Management Consulting for Federal Government and Industry Insights

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Kristin (McCallum) Reisinger 03 Reisinger_Kristin@bah.com Katie (Saver) Farr 04 Farr_Kathryn@bah.com

AGENDA Introduction Management Consulting for the Federal Government Industry Overview Federal Proposal Process Our Experience and Perspectives Transitioning from Academia Human Capital Expertise Example Projects The Way We Work Required Skills Q&A

INTRODUCTION

KRISTINS PATH Human Performance Systems, Inc. 2003 2004 Intern, Research Assistant Booz Allen Hamilton 2004-Present Lead Associate McLean, VA 2004- 2006 Philadelphia, 2006-2010 Aberdeen /Telecommute 2010-present University of Baltimore MS 2003 Grad Assistantship- Dean s Office Manchester, Inc. 2002- 2003 Consulting Intern Loyola College BA 2001

KATIES PATH Booz Allen Hamilton 2009 Present Associate Constellation Energy 2007 2008 Sr. HR Consultant Right Management 2005 2007 Organizational Consultant University of Baltimore MS 2004 University Physicians, Inc. 2003 2005 HR Intern HR Generalist University of Central Florida BS 2002

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

WHAT IS MANAGEMENT CONSULTING? Consulting: Work done by a consulting firm, which focuses on advising organizations on the best ways to manage and operate their business Management Consulting: The practice of creating value for organizations through improved performance, achieved by providing objective advice and implementing business solutions Booz Allen Hamilton is a leading provider of strategy, technology, and engineering services to the US Government in defense, intelligence, and civil markets Trusted long-term partner to our clients Seek our expertise and objective advice to address their most important and complex problems

COMMERCIAL VS. GOVERNMENT CONSULTING Commercial Consulting Federal Consulting Example Organizations Big 4 Consulting Firms Ernst & Young Deloitte Price Waterhouse Coopers KPMG McKinsey Bain Boston Consulting Group Beltway Bandits Booz Allen Hamilton Accenture Deloitte Lockheed Martin SAIC International CSC Lots of small boutique businesses (KnowledgeBank, IDSI, Atlas, ERPI) Employee Stereotypes Top-tier MBA Graduates Focus on doing cutting edge, interesting work Ex-military and/or smart/driven functional experts Focus on serving important government missions, providing excellent client service Relationship to Clients Trusted advisors Staff Augmentation ( Butts in Seats ) Strategy and implementation work done in direct collaboration with clients Assignment Length Short-term (3-6 months) Multi-year, long-term strategic partnerships Culture Up orOut, Road Warriors Common to stop at Associate level Long-term onsite work, risk of Going Native Environmental Impacts Economy Elections

FEDERAL CONTRACTING The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) guides how we work with our government clients Complex set of rules governing the federal government s purchasing process Ensures consistency and fairness of purchasing procedures www.acquisition.gov/far Booz Allen solicits work from the federal government through a structured procurement process

EXAMPLE WORK Every agency in the government hires contractors/consultants to help solve their problems Sometimes as staff augmentation (supplemental headcount) Sometimes as specialized experts (supplemental capability) Examples of human capital work might include: Strategic Developing a human capital strategic plan that is linked to organizational strategy and prioritizes actions/programs for the next three years, including outlining how the organization might measure success Define the skills required for success in a role, conduct an assessment against those skills, and make recommendations for addressing gaps Evaluate workforce supply against demand in light of some organizational change, and make recommendations for optimizing the workforce Operational Provide staff augmentation to speed up recruiting processes (e.g., help conduct job analysis, write PDs, review applications, etc.) Develop and facilitate training

PROPOSALS Everything federal management consultants do to WIN work requires a written proposal A response to a client s Request for Proposal (RFP) A sales document that is intended to convince the client of our ability to successfully perform the work at the lowest risk If awarded, our proposal is a binding agreement to perform Most government proposals include: Technical/Management Volume Approach Staffing Assumptions Cost Volume Past Performance Volume

CONSULTING VS. INTERNAL HR ROLES

OUR EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES TRANSITIONING FROM ACADEMIA

TYPICAL HUMAN CAPITAL EXPERTISE ON OUR TEAMS Booz Allen s human capital and learning professionals collectively have advanced degrees and certifications in: Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Human Capital Strategist (HCS) Change Management Advanced Practitioner Professionals with functional expertise in: Workforce planning and assessments Competency development Organizational development and transformation Performance management Human Resource (HR) process redesign HR program support Breadth allows us to staff projects with specialized experts and rapidly surge to meet client needs

