Engineering Category
Strategic Action Plan
(Creating Our Future)
September 2002
Produced by: The Strategic Visioning Committee
Members Appointed by the Chief Engineer, RADM Robert C. Williams, Chief Engineer, USPHS
CDR Dan Beck, OEP/CCRF
CAPT (retired) Tom Bedick, NIH
LCDR Sean Boyd, FDA
Dr. Jill Dyken, ATSDR
Ms. Christy Foreman, FDA
LCDR Keith Foy, FDA
CDR Joann Griffith, EPA
LCDR Ramsey Hawasly, IHS
Ms. Lisa Hayes, Office of the Chief Engineer
CAPT Cris Kinney, IHS
Mr. Brian Kong, NIH
Ms. Juanita Mildenburg, NIH
CAPT Sven Rodenbeck, Office of the Chief Engineer
LCDR Nathan Tatum, Aide to the Chief Engineer
CDR Marjorie Wallace
LCDR Charles Weir, ATSDR
CDR Maurice West, National Park Service
Mr. Mitch Williams, NIH
Summary
The Chief Engineer
of the United States Public Health Service, RADM Robert C. Williams, in his
role as advisor to the Office of the Surgeon General and the Engineer
Professional Advisory Committee (EPAC), called together a diverse group of engineers
and architects from both the civilian and Commissioned Corps components of the
engineer and architect Category of the Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS). This group was charged with the
formidable task of developing a 5-year (short term or strategic) “action plan”
for the engineers and architects of the DHHS.
This plan was based on the background data available and the vision set
by RADM Williams. It incorporated
previous strategic visions (see Appendix B) and new information and guidance
from the Office of the Secretary of DHHS as given to RADM Williams through the
Office of the Surgeon General.
The first meeting of
the Strategic Visioning Committee was held at the
Subsequent meetings
to delineate the other Focus Area Goals and Action Plan lists were held
telephonically as individual committee member’s schedules would permit. In all, three meetings were held to develop
the attached Strategic Action Plan.
The engineers and architects of the USPHS will be internationally recognized for their expertise in public health, as well as specific professional disciplines, as evidenced by their leadership and service.
Guiding Vision for the Plan
The Guiding Vision given to the committee was provided by the Chief Engineer and is as follows:
Enhance Public Health Service engineers’ and architects’ leadership role in promoting the health and well being of the American people.
Focus Areas
A broad list of major areas that needed attention were developed by the committee and then narrowed to the following list:
A complete list of the Focus Areas proposed and later narrowed to the above list is found in Appendix D.
Goals:
1. Increase information sharing concerning recruiting, retention and development.
2. PHS support for continuing education and registration.
3. Engineer and Architect (E&A) leaders ensure challenging positions exist.
4. Develop qualifications for CPOs.
1. More junior E&As.
2. Increase number of E&A applications.
3. Greater use of and retention of COSTEPS.
4. Increase number of E&A FTEs.
Action
Plan:
A. Increase to 10% E&A participation in Associate Recruiter Program.
1. Publicize need for recruiting engineers.
2. Emphasize dual personnel system recruiting (CO and CS).
3. Letter from RADM Williams to engineers encouraging them to participate in ARP. (Completed for 2002)
4. Annual letter encouraging ARP’s with courtesy copy to their supervisor. (Completed for 2002)
5. Establish liaisons with E&A schools. (Initiated 2002)
B. Identify career paths.
1. Complete revised engineering handbook, distribute and post. (Completion date of November 2002)
2. Complete Career Opportunities Booklet, distribute and post. (Completed 2002)
3. Develop stepping stones for each type of career path.
a. Identify core and career path milestones (benchmarks).
b. Career paths taken by previous E&A.
c. Individual bios showing examples of career paths. Post paths like those used by CIA and NASA.
