Telework Centers and Federal Continuity of Operations Planning

Order Code RL33352

Telework Centers and Federal Continuity of

Operations Planning

Updated January 24, 2007

Lorraine H. Tong

Analyst in American National Government

Government and Finance Division

Telework Centers and Federal Continuity of Operations

Planning

Summary

Telework, the officially sanctioned practice of federal employees working some

of the time away from their traditional offices, has gained renewed attention

following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and concern about a potential avian flu

pandemic. Federal agencies, coping with hurricane devastation and disruption of

operations in the Gulf Coast region, are reviewing overall continuity of operations

(COOP) planning to prepare for possible future catastrophic events. Telework

centers may play a role in such plans.

The General Services Administration (GSA) created its first telework centers

in 1993 to serve as alternative locations in which federal staff could work away from

their main offices. Currently, GSA sponsors a network of 14 telework centers in the

Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Thirteen formal federal COOP agreements have

been established with the GSA-sponsored telework centers, which have emerged as

a component of COOP planning in the event federal buildings are shut down. As

mandated by Congress and authorized by federal agencies, the number of federal

teleworkers has increased over time. Federal employees who telework usually do so

at home or at a GSA telework center.

This report briefly discusses telework and federal COOP planning, recent

legislative actions, and focuses on the role of GSA telework centers as an element of

COOP planning. It will be updated as events warrant.

For a more comprehensive examination of the telework issue, see CRS Report

RL30863, Telework in the Federal Government: Background, Policy, and Oversight,

by Lorraine H. Tong and Barbara L. Schwemle.

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Telework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Continuity of Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

GSA Telework Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Facilities, Equipment, Security, and Amenities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Fees and Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Free Trial and Open Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Continuity of Operations (COOP) Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Recent Legislative Actions Regarding Telework and COOP . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Issues for Consideration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Strategic Planning for Telework Center Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

List of Figures

Figure 1. Locations of GSA-Sponsored Telework Centers in the

Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

List of Tables

Table 1. Federal Agency Telework Center Users and Fees 1999 - 2004 . . . . . . . 9

Telework Centers and Federal Continuity of

Operations Planning

Introduction

Telework1 — the officially sanctioned practice of working some of the time away

from the traditional office — has been promoted in the public and private sectors as

a benefit to both employees and organizations. Cited telework benefits include

reductions in traffic congestion, fuel consumption, pollution, and transportation costs.

Other suggested benefits include increased productivity, a reduction in stress, and time

saved in commuting. However, telework may not be suitable for all employees or all

work in federal agencies due to the nature of the work, performance problems, or main

office coverage requirements. There may also be situations where distractions at the

off-site location make the delineation between home and work difficult, or the

alternative location lacks all the office amenities (e.g., technology and access to

subscription databases) necessary to perform the employees’ work.2

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks

soon thereafter, telework gained renewed attention. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina

and Rita and concern about a potential avian flu pandemic, federal agencies are

reviewing continuity of operations (COOP) planning to prepare for future emergency

situations. These emergencies could include catastrophic terrorist attacks, natural

disasters, public health crises, or civil unrest that could result in evacuations and

federal building shutdowns.

This report will briefly discuss telework in the federal government and COOP

planning, and then focus on the role of the General Services Administration (GSA)sponsored telework centers as an element in COOP planning.

Telework

Telework in the federal government has developed in stages during the past 15

years, often at the prompting of Congress:

1

Telework has also been be referred to as telecommuting, flexiplace, or use of alternative

work sites. In addition to working at home and telework centers, teleworkers have

conducted work at hotels, libraries, and internet cafes.

2

For a more comprehensive look at telework in the federal government, including the

benefits and limitations of telework, see CRS Report RL30863, Telework in the Federal

Government: Background, Policy, and Oversight, by Lorraine H. Tong and Barbara L.

Schwemle.

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!

In 1990, Congress authorized federal agencies to spend federal funds

during FY1991 to pay for telephone lines, related equipment, and

monthly fees in the homes of teleworkers participating in a telework

pilot program.3 Five years later, this authorization was made

permanent.4

!

