Agencies can use various approaches for making a fact-based
determination of the critical human capital skills and competencies
needed for the future. For example, PBGC collected qualitative
information from interviews with agency executives and managers on the
factors influencing the agency's capability to acquire, develop, and
retain critical skills and competencies. Another approach, used by the
Department of the Army, is to collect extensive information from
employee surveys on education, training, and other factors that may
influence employees' skills.[Footnote 13] Information on attrition
rates and projected retirement rates, fluctuations in workload, and
geographic and demographic trends can also be useful. When estimating
the number of employees needed with specific skills and competencies,
it is also important to consider opportunities for reshaping the
workforce by reengineering current work processes, sharing work among
offices within the agency and with other agencies that have similar
missions, and competitive sourcing. (See fig. 3 for information on
NHGRI's approach for determining critical skills and competencies
needed to achieve its strategic goals.):