PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT DATA Mr. BENJAMIN. We are exploring the question of productivity of legislative branch agencies. For each appropriation account, please provide for the record measurement data for fiscal year 1978 and 1979 and plans for 1980 and 1981 that will indicate the amount of building space and grounds maintained, number of elevators and escalators, and other workload items, staffing assigned, the indirect and other resources necessary to support that workload and appropriation input-output ratios or measurements. Earlier, you did establish a correlation, although there was nothing scientific about it, in terms of the growth of our space and personnel. What we are asking is to break that down further. Mr. WHITE. I will be glad to. [The information follows:] As was previously stated, work measurement standards and productivity are being examined informally by our supervisors. It has been the general policy of the office to incorporate work measurement standards into management decisions for staffing when possible. However, because productivity measurement for most of our activities involves effectiveness as well as efficiency and is still being performed informally, no precisely defined input/output measures for our overall activities have been finally developed. As experience is gained with this management tool, it will be utilized more fully. The output of building trades craftsmen is a good example of the measurement difficulty even in work areas where output computations are reasonably available. A painter, for example, who is applying paint with a roller to a flat vertical surface will have a different output than if he is applying paint with a brush to an intricate and decorated arched surface with many mouldings. The accomplishment of a proper "day's work" in these trades is gained through the experience of observation of many workers over many years. Efforts are continually exerted to be certain that accepted standards are met. PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS Mr. WHITE. If I could interrupt at that point, Mr. Chairman, as you well know, when you talk about productivity, that encompasses questions of efficiency as well as questions of effectiveness, and when you talk about input/output ratios, if you go beyond the question of pure efficiency to one of effectiveness, it becomes rather difficult to measure, and various criteria need to be established in order to make those measurements. Mr. BENJAMIN. Both efficiency and effectiveness are proper concerns of management. Mr. WHITE. Absolutely. You are absolutely right. But, as you well know, many times effectiveness does not involve efficiency in terms of output per man hour, such as a fire department, for example, where it would be totally ineffective if absolutely efficient in terms of the man hours and the amount of work they do. We have ongoing progress in that regard. As you may recall, a good example of that was the administrative provision that you provided and- ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION Mr. BENJAMIN. Let me ask you, since you are alluding to that, last year the House did approve an administrative provision that allows personnel to be assigned from building to building, depending on where you need them. Is the provision now operative, and what experience have you had with that added flexibility? What savings do you estimate will result from this provision? Mr. WHITE. As you know, Mr. Chairman, it became operative only as of October 1, so we really couldn't begin until then. We have begun primarily in the Supreme Court Building, because it is a small unit, and we are beginning also with elevator mechanics, where we can gain good control over analysis of the results of this kind of activity. That is now in process, and I have no results yet to report except to say that in another area, the results were immediate in that of the eight positions allowed to us for elevator mechanics in the Madison Library Building, we have only filled one on the presumption that as this administrative provision is utilized, we will have mechanics who are now presently in other buildings handle that one as well, on a rotating basis. Šo the most immediate effect has been not hiring seven employees that we are authorized to hire, and we don't intend to hire them. We will report that back to you. Mr. BENJAMIN. I didn't see this in the budget. Mr. WHITE. That was the year before we were authorized to hire them. That was at the same time the administrative provision was being considered. Mr. BENJAMIN. When you are talking about 2,001 permanent employees, you are carrying those 7 positions you don't intend to fill within that? VACANT POSITIONS Mr. WHITE. Yes, at the moment. As you remember, we said we have well over 100 we have not filled for the same reason. We may never fill all of those. At the time that that arises, we may report back to you either to diminish the permanent positions or apply them to some other permanent need. We have a number of those that we are not filling in preparation of the use of this administrative provision and other productivity benefits we hope to achieve through better management. We have recently, within the last two weeks, reorganized our Construction Management Division to more appropriately respond to the needs of the construction process where we are about to reduce labor forces or employees in that category. There have been a number of efforts that we have been making continuously in terms of direct efficiency as well as effectiveness, the utilization of data processing equipment, computerization in terms of payroll and similar items. We have been engaged in this for some little time and continue to engage in it. I wasn't disagreeing, but merely saying that it is difficult to devise a cost ratio without some value judgments being placed on it; when you talk about effectiveness, as opposed to the pure efficiency of, for example how many pencils are manufactured per man hour; or things of that sort. We will provide all of that for you and indicate where we have made those judgments. Mr. BENJAMIN. Would you specifically indicate where those 100 positions are that you do not plan to fill? Mr. WHITE. When I say I am not planning to fill them, that may not be applicable to every single one of them. That is why they are vacant. I will be glad to give you that information. Mr. BENJAMIN. Will you do that for the record? Mr. WHITE. Sure. I will be glad to. [The information follows:] There are currently 100 authorized positions that are vacant. Of those vacant positions, a large number are needed for the operation and maintenance of new or expanded facilities and will be filled as these new or expanded facilities begin to function. These facilities are the expanded facilities associated with the Modifications and Enlargements of the Capitol Power Plant, and the new James Madison Memorial Building. Because the facilities for which these positions are allocated are expected to begin operating this year, most of these positions will, in all probability, be filled. Following is a list of the unfilled positions allocated to new or expanded facilities. Capitol Power Plant, positions for Modifications and Enlargement.. Total for new and expanded facilities..... 5 36 41 The remaining 59 positions are part of our ongoing functions, and it is anticipated that these will be filled in the course of normal operations as qualified candidates are identified that are suitable for the job. The only positions that can be identified which might not be necessary for operations at this time are the Library of Congress Madison Building Elevator Mechanic positions. Because the administrative provision is being applied to the general elevator mechanic staff, it might be possible to make some of the Madison Building elevator mechanic positions available for reprogramming to other positions which can now be identified as being necessary to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Architect's operations. This possibility is in the process of being examined closely and, if such actions are deemed to be beneficial to the office operations, the Committee will be informed. Mr. BENJAMIN. For the analysis you are going to give us, supply any additional data that you think may be helpful to the commit |