A provision in the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency

Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (which included funding for

the Department of Transportation),5 provided that “[f]or fiscal year

1999 and each fiscal year thereafter, of the funds made available to

each Executive agency for salaries and expenses, at a minimum

$50,000 shall be available only for the necessary expenses of the

Executive agency to carry out a flexiplace work telecommuting

program.”

!

In October 2000, Congress enacted legislation that included a

provision authored by Representative Frank Wolf requiring each

executive agency to “establish a policy under which eligible

employees of the agency may participate in telecommuting to the

maximum extent possible without diminished employee

performance.” The provision also required the Director of the Office

of Personnel Management (OPM) to “provide that the requirements

of this section are applied to 25 percent of the Federal workforce, and

to an additional 25 percent of such workforce each year thereafter.”6

!

The October 2000 legislation also required OPM to conduct an

annual survey of federal agencies’ implementation of telework.7

OPM’s 2004 survey (containing responses from 82 of 86 agencies

surveyed, published in December 2005) indicates that the federal

telework program has grown substantially in recent years. In 2004,

752,337 of the 1.7 million federal employees in the 82 agencies were

eligible to telework — up from 521,542 employees eligible in 2001.

The reported number of federal employees who actually teleworked

nearly doubled during this period, from 72,844 in 20018 to 140,694

3

P.L. 101-509, Sec. 624.

4

P.L. 104-52, Sec. 620.

5

P.L. 105-277, Title IV, Sec. 630.

6

P.L. 106-346, Sec. 359.

7

OPM compiled fiscal year data for FY1999 through FY2003. The reporting period was

changed from fiscal to calender year beginning in 2004; therefore, the 2004 survey (issued

in Dec. 2005) covers the period Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2004.

8

The OPM 2001 telework survey, released in Jan. 2002, is based on responses from 63

agencies. Part of the increase may be due to the greater number of agencies (82) reporting

in 2004.

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in 2004. In fact, the reported number of federal teleworkers increased

37% in the previous year — up from 102,921 in 2003.9

!

Those developments notwithstanding, Congress continued to press

agencies to expand telework opportunities. The Consolidated

Appropriations Act of 2005 withheld $5 million in appropriations

from the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State; the Judiciary;

the Securities and Exchange Commission; and the Small Business

Administration unless they could certify, within two months of

enactment of the act, that telework opportunities were available to

100% of their eligible workforces.10 The act also required each of

these departments or agencies to provide quarterly reports to the

appropriations committees on the status of their telework programs

and required them to designate telework coordinators to oversee the

implementation of the telework programs. In September 2005, the

Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed these

departments’ and agencies’ certifications, reported that they lacked

consistent methodologies and measures, and recommended that

Congress “determine ways to promote more consistent definitions

and measures related to telework.”11

!

The FY2006 Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related

Agencies Appropriations Act again withheld $5 million from the

Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State; the Securities and

Exchange Commission; and the Small Business Administration

unless they certified, within two months of the enactment of the

legislation, that they had increased the number of eligible teleworkers

over the 2005 levels. The act also withheld $5 million in funds from

the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National

Science Foundation unless, within the same time limit, they certified

that they had made telework opportunities available to 100% of their

eligible workforces.12 Language in the conference report included the

conferees’ expectation that these entities will address the GAO

recommendation (mentioned above) concerning standards and

consistency in identifying and reporting participation of teleworkeligible employees and provide information on their progress in the

quarterly reports. These departments and agencies are also expected

9

U.S. Office of Personnel Management, The Status of Telework in the Federal Government,

Dec. 2005, available at [http://www.telework.gov/documents/tw_rpt05].

10

P.L. 108-447, Sec. 622.

11

U.S. Government Accountability Office, Agency Telework Methodologies, Departments

of Commerce, Justice, State, the Small Business Administration, and the Securities and

Exchange Commission, GAO-05-1055R, Sept. 2005, available at [http://www.gao.gov/

new.items/d051055r.pdf].

