The FY 2001 NMB Performance Plan fully aligns with the current NMB Strategic Plan. The three strategic plan outcome goals for NMB mediation, representation and arbitration activities are highlighted and appear in their respective sections of the annual performance plan. The annual performance plan goals are strategies for achieving the strategic plan goals.

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Mission Statement

The National Mediation Board (NMB), established by the 1934 amendments to the Railway Labor Act of 1926, is an independent agency that performs a central role in facilitating harmonious labor-management relations within two of the nation's key transportation modes--the railroads and airlines. Pursuant to the Railway Labor Act, NMB programs have provided an integrated dispute resolution process that effectively has met the statutory objective of minimizing work stoppages in the airline and railroad industries. The NMB's integrated processes specifically are designed to promote three statutory goals:

1. The prompt and orderly resolution of disputes arising out of the negotiation of new or revised collective bargaining agreements;
   
   
2. The effectuation of employee rights of self-organization where a representation dispute exists; and
   
   
3. The prompt and orderly resolution of disputes over the interpretation or application of existing agreements.

Resources Requested to Meet FY 2001 Performance Goals

The NMB requested budget resources along with its allocated full-time equivalent positions will enable the agency to achieve the goals contained in the current strategic plan ad the annual performance plan. These resources will enable the NMB to meet its statutorily mandated obligations and to provide services to its airline and railroad labor-management and public customers. Seventy-five percent of the NMB's budget is attributed to FTE and contractual personnel costs. More than ninety percent of NMB staff have direct customer contact. The staff is dedicated to fulfilling the NMB's mission to provide the services described in the annual performance plan goals.

The Revised FY 2001 annual performance goals are based on the assumption that the agency will experience level staffing and relatively stable case loads.

FY 2001 Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Performance Goals

I. Promptly and efficiently docket, assign and process mediation cases.

1. In all non-excepted cases,^* mediation applications will be responded to within 3 business days following their receipt by the NMB.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: For 1997, the target was achieved in 88 percent of the cases.
   
   
2. In all non-excepted cases, a mediator will be assigned within 14 calendar days following docketing of all mediation cases.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: For 1997, the target was achieved in 91 percent of the cases.
   
   
3. In all non-excepted cases, the assigned Mediator will make an initial contact with the parties within 7 calendar days following his or her assignment in all mediation cases. Initial contact is satisfied by speaking with both parties or leaving a voice mail message with both parties.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: For 1997, the target was achieved in 65 percent of the cases.

II. Promote, manage and provide effective and efficient mediation services.

1. In all non-excepted cases, the assigned Mediator will establish the date for the first mediation conference within 25 calendar days following the Mediator's assignment.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: For 1997, the target was achieved in 17 percent of the cases.
   
   
2. In all non-excepted cases, mediator and the Board will endeavor to assist the parties in reaching an agreement within 45 days of mediation meetings or fewer.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: This is a new standard. The target for FY 01 is to reach this goal in 75 percent of closed cases.
   
   
3. In all non-excepted cases, mediator and Board will endeavor to assist the parties in reaching an agreement within twelve months (365 days) from docketing of an application.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: This is a new standard. The target for FY 01 is to reach this goal in 75 percent of closed cases.
   
   
4. Provide mediation services for 70 new railroad and airline mediation cases.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: This is a new standard.
   
   
5. Mediate to closure 70 railroad and airline mediation cases.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: This is a new standard.
   
   

III. Promote, manage and provide effective and efficient alternative dispute resolution services.

1. Provide facilitator and training services in 50 new alternative dispute resolution cases.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: This is a new standard
   
   
2. Bring 50 alternative dispute resolution cases to closure.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: This is a new standard
   
   

FY 2001 Representation Performance Goals

V. Representation cases will be completed as expeditiously as practicable.

1. All non-appellate representation cases will be completed within 90 calendar days of docketing.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: For FY 1997, the target was achieved in 89 percent of the cases.
   
   
2. All Board decisions involving allegations of interference in appellate representation cases will issue within 270 calendar days of docketing.
   
   Measurement: Quarterly
   
   Baseline: This is a new standard. The target for FY 01 is to reach this goal in 80 percent of the applicable cases.
   
   (Note: An appellate representation case involving allegations of interference is resolved only through a Board decision. Only a minority of NMB representation cases are appellate. The majority of appellate cases involve the resolution of allegations of interference.)
   
