An Organizational Assessment of the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Human Resource Management, Labor and Employee Relations Directorate

FAA, AHR

BACKGROUND

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civilian aviation in the country. The FAA has a large union presence with eight unions currently representing approximately 79% of its entire workforce.

The Office of Human Resource Management (AHR), Labor and Employee Relations Directorate (AHL) manages the relationships between the FAA and its unions and collaborates with managers on employee performance and disciplinary matters, supported by 132 employees and a budget of $23.2 million.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

FAA AHR engaged the National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) to conduct an independent assessment of FAA’s labor and employee relations (LER) functions. The study was conducted from January 2023 through June 2023. The Academy Study Team conducted the study based on a gap analysis framework, which entailed developing a sound understanding of the current state of AHL, identifying successes and challenges, analyzing root causes, and outlining a set of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the FAA’s LER functions.

Study Fellows