Self-Fulfiling Prophecy

Well, it's starting to happen big time. The voters and politicians arguing for less government are starting to get their wish. The PA Department of Labor and Industry reports that there are 20,600 less local, state and federal government employees in Pennsylvania from last November (2011) to this November (2012). And these numbers don't even include teachers. As one would expect, this is starting to have ramifications. And what may they be, you ask? How about significant backlogs of work in all kinds of government agencies. Of course this will result in more of an outcry of government not doing its work which will result in more arguments for government cuts. Grover Norquist and his Americans for Tax Reform are slowing "killing the beast." The beast, by the way, is government. If you are a public administrator, what to do?


Stateline took an in-depth look at what’s causing growing backlogs of work at state agencies across the country and came us with observations that state leaders should consider:

1. Prioritization is no panacea: When agencies have more work than they can handle, setting priorities in a systematic way becomes critical. However, developing and implementing a reliable method of sorting “high priority” work from less urgent tasks is itself a time-consuming job. What’s more, it can reduce an agency’s sense of urgency for completing work deemed “low priority.” All the pushed back work doesn’t go away. 

2. Process matters: Backlogs are often blamed on budget cuts and staffing reductions. But especially in large bureaucracies, there’s often another problem below the surface: red tape. Unnecessary steps and paperwork accumulate. Ironically, the sense of crisis that comes with a backlog can provide an opportunity for an agency to streamline workflow procedures. 

3. Technology can help — and hurt: Budget crises often force agencies to push back technological upgrades. But delays can come at a high price. Outdated IT systems — from inadequate server capacity to poor data management capabilities — can make backlogs worse.  

4. Fill your vacancies: Some backlogs are the result of layoffs, furloughs and hiring freezes. But in a surprising number of cases, the staffing challenges are more systemic — the problem isn’t that the agency doesn’t have budget authority to hire more people but rather that the agency can’t keep its positions filled. As workloads and job stress creep up, burned out workers quit. Managers, stretched thin, fall behind on recruiting and hiring new workers. But setting aside time for such tasks and maintaining a low vacancy rate is critical to creating any long-term stability in a backlogged agency. 

5. Don’t forget training: Budget cuts have driven some state agencies to skimp on training for frontline workers. That can backfire fast, especially in agencies with high levels of turnover and lots of new employees to bring up to speed. Poor training breeds backlogs: Employees who don’t know what they’re doing will make mistakes and slow work processes down. It also breeds more turnover: Employees who don’t have the tools to succeed in their jobs are likely to leave.