C. Human resource needs for architects and engineers.
1. Survey agencies for engineer and architect current and projected needs.
2. Use survey in recruiting and retention to focus efforts.
3. Actively promote the hiring of engineers and architects for (traditional and nontraditional roles) through brochures and outreach to agencies and external entities.
II. Focus
Area: Leadership Development
Goals:
A. Annual
leadership development seminars.
B. Develop
interagency leadership development program for E&As; and,
increase number of E&As participating in existing leadership development programs.
C. Identify existing or upcoming leadership positions and encourage E&As to apply.
Action
Plan:
A. Hold Engineer and Architect Leadership Development Seminar annually (develop interagency leadership development program for E&As).
1. Plan EALDS 2 years out.
2. Establish EPAC Ad Hoc planning committee.
3. Identify champion and theme.
4. Solicit funds and support.
5. Plan and implement the EALDS.
6. Expand beyond engineers and architects within 2 years (2004).
B. Identify existing leadership development programs.
1. EPAC task group to survey agencies and external organizations to identify good leadership development programs.
2. Routinely publish information on these programs on Web site and through weekly e-mails.
3. Seek incentive programs (funds, time away from program) to provide E&A opportunities to attend these programs.
C. Identify existing or upcoming leadership positions−encourage E&AS to apply.
1. EPAC task committee to identify means linking agencies liaisons and human resource offices with EPAC.
2. Routinely announce positions on Web site, e-mails, EPAC meetings.
D. Develop Leadership Handbook for Category
1. Identify core leadership competency for E&A using existing literature and research.
2. Collect presentations from previous EALDS.
3. Task group develops simple reference handbook.
E. Create Leadership Rotation Program (TDY details to develop leadership qualities in E&As).
1. Identify Opportunities – using engineer senior managers, etc.
2. Advertise opportunities.
3. Match applicants to opportunities.
Goals:
A. Enhance
the Esprit-De-Corps for entire Category through increased awareness of the Category,
building name or brand recognition, and sharing success stories.
B. Create
E&A mission and function statements.
C. Hold
a Category-sponsored conference.
D. Ensure
Category participation in agency orientations.
E. Establish
branding and name recognition through products.
Action Plan:
A. Create E&A mission and functional statements. (In process 2002)
1. Research other mission statements.
2. Ask the E&As for their ideas on a mission statement.
3. Work group to draft a mission statement.
4. Present proposed mission statement to PHS E&As.
5. Create excitement about the mission statement.
6. Give E&A laminated cards with mission statement.
7. Develop functional statement.
8. Use mission & functional statements as recruiting tool.
9. Acquire and use questions to guide drafting of functional statement.
B. Hold a Category-sponsored conference.
1. Develop theme – establish task committee to develop program.
2. Establish co-sponsors (e.g., SAME and ASCE).
3. Plan and implement.
C. Volunteer activity/team building events.
1. Participate in Earth Day teleconference and similar events.
2. Co-sponsor existing volunteer events with other organizations
3. COA – sponsor team building event for E&As.
D. Catchy name, song, slogan, identifying clothing. (All are completed)
E. Participate in agency orientations.
1. Develop rapport with those that hold orientations.
2. Ask for 5 minutes/give Powerpoint overview.
3. Encourage those attending to participate in engineering events.
4. Follow up with new engineers and supervisors.
F. Immediate actions by EPAC.
1. Review PHS demographics and compare to EPAC.
2. Actively solicit volunteers in underrepresented areas.
3. Work with BOTC to promote engineers.
Goals:
A. Wider notice of award recipients outside of the PHS including outreach to professional organizations, press releases, etc.
B. Notify supervisors directly of calls for award nominations and increase significantly the number of award nominations that are received.
C. Get PHS E&As to recognize that they are a part of an overarching Category of PHS E&As not just an agency E&A. Get national recognition of PHS E&A activities.
D. Develop parallel awards for architects or rename existing awards to be more “architect-friendly.” Coordinate with AIA and their award programs.
