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The United States
The research in the United States was conducted after the 9/11 terrorist attack.
This context probably influenced the future issues pointed out by the American
managers. The fact nonetheless remains that the respondents identified six major
issues that seem to preoccupy the American public administration: national secu-
rity and the rediscovery of the virtues of the State, the increasing influence of the
media and interest groups, the retirement of a large number of senior managers,
the resorting to new information technologies, the complexity of the management
environment and the difficulty in retaining younger employees.
According to the people met, since the events of September 11, 2001, ques-
tions of national security have become a major issue for the United States. This
event also resulted in a positive view of the State and the importance of its role
in society, notably with regard to national security. Moreover, 9/11 raised many
questions about the compromise between freedom and security that constitutes
an issue for several public policies.
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… Competencies of Senior Managers: A Look at Some OECD Countries
American managers find that the impact of interest groups on the development
and management of public policies will increase since the influence that was once
felt, mainly at the highest levels, has now reached the lowest levels, like small
projects. Does this phenomenon really benefit democracy? How can general and
individual interests be reconciled?
The media seem to examine more and more closely the government’s actions
and programs. They exercise a great deal of influence on the political and admin-
istrative agenda. In addition, the number of American media will continue, on the
one hand, to increase thanks to new information technologies, and, on the other
hand, to become more and more concentrated. The way of treating the news is
also changing. In addition to examining the government’s actions, the media have
gone from news to analysis and then to opposition. In this context, senior manag-
ers will have to know how to come to terms and deal with them.
With regard to public-service demographics, it is estimated that more than
50% of senior managers will be eligible for retirement over the next five years
within the American federal administration and it will be very difficult to ensure
adequate replacements (GAO, 2003). Presently, senior managers are mainly recruited
from among personnel already in place, and the quality of the people coming up
through the ranks would appear to be rather mediocre because the public service
did not succeed in recruiting and retaining the most talented candidates during
the 1980s and 1990s. It seems that the public service is less attractive to young
Americans than in the past and that it has not been able to adapt itself to meet
the expectations of new generations with regard to work, whether it be in relation
to salary or other aspects of work such as the variety of challenges. Not only will
the public service be younger, but it will also be more diversified with regard to
age, race and professions.
Another issue consists in ensuring the hiring and retaining of talented new
employees. Part of the solution lies in the systems set up to manage personnel in
the whole of the public service. These include better information about careers
and job openings, advantageous working conditions, competitive salaries, greater
career flexibility, the possibility of lateral entry, etc. In addition to the government’s
efforts, public managers will have to be able to attract and keep the best elements
by establishing, for example, a personalized relationship with potential recruits, by
allowing young recruits to show off their skills, by providing for mentoring activities,
by allowing flexibility in work schedules and in the use of vacation time, etc.
The use of information technologies is an important issue. In the United States,
government-on-line occupies an important place in the government agenda. Follow-
ing the example of other OECD countries, the federal government is looking to
facilitate on-line access and transactions. In this area, partnership projects involving
the public and private sectors are often relied upon, and the management of such
projects must be mastered. In addition, e-commerce raises various issues, in par-
ticular, national and on-line security. Certainly, the Internet poses the challenge of
managing an ever-increasing volume of information that may become excessive.
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