Evening star., 1921-12-24
BOARD
SCOPE ANNOUNCED
Will Aim to Develop Flexible
System of Handling U. S.
Employees.
MERIT TO BE REWARDED
Providing Permanent Positions for
Temporary Workers to Be One
of First Problems.

DEVELOPMENT of a flexible system OF
handling government employees along
the lines followed in efficient private
corporations, and at the same time
providing for speedy recognition OF
the most able Of the government
servants are among the purposes OF
the new federal personnel board,
ordered formed by President Harding.
upon recommendation Of the bureau
of the budget.
Studying and formation of systems
for finding the best employees ana pro-
viding announcement Tor them TO
adopt the public service for a career
by mapping out a system OF promo
tion to Ali the highest appointive po-
sitions Is among the problems also 10
be worked OUT
One of First Problems.
The board is to be composed of one
representative from each government
department or Independent bureau.
with the president Of the Civil Service
Commission as ex-officio chalrman'
and the order directs the chairman
to hold a meeting as soon as all de-
uartments and bureaus have desig-
mated their respective representatives.
one of the first problems to be met
by the board and which 1t is to study
is that of providing permanent em-
pIoyment for many employees now
taken on the rolls Of various depart
ments for temporary periods to han
die some particular piece OF Work.
This matter will cover the pract1ca-
bility of forming special squad OF
employees which can be shifteo from
one department to another whenever
there is a sudden increase of work
there.
netatJed Activities,
The detailed activities Of the board
as mapped out in the executive order
follow:
The perfection of liaison system
between the Civil Service Commission
and the several departments and es-
tablishments to insure cooperation.
The perfection Of methods whereby
the Civil Service Commission will be
advised regarding the success or fail
ure of persons selected through Its
examinations. and whereby provision
will be made for the reassignment OF
the separation from the service of per-
sons who are unsatisfactory.
The personnel problems Of each de-
partment and establishment and the
relation of those problems to the
to the end that the entire personnel
Selection and administration may be
more practical and more cooperative.
Personnel Records.
The development of an adequate
system of personnel records which
will furnish a medium for effective
control of personnel administration
such matters as retirements and dis
ability, appropriation estimates. SAL
ary rate adjustments. etc.
The formulation of recommenda-
tions for the establishment and ope-
ration of service through which
employees may be assigned to the sew
eral departments or establishments
in periods OF maximum load, thereby
permitting appropriations for the sew
eral Offices to be made on the basis
of their normal loads.
The formulation of recommends
tions for the elimination or modifica-
tion of the existing restrictions on
transfer from department to depart
ment and the development of the per-
sonnel inventory system, which will
facilitate the assignment of specially
qualified employees to those offices and
duties in which their services will be
of greatest value to the government.
Training Employees.
The possibilities of training en-
ployes for their positions with the
an employee becomes an effective
worker and through such training re-
ducing the number of employees re-
Quired for the task.
The extent to which it is practi-
cable to adopt the principle Of pro-
motion from within in filling the
higher positions in the s"rri"" at
view to offering a career to propers
ly qualified persons VINO en.er tne
public service,
The desirability and practicability
of developing a system for more care
full review of the selections for pro-
motion.
The formulation of recommendations
and plans regarding hours of SER
vice. leaves Of absence, the privileges
under the retirement act and other
matters designed to obtain effective
ness Of the public service.