U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800

Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001

35–530 PDF 2007

S. Hrg. 110–74

NOMINATION OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON THE

NOMINATION OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, 

U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

MAY 1, 2007

Available via http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate

Printed for the use of the 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

(

(II)

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut, Chairman 

CARL LEVIN, Michigan 

DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

MARK L. PRYOR, Arkansas 

MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana 

BARACK OBAMA, Illinois 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

JON TESTER, Montana 

SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine 

TED STEVENS, Alaska 

GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio 

NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota 

TOM COBURN, Oklahoma 

PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico 

JOHN WARNER, Virginia 

JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire

MICHAEL L. ALEXANDER, Staff Director 

KRISTINE V. LAM, Research Assistant 

JENNIFER L. TYREE, Counsel, Oversight of Government 

MANAGEMENT, THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SUBCOMMITTEE

BRANDON L. MILHORN, Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

JENNIFER L. TARR, Minority Associate Counsel 

THERESA PRYCH, Minority Professional Staff Member, Oversight of Government 

MANAGEMENT, THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SUBCOMMITTEE

TRINA DRIESSNACK TYRER, Chief Clerk 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Opening statements: Page 

Senator Akaka .................................................................................................. 1

Senator Voinovich ............................................................................................. 3

WITNESS 

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2007

Howard C. Weizmann to be Deputy Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 5

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 17

Biographical and professional information ..................................................... 21

Letter from U.S. Office of Government Ethics ............................................... 29

Responses to pre-hearing questions ................................................................ 30

Responses to post-hearing questions .............................................................. 53

(1)

NOMINATION OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN 

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2007

U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:38 a.m., in room 

342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K. Akaka, presiding. 

Present: Senators Akaka and Voinovich. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR AKAKA 

Senator AKAKA. The hearing will come to order. I want to say 

good morning to all of you, family and friends as well. 

Today, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs meets to consider the pending nomination of Howard 

Weizmann to be Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management. 

Mr. Weizmann is a native of Ohio and a graduate of Ohio University and the University of Michigan. He also earned a law 

degree from Georgetown University. Mr. Weizmann is a former executive of Watson Wyatt, a global consulting firm focusing on 

human capital and management issues. He currently heads the 

Private Sector Council at the Partnership for Public Service, which 

brings leaders from America’s top companies together with Federal 

decisionmakers to improve the management, efficiency, and productivity of Federal agencies. 

I want to welcome you, Mr. Weizmann, and your family and to 

congratulate you on your nomination. I know your family is here, 

for the record and for those who are present, may I ask you to introduce your family. 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is my lovely wife 

of 37 years, Jane Weizmann. This is my soon-to-be son-in-law, Ernest Voyard, my daughter, Brooke Weizmann, and my daughter, 

Haley Weizmann, and they are delighted to be here, I can assure 

you. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you so much, and welcome to your family 

here. 

I believe each of us is here today because we care a great deal 

about improving the strength of the Federal workforce and supporting its ability to meet the various missions of all agencies. If 

confirmed, you will be central to carrying out Director Springer’s 

operational plan and ensuring implementation of human capital 

strategies throughout the Federal Government. 

2

Senator Voinovich and I have dedicated a considerable amount 

of time to addressing the human capital challenges in the Federal 

workforce, and I would tell you that I consider Senator Voinovich 

as a leader in that respect. We have listened to the needs and concerns of employee and management groups. We have heard the Administration’s requests to provide greater workforce flexibilities to 

agencies and their proposals to carry out the largest civil service 

reform effort in more than 25 years. 

If confirmed, your role with OPM is, no question, vital to the success of all of our collective efforts. The Federal Government is at 

a pivotal time in its history. Not since the Civil Service Reform Act 

of 1978 has its workforce undergone so many fundamental reforms. 

The new personnel systems underway at the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security have struggled to 

get off the ground. Federal courts have questioned the fairness of 

the appeals system at both agencies and have enjoined each agency’s regulations relating to collective bargaining. 

Furthermore, both DHS and DOD, in addition to the Senior Executive Service, are implementing new pay-for-performance systems. My concerns with pay-for-performance are well known. As 

agencies continue to face diminished budgets that impact employee 

training and incentive programs, I fail to see how agencies will be 

able to properly train managers and employees on how to measure 

performance and make meaningful distinctions in performance, nor 

do I see how they will guarantee sufficient funds for performance 

bonuses or pay increases. Without strong training, there are no 

guarantees that employees will have fair and transparent appraisal 

systems. We need to get these systems right before we can move 

forward with broad sweeping reforms at other agencies. 

Another issue facing the Federal Government is the fact that a 

generation of talented, knowledgeable, and dedicated civil servants 

is on the brink of retirement. A wave of new employees with similar aspirations but new expectations is ready to take on the call to 

service. The upcoming generation may not expect to work in the 

Federal Government for their entire career. It is the responsibility 

of OPM to help agencies implement management flexibilities and 

create an attractive work environment. 