12

P.L. 109-108, Sec. 617 and Sec. 619.

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to implement time and attendance systems that will allow more

accurate reporting.13

!

Language in the House report (109-520) to the FY2007 Science,

State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies appropriations bill

(H.R. 5672) would again withhold $5 million from the Departments

of Commerce, Justice, and State; the Securities and Exchange

Commission; the Small Business Administration; the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the National Science

Foundation unless these agencies certify that they have increased the

number of eligible federal employees to telework. At the

committee’s direction, the agencies are to provide a report to the

committee (in no less than six months from enactment of H.R. 5672)

detailing their plans to increase eligible number of teleworkers at

their agencies, and identifying the major obstacles to telework. The

House passed H.R. 5672 on June 29, 2006. There is no comparable

provision in the Senate bill as reported, and no further action was

taken on the bill before the 109th Congress adjourned. Currently,

these agencies are funded under H.J.Res. 102 (P.L. 109-383), the

third in a series of continuing resolutions, through February 15, 2007.

Continuity of Operations

Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning is an organization’s internal effort to

ensure that capabilities exist to continue essential functions across a wide range of

emergencies.14 Presidential Decision Directive 67 requires federal agencies to develop

“Continuity of Operations Plans for Essential Operations” to ensure enduring

constitutional government and continuity of government operations.15 Federal

Preparedness Circular 65, prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA), provides guidance to federal executive branch departments and agencies to

use in developing viable contingency plans for COOP.16

13

U.S. Congress, Conference Committees, Making Appropriations for Science, the

Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies for the Fiscal Year

Ending September 30, 2006, and for Other Purposes, conference report to accompany H.R.

2862, 109th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 109-272 (Washington: GPO, 2005), p. 208.

14

For further information about COOP, see CRS Report RL31857, Executive Branch

Continuity of Operations (COOP): An Overview; and CRS Report RL32752, Continuity of

Operations (COOP) in the Executive Branch: Issues in the 109th Congress, both by R. Eric

Petersen; CRS Report RL31594, Congressional Continuity of Operations (COOP): An

Overview of Concepts and Challenges, by R. Eric Petersen and Jeffrey W. Seifert; and CRS

Report RL31739, Federal Agency Emergency Preparedness and Dismissal of Employees,

by L. Elaine Halchin.

15

See a summary of Presidential Decision Directive 67, available at

[http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/pdd/pdd-67.htm]. The text of this directive is not available

to the public.

16

See [http://www.fema.gov/txt/government/coop/fpc65_0604.txt] for Federal Preparedness

(continued...)

CRS-5

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the anthrax attacks

shortly thereafter, managers at federal agencies began to take a fresh look at telework

as a way to maintain operations during emergencies. Subsequently, many federal

agencies have begun to integrate telework into their COOP planning. In 2003, OPM

identified emergency planning as one of the key elements in its strategic focus.

OPM’s report on its 2003 telework survey stated, “Telework is essential for agencies’

emergency planning, whether for snowstorms, natural disasters, or terrorist events.

For an agency to be effective in an emergency, a solid telework program must be in

place before the event.”17 The following year, in 2004, OPM and GSA began making

visits to federal agencies to strengthen the connection between telework and COOP

planning. The OPM report on the 2004 telework survey indicated that 35 agencies

had incorporated telework as part of their COOP initiatives, and another 38 were

considering including telework in their COOP plans.18

On April 28, 2005, the House Committee on Government Reform held hearings

on “Who’s Watching the COOP? A Re-Examination of Federal Agencies’ Continuity

of Operations Plans.”19 At that hearing, Committee Chairman Tom Davis said, “it

is imperative that we incorporate telework into our government’s continuity

planning.” Also in April 2005, OPM reported the results of its emergency

preparedness survey, which asked agencies if they were prepared for a natural disaster.

