policy initiatives and retention programs.
CNA looked at attrition rates among first-term sailors to help the Navy better focus its retention efforts and programs. We looked at sailors entering the Navy over a 15-year period and the associated attrition rates. Important findings from this data review include:
- Attrition increased steadily during those 15 years
- Various efforts over time have met with some short-term success
- First-term attrition among the most recent groups topped 40 percent—four of ten recruits did not even complete their initial obligation
The study found that the ability to reduce attrition would reduce the Navy's annual recruiting mission and save the Service between $65 to $70 million dollars. Additionally a reduction in attrition would ensure higher fleet readiness and a more experienced crew and improve the quantity and quality of fleet manning.
The Civil Service Workforce After Strategic Sourcing
In terms of education, age, and government service experience, the Navy's civilian workforce resembled that of its government civil service counterparts. However, in the case of diversity, the Navy's civilian workforce trailed behind the total government civil service workforce. A possible explanation for this was the Navy's application of competitive sourcing to positions with higher-than-average minority presence.
Changes in the work performed and positions held by the Navy civilian workforce—not rapid grade increases for employees—led to an increase in average grade level. Overall, training expenditures for the majority of Navy commands was about one third of what was recommended by Department of the Navy leadership. The study outlined the required fundamental changes to internal laws and regulations to grant managers more power and flexibility in recruiting to reduce average recruiting time.
Compensation Strategy for the Future Workforce
Ideally, compensation is set to advance the goals of an organization: attract and retain workers, motivate effective work, allocate workers among jobs, and maintain pay equity/provide subsistence.
CNA analyzed the Navy's compensation system in view of current recruiting and staffing challenges and anticipated future changes in the Navy's workforce. CNA used a three point approach in this analysis:
- Understanding what the Navy's goals are in terms of managing its workforce through compensation policies and practices
- Assessing how well current compensation policy meets strategic organizational goals
- Considering issues that would be raised in the future.
In the future, changes in the Navy, technology and civilian labor markets are going to require profound changes in the way the Navy recruits, trains, and compensates enlisted personnel. These changes will reinforce the need for better distribution incentives, more extensive occupational differentials, and a more flexible compensation system.