One reason I feel so strongly about this is that Senator Voinovich 

and I have successfully moved forward a number of significant 

workforce flexibilities. Unfortunately, as the Government Accountability Office recently reported, the use of these flexibilities by 

agencies is uneven. It will be up to you and Director Springer to 

help agencies find the ways of best utilizing these tools. 

I am sure your many years of private sector experience will enhance our public sector management, and I am encouraged by your 

strong commitment to address the human capital challenges within 

the Federal workforce. The Federal Government is 1.8 million employees strong. In this role, you will be responsible for their rights, 

their paychecks, and their effectiveness as a workforce. 

I look forward to working with you and hope that we can work 

together to address the challenges of the modern Federal workforce. 

Before I call on my good friend and partner on human capital 

issues, Senator Voinovich, for his statement, I just want to note 

3

that Senator Voinovich has been, and I repeat it again, a leader in 

these issues. I know that he is very interested in the work of OPM 

and your views on how to make the Federal Government an employer—and he likes to use this—an employer of choice. Senator 

Voinovich. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR VOINOVICH 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you, Senator Akaka. I really appreciate being a part of this hearing. As you know, the two of us have 

worked for a long time on oversight of the Office of Personnel Management and have been somewhat inspired by the fact that Linda 

Springer seems to be doing some of the things that we would like 

her to focus on. We do know that she needs help. 

Mr. Weizmann, thank you very much for your willingness to step 

forward at the end of an administration. I am interested in learning why you decided to step down from a private sector job to work 

for the government. Maybe you watched and said, instead of continuing to just watch, maybe I can go over there and help Linda 

Springer. It will be interesting to hear your testimony. 

I want to thank your family for the sacrifices that you are going 

to make and the hours that you are going to put in, particularly 

since I know that Linda is going to not wind down, but wind up. 

Again, I want to thank you for your interest in public service. 

Next week is Public Service Recognition Week, and I hope, Mr. 

Chairman, we can move the nomination along expeditiously so Mr. 

Weizmann can celebrate being part of the team. 

I think you know that the Federal workforce has an increasing 

number of employees eligible to retire. As Senator Akaka has mentioned, we are implementing the new performance management 

and pay systems for the Senior Executive Service. Although we 

have had some testimony that it has been uneven, I will say, Senator Akaka, that the Defense Department’s conversion of employees 

to NSPS has been good to date. 

I have now visited several bases in Ohio to discuss NSPS, and 

the feedback is that it is very well received because of the training 

provided to employees. We are hoping we can get a report back 

from OPM on some of the unevenness that we have observed with 

the implementation of the new personnel system for the Senior Executive Service. We would like to get those wrinkles ironed out because if we don’t, I am worried the SES system will cast a bad reflection on what we are trying to get done. 

Mr. Weizmann, OPM ought to be the model for the rest of the 

government in terms of human resources and personnel practices. 

The Director has worked closely with this Committee and has demonstrated her commitment to leading the agency through transformation. OPM has been working with GAO on a series of reports 

to identify OPM’s management challenges. OPM has also involved 

its employees and stakeholders in publishing a strategic plan with 

precise goals and target completion dates. Director Springer is very 

proud of the strategic plan, and I have been given the strong impression from the people that Director Springer works with that 

the plan was developed by them, not something that Director 

Springer did on her own, which I think is real important. 

4

Mr. Weizmann, I am impressed with your background. You are 

a Bobcat, and my gosh, I have got to be for you. The Bobcat is Ohio 

University’s mascot. [Laughter.] 

Mr. Weizmann, we are very happy to have you here today and 

appreciate also your participation and your extracurricular activities, particularly your leadership in your synagogue. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Voinovich follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR VOINOVICH 

Good morning, and thank you Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure to be here today 

to hear the testimony from Howard Weizmann, the President’s nominee for Deputy 

Director of the Office of Personnel Management. 

Mr. Weizmann, congratulations on your decision to join the honorable profession 

of public service. As we all know, next week is Public Service Recognition Week. I 

hope we can move your nomination expeditiously so you can be part of this select 

group of Americans during next week’s celebrations. 

The Federal civil service is in the process of a significant transition. We all know 

too well that the majority of the civil service soon will be eligible to retire. This will 

leave the government with a considerable knowledge gap within agencies and poses 

an immense succession planning challenge. In addition, agencies are implementing 

new performance management and pay for performance systems for the Senior Executive Service. The Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense 

are designing new personnel systems to meet their national security missions. 

OPM has a vital role to play in ensuring agencies are making strategic human 

capital management a priority. In addition, OPM has an important operational responsibility to work with Federal departments and agencies to ensure reforms of 

performance management systems provide employees a fair and transparent system, 

with meaningful opportunities to enhance communication and improve individual 

performance. These strategic human capital management challenges also exist for 

OPM itself. As OPM’s role in the Federal Government continues to evolve, its workforce must be structured to tackle these challenges. 

OPM Director Linda Springer has worked closely with this Committee and has 

demonstrated her commitment to leading the agency through the transformation. 