All 85 agencies surveyed responded in the affirmative. The survey indicated that

more than 60% of these agencies utilized telework arrangements as an emergency

preparedness tool, with 57.6% having “prearranged agreements to transfer work to

other agency locations” and 63.5% with telework capability in place from home or

telework centers.20

GSA Telework Centers

Although teleworking most commonly involves working from home, some

employees cannot, or choose not to, telework from home (e.g., because of lack of

needed equipment or software, distractions, or a combination of these reasons). A

telework center is a facility that provides an alternative office setting that is closer to

an employee’s home and would reduce travel time between home and the office. A

center generally offers a professional environment, equipped with office furnishings,

technology equipment, and on-site technical assistance for employees to perform their

work.

16

(...continued)

Circular 65.

17

U.S. Office of Personnel Management, The Status of Telework in the Federal

Government, Report to Congress, May 2004, available at [http://www.telework.gov/

documents/tw_rpt04].

18

The OPM 2004 survey is available at [http://www.telework.gov/documents/tw_rpt05].

19

See [http://reform.house.gov/GovReform/Hearings/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=25680]

for details about the hearings.

20

See U.S. Office of Personnel Management website at [http://www.opm.gov/emergency/

EPSurvey2005].

CRS-6

GSA currently sponsors 14 telework centers in the greater Washington, DC,

metropolitan area that are designed to serve primarily federal employees in the

executive, legislative, and judicial branches. GSA partners with other organizations

(e.g., universities) to staff and operate the centers, and the directors of the centers are

affiliated with these organizations. GSA has statutory authority to establish the

telework centers and to provide funding to acquire, lease, and equip the centers.21

In Maryland, the telework centers are located in Bowie, Frederick, Hagerstown,

Laurel, Prince Frederick, and Waldorf. In Virginia, the centers are located in Fairfax,

Herndon, Manassas, Fredericksburg, Stafford, Woodbridge, and Winchester. There

is also a center in Kearneysville, West Virginia.

Figure 1 shows the locations of the centers, spanning the region from near the

Chesapeake Bay to the Blue Ridge Mountains.22

Figure 1. Locations of GSA-Sponsored Telework Centers in the

Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area

21

22

P.L. 103-123, 107 Stat. 1226.

The 14 telework centers are GSA-sponsored. In addition to the information about the

centers on the GSA and OPM websites, the Directors of the GSA telework centers have

created a Metropolitan Washington Telework Centers website that provides information and

links to the centers, available at [http://www.wmtc.org]. Also listed on this website is

another center called the Executive Office Club, a private corporation that is not sponsored

by GSA but that makes its facilities available to federal and private teleworkers.

CRS-7

Background

The first GSA-sponsored telework centers were established in 1993 and were

intended to help alleviate poor air quality and traffic congestion problems, and to

promote a more family-friendly workplace. Representatives Steny Hoyer and Frank

Wolf drafted legislation to provide $5 million to fund three telework centers in the

Washington, DC, metropolitan area; this funding was included in the FY1993

Treasury-Postal Appropriations Act.23 The telework center in Winchester, Virginia,

was the first center to open. The following year, Congress passed legislation24 adding

$1 million to fund the centers, removing one center from Maryland, and adding two

centers: one in Hagerstown, Maryland,25 and another in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Four more centers were established between October 1993 and May 1994.26

Additional GSA-sponsored telework centers were established in the late 1990s, and

now there are a total of 14 centers.27

Other federal telework centers have been temporarily established outside the

Washington metropolitan area to help cope with emergency situations (e.g., after the

1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City and the 1994 earthquake in

Northridge, California).28 There have been other instances when GSA has worked

with local communities in different regions of the country to provide guidance in

creating telework centers, but they were not GSA-funded or sponsored centers.29

Facilities, Equipment, Security, and Amenities

According to GSA, the telework centers provide a professional environment and

state-of-the-art office equipment and telecommunications technologies:

23

P.L. 102-393, 106 Stat. 1745.

24

P.L. 103-123, 107 Stat. 1241.

25

Earlier, a preliminary telework center was established at the Hagerstown Junior College.

Although GSA and Hagerstown worked with the private sector on this center, it was not an

official federal initiative.

