Leading the Charge for a Federal Workforce/Workplace Revolution

“Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” – Sydney Harris, Chicago Daily Times This is a revolutionary time for the entire civil service, but particularly for those of us who are undertaking solutions that support not only our agency’s mission, but also a more flexible and distributed workforce. And perhaps there is no greater sign of this revolution than a Chief Human Capital Officer introducing a real estate newsletter. Leading change requires human resources to sit at the table with our technology, facilities, communications and other vital partners, and I believe GSA’s cross-disciplinary model provides a template for success that can be replicated throughout the government. Change only follows challenges to traditional thinking and conventional wisdom. Our experience at GSA is that having all personnel reporting to a physical office doesn’t equate to better productivity or innovation. As a result, all of GSA is working together to reimagine how we work, create more functional and attractive collaboration spaces, and inspire employees to come into a government building. Our path forward includes a cadre of business lines (the Public Buildings and Federal Acquisition Services) and stakeholder groups (information technology, human resources, and administrative services) meeting regularly to discuss each group’s role in rethinking our workspaces, leveraging technology, and listening to employees. It is also my privilege to represent GSA on the Chief Human Capital Officers Council. Through this lens, it is abundantly clear that the rest of the government is looking to GSA to demonstrate better ways to work that incorporate key Administration priorities such as sustainability, inclusivity, and access. This type of change is not for the faint of heart, but GSA has a history of innovation and a culture of excellence that fosters bold change. For us, it began by clarifying our mindset that we are one agency with one mission, and that each office and every employee is critical to our success. We also defy the notion that the government can’t or won’t change with the times; we are willing to step up and show how we can transform our buildings, invest in technology, increase our use of clean energy, and focus on a civil service that is welcoming to all employees and customers. We look forward to sharing our successes and lessons learned with all of you. And I am confident that we can break through silos and revolutionize federal civil service, by focusing more on service delivery excellence than on counting heads at desks. We have a lot of work ahead, and we may not get everything right on the first try. Innovation is hard work but also worth it! There is nothing permanent except change.” -Heraclitus This is our time to seize change to create a stronger, more dynamic federal government.  Traci DiMartini Chief Human Capital officer U.S. General Services Administration

“Two-Headquarter Solution” Comes into Focus for USAID

Seven Disparate Spaces in One Metro Area

A decade ago, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) 4,000 headquarters personnel were spread across seven locations (including six leases, one of which was a warehouse) in Washington, DC, and Virginia. Beyond the geographic separation, USAID’s flagship space at the Ronald Reagan Building was showing its age and making the wrong first impression. 

“The unrenovated parts of our offices looked just like they did in 1995,” recalled Dr. Tony Bennett, Chief of the Headquarters Management Division at USAID during this summer’s 2022 PBS Customer Forum.  “We would have applicants interviewing in these spaces and they would see the old fabric cubicles…and worn-out carpets.” But Dr. Bennett and his USAID colleagues saw an opportunity in this flawed space.

While the condition of the office space eased initial buy-in for a renovation, Dr. Bennett and his team saw it as an impetus for additional change. “We wanted to get to a two-headquarter solution and improve our utilization of space,” he explained. “We wanted to fully modernize our space, to make sure our offices were state-of-the-art—including IT and security. We also put an emphasis on ergonomics and wellness. We wanted to ensure USAID’s offices were modern and relevant for years to come.”

GSA as a “Model for Change”

USAID officials collaborated with GSA workplace professionals to get the process started, first by touring GSA’s headquarters building and then embarking on a project to pilot new concepts. 

USAID chose to renovate 27,000 square feet on the seventh floor of its Reagan space, according to GSA’s total workplace design standards in place at the time. The modern, open office design included a lobby area, offices, workstations, and a tech cafe. 

While there was organizational buy-in for USAID to renovate its space, the pilot showed senior leadership how future renovated spaces should function. “Our biggest hurdle was to convince people with 200-square-foot offices and private conference rooms to buy into this vision,” Dr. Bennett recalled. “Seeing the open-office pilot helped secure their approval. We have to thank GSA for being that model of change and helping us convince the people that this is the path forward.” 

Pilot Project Spurs Additional Renovation 

The pilot was so well received that USAID soon renovated its remaining space on the seventh floor to include a state-of-the-art operations center, SCIF, and other classified spaces with the open plan. 

