Methodology

Methodology

The issues and actions contained in this report were developed based on
input from federal employees, managers, labor unions and personnelists;
state and local government representatives; personnel management
organizations and professional associations; members of the academic
community and others.

Data collection methods included:

--- conducting individual, focus group, and other group interviews--
over 400 individuals were either interviewed by NPR staff or
participated in group sessions either sponsored or attended by NPR
staff;

--- attending meetings, conferences, and related presentations--for
example, NPR staff attended the June 1993 OPM conference, "Partners for
Change: Steering Federal HRM into the 21st Century";

--- reviewing relevant literature, including the results of earlier
reform efforts--over 200 sources were consulted;

--- analyzing correspondence and other written materials submitted to
the National Performance Review;

--- creating a problem-solving team to recommend improvements to federal
labor-management relations; and

--- creating a problem-solving team to recommend improvements to federal
equal opportunity programs.