For example, OPM has been working with the Government Accountability Office on 

a series of reports to identify the management challenges within OPM itself. OPM 

also has involved its employees and stakeholders in publishing a strategic plan with 

precise goals and target completion dates. 

Mr. Weizmann, I believe your background, including your experience in human 

resources, would be a great asset to OPM as it prepares for the challenges that lie 

ahead. 

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

Mr. WEIZMANN. I am delighted to be here, and I thank you. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you, Senator Voinovich. 

Mr. Weizmann has filed responses to biographical and financial 

questionnaires, answered pre-hearing questions submitted by the 

Committee, and had his financial statements reviewed by the Office of Government Ethics. Without objection, this information will 

be made a part of the hearing record, with the exception of the financial data. They are on file and available for public inspection 

at the Committee offices. 

Our Committee, Mr. Weizmann, has rules that require that all 

witnesses at nomination hearings give their testimony under oath, 

and so I ask you to rise and take the oath. Please raise your right 

hand. 

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give 

this Committee is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the 

truth, so help you, God? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. I do. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you very much. Mr. Weizmann, you may 

proceed with your statement. 

5

TESTIMONY OF HOWARD C. WEIZMANN, NOMINEE TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I want to thank you 

and Ranking Member Voinovich and the Committee for holding today’s hearing. I also want to thank the Committee staff for the 

courteous and professional manner with which I have been treated 

throughout this process. I want to thank President Bush for the 

honor of being nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management. Finally, I want to thank OPM Director Linda 

Springer for her support throughout this process. 

As noted, one does not have to be an expert to recognize that demographic trends will dramatically change the face of the Federal 

workforce. It is no longer news that the Federal Government faces 

a massive challenge as increasing numbers of older, experienced 

employees become eligible to retire or leave over the next few 

years. There is also a widespread belief that in the near future, 

there will be a lack of skilled workers affecting both the private 

and public sector. In sum, the demand for qualified workers is likely to exceed the supply. 

In this emerging world, Federal employers will have to effectively 

compete for talent with the private sector. To do so, we need to 

change widely held perceptions about Federal employment. Surveys 

indicate that college-age individuals believe that the private sector 

offers greater opportunity than Federal employment. Private industry also inherently possesses more flexibility than government to 

structure positions or to employ foreign nationals, avenues generally limited or closed to Federal employers. 

But crises also present opportunities, and those are the ones that 

really do excite me. The talent crunch creates a burning platform 

for forcing Federal employers to establish new career options for 

existing employees, new ways to recruit prospective employees, and 

new challenges to existing ways of doing things. This Committee 

has helped by creating hiring flexibilities that fast-track certain potential employees or that provide tools, such as educational loan relief, to attract talented workers. 

As President of the Private Sector Council, part of the Partnership for Public Service, my organization worked closely with OPM 

to develop OPM’s online hiring tool kit, which highlights ways to 

raise the effectiveness of the Federal recruiting process. I know 

OPM has also suggested that agencies use a 45-day target benchmark, measured from the closing date of the announcement to the 

date the offer is formally made, to speed up the process. 

The challenge is not to fill empty seats with people, but to fill 

those seats with the right people. If confirmed in this position, I 

will work with Director Springer, OPM staff, and this Committee 

to help address the difficult issue of how to attract and retain Federal talent. I will do my best to support the new career patterns 

initiative, which may help to create more flexible work environments, appealing to workers at different career stages. I am also 

looking forward to exploring other ways to address the looming talent shortfall. 

The future Federal workforce will be a mosaic of different generations and work arrangements. Experts tell us that younger 

workers entering Federal service will be better educated, with more 

6

diverse backgrounds than in the past. They will be used to instant 

communication and impatient with people who refuse to adapt. 

They will be optimistic, hard working, and dedicated. They will be 

looking for opportunities to grow, but less likely to commit to a career with a single employer. 

Retaining experienced Federal employees and attracting recent 

Federal retirees will also be a priority. Enticing these workers will 

not only require interesting work and flexible schedules, but financial incentives and arrangements that do not penalize retirees returning to work. 

To address the future shortage of management and technical expertise, the Federal service will also need to rely on experienced 

knowledge workers, attracted to Federal employment from active or 

retired careers in the private sector. Skilled veterans are also another important source of future Federal employees. 

The new Federal manager will have to be skilled at managing 

this diversity. They need to be supervisors, leaders, mentors, referees, negotiators, and contract managers. In my view, these demands will require greater investment in the selection and training 

of future Federal leaders. We will need to use OPM’s good offices, 

working with agency partners, to support efforts to enhance managerial skills. 

The Federal Government has also not been immune from the 

technological winds of today. I know that Director Springer is directly involved in supervising the automation of OPM’s retirement 

system, using modern technology to improve the delivery of annuity payments to Federal retirees. The E-Government initiative is 

another dramatic effort to improve government effectiveness 

through information management technology. The evolution to 

automated benefit administration, online training, E-payroll systems, and other initiatives are well on their way to increasing the 

efficiency of the Federal processes. If confirmed, I would look forward to helping Director Springer advance OPM’s efforts in this regard. 

