Executive Council Report

Doris Maye

The IPMA Executive Council met in Minneapolis on September 6, 1997 in conjunction with The International Training Conference. It was a productive meeting with numerous action and informational items. Below are highlights that struck me to be of particular interest to IPMAAC. Please contact me for further details or to convey issues you wish considered in the future. The next meeting of the Executive Council is scheduled for March 7, 1998.

The 1998 Work Plan for the Association was approved, including
- the preparation and distribution of a customer service survey to the Association membership,
- increasing the number of jurisdictions participating in the 1998 Compensation Survey to 1,000 and providing customized surveys for a fee,
- providing stand-alone subscriptions to the IPMA Recruiter Service Bulletin,
- producing an "HR Buyer's Guide" twice per year with IPMA News mailings and on the Internet to promote advertisers and generate additional revenues,
- developing an interview guide for both human resource and line managers to be available through the Center for Personnel Research, and
- production and marketing of French language versions of all entry-level firefighter examinations.

IPMA Assessment Services activities additionally include computerized clerical modules and typing test available September 1997, augmentation of police and firefighter promotional questions in the IPMA Item Bank in preparation for customized promotional examination development services to be implemented in January 1998, and continuing developmental activities for an entry-level video component police officer examination.
Results summaries of Part I of the two-year, four-part Personnel Program Inventory (PPI) included the rating of "recruitment and selection" as the Number One priority of the personnel professionals responding to the 1997 PPI and 53% reporting access to the Internet at work. Part II, which is currently being tabulated, included a number of specific questions about the recruitment and selection practices of IPMA Agency Members.
IPMA has established a Benchmarking Task force, chaired by Robert Lavigna, Administrator of Merit Recruitment for the Wisconsin Department of Employment Relations. The task force is to develop recommendations for benchmarking efforts that could be undertaken by the Association.
The first Chapter/Region/Section Leadership conference, held this past August, was deemed a success and will be continued annually.
The IPMA Professional Development Committee provided information on the IPMA Human Resource Competency Model and the training modules that are being developed by the USDA Graduate School. Plans call for the four modules to be ready to preview in March,1998, with delivery at regional conferences in the Spring.
The Executive Council reviewed the amicus curiae brief that has been filed by the Association in the case of Board of Education of the Township of Piscataway v. Sharon Taxman. The case deals with the issue of voluntary affirmative action by an employer in a lay-off retention decision with otherwise equally qualified candidates. The case will be heard by the United States Supreme Court during this term with a decision expected next Spring.

Doris Maye serves as IPMAAC's Representative to the IPMA Executive Council. Throughout the year she keeps us informed of the Council's activities. Doris is the Assistant Director of Applicant Services for the Georgia State Merit System and may be reached at 200 Piedmont Ave. SE, #420, Floyd West, Atlanta, GA 30334. Phone: (404) 656-5820, Fax: (404) 656-9740, e-mail at dmm@sms.state.ga.us.