E. Recognize the status of the Category’s Professional Engineers, master’s degrees, etc.
Action
Plan:
A. Create architect awards
1. Work with AIA to include PHS in their award programs.
2. Develop Architect of the Year Award in PHS. (Initiated 2002)
B. Facilitate getting more nominations – advertise the awards.
1. Contact awards coordinators/follow up after announcements.
2. Send awards information to supervisors – develop contact database of engineering and architect supervisors (initiate development) – remind E&A supervisors that engineers and architects are eligible for other (e.g., AMSUS) awards.
3. Publicize awards on the USPHS Engineers Web site.
4. Include award winner’s photos, biosketch and citation on the Web site – maintain list of previous award winners on Web site.
5. Establish a Public Information Activity to publicize awards (e.g., using E&A Web site links to other organizations).
6. Use press releases to ROA, COA, SAME, and other professional organizations to publicize our awards and award winners.
7. Enhance awards Web page – not limiting to just E&A specific awards.
8. Notify supervisors of EPAC sponsored awards.
9. Call for nominations for EPAC awards come from OCE for more visibility.
10. Do press release in award winner’s hometown newspaper.
11. Use agency Commissioned Corps liaisons to get the word out on awards.
C. Develop E&A Awards Handbook.
1. Provide example award write-up that goes with the call for award nominations or develop an award template. A template might be better so that all award nominations do not look the same.
2. Let other organizations know about DHHS award winners.
3. Teach classes about the various types of awards available to PHS E&As.
4. Do press release in hometown newspaper.
5. Develop means of highlighting an E&A of the month.
6. Apply ideas inside the PHS. The typical E&A is not aware of what other E&As are doing. Special emphasis on getting folks involved in EPAC subcommittees to get folks to know about each other and, therefore, recognize each other. This is a public relations activity.
D. Promote external recognition of E&A achievements.
1. Recognize results of E&A projects by submitting them for ASCE, AAEE awards.
2. Develop E&A award for COA cosponsorship.
3. Produce an external newsletter that discusses E&As and highlights their projects and activities.
4. Hire professionals to market the Category, via Web site, promotional materials, news releases, etc.
V. Focus
Area: Resource Sharing
Goals:
A.
Primary Goal:
develop an engineer, architect, and organization Resource Directory (including technology transfer, PHS Web site,
testimonials, central library).
B. Identify opportunities and mechanisms for sharing resources both internal and external to the PHS.
C. Develop a program for interagency details within the engineer and architect Category.
Action Plan:
A. Announce the development of the Resource Directory to the Category.
B. Identify topics of expertise for the Resource Directory.
1. Request topics from engineers and architects through weekly e-mail.
2. Identify where engineers and architects and supervisors are and contact them for ideas - a Who’s Who list.
3. Contact organizations and agency liaisons for ideas.
C. Build the Resource Directory.
1. Include fields for professional specialty.
2. Include testimonials and/or showcase the engineers and architects of the month.
3. Obtain quotes and testimonials from award winners.
4. Identify leaders within the Category.
5. Provide opportunity for agency representatives to meet and discuss resource needs as a means to help build the Resource Directory.
6. Use the Resource Directory to help identify resources that can be shared both internal and external to the USPHS – market the resources to those needing engineering and architect expertise.
D. Build the central “library” for resource materials as an extension of the Resource Directory.
1. Contact the experts (identified above) to identify and request reference materials.
2. Establish links to Web sites where manuals of practice are located.
3. List those who recently passed the registration or certification exams.
4. Provide a means for those who will be taking an exam to contact those noted in item (D3).
E. Create a technology transfer program as part of the central library.
F. Create a program that facilitates details of engineers and architects between agencies and external organizations.
1. Create a task committee to explore potential for details.
2. Identify opportunities for details / market opportunities for details.
Appendices
B. Qualities
of Engineers
C. Previous
Strategic Plan
D. General
List Of Focus Areas That Were Originally Considered
E. List
Of All Goals That Were Considered
BACKGROUND
The need to form a Strategic Visioning Committee was identified by the Chief Engineer,
RADM Robert C. Williams, on the basis of the following factors. These issues where presented to the Strategic Visioning Committee at its first meeting and formed the background for all the work completed.