26

Dr. Wendell Joice, The Evolution of Telework in the Federal Government, U.S. General

Services Administration, Feb. 2000, p. 25. (Hereafter cited as Joice, The Evolution of

Telework in the Federal Government.)

27

According to GSA officials, the telework centers were established as a pilot program, and

the centers are still technically considered pilots. GSA notes that before programs can be

evaluated, there must be adequate implementation. The level of usage and participation

necessary for a complete evaluation and establishment of a refined model of the centers has

not yet been achieved.

28

29

Joice, The Evolution of Telework in the Federal Government, p. 26.

A number of commercial enterprises offer facilities similar to the GSA telework centers.

They are not affiliated with GSA and are not subject to free trials and other government

funding. Further information about these private corporations is available at

[http://www.officesuitesplus.com], [http://www.abcn.com], and [http://www.regus.com].

GSA does not sponsor the U.S. Department of Agriculture telework center located in

Beltsville, Maryland. This center is primarily used by Agriculture employees; others who

use it must pay a fee. See [http://www.usda.gov/da/telework.htm].

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!

!

!

!

!

!

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Pentium class PC-compatible computers;

Internet access with high-speed modems;

Latest office productivity software;

E-mail and file transfer capabilities;

Laser and color printers;

Fascimile and copy machines; and

Digital telephone systems with voice mail.

Modular cubicles and private offices are available at the centers, and other

amenities may include vending areas, equipped kitchens, free parking, and conference

rooms (some with video-conference capability). On-site technical support is provided

as needed during business hours, and access to the centers is available 24 hours per

day, seven days per week.30 Federal employees may bring in their own laptop

computers to use at the centers or use the centers’ equipment. The workstations are

equipped with many of the same security measures that exist at federal agency

headquarters (e.g., firewalls, anti-virus software, and virtual private networks). The

centers also make available personal storage space with locks. After business hours,

access to the centers can be gained with a card key.31

Fees and Usage

Fees for using a telework center vary somewhat depending on its location and

size. As of December 2005, most of the Maryland and Virginia telework centers

charged full-time teleworkers’ employers between $500 and $545 per month.

However, the West Virginia center charged $770 per month, and the Woodbridge,

Virginia, center charged $980. The fee charged for one day a week per month at most

Maryland and Virginia centers was between $100 and $109, while the West Virginia

center charged $154, and the Woodbridge, Virginia, center charged $196.32 Most

teleworkers average one day per week, and only a handful work four or five days per

week from the centers. Although some federal agencies limit telework to one day a

week, they have the flexibility of negotiating short- or long-term arrangements for

their employees. Processing the necessary agency paperwork to begin use of a center

takes approximately 30 days or longer.

According to GSA, the telework centers are currently operating at approximately

60% of capacity, with federal employees making up 95% of total teleworkers and the

remaining percentage from the private sector. OPM and GSA officials said reasons

agencies have cited for not using the telework centers have included concerns about

the cost of using the centers, some teleworkers’ preference to work from home, and

the distance of the centers from employees’ homes.33

30

Information is from the Washington Metropolitan Telework Centers website, available

at [http://www.wmtc.org/telework_information.html#link4].

31

Information is based on telephone conversations with GSA telework analysts on Oct. 3,

2005.

32

Fees for the telework centers are listed on the U.S. General Services Administration

website, available at [http://www.gsa.gov].

33

Information is based on several telephone conversations with GSA telework analysts in

Oct. 2005, and OPM annual telework reports.

CRS-9

In 1999, the six agencies with the largest numbers of employees working at the

centers were the Department of Defense (128); GSA (68); and the Departments of

Transportation (47), Agriculture (29), Treasury (23), and Health and Human Services

(10). In comparison, in 2004, the top six agencies were the Departments of Defense

(125), Commerce (42), Agriculture (36), Health and Human Services (36),

Transportation (35), and Education (35). The House of Representatives also had three

employees working at a center in 2004.

