Agencies that haven't redelegated have various motivations. A bureau in one department, for example, hasn't wanted to relinquish budget control over personnel issues to managers, notes a department-level human resources official, because managers tend to be more generous in approving awards than do personnel staffers. At other agencies, delegation simply hasn't made sense. Managers already are overwhelmed with work, and the agency's budget won't allow them to be adequately trained on personnel matters, she says. Indeed, with downsized staffs and increased supervisory ratios, many managers view their new authorities as more headache than help.
Some managers even predict an adverse impact on government service.
This can only lead to a downward trend in quality and productivity. Bright Spots Managers may still feel too constricted by personnel rules, but there have been significant, if subtle, improvements. At HHS, for example, Senior Executive Service appointments for operating divisions such as the Food and Drug Administration used to be made by senior department officials. Now, each operating division has an SES allotment and can make its own selections. In the old days it took between nine months and two years to hire or promote a senior executive, says Mary Babcock, FDA director of human resources and management services.