Knowledge Management for a Graying Work Force

Their estimates of percentages may vary, but industry experts and government officials agree on one thing: A significant segment of the federal government’s acquisition work force will reach retirement age within the next few years. If current personnel retirement trends continue, government will soon face a critical shortage of experienced acquisition personnel.

Bringing new faces into the government work force is one facet of the recruitment and retention life cycle; it does not address one of the most critical issues of the graying government: knowledge loss. Retiring 20- and 30-year veterans take a wealth of experience and expertise with them. Without a functioning knowledge management system in place, government will be in crisis within a few short years.

When a GS-14 with more than 25 years of experience retires, some agencies see the promotion of a GS-13 with only 10 years of experience as the only viable solution. But those lost years of experience carry a price. Contract managers with less and less experience become responsible for managing contractor performance on contracts worth billions of dollars. Frustration for agency contracting officials and federal contractors alike is leading to a turnover epidemic as the contractor work force comes face to face with less-experienced contract management.

Something has to be done — and soon — to stem the flow of knowledge and experience that retires along with the aging government worker.

Government can focus on four areas to preserve knowledge and to improve the graying government outlook: the replacement employee pipeline, innovative retirement options, succession plans and formal knowledge management systems.

• Employee pipeline. Government agencies need to take a long, hard look at ways the incoming pool of employees are managed in order to maximize exposure to the knowledge and experience of soon-to-be retirees. Internship programs need to be put in place across the board, particularly in civilian agencies. Government should also partner with industry organizations, such as the National Contract Management Association, which have leadership development programs and even student chapter mentoring initiatives in place to help identify and cultivate new talent for the public sector.
  
  


• Retirement options. Government needs to take its cue from the private sector and make it easier to accommodate employees who have decades of experience, but may be a little burned out from full-time workloads or rigid schedules. Flextime options or even part-time positions available for the government worker over age 55 could do a lot to help retain talent and knowledge. Government agencies can also work within the latest telework initiatives to offer remote access for employees who may find a work from home option attractive enough to stay on for a few more years. And a more flexible approach and attitude toward outsourcing would create a pool of talent — retirees — who possess the experience of decades spent working in the public sector.
  
  


• Succession plans. This forward-thinking approach requires that government look strategically at this work force issue — beyond the tactical approach of how to replace the GS-14 who is retiring in August. The succession plan creates a formal process for simultaneously phasing in (new or promoted employees) and phasing out (retirees) key positions in the agency to create a deliberate overlap for knowledge sharing. This can help the agency to retain continuity and capture critical knowledge before it is too late.
  
  


• Knowledge management systems. A formal system to capture experience and manage knowledge can be an invaluable tool for addressing the graying government work force. This aspect of knowledge management is a strategic solution that will likely require development with an industry partner to get the correct processes into place before the mass exodus of retirees begins.

Strategic, proactive measures can help the federal government mitigate the impact of work force attrition — before it happens.