As Table 1 below indicates, use of the telework centers peaked in 2002, when

459 employees from 20 agencies used the centers. Since then, the number of

participating agencies has remained constant, but the number of individual users has

declined. The greatest drop in use occurred between 2003 and 2004, when the number

of individual users declined by 49, from 435 to 386.

Table 1. Federal Agency Telework Center Users

and Fees 1999 - 2004

Year

Number of

participating

agencies

Number of

individual

federal users

Fees

1999

14

337

$317,043

2000

15

332

$436,861

2001

15

407

$802,546

2002

20

459

$825,603

2003

20

435

$889,304

2004*

20

386

$838,085

Sources: 1999-2004 OPM reports to Congress, Status of Telework in the Federal Government, U.S.

Office of Personnel Management, available at [http://www.telework.gov/documents.asp].

* OPM compiled data for fiscal years from 1990 through 2003. In 2004, the data collected were

changed from fiscal to calendar year (Jan. 2004 to Dec. 2004).

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, GSA witnessed a spike in

inquiries from agencies and private sector organizations from different regions of the

country expressing interest in possibly setting up similar telework centers or inquiring

about the possibility of partnering with GSA. A similar increase in inquiries had

occurred earlier, immediately following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and

the anthrax threats shortly thereafter. According to GSA, in the past few years,

inquiries did not translate into significant numbers of new teleworkers signing up and

continuing to use the centers — after the initial strong interest, the interest waned until

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the next crisis or catastrophic event.34 GSA currently has no plans to establish

additional telework centers.35

Free Trial and Open Houses

Because the telework centers have not been operating at full capacity, GSA and

the centers have increased their marketing efforts to promote greater use. In addition

to numerous methods of advertising directed at attracting federal agencies’ interest,

GSA has provided federal employees with several opportunities to work at the centers,

free of charge to their agencies. The latest free trial period began on September 7,

2005, and ended on December 31, 2005. Employees already teleworking at the

centers were able to increase their number of days at the centers without additional

charges.36 During the trial period, 81 new federal teleworkers worked at the centers

an average of two days per week, and 27 teleworkers who were already using the

centers increased the number of days working there by an average of one day per

week.37

OPM’s 2004 telework survey found that a previous 60-day free trial of the

telework centers (conducted in 2004) had a similar result, attracting 35 new federal

teleworkers, including those from seven new agencies. After the trial period, 24 of

the 35 teleworkers continued to use the centers. Several times during the year, various

telework centers hold open houses to attract more teleworkers.38

Continuity of Operations (COOP) Agreements

The 14 GSA-sponsored telework centers currently have 13 formal agreements

in place to reserve a total of 130 workstations with various federal agencies as part of

their COOP strategy. The centers normally accommodate a total of 340 workstations,

but other facility space (i.e., the conference rooms) could be converted quickly to

accommodate more teleworkers in a COOP situation.39 For COOP purposes, the cost

of reservations for each workstation ranges by location from $1,000 to $1,500

annually. The cost of actually using the workstations during a COOP emergency

34

Since the anthrax attacks in 2001, there have been other instances of emergency building

shutdowns and evacuations due to concerns about possible anthrax attacks (e.g., there were

three incidents of suspected anthrax contamination at Department of Defense mail facilities

in March 2005). Testing did not indicate the presence of anthrax at the three locations. In

some cases, employees could not return to their workplaces for days while testing was

conducted.

35

Information is based on telephone conversations with GSA telework analysts on Oct. 6,

2005.

36

Current users were obligated to pay for the days they had already reserved prior to the free

trial offer.

37

Data provided by the Director of the Southern Maryland Telecommuting Centers via email on Jan. 20, 2006. No data are available yet on how many teleworkers who participated

in the trial will continue working at the centers.

38

See open house schedules at Washington Metropolitan Telework Centers website,

available at [http://www.wmtc.org/wmtc.openhouse.html].

39

Information is as of Dec. 12, 2005. No further details about the participating agencies

and the COOP agreements were provided for security reasons.

