THETELEWORKERSEPTEMBER 2006 • A PUBLICATION OF THE TELEWORK EXCHANGE • WWW.TELEWORKEXCHANGE.COM

Some 200 qualified government and industry leaders gathered on June 15th inWashington, D.C. for the first TeleworkExchange Town Hall Meeting. Attendeeswere eager to learn more about governmenttelework programs, available technologies,governing regulations, and best practicesfrom a range of agencies, not-for-profitorganizations, and private sector partners.The Town Hall Meeting agenda addressedan array of hot topics for telework managersand teleworkers, from Continuity ofOperations (COOP) planning to workingimplementations and enabling technology.The Town Hall Meeting also hosted the2006 Tele-Vision Awards, with recognition offive leading government telework programs(for more details, see page three).

DDOODD PPeerrssppeeccttiivveess oonnEExxppaannddiinngg TTeelleewwoorrkkThe Town Hall Meeting featured two viewpoints on telework fromDepartment of Defenseorganizations: Mark Fuhring,Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff forPersonnel, United States ArmyCommunications ElectronicsLifecycle Management Commandlocated at Fort Monmouth, NewJersey; and Jack Penkoske, Directorof Manpower, Personnel, andSecurity at the Defense InformationSystems Agency (DISA), based in

Arlington, Virginia.Each spoke aboutthe role teleworkis expected toplay during theirorganizationaltransitions calledfor by the 2005Defense BaseClosure andRealignmentCommissionReport(www.brac.gov).

Both Fuhring and Penkoskediscussed how telework can and willbe an effective tool to help ensuremission continuity during BRACtransitions, scheduled for completionin 2010. Penkoske’s organization isrelocating its headquarters to FortMeade, Maryland, yet 75 percent of current DISA headquarters’employees live in Northern Virginia.He reported DISA has a majorinitiative underway to educate theworkforce on telework options.

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“ “

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Theresa Noll, Senior TeleworkProgram Analyst, Office ofGovernmentwide Policy, GSA,presented the Telework TechnologyCost Study at the recent TeleworkExchange Town Hall Meeting held in Washington, D.C. on June 15.Explaining one of the study’sbusiness cases, Noll said,“Implementing a basic telework-at-home solution for 50,000employees at an agency with100,000 staff at a three-year cost of $16 million can yield more than

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Town Hall Meeting focused on enabling public-private collaboration on Federal telework

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Jack Penkoske, Director of Manpower, Personnel, and Security, Defense Information Systems Agency

TeleworkerNwsltr_Sept06 8/31/06 10:14 AM Page 2

By Denise Kearns, Environmental ProtectionSpecialist, United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency

Telework is rapidly emerging as a newstrategy in Federal plans to preparefor everything from terrorist attacks todeadly viruses. As a result, manyagencies are updating their existingtelework policies and programs.Telework not only provides managerswith a tool to improve workerproductivity and workplace flexibility,it also is a means for agencies toensure the continuity of essentialgovernment operations in times ofemergency.

Best Workplaces for CommutersSM

(BWC) is a voluntary partnershipprogram between the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency(EPA) and the Department ofTransportation (DOT) that recognizesthese agencies and other employersfor providing outstanding commuterbenefits to their employees.

Nearly 75 Federal agency worksitesand 65 state and local worksitesalready participate and have receivedthe BWC designation. In addition togaining national recognition, theseagencies are offered networkingopportunities and technicalassistance on a range of commuterissues, including telework.

To participate and achieve the BWCdesignation, public agencies andother employers first must meet aNational Standard of Excellence(NSE), which includes offering atleast one of the following “primary”commute benefits:

1.

Telework arrangements that reducecommute trips by at least six percent at a specifiedworksite, or

2. A transit or vanpool subsidyworth at least $30/month, or

3. A parking cash-out option worth at least $30/month

In addition to a primary benefit, BWCemployers also offer three or more“supporting” benefits. Some of thesesupporting options include onsiteamenities, flexible schedules, as wellas information on carpools andvanpools. Telework and otheralternative workplace arrangementsalso qualify as supporting benefitswhen offered to a limited number ofemployees as an option, yet the sixpercent reduction in employeecommute trips cannot be achieved.

The majority of Federal agencies thatparticipate as BWCs include teleworkas one of their supporting benefits,as do about half of participating stateand local agencies. For theseagencies, telework is used for anumber of reasons, all of which alignwith the goals of BWC.

“At the U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA), we’ve developeda range of workplace options thatover time has really made adifference in our organization,” saidMarge Adams, a USDA Work/LifeManager based in Washington, D.C.“Every year we see an increase in thenumber of employees who telework,use transit, or drive in together aspart of a vanpool.”

Improved workplace productivity,healthy community relations, andstrong employee recruitment andretention rates are among the key

benefits Adams has observed.She emphasizes the need

to highlight thesebenefits when workingwith USDA managers to adopt innovative

employee commuteoptions, includingteleworking.

Brooke Brewer, Director, Office ofWork/Life and Benefits Programs withthe U.S. Department of Labor agrees.The Department of Labor is in theprocess of increasing awareness oftelework policies and programs. Like USDA, the Labor Departmentqualifies as a BWC given its strongtransit program and because it offersa telework option.

Brewer believes that alternativeworkplace arrangements, includingtelework, are gaining tremendousmomentum, and that in the futurethey will play a greater role indetermining how the Federalworkforce is managed.

“Right now telework is a criticalflexibility (among Federal agencies)because it can help us strengthen andbuild effective Continuity of Operations(COOP) and Pandemic Flu plans,” saidBrewer. “I suspect that our capabilitiesin this arena will be heavily tested overthe next several months, and for manyyears to come.”

“As managers receive education andtraining, and the value of telework isdemonstrated, it won’t be long beforetelework becomes more prevalent inthe Federal workforce – and not justas a means to address securitythreats, but also because we willcome to see that it provides us witha flexible, more productive workforce,cleaner air, and reduced congestion,”said Brewer.

For the EPA and DOT, this will meantheir BWC program will have movedtowards achieving its goals ofproviding employees with moreflexible, productive, and satisfactorywork arrangements.

For more information about the BestWorkplaces for Commuters program,visit www.bwc.govor contact Jeffra Rockwell at (734) 214-4401.

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In an ongoing effort to educate thepublic about the savings and benefitsof telework, Telework Exchange hasrolled out a campaign called “Time isMoney, and Money Doesn’t Grow onTrees.” The innovative campaignplaces “money trees” at busyintersections in Washington, D.C. andallows people to pick telework dollarsfrom its branches and talk to a hostof telework experts.

The first trees took root at the cornerof 7th and D Streets, Southwest atcrowded L’Enfant Plaza and justoutside the Department of Housingand Urban Developmentheadquarters. The second promotion,underwritten by TANDBERG, tookplace on August 16 at the corner of13th Street and PennsylvaniaAvenue. Throngs of people visited thetrees to pick some valuable greenfrom its branches and learn about

how they could save money (forthemselves and their agency) byteleworking just one or two days eachweek.

More money trees are in the works,and Telework Exchange is asking itsmembers to visit the Web site(www.teleworkexchange.com) andvote for the next location. StephenW.T. O’Keeffe, Executive Director of

Telework Exchange, says “Considergas price hikes, D.C.’s traffic gridlock,and concerns on global warming –telework is the answer. It’s time toput telework into drive.”

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TTeellee--VViissiioonn AAwwaarrddssRReeccooggnniizzeeOOuuttssttaannddiinnggGGoovveerrnnmmeennttPPrrooggrraammssThe 2006 “Tele-Vision” Awards werepresented at the June 15 TeleworkExchange Town Hall Meeting. Fivegovernment organizations wereselected by an independent panel of

judges and recognized for excellencein telework program implementation.One winning telework program wasselected for each of the categoriesnoted below. For more information onthese telework programs, and on theTele-Vision Awards, seewww.teleworkexchange.com.

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On June 8, area commuters lined up to picktelework dollars at L'Enfant Plaza.

$2 bills blossom on August 16 in D.C.

TeleworkerNwsltr_Sept06 8/31/06 10:16 AM Page 4

The FDIC’s voluntary teleworkprogram offers a suite of remoteaccess services, including a RemoteClient Network (RCN), a VirtualPrivate Network (VPN), and a dial-upservice. Recently, the FDIC rolled outa token-based system that delivers allFDIC employees secure remote

access from any computer withInternet access and a Web browser.The Web Enabled Remote ClientNetwork (WebRCN) makes is possiblefor every eligible FDIC employee withaccess to a computer to participatein the Telework Program. In 2005,more than 2,300 FDIC employeesparticipated in the program, workinga combined total of more than266,000 hours.

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The FAA Flight Standards conducts AirCarrier/Repair Station certificationand surveillance on 94 entities in theAsia Pacific region, and is responsible

for issuing foreign organizations FAAcertificates to work on U.S. aircraftand products. Telework is being usedfor inspectors working with operatorsnationwide. In October 2005, theorganization built an interactive Website based on the FAA KnowledgeServices Network (KSN) to managevirtual office operation. Thisinformation-sharing Web siteenhances employee and industry

communications as well as trackscosts, approvals, inspector contacts,projects, and tasks.

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The Trademark Work at Home is acomprehensive program involvingmore than 220 employees (80percent of eligible examiningattorneys) who spend the majority oftheir workweek at home and shareoffice space through a hotelingarrangement. Each employee isprovided with the necessaryequipment for secure remote accessto the agency’s network, andautomated systems enable users toperform all of their trademarkexamination duties electronically. Byincorporating measurableperformance goals in the evaluationof worker performance, theTrademark office has created a modelof an extremely successfultelecommuting program forgovernment agencies.

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An Arizona State Executive Ordermandated telework, with the goal ofhaving 20 percent of the 21,000state employees in Maricopa Countyactively participate. Today, 3,700employees, or more than 17 percentof the state workforce in MaricopaCounty, are teleworkers. Currentestimates show that state teleworkersdrive 4.5 million fewer miles annually,generate 75 fewer tons of airpollution, and endure 155,000 fewerhours of stressful driving time. Withan employee replacement cost of$50 million per year, the teleworkprogram delivers significant potentialsavings to Arizona taxpayers, as ameaningful factor in the retention ofqualified employees.

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“ “TThhee TTeellee--VViissiioonn AAwwaarrdd wwiinnnneerrss pprroovviiddee ootthheerr FFeeddeerraall aaggeenncciieess wwiitthhaa pprroovveenn mmaapp ttoo nneeggoottiiaattee oouutt ooff tteelleewwoorrkk ggrriiddlloocckk.. FFrroommccoonnttiinnuuiittyy ooff ooppeerraattiioonnss ttoo rreeccrruuiittmmeenntt aanndd rreetteennttiioonn –– tteelleewwoorrkk iissaa ccrriittiiccaall ppllaannkk iinn aaggeenncciieess’’ ffuuttuurree ssttaannddaarrdd ooppeerraattiinngg pprroocceedduurreess..Eric Dunham, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for Real Property Management,

Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services Administration

Recipients of the 2006 TeleworkExchange Tele-Vision Awards

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PPaarrttnneerrsshhiippss,,TTeeaammwwoorrkk,, aannddAAddvvooccaaccyy AArree KKeeyyttoo TTeelleewwoorrkkCCeenntteerr’’ss SSuucccceessssAsk Joyce Twohig Larrick why herFederal Telework Center is sosuccessful, and she answers with an emphatic, “Teamwork andcommunity partnerships.” Larrick is Director of the Bowie StateUniversity Telecommuting Center,which currently is operating at 92percent capacity.

For that “nearly full” status, shecredits not just her staff, but also theteleworkers themselves. “They areour biggest advertisers,” she says.“They truly understand andappreciate the benefits ofteleworking, and they are flexible,motivated, and productive.” It is notdifficult to see why these teleworkersare appreciative. This particularCenter comes with all the perks of afull university campus.

The MARC train runs right through thecampus, making it easy for Baltimoreresidents to telework rather thancommute to their Federal jobs in andaround Washington, D.C. Teleworkerscan get their exercise with a run onthe University’s track or a swim in thepool. There are plenty of options for

lunch at the cafeterias, andteleworkers can borrow a great bookfrom the shelves – the TeleworkCenter is located inside the campuslibrary.

