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Q&A
DHS staffing levels and contract management structure
1:37:44
·
3 min
Council Member Stevens questions the staffing levels at DHS in light of the increased shelter population. Agency representatives discuss recent efforts to exempt human service contracting positions from the hiring freeze and explain the complex structure of contract management at DSS.
- 183 positions have been unlocked from the hiring freeze for human service contracting
- Contract management at DSS involves multiple departments, including budget, programs, ACCO, and finance
- Agency representatives are unable to provide specific staffing numbers, leading to frustration from Council Member Stevens
Althea Stevens
1:37:44
The shelter population was nearly doubled in 2022 and 2024 placing a huge strain on the Department of Homeland Services.
1:37:52
However, we understand that DHA staffing levels has not increased to match this demand.
1:37:57
How many staff are currently assigned to manage and oversee d h a d h DHS contracts?
1:39:20
So if there's several touch points, can you go over how many staff and all of those who have the oversight?
1:39:29
you guys work on that so we can get that through the end of the hearing because it was a simple question, and so if there's multiple touch points, then the question should just really be at this department we have this many, at this department it should have this many, so I'm not really sure why that question is so you know.
1:39:57
Well, agencies should know how many people that they have on staff that are doing this work, and so it should be knowledge and this isn't a trick question, like this is a very simple question and so like I don't understand why you need to do a work analysis to know how many people you have in a department.
1:40:15
If you ask me how many staff I have, I can tell you what they do and how they do it, and so that's not that hard.
1:40:19
It's a huge agency.
1:40:21
So it's not a trick question, so if you guys can work on that, that'd be great.
1:40:24
It's it's just us trying to figure out and even saying that you unlocked more roles, don't get me started because it should have been unlocked because they should always had it open, but whatever, so we're not gonna go there, but they should clearly know how many staff they have working on these things because that's part of the problem.
Michael Sedillo
1:38:03
If you don't mind, chair, I'll just jump in real fast just to, make sure to remind, especially for the new council members who joined, that we were very proud to work with our partners at OMB to exempt human service contracting positions from the hiring freeze, and just wanna make sure folks know that 183 positions over the past few months have been unlocked because of the situation and because of the unique moment we find ourselves in, which includes the agencies at this table as well, just for framing.
1:39:44
Chair Steven, I really really appreciate the question.
1:39:47
It's something we are really trying to work on.
1:39:49
Director, you mentioned the workforce analysis that we're doing right now.
1:39:52
That's not ready for our principles yet, and so once we finalize that analysis
1:40:40
Yeah.
1:40:40
Chair Stevens, I I fully agree with you.
1:40:43
We saw the survey analysis that came back, it was not as simple as we had thought and it's you know
Diane Mamet
1:38:32
Thanks executive director Sadio.
1:38:34
So staffing is always going to be an ongoing challenge at DSS and any agency.
1:38:39
There's natural ebb and flow both through attrition and other factors.
1:38:44
I shared just now that OMB had has unlocked over a 80 positions, and a percentage of those will be coming to DHS as well as DSS to support the work.
1:38:56
The agency structure is unique in that contract management and oversight involve multiple departments including budget, programs, ACCO, and finance.
1:39:06
Each of these teams play a critical role at different stages of the contract life cycle from development and approval to implementation and fiscal monitoring.
1:39:14
So as such, there are several touch points across the agency due to this collaborative and integrated approach.
1:39:26
I would need to get back to you with specific numbers of staff Could