The Great Public-Service Talent Search

7/29/2019 The Great Public-Service Talent Search

1/30

The Great Public-ServiceTalent Search

Using National Service to Grow and Develop Human Resourcesor Antipoverty Programs and Other Public Needs

Joy Moses and Shirley Sagawa February 2013

WWW.AMERICANPROGRESS.O


2/30

The Great Public-ServiceTalent SearchUsing National Service to Grow and Develop

Human Resources or Antipoverty Programsand Other Public Needs

Joy Moses and Shirley Sagawa February 2013


3/30

1 Introduction and summary

3 Public-service agencies and the need to focus on talent

8 Underutilized talent

13 National service: Addressing the needs of public-service

agencies

17 Blueprint for agencies and programs wanting to engage

national service

24 Conclusion

25 About the authors

26 Endnotes

Contents


4/30

1 Center or American Progress |The Great Public -Ser vice Talent Search

Introduction and summary

A his criical ime, as public-service agenciesgovernmen a all levels and

nonpro organizaions ha serve he publicare acing increased demand wih

ewer resources, having a qualiy workorce is essenial. Bu many public-service

agencies are experiencing signican human resource challenges, including high

urnover due o poor pay and sressul working condiions, aging workorces,

and shorages o skilled proessionals. Any one o hese issues can grealy impac

a programs success, and even he mos well-designed programs will no work i

hey have people problems. Tus, aciviies aimed a building and developing ourpublic-service workorce are criically imporan. Unorunaely, previous sudies

have shown ha public-service elds such as governmen, educaion, and healh

care lag behind privae-secor companies in mos areas o alen developmen.1

While a muliaceed approach is needed o address human resource issues in

public service, he sraegic expansion o naional serviceshor-erm commi-

mens o voluneer or work or limied sipends in elds ha help people and

communiies in areas such as educaion or conservaionhas much o conrib-

ue o he developmen o alen in he helping elds. AmeriCorps, he ederal

governmens larges civilian naional-service program, has been shown o have

a signican impac on members career choices. A longiudinal sudy based on

daa colleced eigh years aer members compleed heir one year o service con-

clusively demonsraes ha AmeriCorps alumni are signicanly more civically

engaged and more likely o pursue public-service careers in he governmen and

nonpro secor han heir counerpars in he comparison group.2 Evidence rom

individual AmeriCorps programs similarly suppors his conclusion.

Any expansion o naional service, i i is o successully bear rui, mus be rooed in:

Approaches ha mee he immediae human resource needs o he argeed eld

Long-erm hinking abou how o coninue o engage paricipans even aer

hey have compleed service periods


5/30


Naional service is an ideal vehicle o connec wih underuilized alen groups,

including youh, reirees, veerans, and parens reurning o he workorceindi-

viduals who oen express an ineres in service.

A greaer invesmen in naional service produces a wealh o benes, including

helping agencies and organizaions o:

Manage scal consrains Sraegically advance program goals Build and develop a workorce Access skilled proessionals and individuals wih valuable lie experiences Spark innovaion Elevae he presige o heir elds

Nonpro organizaions and governmen agencies a all levels should inves

resources in building new service corps ha ake advanage o hese benes.Tis will ulimaely help hem o harness he alen wihin heir eld and achieve

desired oucomes such as reducing povery.

Various naional-service models are inormaive, including ones rom he emer-

gency managemen, educaion, legal services, and child welare elds. Imporan

lessons can be learned rom hem abou recruimen, raining and menoring,

reenion, esablishing avenues or innovaion, building career ladders, and

ulimaely achieving legislaive and programmaic goals ha improve he services

being oered or he people and communiies ha hey serve.

Tis paper lays ou a blue prin or esablishing and expanding service models and

provides guidance o help public agencies and organizaions gure ou how o ge

sared and how o go abou making imporan decisions concerning inended

goals, program design, and he implemenaion o culure change.


6/30


Public-service agencies and the

need to focus on talent

People are one o he mos criical componens deermining he success o ani-

povery and oher governmen programs. For hose who work in public service,

his is inuiive and acceped as ac. Tey may know, or insance, o a childrens

program ha ges good resuls and assume ha is due o he qualiy o is organi-

zaional leader or ronline program workers, all o whom may be paricularly pas-

sionae abou heir work and helping children, demonsrae culural compeency

in working wih he populaion, or mus possess some oher qualiies ha hey

jus can pu heir nger on.

In some areas here is research o suppor he imporance o inuiion and ha i

is he people behind he programs ha can make all he dierence. Te Cener

or American Progress has produced a series o publicaions demonsraing

ha eecive eachers are crucial o suden success, and he U.S. Governmen

Accounabiliy Oce has ound ha sang is imporan o oher youh services.

I saed he ollowing in Disconnected Youth: Federal Action Could Address Some

of the Challenges Faced By Local Programs Tat Reconnect Youth to Education and

Employment: Many youh we spoke wih across programs agreed ha sa were

a primary reason hey coninued in he program. 3 Qualiy sang was key o

program success: Youh who remain engaged in he programs are able o achieve

heir inended benes.

Te imporance o successul alen managemen o public service is clear, as are he

curren exising challenges. Les examine some o hese challenges in greaer deail.

Recession, recovery, and budget cuts

Te Grea Recession and he slow recovery have negaively impaced unding a

all levels o governmen. Te ederal governmen, burdened by he expensive wars

in Iraq and Aghanisan and he Bush ax cus, has been endeavoring o balance

he naional budge. Since 2011 he ederal governmen has achieved $2.4 ril-


7/30


lion in deci reducion, hree-quarers o which came hrough spending cus.4

Likewise, saes aced similar scal challenges and experienced $540 billion in

budge shoral ls beween 2009 and 2012. Local governmens ared no beter.5

Meanwhile, a broad range o nonprosmany o which serve low-income

Americanshave experienced hree consecuive years o increased demand or

services ranging rom ood o sheler o job assisance, bu 31 percen o heseservice organizaions operaed in he red, and 20 percen had o grealy reduce

or eliminae services.6

A a ime when many public agencies are bese wih hiring reezes and layos,

i may seem counerinuiive o hink abou recruimen policies. Bu his is

exacly he ime o consider hese ypes o quesions. Firs, i an agency mus

operae wih limied sang or some period moving orward, here is even

more o an imperaive o nd he bes people possible. Second, smar hinking

during lean imes allows or smar growh when resources once again expand.

And nally, he ool o naional service allows or he leveraging o resources obring on shor-erm help o mee criical needs.

Low priority syndrome

In he mids o eors o balance budges, some programs or services are deemed

less criical han ohers depending on he uncion hey serve and he shared

values o policymakers a all levels o governmen. Such programs, some o which

serve he poor, are more likely o ace deeper cusor indeed, cus a allhan

programs viewed as being prioriies. Tese low-prioriy programs mus here-

ore develop creaive ways o make do wih less while sill mainaining he levels o

human resources necessary o reach heir goals.

Competition for funding

Governmens, privae oundaions, and donors increasingly wan public-service

programs o demonsrae cerain levels o success in order o be compeiive

or limied unding resources. Sang becomes all he more imporan in hisscenario. An agency can have he mos well-designed program in he world, bu

wihou an eecive sa o implemen i, is abiliy o achieve and prove success

will be limied and is curren and uure unding will be hreaened.


8/30


Aging workforce

Some public-service proessions will soon ace a alen void as aging work-

orces ready or reiremen. Te American Way to Change: How National Service

& Volunteers are ransforming America, a book by CAP Visiing Fellow Shirley

Sagawa, explains he severe impac o he baby-boomer generaion reaching reire-men, poining ou ha over he nex decade he nonpro public-service secor

will lose more han 50 percen o is curren leadership, requiring 640,000 new

leaders. Addiionally, he repor noes ha he ederal governmen is currenly in

need o an esimaed 270,000 new workers across is various agencies.7

Turnover

Aside rom concerns abou an aging workorce, public-service agencies end

o experience lower urnover raes han privae employers, perhaps due o jobsabiliy and he qualiy-o-lie and benes acors associaed wih some public-

service proessions.8 Neverheless, here is a need o have a pool o qualiy workers

o draw upon in response o he urnover ha does occur. Tere is also a need o

ensure ha he bes possible workers are obained o ll he limied number o

spos when here are openings.

Diversity

Some elds and agencies are lacking in diversiyracial, gender, socioeconomic

background, and oher ypes. Many o hese proessions and organizaions rec-

ognize he imporance o having a diversiy o perspecives, personaliies, and lie

experiences inorming heir work, so ha sa members can hopeully nd a sense

o connecion wih hose being served.

Growing use of technology

Te growing use o echnology ha allows or he easy sorage and access orecords, or individuals o apply or benes online, and or oher conveniences

decreases he amoun o human resources needed or paperwork and suggess

he need o rehink he alen requiremens o agencies and organizaions. Ideally,


9/30


his would ranslae ino beter uses o ime and an opporuniy or more human

resources o be spen on acually helping people and improving program resuls.

Prestige problems

Public service is oen associaed wih having lower pay han he privae secor.

For his reason as well as ohers, work in he public-service eld can be considered

less presigious han oher orms o employmen. Eors o elevae he presige

o he workby, or example, making i a more compeiive eld o enerare

needed o draw he bes possible alen o public service.

Lack of special skills professionals

Wihin some elds o public servicesuch as healh carehere is a shorage oindividuals wih specialized skills and raining: Docors, or example, and oher

healh care workers, as well as menal healh proessionals and social workers. A

hisory o resource consrains may have prevened agencies rom oering he sala-

ries ha hese ypes o proessionals ypically require; hese proessionals may no

be drawn o paricular elds or regions o he counry; or oher acors may exis

ha vary by eld. A any rae, hese individuals could be remendously helpul o

such goals as ending povery.

Small agencies and organizations

Many public-service agencies are small. As a resul, hey have limied nancial and

human resources available o develop sophisicaed means o alen managemen. Te

abiliy o band ogeher wih oher nonpros or rely on ouside eniies or direc

help and guidance wih alen managemen would be helpul o small agencies.

Given he imporance o alen managemen o public-service work a he local

levelhose who direcly inerac wih low-income cliens and program par-

icipansand he curren challenges associaed wih i, oo litle atenion ispaid o alen by hose involved in ederal- and sae-level policy developmen

and implemenaionlegislaors, adminisraive agency ocials, advocaes, and

researchers. Tose a he ederal and sae level are in a unique posiion o ideniy

wha works in alen managemen across elds, regions, and service populaions.


10/30


Skill ses and personaliy rais helpul in working wih youh, or example, may

dier rom hose ha are helpul when working wih seniors or recen immigrans.

Federal- and sae-level workers are also in he posiion o share model pracices

and develop policies ha suppor heir implemenaion.

Undoubedly, addressing alen managemen a he local level will require muliplecomponens. Tis repor is ocused on jus one already exising and signicanly

imporan oolnaional service as one means o recruiing high-qualiy, unde-

ruilized alen o vially imporan public-service proessions ha work direcly

wih low-income people and communiies.

Naional service provides an imporan bridge beween he alen needs o public-

service agencies, as oulined above, and he imporan sources o underuilized alen.


