FEDERALhearing transcript

Review of the Small Business Administration's 2014 Workforce Restructuring

Original title: A CAUTIONARY TALE: A REVIEW OF SBA'S FAILED FISCAL YEAR 2014 AGENCY RESTRUCTURE

January 1, 2017

Small Business Administration federal workforce government oversight fiscal management retirement programs

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

The Frame

What this does

The hearing examines the effectiveness of federal workforce management programs and the use of taxpayer-funded separation incentives, specifically investigating why the SBA's 2014 attempt to downsize and address skills gaps failed to achieve its objectives.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Small Business Administration employees

Employees were eligible for early retirement or separation incentive payments under the 2014 program.

Taxpayers

Taxpayer funds were used to provide separation incentive payments of up to $25,000 per employee.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Small Business held a hearing to review a 2014 Small Business Administration (SBA) program intended to restructure its workforce through early retirement and separation incentives. An audit by the SBA's Office of Inspector General concluded that the agency failed to meet any of its stated goals for the program.

Key Facts

The SBA implemented a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) program in 2014.
The VSIP program allowed for lump sum payments of up to $25,000 to employees in surplus positions or with unneeded skills.
The SBA's stated goals for the program were to address workforce competency gaps, decrease the average age of the workforce, and avoid a reduction in force due to budget constraints.
The SBA Office of Inspector General audit concluded that the agency failed to achieve any of its three stated goals.
The hearing took place on June 14, 2017, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The Committee reviewed the SBA OIG report regarding the failed 2014 restructuring.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of the 2014 SBA restructuring program?

The SBA intended to address skills gaps, lower the age age of its workforce, and avoid a formal by offering early retirement and separation incentives.

What are VERA and VSIP?

(Voluntary Early Retirement Authority) allows agencies to offer early retirement to staff, and (Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment) allows agencies to offer lump sum payments of up to $25,000 to employees in surplus positions.

Did the 2014 program succeed?

According to the SBA Office of Inspector General, the program failed to meet any of its stated goals.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Failure of Workforce Restructuring

The SBA's attempt to use financial incentives to reshape its workforce failed to meet any of its stated objectives, highlighting a disconnect between agency planning and implementation.

Small Business Administration Office of Personnel Management

Connected Entities

personJoseph Loddo“Chief Operating Officer of the SBA.”Map →

organizationSmall Business Administration“The federal agency under review for its 2014 restructuring program.”Map →

personHannibal "Mike" Ware“Acting Inspector General of the SBA.”Map →

personNydia Velazquez“Ranking Member of the House Committee on Small Business.”Map →

personSteve Chabot“Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business.”Map →

organizationOffice of Personnel Management“The federal agency that granted the SBA's request for the restructuring program.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools