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| Document Summary | - Report Published - |
Senate Document No. 15
PUBLICATION YEAR 1994 | |
| Document Title |
| Review of the Department of Personnel and Training |
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| Author |
| Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission |
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| Enabling Authority |
| SJR 279 (Regular Session, 1993) |
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| Executive Summary |
Virginia's Department of Personnel and Training (DPT) is relatively decentralized, appropriately organized, and sufficiently staffed to perform its statutory responsibilities. Most agencies are satisfied both with the overall operation of the State personnel function and the services provided by DPT.
The department, however, has not exercised needed initiative in many areas. The department also suffers from low morale, frequent leadership turnover, and inconsistent direction. Frustrated large agencies are not satisfied with their ability to operate within the confines of the personnel system and want greater autonomy. Opportunities exist both for improvements within DPT and with the overall structure of the State personnel system.
The Virginia Personnel Act establishes the framework of the personnel function and identifies both the key entities responsible for operating the personnel system and the criteria which they must meet. Although seven other State entities provide various personnel-related services, DPT is given primary responsibility to administer the personnel function. In fiscal year 1993, the department was appropriated $5.4 million and 88 staff to oversee Virginia's personnel function in the more than 90 State agencies employing over 110,000 State workers.
The mission of the department is to ensure a personnel administration system based on merit principles and objective methods of appointment, promotion, transfer, layoff, removal, discipline and other incidents of state employment" consistent with the requirements of the VPA. Consequently, to meet each of the functional requirements of the Act, the department is organized into six divisions: Classification and Compensation; Health Benefits; Personnel Development Services; Policy and Personnel Programs; Equal Employment Opportunity; and Information Systems.
Senate Joint Resolution 279, of the1993 Session, asks JLARC to conduct a study of the organization, staffing, management, and resource needs of the Commonwealth's personnel function in conjunction with the Joint Commission on the Management of the Commonwealth's Workforce (Workforce Commission). The study directed JLARG to include, but not be limited to, the Department of Personnel and Training, the focus of this report. To the extent that other issues related to the personnel function have been uncovered through the process of reviewing DPT, they are brought to the attention of the Workforce Commission. Additional review of the State's personnel function, resulting from issues raised in this report as well as the ongoing activities of the Workforce Commission, could be performed by JLARC staff in the future.
This summary highlights study findings and recommendations. Detailed discussions and supporting explanations are contained in the text of the report. |
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