CASE STUDY: COMPETENCY MODEL DEVELOPMENT Challenge Faced: Lessons Learned Need for data-driven process for identifying training needs Best Practices Need for common language for newly centralized IT staff performing similar roles in different ways Actions Taken: Active SME Working Groups Used one occupation as an initial pilot to agree on definitions/outcomes and improve the process Identified workforce competencies for all IT and IT support occupations, with behavioral indicators for five levels of proficiency Implemented competency-based learning Aligned 8000 staff against appropriate profile Assessed individual gaps for custom training plans Pitfalls Assessed aggregate gaps to drive training development and acquisition Results Achieved: Lack of senior stakeholder engagement from the outset initially caused leadership commitment to wane in some organizations Competency models for 27 occupations Competency models are large and needed to be streamlined 4000 learning events mapped to the models in a Talent Management System 96% assessment completion

CASE STUDY: TWO YEAR LEARNING PROGRAM Challenge Faced: Lessons Learned Rapid growth of information security workforce Best Practices Dispersed workforce with limited on-site peer support Engaged and active leadership Integrate new employees into the larger team and organization Actions Taken: Aligned to critical competencies for the role Gather program feedback and continuously enhance program to meet participant needs Designed a two year learning plan to help new employees become familiar with the organization and their job responsibilities Pitfalls Assigned new employees a mentor to help guide their development in their first two years Mentors are assigned by supervisors and may not always be the best fit Developed additional training specific to fill gaps Offered quarterly forums to encourage interaction and sharing lessons learned among participants Even with tools provided, limited face-to-face opportunities are still a challenge for some new employees and their mentors Results Achieved: Close to 300 new employees participated in the program since 2011

THE WAY WE WORK Virtual work is accepted Many staff on client site Move to hoteling /staff alignment to closest office Matrixed teams Virtual Collaboration is expected Many meetings include Lync screen sharing Outlook invites include iPhone direct access Work/Life balance is encouraged 40-50 hour work week Travel throughout DC Metro Area is common Flex hours are common

EXAMPLE CONSULTING REALITIES Where you work is dependent on where your clients and project team need you. Some government consulting projects place consultants on client site 100% of the time When not on client site, consultants may work at an office where spaces are reserved via a hoteling system, or remotely When team members do not physically sit together, the firm encourages use of its tools and technologies that support collaboration Project assignment is sometimes unpredictable. Solid writing skills are crucial for success in consulting. Diversity of experience makes us stronger. Projects can last anywhere from a few weeks to 3-6 months to 1-2 years. Sometimes the parameters for a task are unclear, and sometimes the project you are assigned to changes scope because client priorities change. Our clients flex to address important mission changes, and we flex to anticipate and address our clients evolving needs. In many cases, you will not know in January precisely what you ll be working on in July, or where. We adapt to change. Everything we do to win work is based on a written narrative; everything we do to get paid is based on a written deliverable Management consultants need to deliver concise messages that will resonate with an executive audience. As a multicultural community of problem solvers, we recognize that bringing together many perspectives makes us more robust. Staff are encouraged to chart their own journey and define what kind of expert to be; we are given the tools and are expected to be proactive about taking advantage of them.

EXAMPLE CONSULTING REALITIES We value connections with other people. We tailor approaches to client needs We participate in procuring our work We embrace a demanding schedule We match our approaches to client appetite and the client s end goal. We recognize that the approach that serves the client best may be different than a rigorous methodology that lends itself to publication in a scientific journal, as might be appropriate in academia. Networking is an essential work activity it s how many employees find billable work, opportunities to engage in business development, and new areas of functional and market interest. Employees don t just engage with their administrative and project teams, but with functional communities, communities of practice, and communities of shared interests and hobbies. Most consulting staff participate in the process to procure new work because every project has a finite period of performance. Work/life balance changes from project to project, and even week to week. Consultants are expected to be engaged and delivering top quality work, whatever it takes. We recognize that there are surges and slower times that are driven by client deadlines and needs.

REQUIRED SKILLS Consulting Listening actively and asking pertinent and relevant questions Thinking critically to properly evaluate information Focus group facilitation Analysis Project management Communicating solutions effectively (e.g., PowerPoint, Executive writing) Human Capital Job Analysis Best practice frameworks, theories, and approaches as a starting point Credible sources to cite Detailed federal HR knowledge is a plus

QUESTIONS?