In 2015, USAID was ready to commit fully to the two-headquarter solution: consolidating its seven DC–area locations into two, and designing both to accommodate current and future mission needs. Dr. Bennett and his team codified USAID’s plans in a real estate framework known as the Washington Real Estate Strategy. Part of this strategy involved directly engaging office personnel through a team called Space Matters. For the past seven years, this group has worked with USAID’s facilities team. 

Additionally, GSA maintained strong lines of communication with USAID as its strategy moved forward. “In the early phases of the project, our goal was to develop a solution-based, proactive culture across all stakeholders,” said Nadiyah Scarlett, Capital Projects Division Director in the Office of Design and Construction, GSA National Capital Region, and one of several GSA workplace personnel who managed USAID ‘s consolidation. This collaboration, Scarlett explained, facilitated decision making and kept the project on track. 

As consolidation planning and design continued, the GSA team established weekly progress meetings with key stakeholders that included USAID’s high-level leadership, representatives from impacted groups such as information technology and security, and contractors. “These collaborative customer meetings are very helpful,” Scarlett said. “I believe they have been integral to the success of the project.”

Closing in on a Two-Headquarter Solution

USAID’s two-headquarter solution is nearly in place. The completed first phase is a consolidation of three leases into a single lease at 500 D Street that provides the agency with up to $79 million in lease cost avoidance. As the first tenant in the 12-story building, the agency was able to custom-design the space to meet specific needs. As Dr. Bennett noted “We were able to design it ourselves—our design, our concept, our layout.” Through this effort, USAID also reduced its space needs from an average 85 square feet per person to 73 square feet per person. 

By 2025, USAID’s renovation of its Reagan building space will also be complete. In addition to a 30 percent reduction in utilization rate, Dr. Bennett estimates that USAID will avoid $6 million in annual rent, utility, and security costs, as well as an additional $350,000 per year in shuttle services. Most importantly, the renovation will provide the agency with modern space that accommodates a hybrid and dynamic workforce, emphasizes wellness and ergonomics, and positions USAID for mission success for years to come.

Model Your Agency’s Future with WIFM 2.0

The newest version of the Workplace Investment & Feasibility Modeling (WIFM 2.0) tool is now available for GSA customers as part of GSA’s  Workplace 2030 initiative.

WIFM allows users to model how different rates of telework might change the workplace needs for an agency. The model is intended to allow agencies to input basic information about the overall distribution of employee telework levels to explore different space scenarios, that includes mix of space types and total amount of space.

WIFM will automatically calculate a scenario that considers changes in:

• Desk sharing
• Individual workspace allocations between private offices, workstations, and benching stations
• Individual workspace sizes
• Meeting and collaboration space needs

Workplace scenarios are presented in an easy-to-interpret dashboard, which shows overall space distribution, seat distribution, and utilization rates that both include and exclude remote workers. WIFM's calculation details can also be used to jumpstart space-requirements development efforts.

WIFM 2.0 includes a do-it-yourself customization feature in which any user can specify workstation, office, and individual workspace distribution ranges. More robust customization options—such as changing the mix of spaces under consideration—are also possible for those agencies interested in a national-level version. In many instances, this national customization is available without additional cost.

To request your copy of WIFM 2.0, email the GSA Center for Workplace Strategy at workplace@gsa.gov.

Two IDIQs Help GSA Deliver the Strategic Workplace

Federal agencies can get the best of both worlds when it comes to transformational workplace strategy, design, and implementation. GSA provides in-house expertise through our Center for Workplace Strategy, and we tap into top industry talent with predictable pricing through two Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts. A GSA workplace strategist is involved at each step to guide agencies through those engagements, studies, and activities, even when contractors are leveraged. 

Government To Citizens IDIQ

Government to Citizens (G2C) helps agencies prompt strategic discussions to optimize their real estate portfolios. G2C IDIQ contractors assist PBS customers with defining the future of the workplace by looking holistically at agency operations, mission objectives, real estate, human capital, technology, budget, and change management needs. G2C IDIQ services are customizable to the agency.