Everyone wants an effective, results-driven Federal service. In 

1993, this Committee and Congress sought to underscore these expectations by passing the Government Performance and Results 

Act, or GPRA. The Act mandated, among other things, a new focus 

on results, service quality and delivery, and customer satisfaction 

in the achievement of program objectives. The President’s Management Agenda and the Program Assessment Review Tool have taken 

GPRA a step further by establishing the means to measure 

progress in a number of critical areas consistent with the Act. I believe that OPM takes this responsibility under the PMA Strategic 

Management of Human Capital component seriously and that OPM 

monitoring of agency performance can and has made a real difference in helping agencies improve their human capital management capabilities. 

I believe Director Springer has also gone a long way toward enhancing opportunities for agency coordination through her recent 

reorganization of the Chief Human Capital Officers Council. I look 

forward to learning more about OPM’s and other agencies’ efforts. 

Establishing metrics to measure results, while a necessary step, 

is not sufficient to ensure effectiveness. The challenge is to use 

7

these measures to focus agency efforts to create program success. 

Performance-based pay initiatives directly support this cultural 

shift. As Director Springer has previously noted, performancebased pay is not a particularly new idea. The private sector has 

successfully administered such systems for years. 

I am also aware that OPM has identified more than 90,000 Federal employees, not including those covered by the DHS and DOD 

legislation we referred to earlier, as being covered currently by 

some form of performance-based pay system. Some of these programs date from as early as 1980 and are generally regarded favorably by a wide variety of employees. I believe that OPM has 

worked hard to promote and refine performance-based initiatives. 

If confirmed, I look forward to being of whatever assistance I can 

to support these efforts. 

In the end, we cannot forget that when we talk about the Federal 

workforce, we are really talking about people. While attitudes may 

have changed, some things remain constant. People everywhere respond to incentives and recognition. People fear the uncertainties 

of change and value employers who meet their needs for income 

and benefit security. To ensure an effective civilian workforce requires addressing these attributes. OPM needs to support agency 

efforts to reward employees for their contributions to agency success. We should encourage efforts to communicate the reasons for 

and the impact of change and to help those who are affected by it. 

In addition, OPM has direct responsibility to ensure that Federal 

benefits address the needs of Federal employees at a reasonable 

price. I recognize that your support is also critical to ensuring the 

effectiveness of these efforts. 

In preparing my comments, I looked up synonyms for the word 

‘‘deputy.’’ I found that a deputy is an assistant, a representative, 

a surrogate, an agent, an emissary, and an envoy. As Deputy Director, it would be my job to act in many or all of these capacities 

to help Director Springer achieve the ambitious goals she has set 

for OPM. 

I am also aware that, if confirmed, the relatively short time horizon alloted to me will not be sufficient to substantively address all 

the issues raised by the currents shaping the future Federal workforce. My more modest aim would be to work with Director Springer to identify areas where my experience would be helpful. My goal 

is to help the Administration make a lasting contribution toward 

advancing solutions to some or perhaps many of these issues. 

If confirmed, you have my promise that I will be open, honest, 

and direct in dealing with this Committee specifically and the Congress in general. I will use my best efforts to work with all interested parties to craft useful solutions to the complicated issues of 

the day. I believe we all want the same thing, an effective, resultsdriven workforce populated by talented individuals who are proud 

to be called Federal employees. 

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to any questions you or other 

members of the Committee may have. Thank you. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you very much, Mr. Weizmann, for your 

statement. 

Let me begin by asking you some standard questions of the Committee. First, is there anything you are aware of in your backVerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:46 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 035530 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 C:\DOCS\35530.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PAT
8

ground that might present a conflict of interest with the duties of 

the office to which you have been nominated? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. As I mentioned to the Committee staff and I 

have answered in the written questions, as well, my wife, who is 

sitting to my right, does do work for the Federal Government and 

has in the past done work for OPM. I have signed an ethics agreement which has precluded certainly her working for OPM or directly communicating with OPM. At the same time, I have also 

agreed to recuse myself from any decisions involving Watson Wyatt 

while I am at OPM, where I used to work. 

Senator AKAKA. The second question is do you know of anything, 

personal or otherwise, that would in any way prevent you from 

fully and honorably discharging the responsibilities of the office to 

which you have been nominated? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. No, I do not, sir. 

Senator AKAKA. Third, do you agree without reservation to respond to any reasonable summons to appear and testify before any 

duly constituted committee of Congress if you are confirmed? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Yes, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you very much for your responses. 

