Introduction

This Plan will be used to drive EOIR’s human capital management and workforce planning efforts in accordance with OPM’s Human Capital Management Framework (depicted below) and consistent with the DOJ and EOIR’s strategic plans.

Planning for human resources is one of the greatest challenges for managers and leaders, particularly when faced with limited resources. To meet this challenge, a strategic approach for matching human resources with EOIR’s anticipated needs is essential. Workforce planning and analysis is a fundamental planning tool that contributes to the achievement of program objectives by providing a basis for justifying budget allocation and workload staffing levels. As EOIR develops strategies to support the achievement of both long-term and annual performance goals in this plan, workforce planning and analysis will be included as a key management activity.  In sum, strategic management of human capital refers to how and why EOIR will strategically approach human capital assets like education, training, intelligence, skills, health, and other things employers value such as fairness and accountability. Workforce planning refers to how EOIR will resource and position its workforce to implement the strategies as well as address operational realities, and workforce planning is typically done annually, or as needed, based upon resources/operational needs.

The management of human capital and workforce planning is necessary, for the reasons discussed in the previous paragraph. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended that EOIR develop a strategic workforce plan that addresses the key principles of workforce planning to better position EOIR to address staffing needs. The GAO key principles of workforce planning include: identifying critical skills, developing strategies to address skills gaps, and monitoring progress. Further, GAO recommended that the Director of EOIR involve key leadership and stakeholders in establishing a documented governance structure for workforce planning that includes assigned and documented roles and responsibilities for workforce planning and implementation across all levels of EOIR; and measurable and observable targets and metrics to determine effectiveness in achieving strategic or organizational goals.

In response, EOIR has proposed a Strategic Workforce Management governance structure, included as Appendices F and G, that will lead EOIR’s strategic workforce planning efforts, guiding workforce planning and implementation across all levels of EOIR and creating measurable and observable targets and metrics to determine effectiveness in achieving strategic or organizational goals. Additionally, EOIR is working with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish policies and processes for workforce planning, including utilizing workforce planning workshops to forecast mission critical talent needs; identify skills gaps; analyze current workforce and talent supply; and develop, implement, and evaluate strategies to address the gaps. Beyond the term of the OPM contract, EOIR’s Strategic Workforce Management governance structure will hold leadership accountable for utilizing established policies and processes for workforce planning and achieving workforce planning goals. As part of its work with EOIR, OPM provided a list of findings and recommendations to assist EOIR with its human capital management and workforce planning efforts (“Organizational Design and Workforce Planning: Recommendations Report”).