11/30


Underutilized talent

Public-service programs can grow and urher develop sraegies o ake advan-

age o Americas underuilized alen pools. Cerain subgroupssuch as youh,

reirees, veerans, parens, and people reenering he workorce aer an exended

breakhave much o oer.

Youth

Young people beween he ages o 16 and 24 mus compee in he job marke

wih more seasoned workers or nd designaed enry-level opporuniies. A he

end o 2012, 24 percen o people ages 16 o 19 and 14 percen o people ages 20

o 24 were unemployed.9 Furhermore, here is a subse o young peopleoen

reerred o as opporuniy youhha experiences he greaes challenges.

Tese young people have no signican or lasing connecions o eiher work or

school; here are an esimaed 6.7 million o hem, and hey are more likely ha

oher youhs o be poor and have limied educaion.10

Public-service agencies should be paricularly ineresed in youhul workers because:

Youth are interested in them. Many young people wan o be involved in public

service. A survey o graduaing college sudens revealed ha he op hree

areas in which hey wan o work are governmen, human services, and educa-

ion.11 Similar inclinaions may exis among hose young people who don have

degrees or who have ye o complee one. Despie his ineres, relaive o he

general populaion, youhs aged 16 o 24 are under-represened wihin govern-

men service. Las summer 16 percen o all workers were in governmen service

compared o jus 7 percen o hose workers who were 16 o 24 years old.12

Energy and innovation.Youhul energy is someimes helpul in reinvigora-

ing oces and eors. Fresh ses o eyes on old siuaions can help bring abou

change and innovaion in places where here is sucien encouragemen and


12/30


space or new ideas. Age diversiy is especially imporan in he anipovery

world. Te eld largely arges young parens and children. Engaging workers

closer o he age o he arge group is likely o advance program goals.

Affordability. Young workers moivaed by an opporuniy o give back o heir

communiies and gain valuable work experience are oen willing o serve inexchange or a modes living allowance. Tis group has suden loan challenges:

Aordabiliy is he mos common reason young workers cie or no being in

school, and an esimaed 40 percen o people under he age o 30 have ou-

sanding suden loan deb.13 Tus, increasingly beter opporuniies ha allow

sudens o earn educaional scholarships or heir service or o bene rom

loan-paymen deerrals or excused deb or heir servicea policy decision

ha is wihin he power o governmencan prove o be relaively inexpensive

means o building a srong public-service workorce.

Retirees

In 2011 he oldes baby boomers reached he reiremen age o 65. Tere are

76 million people in his generaion, made up o people born in he period

aer World War II. Curren rends sugges ha an increasing percenage o his

demographic will coninue working even aer hey reire. In a 2011 American

Associaion o Reired Persons, or AARP, poll ound ha ully 81 percen o

baby boomers expec o be engaged in some orm o work once hey reire.14

Par-ime work was he mos popular expecaion, alhough some researchers

sugges ha mos working reirees have ull-ime posiions, wih some working

more han 40 hours a week.15

Public-service agencies and naional service agencies should be paricularly iner-

esed in his alen pool because hey:

Have a desire to serve. eaching, nursing, and child care were among he op 10

mos popular pos-reiremen jobs.16 Since hese elds can oer naional-service

opporuniies and are experiencing criical worker shorages, reirees desire o

work in hese areas provides a remendous opporuniy.

Possess experience. Older workers obviously oer in-deph proessional

experience rom a diversiy o elds. Tey also have lie experience ha may be

remendously valuable o human services agencies. A grandmoher, or example,


13/30

10 Center or American Progress |The Great Public -Ser vice Talent Sear ch

may have a lo o wisdom o share abou childrearing wih paricipans in a pro-

gram or eenage mohers.

Appreciate supplementary income. Only 14 percen o baby boomers are

compleely saised wih heir reiremen savings, and a growing number44

percendon hink ha hey will be able o aord he liesyle hey wan inreiremen.17 Tus, hose who have oher primary sources o income appreciae

par-ime opporuniies ha allow hem o earn a litle bi exra. Ohers don need

he income bu jus wan somehing meaningul o do. In engaging older workers

on a par-ime basis, agencies can bene rom heir experience while sill paying

hem less han hey earned beore reiremen since hey are working ewer hours.

Are happier workers and improve work environments.Job saisacion

increases wih age, and reirees are happier wih heir work han hose who

have ye o reire.18 Reirees may hereore bring more posiive energy o heir

work and workplaces.

Veterans

Many veerans are doing well in he workorce. Unorunaely, his isn always

he case or veerans who served during he mos recen Gul Warsa group

ha coninues o be associaed wih some roublesome saisics. By he end o

2012, 10.2 percen o hese veerans were unemployed compared o 7.4 percen

o nonveerans.19

Younger veerans ages 18 o 24 warran paricular concern: 1 in 4 were unem-

ployed a he end o 2012.20 Tis is due in par o he increased numbers leaving

acive miliary duy, suggesing an evolving group o people in need o work. Bu

oher acors are also relevan, such as young veerans being more likely han non-

veerans o paricipae in he job marke, eiher by working or looking or work;

a relucance by some employers o hire individuals who could be called o duy;

and he general challenges aced by youh in he job markechallenges largely

semming rom a lack o work experience, which hinders heir abiliy o compee

or jobs wih more seasoned workers.


14/30


Public-service agencies and naional-service programs should be ineresed in

veerans because hey:

Possess useful skills and work experience.Veerans represen a broad range

o educaional and work backgrounds, oering experise o a diverse area o

issues. Teir miliary service requires hem o develop cerain skills ha areuseul in public service and oher work siuaions such as he leadership and

problem-solving skills and he abiliy o work in high-sress siuaions and

in a eam. Finally, given he naure o recen miliary eors, here is reason

o believe ha some veerans experience wih naion building abroad could

ranslae o domesic communiy-developmen eors.

