-----Original Message----- From: Cathy Spude [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 1:45 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Agency Archaeologists Job Cuts HISTARCHers: Well, as an NPS archeologist who has received a letter informing me that the "outsourcing" process will begin soon for my job and those of my colleaques in the office, I must say this outpouring of interest from all of you is heartwarming. We've been mildly nervous about it for the last couple of years, and perhaps longer. As one of you pointed out, any government archeologist who didn't see this coming a long time ago had his/her head buried in the sand. However, I refuse to believe that the picture is quite as bleak as is being painted. While it is perhaps very well to keep in mind that what Congress giveth, Congress can taketh away, it often takes quite a long time for stuff like that to happen. Hopefully, if everyone is well informed of possible consequences, then the worst won't happen. Some facts as we in NPS understand them: NPS did and still does some archeological project work in-house. Much of this work is done by hiring people who are not permanent, full-time employees (although there are certainly exceptions). Some of this work is even done by volunteers who are supervised by professional archeologists. The permanent, full time people tend to serve as program managers, project managers, and as support personnel for the projects (e.g. database managers). We in NPS have found, by experience, that this can result in cost savings to the American taxpayer (which we feds are also). When the President asked ALL federal agencies to identify those positions that were NOT inherently governmental in nature, NPS identified its archeological positions as ones that could be STUDIED as to whether they could be "outsourced" or better retained as a government function. We have all assumed, and have been reassured by those on the study teams, that IF any individual positions (not groups of positions) were "outsourced" to the private sector, it would be those positions that that were primarily engaged in project work. In other words, archeologists who ran programs, who functioned as contracting officers' representatives, and who essentially functioned in ways that were inherently governmental, would HAVE to be retained. Short of Congress repealing the NHPA, there will be some need for government archeologists. Furthermore, the process under which the studies are to be conducted has been carefully proscribed. It gives government employees an edge over the private sector, with which it essentially has to compete. The process demands that the government must bid against private companies to do the same work, but allows the government to come in with a higher bid and still win (I can't tell you what the figures are right off the top of my head...I think its about 15%). That is because the process recognises that it costs the government to administer contracts. And, if I understand what I've read correctly, if a federal employee's position is eventually "outsourced," that individual ends up with the right of first refusal. He or she gets to bid on his or her own job, and can immediately go to work for a private company, or a group of ex-federal employees can form their own company and continue doing their job without missing a beat (except to get a bunch of equipment and overhead all of a sudden). This is to prevent, supposedly, the brain drain that some of you were concerned about. Now, I don't want to allay any fears. I am leery enough of today's quickly changing political scene and the Machiavelian tactics of some managers to fear that any process can be used against those who are naive enough to trust them. What I might suggest is that those who are really concerned contact someone like David Linsay, who on the Governmental Affairs Committee for the Society for American Archaeology at [log in to unmask] to ask him what, if anything, the profession as a whole thinks about the matter. I've not seen a word about it in his monthly updates. Perhaps some upswelling concern from people other than those who look like they might be about to lose their jobs and therefore be biased in the matter would indeed produce some results. Again, thank you all for your concern!! Cathy Spude National Park Service Santa Fe, NM The opinions expressed in this message are not necessarilly those of my employer!!!!