Background
Issues:
1. PHS engineers and architects need to be more visible.
2. There is an increasing need for engineers (CC and CS) in the PHS.
3.
There are fewer
4. Non-engineers are performing engineering work.
5. The first professional degree may become a master’s degree.
6. Registration may become requirement of any practice.
7. CS and CO Engineers need a sense of community.
8. The formation of the infrastructure security partnership (TISP) will impact us.
9. Become Renaissance Engineers (wide variety of interests and expertise).
10. Last visioning session March 1999.
Qualities of Engineers
1. Common purpose
2. Hard work
3. Good leadership
4. Excitement
5. Creativity
6.
7.
8. Trust it would happen
9. Challenging (a stretch)
10. Desire to meet commitment
11. Teamwork
12. Courage
13. Appropriate risk taking
14. Clear vision
15. Support from outside team
16. Infrastructure that allowed it to happen (i.e., funding)
17. Accomplishable
18. Met a real need in the community
19. Self development of planners
20. Provide guidance
21. Technical expertise
22. Problem solving
23. Outside recognition
Previous Strategic Plan
Engineering
Category Strategic Plan
Emergency Response
·
Provide
a mobile engineering force capable of responding to Chemical/Bioterrorism
threats with knowledge to determine hot-zone boundaries, evaluate damage and
threats to infrastructure (water, utilities, etc.) threats, establishment of
decontamination facilities, etc.;
·
Provide
engineering expertise to the nation and the world on public health concerns and
natural disasters, e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, ice storms, disease
outbreaks etc.
Environmental
·
Identify,
assess, and evaluate the health risks associated with hazardous waste sites,
unplanned releases of hazardous substances, environmental contamination or
pollution, and help to prevent or reduce further exposure and resultant
illnesses
·
Promote
public health, and prevent and control the spread of disease through the
installation of water treatment/delivery systems and waste
collection/treatment/disposal systems for under-served populations, and
promotion of appropriate engineering controls to address other health risks
Facilities
·
Provide
facilities management, planning and construction services for health care
delivery systems and research complexes
·
Actively
promote energy conservation projects
·
Promote
research and provide guidance to the public on the design, construction and
operation of "Healthy Buildings"
Leadership/Professional
Development
·
Promote
the centralization of the Corps personnel system such that the Surgeon
General/Assistant Secretary for Health has direct line authority to control the
assignments of officers and set the Corps objectives
·
Assist
OPDIV’s in developing and implementing a structured career development track
for their engineers. Coordinate the tracks in a manner that allows engineers to
move among the OPDIV’s without jeopardizing their promotions/careers
·
Emphasize
recruitment of minority and female engineers through the COSTEP program and by
focusing recruitment efforts at universities having significant minority and
female populations in the engineering disciplines;
·
Create
a strong inactive reserve component of engineers
·
Provide
leadership in efforts involving engineers in the government and the private
sector towards meeting the Healthy People 2010 goals
·
Create
a closer working relationship with other Uniformed Services to improve
cross-training relationships, specialty training, short term assignments, and
continuing education opportunities, such as professional meetings
·
Support
the Office of the Surgeon General in promoting and expecting officers to wear
the uniform daily
Research/Evaluation
·
Support
enforcement of
·
Provide
state-of-the-art hardware and software, and expertise in computer engineering
services such as: telecommunications;
facilities maintenance control systems, telemedicine design and installation,
LAN/WAN design; and biomedical research and testing programs
·
Conduct
research/evaluation focused upon reducing worker exposures to occupational
safety and health hazards
In the course of developing the action plans a great deal of brainstorming took place at Strategic Visioning Committee meetings. The list of these brainstorm ideas was then refined and focused down to the body of the Strategic Action Plan presented in the body of this document. In an effort to assist the next committee and to help preserve the chain of logic, the following list contains all the original brainstormed focus areas and goals proposed and considered by the committee.