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would be prorated (calculations would be based on the amount of time spent working

at the centers) in accordance with the GSA-approved fee schedule.40

In the event of a government-wide COOP situation, those federal employees

directed to work at the telework centers could have an opportunity to interact with

their counterparts from other agencies also working at the centers. Such an

opportunity could be useful in facilitating communication and coordination among

federal agencies and provide an ad hoc interagency COOP center.

Recent Legislative Actions Regarding Telework and COOP

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused serious disruption to the ability of the Gulf

region’s oil refineries to supply gasoline and natural gas.41 Congress and the Bush

Administration42 took action to address possible gasoline shortages with a number of

initiatives, including encouraging greater use of telework.

Various Members of Congress continue to express interest in and support for

telework. In a September 15, 2005, letter to President Bush, Representative Wolf

urged the Administration to make telework a priority to improve continuity of

operations after Katrina. He called the GSA free offer to federal employees to try

telework centers an “important step forward in promoting telework.” Representative

Wolf also stated, “Telecommuting has proven benefits, not only for continuity of

operations, but also energy savings, air quality, employee productivity, and employee

cost savings. In short, telework is a winner all around. As the nation’s largest

employer, the federal government should be the model for telework for every level of

government as well as the private sector.”43

On September 21, 2005, telework coordinators44 from federal executive agencies

and the Judiciary held their quarterly meeting with a session focused on COOP, hosted

by OPM and GSA. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives

and the Director of the Southern Maryland Telecommuting Centers were among the

OPM and GSA panelists leading the discussion on COOP planning. At the meeting,

agencies were encouraged to seek FEMA guidance for COOP planning, and GSA

40

Information is based on a telephone conversation with a Southern Maryland telework

center administrator on Feb. 2, 2006.

41

By Sept. 2005, gasoline prices nationwide had risen to over three dollars a gallon,

although by mid-Nov. 2005, prices had returned to almost pre-Katrina levels.

42

President George W. Bush called on Americans to conserve energy and reduce driving.

In a Sept. 26, 2005, memorandum to executive departments and agencies, the President

directed the federal government to conserve fuel so as to reduce overall demand and allow

supplies to be directed toward the hurricane relief effort. He encouraged federal employees

to use public transportation, to carpool, and to telecommute. For the Sept. 26, 2005, press

release, see [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050926-4.html].

43

44

See [http://www.house.gov/wolf/news/2005/09-16-telework.html] for Rep. Wolf’s letter.

Agencies have designated telework coordinators (required by P.L. 108-447) as part of

their overall planning to implement and improve telework policies. The coordinators have

established a forum to exchange experiences and ideas and have established working groups

to focus on specific issues. Fifty-three agency representatives attended the first Quarterly

Telework Coordinators’ Meeting on Nov. 5, 2002. Attendance at the meetings continues

to be high, now averaging 70 attendees.

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highlighted the use of telework centers and the offer for agencies to try the centers free

of charge from September 7, 2005, through December 31, 2005.45

On November 16, 2005, Representative Jon Porter, Chairman of the House

Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce and Agency

Organization, held a hearing to examine the efforts of agencies and corporations to

help workers cope with gasoline price volatility after the hurricanes caused oil supply

disruption. Representative Wolf and Representative Jim Moran both testified on the

merits of telework to reduce fuel consumption, traffic congestion, pollution, and

transportation costs for employees. Issues of productivity, family friendly policies,

and telework as a COOP component were also briefly raised during the hearing.

Committee Chairman Tom Davis also attended the hearing to express his support for

telework.

On May 11, 2006, Representative Danny K. Davis introduced H.R. 5366,46 the

Continuity of Operations Demonstration Project Act. The bill would establish a

program to enhance the government’s COOP capability in the event of an extended

emergency situation. Under the bill, the Chief Human Capital Officers Council47 and

the Interagency Continuity of Operations Working Group48 would be jointly charged

to provide for a demonstration project under which two or more agencies would

perform a range of government essential and nonessential services and operations to

test employees’ ability to work from home or alternative sites away from their usual

duty stations for a period of not less than 10 consecutive working days. The council

and the working group would be required to submit to the House Government Reform

Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

a report evaluating the project no later than 12 months after enactment of the

legislation. The bill was referred to the House Government Reform Committee, but

no further action was taken on the bill before the 109th Congress adjourned.

