The HR policies and procedures in any government organization serve one overriding purpose: to support the mission of the agency. At a strategic level, policy defines the means by which the organization executes its Human Capital (HC) Management plan. At an operational level, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) detail the steps to be taken in implementing each policy. This ensures that managers and employees alike have a consistent methodology to follow, facilitating a sense of equity and discipline within the agency.

While policy must reflect the specific mission challenges of the agency, the concept of the federal government as a “single employer” - a compelling public policy interest - requires that anyone developing policy within an agency do so with the following in mind:

• Adherence to merit system principles
• Employee protection from prohibited personnel practices
• Government-wide benefits system consistency in the areas of retirement, insurance, and leave
• Labor management relations and any existing statutory collective bargaining agreements
• The need for a government-wide system for collecting and publishing workforce information
• The need to support interagency mobility
• Achievement of reasonable government-wide internal equity

Policy development must take into account both current mission and critical challenges in the management of HC. SOP development must ensure that procedural steps are logical and complete, but not duplicative, and closely prescribe the levels of authority needed in implementation.

YRCI has experience developing policies and procedures that comply with OPM guidelines. We employ key individuals who have been responsible for compliance with OPM policy, while serving in senior government positions.