“There is no doubt that the collegialatmosphere is a selling point,” saysLarrick. “You can network with yourpeers and eat lunch with co-workers,yet avoid all the normal officepolitics.” Dr. Marion Harris, BSU’sActing Vice President forAdministration and Finance, said “The Center is an invaluableproductivity resource to its users,

and illustrates Bowie StateUniversity’s role as a leader inworkplace innovation, and acommunity partner in addressing theprofessional needs of its community.”

A long-time resident of Bowie,Maryland, Larrick knows her wayaround the community and its variousorganizations. She is passionateabout teleworking and is an activeadvocate in the Greater Bowie andBaltimore/Washington Chambers ofCommerce, and she is a foundingmember of the Bowie Chamber’s

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Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) andJoyce Twohig Larrick at the Bowie StateUniversity Telecommuting Center

TeleworkerNwsltr_Sept06 8/31/06 10:17 AM Page 6

Home-Based BusinessCommittee. She also

frequently meets with agencytelework coordinators anddirectors of otherWashington, D.C. areaTelework Centers, andstays active in theInternational TeleworkAssociation and Counciland the WashingtonMetropolitan Telework

Centers. “I assume it ismy role to be a proponent

for all the General ServicesAdministration-(GSA) supported

Telework Centers,” she says. It is notuncommon to see Larrick wearing abutton that reads, “Ask me aboutGSA’s Telework Centers.”

The Bowie Center is an “office awayfrom the office” for a variety ofworkers. Larrick estimates just over60 percent of the Center’steleworkers are Federal governmentemployees, while the remaining 40percent come from industry. Larrickworks with managers to optimize theirfull use of the Center. For example,nine people from the same agencyshare one seat in the Center.Teleworkers are able to have flexibleschedules and accomplish specialprojects.

Larrick also understands theimportant role that a Telework Centercan play in Continuity of Operations(COOP) planning. The GovernmentAccountability Office (GAO) recentlyaudited the Bowie Center for COOPservices. The Center received strongmarks and is now a COOP site forone Federal agency. Larrick notedthat she is speaking with otherFederal agencies as well.

The Center’s success has not goneunnoticed. Representative StenyHoyer (D-MD) has used the Center to telework, as well as otherCongressional members and a formeradministrator of the Office ofPersonnel Management (OPM).Hoyer, a proponent of telework fornearly 15 years, recently held aroundtable discussion at the Centerwith 20 teleworkers. He reiteratedthe wide ranging benefits of telework

– from improving the environmentand reducing America’s dependenceon foreign oil, to reducing stress, andstrengthening families.

Larrick has a grand vision of entirebuildings outside of the Washington,D.C. area dedicated solely toteleworkers. To promote this futurevision, she remains a tirelesstelework talker. “If you are a believerin telework, get into your communityand talk about it,” she says.“Volunteer, meet people, and joinorganizations and associations. Do what you can to let people knowthat telework is more than just aconcept – it is the here and now, and it is the future.”

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$36 million of benefits over the samethree-year period.”

Some of those cost savings aregained from reduced operating costsin areas such as leave usage,spending related to Continuity ofOperations (COOP) planning, and theproductivity losses due to inclementweather or other shutdowns.

The study lays out in detail theinvestment levels needed tomodernize agency informationtechnology (IT) infrastructures to support a large-scale teleworkprogram. The study’s goal was to“estimate the costs of expandingtelework technologies so the CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT

Theresa Noll, Senior Telework Program Analyst, Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services Administration

infrastructure can support 25 to 50percent of the Federal workforceteleworking.” GSA went a step further to assess the financial andnon-financial benefits of theseenhancements. The report points out that telework-related technologyinvestments have uses and benefitsbeyond the telework realm –improved collaboration capabilities,enhanced continuity of operations,and a better, more flexible overall IT infrastructure.

Aside from its wealth of quantitativeinformation, the study also identifiesconcrete steps agencies can take to expand IT support for teleworkprograms. The study provides threebusiness case analyses designed to help agencies implement robusttelework solutions – from how toenhance or expand telework, tostrategies for reliable budgetplanning. The study employedfinancial management tools todevelop the business cases, includingthe Capital Planning and InvestmentControl (CPIC) process and the ValueMeasuring Methodology. These andother tools are available for Federalagencies to use in prioritizinginvestments and incorporatingtelework into strategic ITenhancements.