As you know, Mr. Weizmann, the previous OPM Deputy Director 

was charged with overseeing the Combined Federal Campaign and 

conducting outreach with veterans’ service organizations. Have you 

and Director Springer discussed whether you will play a similar 

role at OPM, and if so, what are your goals in this area? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Mr. Chairman, Director Springer and I had a 

conversation in which I generally offered to fulfill the same duties 

that the former Deputy Director was doing. At this point, I do not 

think we have finalized anything specifically. And, of course, these 

are programs that I believe in, as well, and I would make whatever 

effort I could to the best of my ability to support the success of 

these programs. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you. For years, Congress has been told of 

an impending retirement tsunami bearing down on the Federal 

Government. The potential loss of thousands of Federal employees 

over the next 5 to 7 years could have a major adverse impact on 

Federal programs. What is your assessment of the Federal Government’s preparedness for this retirement wave and what recommendations do you have for improving Federal agencies’ preparedness? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Mr. Chairman, I can really only bring my experience in the private sector to bear and my observations from what 

I have read and certainly my service at the Private Sector Council 

in observing what is going on, and my knowledge is really, of necessity, limited in terms of the scope of agencies. I think there 

are—in my experience, or my understanding—some agencies better 

prepared than others, and yet I think there is a full recognition, 

at least from the Federal employers or the executives that I have 

spoken with, that there is an appreciation that, in particular areas, 

this is an issue. 

The good thing about this, I think, is that it is forcing all human 

resource professionals within the Federal service to recognize that 

efficiencies need to be established in hiring people and incentives 

better used to attract willing or interested potential employees. 

9

I noted in today’s newspapers, for example, that the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program utilization among various Federal 

agencies has been, to date, increased significantly and been very 

successful in terms of attracting individuals to the Federal service. 

My understanding is that this Committee had a very instrumental 

hand in establishing that flexibility, in particular. 

Those kinds of efforts to fast-track employees into the Federal 

service, but also to identify employees who are the appropriate ones 

to come in, I think are really critical. People will retire. In every 

organization, it happens, whether it is in the private sector or public sector. It is what we do to address the future that is most important. By bringing in talented employees at all levels, some with 

more experience, some with very little experience, and grooming 

them and training them into the Federal service, I think we can 

address the tsunami about which you have spoken. 

Senator AKAKA. OPM is promoting new career paths or initiatives in the Federal Government whereby Federal employees no 

longer work a 40-hour week or work for 20 years. Rather, efforts 

are focused on part-time or temporary work. What changes in the 

Federal Government’s benefit package do you believe are needed to 

recruit individuals to work in these new career patterns? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. I do not know that I am in a position to tell you 

what changes need to be made because I am not yet very familiar 

with the benefit package of the Federal Government. In looking at 

survey responses, generally, the Federal Government fares very 

well when compared to private sector with regard to both retirement and health benefits. There are benefits within the Federal 

program that are what we refer to, in human resources terms, as 

security benefits, and those really go to the issue of health care and 

also retirement. 

Retirement benefits, depending on the kind of plan, may retain 

employees, but generally employees or potential employees do not 

come to an employer, in my experience, for the benefits. They come 

to be a part of an exciting organization with a dynamic mission. In 

some instances, it is pay that attracts them, but pay, I will tell you, 

is probably one of the over-rated issues, certainly among private industry in terms of attracting people. 

Overall, I would have to look at the benefit package to see if 

there is more that can be done or more that should be done in making that benefit package attractive to potential employees. 

Senator AKAKA. Only last year, OPM had an initiative to have 

more flexible work arrangements and to make them more attractive. I think they have been working on that. Last year, OPM 

closed Hawaii’s field office in Honolulu and also along with some 

other regional offices. I believe that having OPM’s presence in a 

State with nearly 50,000 Federal employees and retirees is critical 

given its geographic location and also other Federal employees in 

the Pacific in addition to the 50,000. 

For example, the President’s proposal to replace a non-foreign 

COLA with locality pay, I believe that an OPM presence could better respond to questions from employees throughout the State of 

Hawaii and the Pacific, which in turn allays concerns about the 

proposal. 

10

How do you propose for OPM to support the personnel needs of 

Hawaii Federal agencies when the nearest field office is 2,500 

miles away? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Mr. Chairman, customer service, of course, is 

tremendously important. I am not really familiar specifically with 

the issues and the concerns that led to the closing of the office in 

Hawaii. However, I am eager to learn more should I be confirmed. 

I know this is an issue, Mr. Chairman, that is important to you, 

and as a result, it is something that I would be pleased to look at 

further. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you very much. Senator Voinovich. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

What caused you to decide to give up your responsibility as 

chairman of the Private Sector Council and come to work at OPM? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. At a very general level, I think the Federal Government is an exciting place to be, and one of the things I have 

come to appreciate at the Private Sector Council is the amount of 

good that can be done by the Federal Government in a way that 

the private sector can never match. So at a very general level, I 

was impressed, quite frankly, in working at the Private Sector 

Council, by the dedication and the intelligence of the Federal employees and the Federal executives with whom I worked. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Did Director Springer recruit you? [Laughter.] 

Mr. WEIZMANN. She knew I was interested in the directorship at 

one point, and she knew of my interest in that, and she ultimately 

was appointed as Director. White House personnel actually coordinated with her and called me to ask if I would be interested in this 

position. 