Examples of services include: 

• Economic research and analysis, to examine optimal workplace scenarios
• Agency requirements development through workforce analysis and workplace engagement
• Generating and implementing policy to navigate the changing work environment
• Developing enterprise-system strategies for recruiting and retaining the best talent
• Evaluating and assessing an agency’s portfolio to identify and build upon workplace and technology opportunities

For more information about the G2C IDIQ, visit www.gsa.gov/g2c or email g2c@gsa.gov.

Architecture/Engineering/Interiors IDIQ

PBS recently expanded its Architect/Engineering/Interiors (AEI) IDIQ offerings with the award of a firm fixed price contract to 14 firms, including two small businesses. 

This national IDIQ offers multidisciplinary workplace strategy services, enabling PBS to provide human-centered, sustainable, flexible, and tech-enabled workspaces. A few services include:  

Industry Buzz

PBS continually monitors best practices, innovative solutions, and thought leadership in the private sector and industry media. Here are some of the more interesting articles and ideas we’ve come across this quarter. Sharing of the below links is for informational purposes only. The sharing of such information does not constitute an endorsement of the source, companies, services, or products, nor does it reflect the official policy or position of GSA. 

People 

What Makes us Feel Good About Our Work?

What motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn't just money. But it's not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose.

Does Your Office Design Sabotage Your Team’s Psychological Safety?

Imagine being sandwiched between two supervisors who can see your computer screen and every move. Now, imagine sitting across the room from your supervisors; you can make eye contact but maintain your personal space. Chances are you’d feel distracted and exposed in the first, and feel more comfortable in the second. That sense of safety is what you want in the design of your office.

Place 

JLL’s Future of Work Survey 2022

As companies emerge from the crisis created by the pandemic, they now face critical challenges. Among these, the execution of their strategic objectives is more complex and outsourcing services more sophisticated. The power has shifted from the employer to employees, forcing organizations to reimagine workplace and portfolio strategies. And the greater application of technology is becoming crucial to boosting performance levels on all fronts. At the same time, how do companies embrace new dynamic working to their advantage? And what does this mean for organizations and the shape of their future real estate portfolio?  

How Will We View Today’s Transformation of the Workplace in Twenty Years?

We need to move beyond typical program development processes and post-occupancy satisfaction surveys, to find new ways to conceptualize the workplace as a product that is driven by the voice of its customers—the employees.

Technology

Architecture Technologies: 9 Recent Technological Advancements

The future and technology always go hand in hand and give ever shining results. With the upcoming trends in technology and the urge to get the best services and techno-equipped surroundings, architecture is following similar trends. There are many new applications and architecture technologies making the jobs of architects easier, but at the same time more challenging.

Digital Transformation Investments: The Art and Science of Measuring the Value

If enterprises could consistently estimate and measure digital transformation returns, would their ambitions be bolder? From Deloitte Insights.

Training Opportunities and Resources

Workplace 2030 Fact Sheet

A new Workplace 2030 Fact Sheet is now available on our PBS Fact Sheet page. Download and share it with your colleagues.  

Training and Outreach Recap 

Miss the 2022 PBS Customer Forum? Or want to revisit some of the information shared? Full-day session recordings and individual presentation slide decks are available at www.gsa.gov/pbsforums.

See the latest monthly PBS Client Enrichment Series class slide decks, recordings and Q&A documents under “Recent Presentations” 

Cost Estimating and Cost Management Principles With today’s volatile labor and commodity market conditions, developing and managing a project budget is a challenging endeavor.  In this session, learn about the art and science of cost estimating.

Kahua Users Klub  A follow-on to our Say Aloha to Kahua! class, this session for Kahua users walked through site navigation, data and reporting features.

Policy and Process Changes for Occupancy Agreements  This session, an encore of our April 5th class, provides an introduction to the new OASIS tool, where OA development and approvals will be recorded.

Say Aloha to Kahua!  GSA’s new project management tool allows federal customers, GSA and our contractors to manage projects on a secure, web-based, collaborative platform.

Workplace Feasibility Modeling Made Easy With WIFM 2.0  PBS’s improved workplace tool helps federal customers explore the feasibility of changes before the project requirements have been defined. (see article above, “Model Your Agency’s Future with WIFM 2.0”)

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Workscape is a quarterly newsletter published by the Public Buildings Service (PBS) of the U.S. General Services Administration. To learn more about PBS’s workplace resources and services email workplace@gsa.gov.