The study is one of the first to clearlyestimate and enumerate the costsinvolved in developing a teleworkinfrastructure within an agency.

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People are surely paying attention, as the number of employees whotelework has quadrupled in the lastsix months, and Penkoske considerstelework to be a critical component in the agency’s strategy to retain andincrease the current DISA talent pool.

“When we changed the teleworkpolicy recently, we explained that all positions are eligible for teleworkunless you come back and tell uswhy they are not by exception,” said Penkoske.

Mark Fuhring noted that, in the past,his department might have had only25 to 30 teleworkers. The organizationestimates expanding telework to 300-500 employees this year.

PPrroovveenn GGoovveerrnnmmeennttTTeelleewwoorrkk PPrrooggrraammss To provide Town Hall Meetingattendees with models of successfulgovernment telework programs,panelists discussed best practices

and existing programs. One well-known example establishedover the last 10 years can beseen at the United StatesPatent and Trademark Office(USPTO). Debbie Cohn,

Deputy Commissioner forTrademark Operations, discussedthe evolution of the program thattoday is saving the agency morethan $1 million annually in leasingcosts. She highlighted key successfactors, including establishing pilotprograms, providing comprehensivetraining for teleworkers andmanagers, establishing measurableperformance standards, and setting realistic expectations, as well as working closely with theemployees’ union.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), part of the Department of the Treasury, has established a geographically-dispersed telework program thatincludes nearly 90 percent of theagency’s auditors and examiners. Ben Trapp, TIGTA’s Assistant Directorof Client Services and a full timeteleworker, spoke about theprogram’s success and half-million-dollar savings achieved to date. New employees initially work in a

TIGTA office, then transition to a two-day-a-week telework plan, andeventually work full time from theirhome or alternate location. Trappemphasized that executivemanagement support was the singlemost important factor that hascontributed to the initial success ofthe program. Today, this nationwideimplementation includes staff frommore than 60 regional offices.

“Work is something you do, not aplace you go,” said Ronald Simmons,Knowledge Management Officer andTechnical Advisor at the FederalAviation Administration (FAA). Hispresentation showcased the FAA’sKnowledge Services Network (KSN),an alternative virtual work spacewhere FAA employees, businesspartners, and customers conductdaily business and manage programsof all sizes. The KSN has 22,000users from 1,500 teams conductingthe critical business of FAA – and alarge portion are doing business fromtheir homes or other locations.

IInntteeggrraattiinngg TTeelleewwoorrkk iinnttooCCOOOOPP –– TThhee TTiimmee iiss NNoowwBusiness continuity is at the top of the critical list facing teleworkadvocates today. Linda Koontz,Director of Information ManagementIssues at the United StatesGovernment Accountability Office(GAO), reviewed the findings of arecent report entitled “Continuity ofOperations: Selected Agencies CouldImprove Planning for use of AlternateFacilities and Telework duringDisruptions.” This report, issued inMay 2006, discusses how, and towhat degree, 23 Federal agencies are using telework programs as anintegrated component of theircontinuity planning. (For moreinformation on this report, see theJune 2006 issue of The Teleworker or access the complete GAO report at www.gao.gov, report number GAO-06-713.

The Department of Commerce’sCritical Infrastructure ProtectionManager, Dave Jarrell, discussedprograms underway across the large,diverse agency to integrate telework,COOP, and other businesscontingency planning. The agencysupports teleworkers, as well as a

large mobile workforce, and theseemployees need the ability to workduring all types of weather, andespecially during an emergency. As part of the Commerce Office of the CIO, Jarrell noted that anessential approach to ensuringbusiness continuity is to involve thediverse stakeholders in the planning,governance, security, and testing ofremote access systems. TheDepartment regularly participates inexercises, internal and with otheragencies, to ensure COOP programsare executable, and to addresshiccups along the way.