And to be honest with you, on a very personal level, one of the 

things that attracts me about this position at OPM is Director 

Springer. The comments that you made earlier, Senator, are very 

telling. I think she is a very good leader. I think she has done 

things that I think will lead ultimately to success and a much more 

effective agency. And I think it would be a great opportunity to 

work with her. 

At the same time, I have to say that I am coming to the end of 

my career, more or less. I may have another job after this, but my 

wife tells me not too many more. 

Senator VOINOVICH. That is what my wife has been telling me for 

the last—— [Laughter.] 

Senator Akaka’s wife, I am sure, has been telling him the same 

thing, but here we are. [Laughter.] 

Mr. WEIZMANN. I have to tell you that I also do feel a sense of 

giving back. To the extent I have any expertise or have developed 

any experience that is useful to the Federal Government, I would 

like to do that. I would like to make a difference. 

Senator VOINOVICH. That is good. Have you talked to Director 

Springer about your role as Deputy Director and how she is going 

to take advantage of your talents to enhance her ability to get the 

job done? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. We have generally talked about the issues and 

about what she is dealing with. I certainly have read the strategic 

plan that she has put forth. There are areas in which I am interVerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:46 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 035530 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 C:\DOCS\35530.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PAT
11

ested, and I have expressed those areas of interest to her, and basically what we have agreed to, at least until the actual confirmation, rather than making specific assignments or addressing which 

areas I would go into, is to wait until after the confirmation. 

I will tell you the areas that do interest me have to do with 

workforce management. Both the planning, the recruiting, the hiring processes are of great interest to me. I have some expertise in 

the use of technology in the workplace and the kind of impact that 

has. I think I could perhaps lend some expertise in that area, as 

well. Those areas are ones that I mentioned to Director Springer, 

and we just have not made any final decisions as of yet. 

Senator VOINOVICH. How much help can and should the private 

sector give to a Federal agency? I know when I was mayor and governor, we used our Operations Improvement Task Force to bring 

the private sector in, asked them to spend time with people who 

had worked in the government for a long time, and get their best 

ideas on how we could improve. Have you given any thought to 

some of the management challenges that need to be addressed 

within our Federal Government and how you might be able to 

jump-start reform, or is there some reservation about having the 

private sector become involved? I am referring to pro bono assistance. 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Certainly. I understand. I think there are things 

that the Federal Government can learn from the private sector for 

instance, with recruitment. As a senior VP of HR at one organization, I spent a good deal of time on the recruiting effort and trying 

to identify talent and trying to retain talent during the dot-com 

era. I think there are useful approaches that could be adapted to 

the Federal Government. 

There are some things that are different. The number of stakeholders, for example, is much broader in the Federal Government 

and the number of people that you really do need to bring into the 

effort is much greater. As a consequence, I think things often take 

more time in the Federal Government than you would find in the 

private sector. 

Senator VOINOVICH. As governor of Ohio, I had Xerox come in to 

help establish Total Quality Management in State Government. I 

convinced McKinsey and Company to examine the Ohio Bureau of 

Workers’ Compensation and come back with a pro bono recommendation on how it could be reformed. Are you able to do this, 

or are there laws that would make this a conflict of interest? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. My understanding is that, by law, I am not technically allowed to interact with the Private Sector Council for a 

year after my employment there because they are my former employer, technically. I do not know how substantial an impediment 

that really is. 

The short answer is yes, in two areas. Again, I think the private 

sector has developed a lot of expertise in the recruitment area. I 

also think one of the understated areas that needs to be at least 

focused on is the impact of technology on Federal processes. It is 

one thing to adopt a new retirement system. It is another thing to 

scope out how you get information to people, what your expectations of them are in terms of self-service. The same thing with enterprise-wide financial systems. 

12

There is a lot of expertise that I know personally where I could 

reach out to those folks. So from that standpoint, I think there is 

a lot the private sector has to offer. At the same time, the private 

sector folks are very skeptical about government, and the issues for 

government are different to some extent. But those issues really do 

coincide. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Will we have a second round? 

Senator AKAKA. Yes, we will do a second round. 

Senator VOINOVICH. OK, good. Thank you. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you very much, Senator Voinovich. 

Let me reach out and ask you about the Human Capital Survey 

of the Federal Government. In your pre-hearing questions for the 

Committee, you talked about the competitive environment for recruiting talented workers——

Mr. WEIZMANN. Yes. 

Senator AKAKA [continuing]. Specifically the need to recruit a diverse and talented workforce. What do you see as the government’s 

biggest challenge to hiring diverse talent? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. There are a variety of levels, Mr. Chairman. One 

is the image of the Federal worker, I think, which really has suffered over the last 10 to 15 years. I am old enough to remember 

the John F. Kennedy years and the call to service that was placed 

on potential employees and remembering the sense of real dedication. Government at that time, I think, really did begin to focus on 

attracting the best and the brightest. 