1. Building Esprit-de-corps for the entire Category.
2. Who we are (general mission for PHS and vision).
3. Promote and market E&As − fill leadership roles.
4. Recruiting and retention.
5. Leadership development (opportunities, authority positions, training).
6. Foster a culture where E&As are leaders in public health.
7. Develop public health (non-engineering) competencies.
List of All GOALS That Were
Considered
1. Identify career paths and opportunities.
2. Identify needs for E&As for the next 3 years.
3. More junior E&As.
4. Succession planning.
5. Special pay for E&As.
6. Establish relationships with E&A schools.
7. Reduce percentage of E&A vacancies.
8. Greater use and implementation of the COSTEP Program.
9. PHS support for continuing education and registration.
10. Increase the number of E&A FTEs.
11. Increase number of Associate Recruiters to 10% of engineer strength.
12. Develop system to maintain pool of candidates for CS.
13. E&A leaders ensure challenging and rewarding positions under their control.
1. Leadership development.
2. Foster a culture where engineers are experts in public health.
3. Increase percentage of CCRF qualified E&As; includes programs for both CS and CO.
4. Publishing in nontraditional engineering publications.
5. Actively participate in professional organizations.
6. Develop public health competency in addition to engineering.
7. Annual leadership conference.
8. Increase CS participation in PHS engineering activities.
9. Time, money, etc. incentives to participate in professional organizations.
10. Identify existing leadership development programs.
11. Increase number of E&As participating existing leadership programs.
12. Develop interagency leadership development program for E&As.
13. Leadership development on a local level.
14. Identify existing or upcoming leadership position and encourage E&As to apply.
15. Identify recognize and promote our leadership.
16. Line authority for CPO and SG.
1.
Esprit-De-Corps for entire Category.
2.
Create E&A mission and function statements.
3.
Represent PHS demographics on EPAC.
4.
Communicate success stories.
5.
Category conference.
6.
Ribbon lapel pin for E&As.
7.
Fun team building events.
8.
Catchy name.
9.
Slogan.
10.
National volunteer activity.
11. BOTC Category participation.
12. Category participation in agency orientation.
1. Find a way to recognize supervisors of E&As that support E&A activities but are not themselves E&As.
2. Wider notice of award recipients outside of the PHS.
3. Notify supervisors directly of calls for award nominations.
4. Get PHS E&As to recognize that they are a part of an overarching Category of PHS E&As not just an agency E&A. Get national recognition of PHS E&A activities.
5. Develop parallel awards for architects or rename existing awards to be more “architect-friendly.” Coordinate with AIA and their award programs.
6. Increase significantly the number of award nominations that are received.
7. Do public relations for PHS E&A projects through newsletters, etc.
8. Recognize E&As who receive awards from outside organizations and publicize the receipt of those awards.
9. Recognize the status of the Category − number of P.E.s, master’s degrees, etc.
10. Continue with recognition of small but important achievements through letters from the Chief Engineer.
Resource Sharing
1. Technology transfer – E&As write-up activities that would benefit other E&As and publish on the PHS Web site.
2. Identify opportunities to partner with military services and other government agencies.
3. Increase ability to share resources by identifying mechanisms being used for details, short-term assignments, and technology transfer.
4. Include testimonials and information of what E&As are doing on PHS Web site.
5. Resource Directory including organizational and individual skills and strengths.
6. Details linking people’s interests with needs and opportunities; more formal detail program.
7. Push mentoring program.
8. Share resources through periodic meetings between agencies.
9. Central library for engineering materials.
10. Training.