WHEREAS, State and local governments are confronted with a continuing requirement for qualified personnel to cope with vastly broadened operations and increasingly complex problems;
WHEREAS, to meet the challenge thus presented, every effort must be made to promote employees' self-development, help employees to utilize their talents and abilities, improve employee performance in present assignments and prepare employees to assume greater responsibilities;
WHEREAS, the establishment and implementation of employee development programs will help meet immediate personnel shortages in government and will serve the broader social purpose of enhancing open and equitable opportunities for employment for a significant segment of the State's citizens; and
WHEREAS, employee organizations have the right to participate in the development of these programs as appropriate and consistant with their role as certified representatives of State employees and in accord with the agreements embodied in contracts between the State and employee organizations.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Nelson A. Rockefeller, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the Laws of the State of New York, by Executive Order, do hereby declare as follows:
1. The State's training and development efforts shall be designated to: a. Alleviate manpower shortages at all levels and reduce personnel turnover.b. Improve the productivity, effectiveness and efficiency of government employees by increasing skills and making use of advanced techniques and equipment.c. Prepare employees to deal more rapidly and effectively with the growing social, scientific and economic problems faced by government.d. In accordance with merit system principles and the agreements between the State and its employees, accelerate the development of culturally disadvantaged employees whose abilities and aptitudes are presently under-utilized because of inadequate education and training, including establishment of pre-service training programs, where feasible, to develop the skills required to compete for State employment.e. Help employees develop their skills, knowledge and abilities so that they might become better qualified to perform the duties of their present jobs and advance to more responsible positions.f. Provide for the development of top administrators capable of managing complex and far-ranging programs.2. Providing adequate training and development opportunities for New York State and local government employees is a large task which can only be accomplished through the combined efforts of all existing training and educational facilities. Supervisors on the job, government agencies, central training agencies and all educational institutions must be mobilized to meet the manpower needs of government. To this end the State, under the leadership of the Department of Civil Service and with appropriate participation of the joint committees established by the terms of the agreements between the State and the certified representatives of its employees, shall: a. Identify and define these needs.b. Budget for and encourage the establishment of appropriate training programs.c. Aid employees to participate in these programs.d. Promote the use of the most advanced and effective techniques and media for training, including statewide programs and cooperative efforts on an interagency basis.e. Evaluate and report on the results attained.3. Training and development programs should recognize the following roles: a. State employees at all levels ultimately retain an obligation for their own development and education and it is expected that employees will advance their own careers through appropriate self-education and self-improvement.b. Individual managers and supervisors have the initial responsibility for the training and development of their subordinates. In fulfilling this responsibility, managers and other supervisory personnel should take an interest in individual training needs of their employees, and working with employees and their representatives, should prepare plans for their development. Such plans should make use of on-the-job training (including rotational assignments to provide a wider range of experience), individual and group instruction by supervisors and formal training and educational activities.c. Each department and agency has a responsibility for training and developing its employees. It is responsible for assuring that training programs geared to specific agency needs are planned, budgeted, and established and that their employees participate in these programs. In addition to these steps involved in developing and administering such programs, each department shall work closely with other agencies, employees and their duly authorized representatives, and the Department of Civil Service to promote the use of interagency training programs wherever possible.4. The Department of Civil Service shall be responsible for the State's role in overall planning, coordination and review of training programs and appropriate interagency training. The long-range objectives of the Department's training responsibility shall be to assist agencies to build and foster an effective and self-operating comprehensive employee training program. In carrying out this responsibility the Department shall: a. Collect and provide detailed information concerning the State's training needs.b. Advise agencies on the most effective methods and techniques for providing training.c. Assist agencies in designing specific training programs.d. Evaluate agency training programs, including agency-contracted programs, and with the advice and assistance of the Interdepartmental Management Improvement Council make recommendations to the Governor for improvements.e. Maintain and distribute a catalog of Department of Civil Service and agency-sponsored training courses.f. Prescribe appropriate regulations, principles and standards. The Department shall consider recommendations proposed by joint management- employee committees established in accordance with agreements between the State and employee groups to consider employee training programs. The Department, subject to availability of funds, shall also establish policies regarding the use of non-government training facilities, and staffing needs for agency training activities.
The Department of Civil Service shall also require that each agency prepare comprehensive training plans which include guidelines and programs for providing training opportunities for all categories of agency employees. These plans, when combined with such periodic reports on training accomplishments as the Department requires, shall form the basis for agency training budgets.
5. The Executive Budget, through appropriate support, shall reflect the fact that training is a basic responsibility of each agency vital to the accomplishment of the agency's programs, is of equal stature with other staff functions, and may significantly affect the economical and effective fulfillment of an agency's program responsibilities.6. The State University of New York has expressed a strong interest in participating in this effort by making available its faculties and facilities in cooperative programs of employee education and development. Departments and agencies shall cooperate with the State University in such programs, which will focus on: a. Education for professional personnel in their fields and management training for professional and administrative personnel.b. Training and development through formal courses and institutes for managers and for technical and professional personnel who are to assume responsibilities for managing programs.c. Advanced management training for senior administrators and program directors in professional fields. This advanced program--which would provide training in such fields as State government purposes, programs and operations, advanced management techniques, managerial use of automation, theories and techniques of leadership, and administrative behavior in organizations, human relations and motivation--shall be conducted by an independently financed Institute for Governmental Executives located within the State University at Albany. The Institute will be the focal point for advanced management training for senior administrators in State government and will also be available as a resource for local governments at their option. Signed: Nelson A. RockefellerDated: October 9, 1970
N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 9 § 1.41