That is not to say that we do not have in the Federal Government the best and the brightest today; it is just that the image, at 

least according to the surveys that I am aware of and also just 

anecdotally, of Federal employment is not what it ought to be. So 

at that level, there is an image issue. 

Beneath that level, there are very technical issues, which is that 

it takes too long to get people into Federal service at all levels, and 

I am not just talking about Presidential appointments, but at all 

levels, it takes, in many cases, way too long from the date that people first express an interest to the date they are actually made an 

offer to join the Federal service. 

I think there is also not enough marketing for a variety of really 

specialized talent that I think that could be obtained. For example, 

in the area of science or engineers or other kinds of professionals, 

what we call knowledge workers, I think the Federal Government 

in that instance, I think, does not do as good a job as I have seen 

in the private sector in terms of going to the best schools and attracting really talented people. People still come because they are 

interested in what the Federal Government does, and quite frankly, there is no other place in the world where you can have the 

scope of activities as a scientist or an engineer or even, quite frankly, as a manager. 

One curious statistic, I think, was a survey done by the Council 

for Excellence in Government which indicated that managers, people who are mid-career, who might, in fact, be attracted to the Federal service, by a very substantial margin are not attracted to Federal service, and I am curious as to why. But I think you, Senator 

Voinovich, and you, Mr. Chairman, have addressed quite eloquently the issue of the importance of having trained managers to 

13

supervise performance-based systems, and I think that is a critical 

need. So that is another talented population that I think that we 

should really focus on and try to get more talented managers into 

the Federal service. 

Senator AKAKA. Before I move to a training question, I just want 

to say that in the Human Capital Survey of Federal Government, 

it shows that the African-Americans were low in SES, and also 

Hispanics, across the government. I raise that just as another part 

of this diverse kind of employees for the Federal Government that 

we need to pay attention to. 

As you may know, Mr. Weizmann, I recently introduced the Federal Supervisor Training Act, S. 967, on March 22, 2007, which is 

supported by the Federal employee unions, the Government Managers’ Coalition, and the Partnership for Public Service. It is to require mandatory supervisor training for all managers on a recurring basis. In order to accomplish this, OPM will need to reach out 

to all agencies and provide them with the resources necessary to 

meet the training requirements. 

The question is, what steps do you think OPM needs to take to 

ensure supervisors are receiving proper training? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Mr. Chairman, until I am confirmed, I do not 

know what specific steps I am prepared to recommend. I am also 

not directly familiar with the legislation that you introduced. Having said that, no performance management system anywhere can 

function without trained supervisory personnel who understand 

both the nuances of management and are able to address the issues 

I outlined in my statement. And so in general, I would think that 

any help that this Committee could do, or Congress, to support the 

whole effort around training would be quite useful. 

Having said that, should I be confirmed, I will look into those 

issues you have raised to see, in fact, what OPM’s responsibilities 

would be under your proposed Act and what our relations are with 

the various agencies so that we can foster that kind of effort. 

Senator AKAKA. As the nominee to be Deputy Director of OPM, 

I assume you saw the Partnership for Public Service 2007 

rankings——

Mr. WEIZMANN. Yes, I did. 

Senator AKAKA [continuing]. Of the best places to work in the 

Federal Government. In the 2007 rankings, OPM placed 25 out of 

30 large agencies. In regard to training and development, OPM 

placed 28 out of 30. As OPM is to be a leader to human capital 

management, I am deeply concerned by these survey results. Do 

you have any idea why OPM ranked so low? 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Well, with regard to the first statistic that you 

quoted, I am also aware that if you take the populations of OPM 

that were in existence at the time that the survey was last done 

in 2004 as opposed to this 2006 survey, excluding the investigative 

services that moved over to OPM from DOD, it is my understanding that the improvement was actually better than any other 

agency referenced in the survey. 

That said, the second statistic you quote, and there are other statistics, I believe, in there concerning OPM, there are still issues to 

be addressed, not only the specific issue that you identified in 

terms of training and development, and that is clearly an area that 

14

I do believe in and I think is very important, but also to look at 

various segments of OPM and to see what the issues are that individuals have, whether it is uncertainty, whether it is a leadership 

issue, or whatever issues there might be and work to correct those. 

In my own experience, I have been with organizations that, when 

I have taken them over as a manager, morale was low or a variety 

of issues for a variety of reasons, and I have worked hard to address those and successfully, I think. One area was recognized. We 

were named one of the best places to work in Washington, for an 

organization of about 325 people when I was at Watson Wyatt. A 

lot of it had to do with structural issues. A lot of it had to do with 

leadership. I believe in Director Springer. I think that over time 

leadership and that sense of direction and that sense of fairness ultimately will bring people’s interest up. 

At the same time, there are specific issues like training and so 

forth that I would like to look at more should I be confirmed. At 

this point, I am not prepared to discuss each issue, but certainly 

there are indications that this is an area that needs to be looked 

at more. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you very much. Senator Voinovich. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Mr. Weizmann, once confirmed you have a 

year and a half or so to accomplish reform before the transition to 

the new Administration. To help guide this Committee’s work in 

the future, it seems to me OPM should submit a list of reforms to 

the Committee and the Administration that will need to be given 

continued attention. 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Right. 