Are already inclined toward service. Governmen is already he larges employer

o veerans. In 2010 30 percen o veerans who served in he mos recen

Gul War worked or ederal, sae, or local governmens, and according o he

online job service Monser.com, veerans mos desire o work in governmenor he miliary.21 Veerans o he recen Gul wars are paricularly inclined

oward cerain issues: 95 percen wan o serve wounded veerans, 88 percen

wan o paricipae in disaser relie, 86 percen wan o serve a-risk youh,

and 82 percen wan o help senior ciizens. 22

Require a period of transition. Fory percen o veerans rom he mos recen

Gul wars indicae ha hey are experiencing diculies readjusing o civil-

ian lie. 23 Tose who voluneer, however, are more likely o repor ha heir

ransiions are going well. Tus, naional service is likely a good opion or

many, generally helping reurning veerans readjus and providing hem wih an

opporuniy o gure ou wha o do nex beore making any long-erm commi-

mensand some will cerainly decide o coninue in public service.

Parents re- entering the workforce

Career-oriened parens o young children are anoher underuilized pool o al-

en. Tese parens sruggle wih decisions balancing work and amilyhey wan

o advance in heir careers while also making he parening choices ha are besor heir children. An esimaed 43 percen o highly qualied working mohers

sep ou o he workorce a some poin and say ou or an average o wo years.24

ime los in building proessional experience and neworks ranslaes ino lower

uure earnings and, or some, re-enering he workorce aer an absence can be


15/30


challenging.25 Tus, a growing number o parensand especially 48 percen

o career-oriened moherswan o work par ime during heir childrens

preschool years, and mos wan o reurn o ull-ime work aerwards.26 Public-

service employers and naional-service programs ha allow parens o mainain

connecions o he work world while building and developing valuable skills could

be very atracive o career-ambiious parens. Some parens may even desire oconinue in public service once hey reurn o ull-ime work.


16/30


National service: Addressing the

needs of public-service agencies

Naional service is one vial ool ha can help public-service agencies address

heir alen needs. Imporanly, i can help build a bridge beween hese agencies

and he underuilized alen groups described above who are excied abou public

service and who oen possess valuable skills and lie experiences. Naional service

is urher associaed wih oher angible benes ha ulimaely advance program

goals and he achievemen o desired oucomes.

o ully undersand is value, i is imporan o undersand he basics o naionalservice, as well as is origins and how i has been shown o creae muually bene-

cial resuls or public-service agencies and underuilized ale.

Tis year marks he 20h anniversary o he signing o he Naional and

Communiy Service rus Ac by ormer Presiden Bill Clinon. Tis legisla-

ion auhorized a large-scale naional-service program, which was subsequenly

expanded by ormer Presiden George W. Bush. In 2009 Presiden Barack

Obama signed he Serve America Ac o ie naional service o imporan priori-

ies and o increase he number o people serving annually in AmeriCorps o

250,000, alhough unding has been inadequae o achieve hese arges. In he

years since he signing o he Naional and Communiy Ser vice rus Ac in

1993, more han 750,000 Americans have served in AmeriCorps and become

eligible or Segal Educaion Awards, which can be used o pay educaion coss a

qualiying insiuions o high educaion.27

Over he years a number o service models have emergedsome unded under

he ederal naional-service legislaionha are inormaive o eors o develop

programs ha advance he immediae needs o public-service agencies and

organizaions while also being mindul o he long-erm human resource needs oparicular elds. Examples can be ound in elds such as emergency managemen,

educaion, legal services, and child welare. (see ex boxes below)


17/30


When Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast at the end o last year, the

ederal response teams included members o the Federal Emer-

gency Management Agencys service arm FEMA Corps, which was

created in March 2012. These individuals helped survivors register

or disaster assistance, cleared debris, processed donations, and

distributed supplies, among other things. According to one Corps

member, Many [storm survivors] were appreciative to see us and

relieved just to have someone just to talk to.

FEMA Corps represents a partnership between the Federal Emer-

gency Management Agency and the Corporation or National and

Community Service whose goal is to create 1,600 member slo

or youth 18 to 24 years old. Not only was it designed to grow

nations capacity to respond to disaster, but it also has an exp

goal o creating pathways to work or young people through

ing, experience, and educational opportunity. The intention i

prepare youth or careers in emergency management and to

some workorce development goals such as increasing divers

reliability within the eld.

Sources:FEMA, An Innovative Cost-Saving Partnership to Strengthen Disaster Response and ExpOpportunities or Young People(2013); Deanne Criswell, FEMA Corps, Expanding OpportunitieYoung Adults(Washington: FEMA, 2012).

National service: Emergency management

Moreover, he lis o noed benes associaed wih agency engagemen in naional

service is long.

Manage fiscal constraints. Public-service agencies commonly experience bud-

geary consrains while rying o address needs ha ar oupace heir resources.

Te Grea Recession and subsequen recovery period have only exacerbaed his

norm. Under such condiions, naional service provides manpower o mainain

and grow he work o agencies.

Strategically advance program goals and improve outcomes. Programs can be

houghul abou heir approaches o service, shaping he work o service par-

icipans o advance he agencys mission and esablished goals. In doing so, hey

provide paricipans wih relevan raining, menoring, and oher ools designed

o achieve desired oucomes. Agencies and organizaions can measure he ou-

comes achieved by service paricipans and deliberaely make course correcions

ha beter he oucomes achieved by service members.

