The Office of Administration facilitates NMB achievement of internal strategic goals and government-wide initiatives.
Administration Overview
The Office of Administration (OA) provides operational management, leadership and support for the entire agency. These services include: strategic planning and budgeting; accounting and finance; human resources management; procurement and contracting; information technology management and telecommunications; property and space management;and office support.
Administration Highlights
Human Capital
As the NMB moves to take advantage of online services in the personnel arena, the agency is increasing efficiency and effectiveness, the results of which can be seen in the agency hiring process. For internal posting, the NMB routinely completes the hiring process within 30 days. In cases involving delegated examining positions, the NMB continues to show movement toward the 80 day standard process.
The NMB continues to use the E-verify system to ensure that all new appointees are eligible to work. In addition, the NMB conducts three individual surveys for all new hires to assess their intake experience. The results help to improve the training and orientation process for not only the new hires but also as a refresher for our current staff.
Succession planning continues to be challenging for the NMB, but the agency’s new Succession and Workforce Plan analyzes the NMB’s future staffing requirements and sets forth strategies for adequately recruiting, promoting, and retaining employees.
Training plans, both through the IDP’s and the department training plans, stress career development, including details and shadow assignments, as a way to broaden skills and prepare for job transitions. The agency uses internal details when possible to broaden skills and give staff exposure to a range of work possibilities within the agency.
The NMB is working with the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Interior to improve its human capital operations and payroll. This will continue the NMB’s objective of providing all its services electronically.
Information Technology
In accordance with the NMB’s Capital Planning Plan, the NMB reviewed options for its information technology equipment while taking steps to move into cloud computing. The NMB has implemented Google Mail, Google Drive and Google Calendar, eliminating on-site servers, and NMB has moved the NMB’s Corporate Memory and Knowledge Store to a cloud platform consistent with government requirements.
Continuity of Operations
The NMB participated in the Eagle Horizon 2014 National Level Exercise which included a tabletop exercise to test readiness to exercise objectives related to alert and notification, communications, devolution of control and authority, and reconstitution. Eagle Horizon 2014 is an internally evaluated exercise focusing on reviewing basic continuity procedures, as well as improving understanding of devolution, extended operations, and reconstitution concepts. As part of this exercise, the NMB identified program strengths and areas for improvement.
Financial Performance
The NMB has entered into an agreement with the Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS) to improve our financial reporting and processing by moving to a newer and more robust online platform, managed for the NMB under contract by BFS. This agreement will place at our fingertips up-to-date financial information that can be used to make efficient financial decisions. The Office of Administration provides budget planning, budget development, and oversight of budget execution. In addition, OA is responsible for the maintenance of the Agency’s core accounting system; financial reporting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Treasury; payments to vendors for goods and services received; issuing bills; and the preparation of the Agency’s financial statements which are audited on an annual basis. The NMB continues to work with an outside firm to audit its financial statements. For the sixteenth consecutive year, Allmond & Company reported that the financial statements were presented fairly, in all material respects, and in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for Federal agencies. With the lapse in funding, the deadline for the audited financial statements was revised.
Procurement
With the new partnership with BFS, the NMB utilized PRISM to electronically create requisitions, purchase orders, and inter-agency agreements. This system along with new processes and procedures is ensuring that the NMB complies with the applicable rules and regulations governing contracting.
Travel
The NMB currently uses the Concur Government Edition (CGE) Travel Services. CGE is an electronic online system which will reduce the per ticket cost for travelers. This system provides an electronic process for authorization, vouchers, and reimbursement.
Electronic Government
The NMB provides electronic access to all its policies, and the agency continues to use the NMB website to provide information to its internal and external customers. The website provides access to our internal customers by allowing them to access NMB internal forms, the Knowledge Store (providing current and historical information to the public and our external customers), and the NMB Lyceum.
NMB Corporate Memory
The NMB continues to refine its records and document management program, improving the search engine and further integrating the records database with the agency case management system.
NMB Knowledge Store
NMB staff continued to build and improve the public archive of information available through the NMB Knowledge Store. Currently, the NMB Knowledge Store contains over 100,000 documents in an easily searchable format, including arbitration awards, representation decisions, annual reports, PEB reports, and collective bargaining contracts. During FY 2013, the NMB completed development of a new Knowledge Store interface that speeds recovery of documents and frees the data to reside in the new cloud environment being created by the agency.
Sustainability
The National Mediation Board is committed to reducing greenhouse gases in accordance with Executive Order 13514 (E.O.). During this year, 63 percent of the NMB employees regularly used public transportation. The Agency provides Alternative Work Schedules (AWS) and Telework programs to its employees to reduce the number of commuters. Currently, 37 out of 49 employees participate in the Smart Benefits program for public transportation. We also purchased new environmentally efficient copiers that generate 90 percent less waste than traditional copiers.