Senator VOINOVICH. We want to see them continued. It would, I 

think, help Senator Akaka and me to know the areas that need to 

be given continued attention so when the new team is in place, we 

can be part of the process of making sure that some of these reforms are carried out. I know that it takes a long time for transformation to occur, and I would just hate like heck to have, for example, your strategic plan left undone. 

I would also like you to look at the extent to which agency-specific and government-wide flexibilities that we have legislated are 

being utilized. 

For instance, agencies have made greater use of student loan repayment. Senator Akaka and I have introduced legislation to make 

student loan repayments nontaxable. 

Another topic that Senator Akaka and I are interested in is 

training. When I first came to the Subcommittee, we asked agencies how much money they were spending on training, which is important to help employees grow in their jobs. I question where we 

are in terms of providing training and what percentage of agencies’ 

budgets are being used for training. 

I continue to be interested in the concept of a Chief Management 

Officer. Senator Akaka and I are working on GAO’s high-risk list, 

with a focus on DOD supply chain management and the security 

clearance process. Our oversight work has led us to question 

whether these agencies have the capacity to continue transformation. Within the Department of Defense, I believe we need a 

Chief Management Officer to be in charge of transformation. AbVerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:46 Jul 18, 2007 Jkt 035530 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 C:\DOCS\35530.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PAT
15

sent a strategic plan, the transformation will continue to have 

problems. 

Again, pay-for-performance is important. Senator Akaka and I 

know that the unions don’t want it. The biggest experiment in payfor-performance in the Federal Government today is at TSA. We 

must be sure the system, known as PASS, is working well at each 

airport. 

These are some of the concerns that I have, and I really hope 

that you would give some consideration to them. 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Senator, all your concerns are concerns that I 

share. You asked me earlier about why I wanted to take this position. I am very concerned about not specifically my legacy, and I 

am not speaking about Republican or Democrat legacies, either. 

This Committee and this Congress, at least since 1993, if not before, has set forth a very direct statement, I think, of the kind of 

Federal service that we would all like to have. 

It is very important to me that in those critical areas you identify, whether it is pay-for-performance or whether it is just improving the training, that any human resources system be like a garden. If you walk away from a garden, it gets overgrown tomorrow. 

You need continuous training of people in not only management 

skills but just skills to do their job every day. If you bring people 

in, including older, more experienced workers, as well, and train 

them, it is important that we keep making progress. It is undeniably spotty in places, and I think we need more information, and 

certainly if I am confirmed, I would like to know more about why 

some of these things are successful and some are not. 

At the Private Sector Council, we are currently working with 

OMB to look at agencies who have been very successful in linking 

performance to program success, and there are some that are more 

successful than others, and we are trying to set up a system by 

which we can involve the agencies who have been successful to talk 

to the agencies who are struggling with those kinds of things to 

really have that kind of information shared. 

Again, should I get to OPM, I would hope that we would be able 

to foster that kind of environment where there is a kind of information sharing between successful agencies and those agencies that 

are struggling to make sure the improvement is really over the entire Federal Government. 

But the important thing to me, the most important thing is not 

to retreat from some of the good work that has been done by this 

Committee, by Congress, by this Administration, and by prior Administrations to making the Federal service a much more effective 

place to be. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you. 

Senator AKAKA. Thank you very much, Senator Voinovich. 

I want to thank you, Mr. Weizmann, for responding so well to 

our questions. I have further questions that I will submit for the 

record, which we will submit to you in writing. The hearing record, 

let me say, will remain open for 1 week for Members of this Committee to submit additional statements or questions that they may 

have. 

I want to thank you and your family for being here today. Senator Voinovich and I are of the same mind, and we will make every 

16

effort to move this confirmation process as expeditiously as we can 

here. Then we will have a vote on this in the near future, the vote 

on your nomination and confirmation. 

Do you have any final words? 

Senator VOINOVICH. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator AKAKA. With that, again, thank you so much, and I wish 

you well in all that you do. 

Mr. WEIZMANN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Senator 

Voinovich. 

Senator AKAKA. This hearing is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 10:43 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 

(17)

A P P E N D I X 


35530.001
18


35530.002
19


35530.003
20


35530.004
21


35530.005
22


35530.006
23


35530.007
24


35530.008
25


35530.009
26


35530.010
27


35530.011
28


35530.012
29


35530.021
30


35530.022
31


35530.023
32


35530.024
33


35530.025
34


35530.026
35


35530.027
36


35530.028
37


35530.029
38


35530.030
39


35530.031
40


35530.032
41


35530.033
42


35530.034
43


35530.035
44


35530.036
45


35530.037
46


35530.038
47


35530.039
48


35530.040
49


35530.041
50


35530.042
51


35530.043
52


35530.044
53


35530.045
54


35530.046
55


35530.047
56


35530.048
57


35530.049
58

Æ


35530.050