Access skilled professionals who would otherwise be unaffordable. Service can

be used o engage individuals recenly compleing relevan graduae school pro-grams. Full-ime service opporuniies help jumpsar heir careers by giving hem

valuable, real-world work experience and proessional developmen while helping

hem pay or heir educaion hrough Segal Educaion Awards and college loan

orgiveness opporuniies oered hrough boh public and privae sources.


18/30


Access workers with valuable life experiences. Naional-service paricipans

may have lie experiences ha are paricularly valuable o he work o service

agencies. Some workers, or example, may have experienced povery or lived in

he neighborhoods being serviced by a program, or youh service paricipans

may nd i easier o relae o eens in an agencys youh program.

Move beyond accessing workers to developing a workforce. As previously

noed, service programs help agencies access diverse workersvarying in such

acors as age, race, socioeconomic background, gender, educaion and skills

atainmen, and lie experience. Once hese individuals have been exposed o a

eld and acquired knowledge and proessional conacs, many decide o pursue

a career in he service eld. Tis is a denie plus or agencies cognizan o long-

erm alen managemen and acing human resources challenges.

Spark innovation. Bringing new and diverse individuals ino a eld is a pahway

oward innovaion. Individuals wih dieren lie experiences view hings in dier-en ways, and hey may also have new ideas abou how o expand and improve pro-

gramming. And he fexibiliy oered by naional service provides room or service

paricipans o ake new approaches, work across silos, and innovae in oher ways.

Reduce poverty through creating opportunity.Agencies creaing service pro-

grams ha engage opporuniy youh and oher low-income people help o reduce

povery among hose individuals. In he shor erm, paricipans have access o living

sipends, educaion awards, and healh care. Bu hey are also developing long-erm

skills and a work hisory ha improves heir uure oulook or work and earnings.

Take advantage of new funding opportunities. Programs ha incorporae ser-

vice ino heir work may become eligible or new unding opporuniies. Some

governmen programs, or example, reward granees who are able o eecively

leverage resources hrough such means as incorporaing service ino heir work.

Funders may be paricularly enamored o unding service-employmen oppor-

uniies or paricular groups o people such as youh or veerans.

Elevate the prestige of a field. Paricipaing in naional service is a compeiive

process ha draws highly alened people rom across he counry. Atracingindividuals who boh desire o serve in a paricular program and are highly

alened helps o elevae he respec or he eld and he work. Also, processes

ha are more compeiive raise he bar on he alen ha eners a specic eld

and program oucomes are sure o improve relaive o he exen ha individuals

seleced remain involved over he long erm.


19/30


Much can be learned rom the legal services eld. One signicant

example is the service program developed by the nonprot organiza-

tion Equal Justice Works, which has some o its service opportunities

unded through the Corporation or National and Community Serviceand each year places upward o 70 to 80 attorneys in civil legal ser-

vices organizations across the country. Participants are largely recent

law school graduates who agree to two years o service using their

legal education to help low-income Americans. It has been trans-

ormative or the eld, recruiting rom law schools, helping to train

participants, and providing them with stipends and education awards

to serve at nonprot organizations. Many participants continue in

the eld o public service even ater their service period, substantially

contributing to the talent pool o public-service lawyers and becom-

ing an unocial gateway into the eld.

One notable aspect o Equal Justice Works is that it identies a

specic project or the service participant to take ownership o, carv-

ing out a space or him or her to develop and implement new ideas

and methods o service. During the process, the service participant

benets rom advice and assistance rom a supervisor. Importantly,

they also spend part o their time contributing to previously existing

projects and client work, helping to reduce some o the burden o the

work load or existing staf.

Operating on a much smaller scale is the DC Volunteer Lawyers

ect, which provides legal assistance to domestic violence surviv

in the District o Columbia, helping them to obtain civil protect

orders and deal with other amily law issues. Volunteers receiveorm o compensation. The organization is inormative in that i

provides one example o a good way to use one group o unde

lized talentstay-at-home moms who want to remain connec

to, or transition back into, work that allows them to make use o

legal degrees. The model was so appealingallowing volunte

do some o their service rom homethat hundreds o volunte

came orward largely through word o mouth. Some o the mo

returned to ull-time work in the eld o domestic violence and

orms o public service. In the meantime, the DC Volunteer Law

Project has become the largest resource o amily law pro bono

sistance in Washington, D.C.

Sources: Interview with Kerry OBrien, Director o Federal Programs and Strategic Initiatives, Equ

Works, June 26, 2012; Interview with Jenny Brody, Founder and President o the Board o DirectoVolunteer Lawyers Project, July 11, 2012.

Field: Legal services


20/30


Blueprint for agencies and programs

wanting to engage in national service

Tis secion provides inormaion or agencies ineresed in exploring service as a

means o advance heir missions. I covers he major areas ha hey mus consider.

Naional service reers o ull-ime civilian service; AmeriCorps is he ederal

governmens major naional-service program. Paricipans in he program ypi-

cally receive a modes living allowanceone ha is a leas equal o minimum

wageand hey may receive oher benes as well, including healh insurance and

an educaion award or oher bene a he end o heir erm o service. Naionalservice is ypically a ull-ime endeavor, so individuals require nancial suppors

o enable heir paricipaion. In some cases, par-ime service may qualiy as

naional service.

Te unding sreams o he Corporaion or Naional and Communiy Service, he

ederal agency responsible or he naions major naional service programs, include:

Grant-funded AmeriCorps. Grans are awarded on a compeiive and ormula

basis o saes and nonpro organizaions o operae AmeriCorps programs.

Education award-only AmeriCorps. Nonpros and public agencies may com-

pee or Segal Educaion Awards, which are ypically accompanied by modes

xed grans.

Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA. VISA posiions are allocaed

direcly by he Corporaion or Naional and Communiy Service, eiher

hrough is sae oce srucure or a he naional level. VISA projecs mus

ocus on building permanen inrasrucure in organizaions o help hem more

eecively bring individuals and communiies ou o povery.

VISTA cost-shares. Cos-shares are VISA posiions ha are paid orin ull or

in parby a source oher han he Corporaion or Naional and Communiy

Service, such as privae donors or oundaions.


21/30


National Civilian Community Corps, or NCCC. Te NCCC is he only

AmeriCorps program direcly operaed by he Corporaion or Naional and

Communiy Service. A residenial program, he NCCC provides housing, living

allowances, benes, and educaion awards o members, who may be deployed

on projecs hroughou he counry.

AmeriCorps gran unding is limied, and governor-appoined sae commissions

or naional nonpro organizaions usually award i based on compeiion. In he

pas, however, ederal agencies have developed parnerships wih he Corporaion

or Naional and Communiy Service, which has esablished experise and exis-

ing srucures or running naional-service programs, o secure VISA posi-

ions or use heir own resources o pay he coss o AmeriCorps programs. Te

Corporaion or Naional and Communiy Service, or example, operaes FEMA

Corps wih resources provided by he Federal Emergency Managemen Agency

o he Naional Civilian Communiy Corps. Sae and local public agencies may

access AmeriCorps hrough heir sae commissions, which receive some undingbased on a ormula and may apply or addiional unds on a compeiive basis.

Agencies ineresed in pursuing naional service as a sraegy o address alen

challenges migh ake he ollowing seps:

Assess your needs

Agencies should begin he process wih a needs assessmen o he human resource

challenges o heir elds. Sudies ideniying curren or uure gaps in workorce

qualiy or size may poin o areas in which a naional-service sraegy migh be

benecial. I such sudies are no available, a survey o agency granees, personnel,

or oher daa may be colleced o deermine where gaps may be emerging.

Develop goals

Based on he needs assessmen, ideniy specic goals or your eor. Goals may

speciy he specic jobs or regions o be argeed or he ypes o individuals obe recruied. When possible, goals should include measures o success, including

numbers o individuals o be engaged.


22/30


Identify models

Early in he process, i may be useul o reach ou o he Corporaion or Naional

and Communiy Service or advice regarding ways ha naional service could

address idenied needs. Te corporaion may help ideniy exising models,

which may also be o assisance in concepualizing a larger-scale eor.

Identify resources

Creaing a program akes resources o pay or living allowances, benes, and pro-

gram inrasrucure. Some agencies have used discreionary money or his pur-

pose or idenied privae-secor sources o suppor program coss. Agencies migh

also ideniy unding sreams in heir conrol ha could suppor naional service

hrough curren law or wih minor legislaive or regulaory changes. Inorming

agencies and organizaions unds may be used or naional service programs, using

he bully pulpi, and liing up model programs may also spur a eld o publicservice o consider naional-service sraegies.

Teach or America is probably the most well-known service program.

It aims to recruit high-quality talent to teaching with the goal o im-

proving the outcomes associated with that eld. Its participants make

a two-year commitment to teach low-income students in schoolsacross the country. They benet rom training and a vast peer and

alumni network.

Much has been said and written about Teach or America; in this

report, the ocus is on two aspects o their model. First, it has

been successul in drawing signicant numbers o recent college

graduates, many rom elite institutions, to commit to a period o

servicethe program currently has more than 10,000 members

in the eld. By creating a high demand or spots, competition has

increased as well as the prestige associated with participating

program and teaching low-income students. Second, the pro

has put an emphasis on diversity. In doing so, it has recruited

romand ormed partnerships withan extensive list o coand organizations predominately consisting o people o colo

result has been a diverse group o participants, 38 percent o

are people o color. Thus, Teach or America demonstrates ho

service can help to draw diverse and high-quality talent to a

need o workorce development.

Source: Teach or America, About Teach For America, available at https://www.teachorameric

sites/deault/les/2012-13_press_kit_updated_12_21_12.pd(last accessed February 2013).

National service: Education
https://www.teachforamerica.org/sites/default/files/2012-13_press_kit_updated_12_21_12.pdfhttps://www.teachforamerica.org/sites/default/files/2012-13_press_kit_updated_12_21_12.pdfhttps://www.teachforamerica.org/sites/default/files/2012-13_press_kit_updated_12_21_12.pdfhttps://www.teachforamerica.org/sites/default/files/2012-13_press_kit_updated_12_21_12.pdfhttps://www.teachforamerica.org/sites/default/files/2012-13_press_kit_updated_12_21_12.pdf


23/30


Fine-tune program designs

When developing a service program, agencies should consider he arge popu-

laion o be recruied; he eecive mehods o reaching and atracing hese

individuals; he bes mehods o orien and rain hem; he bes ways o supervise

heir work; and he bes ways o assess he impac o he program. Deciding i heprogram should be operaed hrough a gran srucure or oher unding model and

who are naural parnerssuch as universiies, naional associaions, or exising

service programsare oher quesions ha mus be answered.

Assess cost-benefit

Agencies may wan o assess he cos eeciveness o service sraegies as a way o

jusiy heir pursui o any sakeholders who migh see such sraegies as ouside

he mainsream and hereore unwise. A a minimum, agencies should be able oprovide he expeced value o he service o be provided and o show how much

he service migh cos i unded hrough radiional means.

Connect to the larger national-service network

Finally, agencies should consider wheher heir programs would bene rom

being par o he Corporaion or Naional and Communiy Service nework. In

some cases, he Corporaion or Naional and Communiy Service may be able

o provide Segal Educaional Awards o program members, which may help wih

agencies recruimen.

