The Department of Defense as an Organization Research Paper

The Department of Defense as an Organization - Research Paper Example (Fox 4). This paper discusses on the organizing functions of a big organization which is the Department of Defense (DoD) in terms of its human resources, knowledge and technology. It is a good measure of the organization's ability when viewed in this perspective especially at a time when there is a dearth of resources available due to budgetary constraints. Efficiency and effectiveness are good criteria by which to judge the leadership of the DoD in these areas. Discussion It is no small challenge to manage an organization the size of the DoD which is also charged with keeping the security of the nation as well as its allies internationally through the many defense pacts it signs with them. The Department of Defense controls the United States armed force services (army, air force, navy and marines) through its chairman, the joint chiefs of staff. The designated DoD secretary is the chief policy adviser to the president in terms of execution of approved policies of the administration. In the exercise of its mandated duties or responsibilities, the DoD must likewise make full wise of the resources made available to it to carry out its mission of protecting the country and deterrence of war (DoD 1). Human Resources – the DoD is the oldest and also the largest of all departments in the United States government. With some 1.4 million men and women in uniform (active duty and another 1.1 million people in the National Guard and Reserve forces), it also manages the pension, retirement and other benefits for the estimated 2 million retirees and their families. In addition, the DoD also employs approximately 718,000 civilian personnel. This paper is more concerned and focuses on how the DoD exercises its organizing function with these civilians. The DoD manages and organizes its large civilian employees primarily through its Civilian Personnel Management Service or CPMS. It is considered as the â€Å"center of excellence† for its civilian human resources t o create and sustain a diverse, high-performing and flexible civilian workforce, a model of excellence in the entire Federal government bureaucracy (CPMS 1). The CPMS is charged with the overall strategic policy planning and oversight of the department's civilian employees' plans, policies, and programs of its employees worldwide. It is headed by the deputy assistant secretary for civilian personnel policy. Its mandate includes talent acquisition, development and sustainment of excellence through its various programs such as strategic workforce planning, career and succession planning, leader development and senior executive leadership programs including the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce (CEW). In line with cost-cutting initiatives, DoD has implemented its Emergency-Essential policy classifying the retention of employees in civilian positions only when that position has been designated as E-E before crisis situations and secondly, if the civilian position is deemed necessary to s upport combat-essential systems. This allows for flexibility to remove civilian employees to reduce payroll but still maintain effectiveness in the face of continued threats (AS-DOD 1). The second important direction the DoD has taken is in joining the outsourcing bandwagon by hiring contractors and sub-contractors to perform jobs previously done by the military personnel; this policy covers foreign host-country and third-country