Issues for Consideration

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the subsequent anthrax threats,

catastrophic natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the threat of

a flu pandemic have prompted a number of federal agencies to reexamine existing

COOP policies, and to improve, refine, and test procedures for the immediate, short,

and long term. Telework has emerged as one component of strategic and

45

On Sept. 2, 2005, OPM Director Linda M. Springer issued a memorandum to heads of

departments and agencies to urge “renewed efforts by Federal agencies and departments to

increase the use of telework, carpooling, and public transportation by employees.” For the

memorandum, see [http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittal_detail.cfm?ID=662].

46

This bill was similar to H.R. 4797, legislation Rep. Danny Davis sponsored in the 108th

Congress. No action was taken on that bill.

47

Established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296, Sec. 1302), the

25-member council comprises the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM),

who serves as chairman; the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management

and Budget who serves as vice chairman; the Chief Human Capital Officers of the 15

executive departments and eight additional agencies designated by the OPM Director. See

[http://www.chcoc.gov] for more information about the council.

48

FEMA established the working group pursuant to Federal Preparedness Circular 65,

available at [http://www.fema.gov/txt/government/coop/fpc65_0604.txt].

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comprehensive COOP planning. Many federal agencies have formulated COOP

planning and procedures, and most of them have established or are in the process of

setting up alternative work locations for emergency preparedness and disaster

recovery. Many agencies already have implemented active telework policies and have

incorporated telework centers as part of their emergency preparedness and disaster

recovery policies. Others are exploring integration of the telework centers as part of

their COOP strategy.

Telework centers may not, however, be suitable for some federal agencies as a

component of their COOP planning for various reasons. Such reasons may include

the centers’ locations, size, and layout. Additional security arrangements and special

technology critical to certain agencies, especially during COOP situations, may not be

available at the centers. Other reasons the centers may not be a viable alternative may

be that some agencies have already committed resources for alternative locations, or

that some agencies may prefer an environment solely operated by and under their

authority and control.

Strategic Planning for Telework Center Use

If an agency chooses to test the viability of telework centers as a COOP

component, the agency might take a number of preliminary and intermediate steps.

For example, it might consider the following:

!

providing agency employees who have been identified as “essential”

personnel an opportunity to work at the centers on a limited basis;

!

providing agency employees who live in close proximity to telework

centers an opportunity to work at the centers on a limited basis;

!

when agencies are not using all of their allocated funding for telework

center use, rotating employees from different job positions to work at

the telework centers on a very limited basis; thus, over time, more

and more staff will have had at least one day’s work experience at an

alternative site;

!

training employees to be efficient and effective teleworkers at the

centers and/or other locations; refining contingency policies and

procedures; and conducting drills/exercises for teleworkers to work

at the centers with little or no notice, to respond to different kinds of

emergencies;

!

encouraging all employees who have worked at the telework centers

to provide feedback on their experiences and evaluate the

information; and

!

creating a task force comprising telework coordinators, information

technology specialists, managers, and teleworkers (who have used the

centers or other off-site locations) to recommend whether or how to

use the telework centers and to provide oversight; in addition, such

a task force could conduct a comparative analysis of the experiences

of teleworkers who use the centers with the experiences of those who

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telework at home or elsewhere, and apply any lessons to the agency’s

telework and COOP policies.

Federal agencies have reacted with heightened interest in telework centers as a

possible component of COOP planning in the aftermath of disasters and emergencies.

However, research49 showed that such interest diminished over time — until the next

catastrophic event. Proponents of telework maintain that strategic planning and

vigilance in refining emergency policies and procedures — to prepare rather than react

— would strengthen agencies’ response to and recovery from any future disasters.

49

Research conducted includes discussions with GSA telework specialists and other

telework analysts.