Prepare existing workforce for a sea change

Inroducing a service program and is paricipans ino he work o your eld may rep-

resen a sea changeand someimes, change is dicul. Some hough mus be given

as o how o creae a welcoming and supporive environmen or his new eor.

Leadership is keyleaders a he ederal and sae level mus be demonsrably

invesed in hese eors and convey enhusiasm and commimen or successully

moving hem orward. Tis mus be suppored by well-designed raining and ech-

nical assisance, including model examples rom paricular elds o public service.


24/30


Local-level all-sarsprogram adminisraors wih proven success in implemen-

ing oher iniiaivesshould be idenied and suppored wih he expecaion

ha hey can creae new models ha can be replicaed by heir colleagues. Tese

ousanding individuals have he abiliy o be paricularly persuasive in encourag-

ing ohers o ollow heir pah.

Consan communicaion will also be key and is vial o ensuring ha all sa

members are aware o he goals, poenial, and deails o he service program.

Clear communicaion avoids conusion, addresses concerns, and promoes a sense

o shared invesmen in he success o he program. I will be paricularly impor-

an o heavily promoe successes and achievemenssuch as he advancemen

o program goals and he paricularly successul acions o alened voluneers

hroughou individual agencies and he eld.

Finally, agencies should brainsorm oher eld-specic, agency-specic, or

oce-specic ways o eecively achieving he goal o managing sea changesince work culures vary.

Create room for innovation

Wih he inroducion o new alen ino public-service workplaces and he

capabiliy o work across silos, naional service has grea poenial o spur innova-

ion wihin work elds. Fully realizing his poenial, however, will require some

sraegic planning.

New inernal and cross-secor parnerships could be buil wih he aim o deer-

mining how service paricipans will help o ll gaps in service delivery. I will

also be imporan o build avenues or service paricipans o innovae ino he

srucure o he program. Equal Jusice Works, or example, requires ha parici-

pans work wih hos organizaions o creae heir own projecs, giving hem space

o innovae and assume leadership over all aspecs o he work.

Consider long-term talent management

Naional service brings valuable and underuilized alen ino public service agen-

cies. Bu o have maximum impac, i will be imporan o reain hese individuals

over he long erm by connecing hem o career ladders and addiional educaion


25/30


Childrens Corps is an emerging service model operating in New York

City that is patterned ater the Teach or America model. Established in

2011 by a nonprot organization that partners with local child welare

agencies, it aims to develop the child welare workorce. Participantsare largely recent college graduates who commit to serve or two years

as caseworkers or amilies involved in the oster care system.

Targeting a eld that has high turnover rates, the ounders o Childrens

Corps were extremely thoughtul in their approach. They went through

an exhaustive process o determining what types o qualities are best

suited or the job, including holding ocus groups with amilies who

had been involved in the child welare system. The resulting prole

they developed is utilized in the screening o potential candidate

Childrens Corps. The program also employs structured mentorin

the development o peer networks. Getting the right people invo

in service and providing them with valuable social supports lays oundation or reducing turnover within the proession.

Some Childrens Corps members look to pursue graduate studi

social work with the support o the program, adding another e

aimed at workorce development.

Sources: Interview with Barry Chakin, Chie Executive Ofcer, Fostering Change or Children (A2012); Barry Chakin, It Takes a Village . . . Fostering Families Today (Windsor, CO: 2011).

National service: Child welfare

and raining opporuniies. Tis is especially rue or hose agencies experienc-

ing human resources challenges ha are hindering he mission, such as an aging

workorce, high urnover, a dearh o skilled proessionals, low enhusiasm, and

minimal innovaion or creaiviy, and i will allow hem o provide he bes pos-

sible assisance o hose who come o hese agencies or help.

Ulimaely, agencies acing grea challenges in he areas idenied above need o

rehink wha hey are doing and develop comprehensive alen-managemen sra-

egies, o which naional service can only be one componenalhough a poen-

ially imporan one. Bu even hose agencies ha are already doing relaively well

wih human resources should hink abou how o bes ake advanage o he alen

coming hrough heir doors via naional service.

Here are some quesions or agencies engaging naional service o consider.

Career ladders. For service paricipans who may coninue working wihin

your agency or your eld, have you idenied or creaed sucien permanen

employmen opporuniies? Have you hough abou how hose iniial employ-men opporuniies could progressively lead o opporuniies or advancemen?

Are you eecively communicaing he availabiliy o hese career ladders o

hose who are ineresed?


26/30


Training.Are you developing raining proocols ha ensure ha paricipans

are inormed o he various ypes o work you do hroughou your agency and

wihin your eld? Tis will allow paricipans o ully evaluae wheher hey may

have coninued ineres in he work. Are you eecively prevening any service

paricipans rom working on an isolaed ask while no gaining a ull picure o

he work o your eld?

Education.Are you creaing an environmen ha is supporive o paricipans

relevan educaion and raining? Are you providing hem wih inormaion,

advice, and assisance abou uure educaion and raining opporuniies ha

hey may wan o pursue in order o excel a your agency or wihin your eld?

Are you allowing ime wihin heir day or paricipans o pursue hose oppor-

uniies i ineresed? Are you able o connec paricipans o Segal Educaion

Awards or oher scholarship and loan-orgiveness programs ha help hem wih

heir educaional deb? Are you parnering wih insiuions o higher educa-

ion in creaing your service program? Are sudens a he local universiy, orexample, your service program paricipans, and are some considering perma-

nen posiions wih your agency once hey graduae?

Mentorship. Are you ensuring ha service paricipans are involved in eecive

and organized menoring wih individuals who can answer heir quesions and

provide hem wih uure career advice and assisance i hey desire i?