LLeevveerraaggiinngg TTeecchhnnoollooggyyffoorr TTeelleewwoorrkk RReessuullttssIn a session dedicated to teleworkstrategies and available tools,presenters told attendees how toturbo charge their telework programs.Speakers included Nigel Ballard ofIntel Corporation, Ray Kent of BoozAllen Hamilton, Theresa Noll of theGeneral Services Administration(GSA), and Tom Simmons of CitrixSystems. Ballard highlighted thefuture of wireless technology andtalked about technologies availabletoday, noting that most teleworkerswill one day be able to work from anylocation. Simmons discussed thecharacteristics of the successfultelework programs implementedthroughout government, and touchedon improvements in emergingtechnologies, including virtualmeetings and Voice over InternetProtocol (VoIP).

Ray Kent and Theresa Noll shared the initial results of a recently-completed study conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton for GSA thatanalyzed the potential technologycosts and benefits of broadeningtelework capabilities to support 25 to 50 percent of the Federalgovernment workforce. Theresa Noll,a GSA Senior Telework ProgramAnalyst, discussed the government’sstudy objectives and detailed theeffectiveness and potential costsavings involved in implementing a more robust Federal teleworkinfrastructure. For more informationon this GSA study, see page one ofthis edition of The Teleworker.

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The Office of the National CapitalRegion Coordination (ONCRC), part ofthe Department of HomelandSecurity, hosted a special session atthe Town Hall Meeting to discussproven Federal telework bestpractices. The ONCRC is designingand implementing COOP programs forthe National Capital Region. Througha series of outreach sessions, ONCRCis looking to involve experiencedgovernment and industryprofessionals in the planning process.As part of its mandate, ONCRCoversees and coordinates Federalprograms for and relationships withstate, local, and regional authoritiesin the National Capital Region.

Available proceedings from the June 15 Telework Exchange Town Hall Meeting can be found atwww.teleworkexchange.com/townhallmeeting.

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The TeleworkerPhone 703.883.9000 | Fax 703.883.9007 | Enquiries: Cindy Auten 703.883.9000 x101Write to Us: 921 King Street | Alexandria, VA | 22314 | Info: info@teleworkexchange.com

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The study’s cost benefit analysisclearly shows that initial costs arewell worth the investment – not justto those who are teleworking, but tothe agency overall.

The study also found that manyagencies currently do not includetelework in their comprehensivestrategic IT planning and programdevelopment. GSA recommends thatagencies consider teleworktechnology as a component of theirenterprise architectures and capitalplanning to expand program benefitsand technology return on investment.

To read the full study, visit www.teleworkexchange.com/gsa-telework-technology-cost-study.asp.

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TTeelleewwoorrkk DDrriivvee--TThhrruu TTeelleewwoorrkk NNeewwss UUppddaattee�The White House released the

"National Strategy for PandemicInfluenza Implementation Plan" in May, which requires the Officeof Personnel Management (OPM)to update its telework guidance to include information on work-place options during a pandemicoutbreak. Visit www.teleworkexchange.com toview OPM's updated guidance.

�For the third straight year, FrankWolf, Chairman of the HouseAppropriations Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice, andCommerce, inserted language inthe fiscal 2007 appropriations billthat will withhold $5 million fromthe agencies covered under the billif they do not increase their tele-work opportunities from last year.

� Downpours affected theWashington, D.C. area in June, forcing the Internal Revenue Serviceto close headquarters until 2007 dueto flooding. During this time, theagency offered employees alternativeworkplace options, including telework.GSA is offering IRS employees freeaccess to Washington MetropolitanTelework Centers. More informationon the Telework Centers is availableat www.wmtc.org.

Teleworker-at-Home Solution100k Staff

TELEWORK BUSINESS CASES*

GSA TELEWORK TECHNOLOGY COST STUDY — SAMPLE TELEWORK BUSINESS CASES SHOW IMPRESSIVE ROI

$16.0

TotalInvestment(millions)

TotalBenefits(millions)

ROI

$15.6

$0.22

GSA Telework Technology Cost Study, June 2006*Each business case assumes 50 percent of staff telework

$36.2

$31.1

$3.4

≈225%

≈200%

≈1500%

Telecommunications Services50k Staff

Enterprise10k Staff

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