27/30


Conclusion

Te naion has ye o realize he ull poenial o naional service. Governmenal

agencies and nonpro organizaions mus give more hough o how o use his

imporan ool o help advance heir missions and goals. Tey mus inves in

naional and voluneer service, which has he poenial o draw increasing num-

bers o high-qualiy alen o public-service elds ha are acing signican human

resources challenges. Once involved, agencies mus give hough o how bes o

engage hose voluneers who show promise and who wan o make he work o a

eld ino a career. Ulimaely, hese invesmens in people will pay dividends inoucomes: Programs will improve, people and communiies will be beter served,

and socieal problems will be solved.


28/30


About the authors

Joy Moses is a Senior Policy Analys a he Cener or American Progress. She

produces repors and analyses ocused on alleviaing, prevening, and ending pov-

ery. Her work has covered a broad specrum o issues including ederal saey ne

programs, access o jusice, and policies o srenghen amilies. She was previouslya sa atorney a he Naional Law Cener on Homelessness & Povery and he

NAACP Legal Deense Fund.

Shirley Sagawa is a Visiing Fellow a he Cener or American Progress. A

naional exper on children and youh policy, Sagawa has been called a ound-

ing moher o he modern service movemen or her work on naional service.

Her new book, Te American Way o Change, highlighs ways ha voluneer and

naional service are an imporan bu underuilized sraegy o solve problems in

American communiies.


29/30


Endnotes

1 Douglas MacMillan, Talent Management: How toInvest in Your Workorce, Bloomberg Businessweek,August 13, 2008.

2 Corporation or National and Community Service, StillServing: Measuring the E ight-Year Impact o Ameri-

Corps on Alumni (2008).

3 See: Government Accountability Oce, DisconnectedYouth: Federal Action Could Address Some o th eChallenges Faced by Local Programs That ReconnectYouth to Education and Employment (2008); GlendaPartee, Using Multiple Evaluation Measures to Improve

Teacher Efectiveness (Washington: Center or Ameri-can Progress, 2012).

4 Seth Hanlon, Next Round o Decit Reduction MustTackle Hidden Spending in the Tax Code (Washington:Center or American Progress, 2013).

5 Phil Olif, Chris Mai, and Vincent Palacios, States Con-tinue to Feel Recessions Impact (Washington: Centeron Budget and Policy Priorities, 2012); National Leagueo Cities, City Budget Shortalls and Responses: Projec-tions or 2010-2012 (2009).

6 Nonprot Finance Fund, State o the Sector Survey(2012).

7 Shirley Sagawa, The American Way to Change (SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010).

8 Opportunity Knocks, Opportunity Knocks NonprotRetention and Vacancy Report 2010 (2011); Bureau oLabor Statistics, Job Opening and Labor Turnover (U.S.Department o Labor, 2013).

9 U.S. Department o Labor, Employment Situation (TableA-10) (2013).

10 Clive Beleld, Henry Levin, and Rachel Rosen, The Eco-nomic Value o Opportunity Youth (Washington: CivicEnterprises, 2012); Adrienne Fernandes and ThomasGabe, Disconnected Youth: A Look at 16- to 24-Year

Olds Who Are Not Working or In School (Washington:Congressional Research Service, 2009).

11 National Association o Colleges and Employers, TheCollege Class o 2012 (2012).

12 U.S. Department o Labor, Employment and Unem-ployment Among Youth (Summer 2012) (2012); U.S.Department o Labor, Employment Situation (TableB-1) (2013).

13 Pew Research Center, Millennials: A Portrait o Genera-tion Next (2010); Andrew Mar tin and Ron Lieber, FedStudy o Student Debt Outlines a Growing Burden, TheNew York Times, March 5, 2012 .

14 AARP, Baby Boomers Envision Whats Next? (2011).

15 AARP, Baby Boomers Envision Whats Next?; MelissaBrown and others, Working in Retirement: A 21stCentury Phenomenon (Boston, MA: Families and WorkInstitute and The Sloan Center on Aging & Work, 2010).

16 Sagawa, The American Way to Change.

17 AARP, Baby Boomers Envision Whats Next?

18 Melissa Brown and others, Working in Retirement.

19 U.S. Department o Labor, Employment Situation (TableA-40) (2013).

20 Ibid.

21 U.S. Department o Labor, The Veteran Labor Force inthe Recovery (2011); Monster Worldwide, Inc., Veterans

Talent Index: Insights and Analysis rom Veteran Proes-sionals, Recruiters and Hiring Managers (2012).

22 Mary Yonkman and John Bridgeland, All VolunteerForce: From Military to Civilian Ser vice (Washington:Civic Enterprises, 2009).

23 The Mission Continues, Service Nation, and AmericaForward, G.I. Bill Civilian Service Option. Unpublishedwhite paper (2012).

24 Working Mother Research Institute, What MomsChoose: The Working Mother Report (2011).

25 Ibid.

26 Working Mother Research Institute, What MomsChoose: The Working Mother Report ; Paul Taylor,Cary Funk, and April Clark, From 1997 to 2007 Fewer

Mothers Preer Full-time Work, Pew Research Center,July 12, 2007, available at http://pewresearch.org/les/old-assets/social/pd/WomenWorking.pd.

27 Sagawa, The American Way to Change.


30/30

The Center or American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute

dedicated to promoting a strong, just, and ree America that ensures opportunity

or all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to

these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies relect these values.

We work to ind progressive and pragmatic solutions to signiicant domestic and

international problems and develop policy proposals that oster a government that

is o the people, by the people, and or the people.

The Great Public-Service Talent Search

Documents

Transcript of The Great Public-Service Talent Search