   

FY 2001 Arbitration Performance Goals

Management Strategies

The NMB has six management strategies in its strategic and performance goals. These are vital to the NMB's management for results. The Board's strategic and performance goals set out what is to be accomplished. The management strategies set out how these goals are achieved. These strategies cut across all organizational boundaries within the agency and are key to performing the NMB's missions efficiently and to providing the customers with consistent and seamless services. Most importantly, these management strategies help the Board work better together, provide higher performance with the same organizational capacity and resources.

The following management strategies will be used to accomplish the Board's managerial success in FY 2001.

Workforce Planning: In FY 2001, the NMB will recruit, hire and train new mediators, a Director of Program Development and Outreach successor and support staff to accomplish its strategic goals and initiatives.

Managing Diversity: The NMB will continue its efforts to build a talented workforce that reflects America and is unrestricted in its ability to pursue the NMB's goals. The Board will dos so through hiring and innovative employee sharing programs.

Learning and Development: The NMB will ensure its employee professional growth consistent with the needs of the agency and efficiency of its service. In FY 2001, the NMB will do the following:

• Monitor all mediators' participation in interest-based bargaining (IBB) and grievance mediation (GM) training programs, so that by the end of FY 2001, all mediators will have the knowledge of IBB vocabulary, concepts and problem solving techniques.
  
  
• Expand the capacity to offer IBB, contract facilitation and GM by having mediators participate in training/facilitation cases as co-facilitator to refine facilitation skills and to develop capacity to manage IBB and GM cases.
  
  
• Use team mediation and facilitation to enhance individual skill development in situations identified during weekly case assignment meetings.
  
  
• Review, revise and implement the development program for managers, mediators, professional staff, and support staff.
  
  
• Conduct monthly mediator meetings and conferences with periodic presentations designed to enhance knowledge and skills of the mediators and professional staff.
  
  
• Compile user input for recommendations of change in the IBB and GM training modules.
  
  
• Review case scheduling and tracking activities to ensure integration of IBB into mediation case load.

Strategic Planning: The NMB will do the following during FY 2001:

• Explore the feasibility of expanding scope of the IBB program to other Government agencies within the airline and railroad industries.
  
  
• Study and report to the Board on joint academic/NMB partnership ("Virtual Institute") for IBB and GM activity. Requires market research, financial feasibility and acceptability to the parties under the RLA.
  
  
• Promote, provide and facilitate IBB in the airline and railroad industries.
  
  
• Assess legality, feasibility and desirability, through appropriate U.S. Government agencies, to create contacts, with similar agencies in other countries, to develop an international conference on dispute resolution due to the globalization of both the airline and railroad industries.

Strategic Planning: The NMB will reorganize and redirect its information technology resources to better support mediation staff and enhance its overall customer service in FY 2001:

• Report from selected users to identify and correct any problems with the case management system and make recommendations for any appropriate changes.
  
  
• Work with the vendor to conduct users group meetings to develop in-house expertise in the agency's common software.
  
  
• Conduct ongoing evaluations of the system's performance, initiating improvements, upgrades and changes as necessary and provide biweekly status reports.
  
  
• Maintain current information regarding hardware and software advances.
  
  
• Reexamine NMB document and records management security and align with newly implemented records and file management procedures and NMB operations.

Productivity Enhancement: The IT staff will streamline the work process by:

• Developing and delivering training to staff on agency software.
  
  
• Conducting survey to determine need for staff training on all agency software.

Securing IT Systems: The IT staff will ensure that the NMB's information systems remain secure by:

• Conducting vulnerability assessments on all current IT systems.
  
  
• Providing security awareness training to all NMB employees.

Strategic Planning: The NMB will do the following during FY 2001:

• Promote labor-industry dialogues on issues of industry concern.
  
  
• Maintain user groups of carrier and labor officials who provide access to airline and railroad collective bargaining agreements.

Strategic Planning: The NMB will do the following during FY 2001:

• Prepare, revise and implement the NMB budgets to ensure that funds are available for the Board's priorities and are allocated to effectively achieve the strategic goals of the agency.
  
  
• Prepare, revise and implement the NMB annual report, performance report and other GPRA related tasks to ensure alignment with the NMB strategic goals.

• Manage public information and press relations in keeping with NMB mission effectiveness.
  
  
• Conduct an NMB website and public information customer satisfaction survey.

Verification and Validation

The Revised FY 2001 Annual Performance Plan was developed by management and program staff in consultation with labor and management. This development involved the evaluation of workload trends and the review of historical workload data. Discussions concerning goals, targets and measures were held with other Federal agencies. NMB annual performance goals were based on the assumption that the agency will have a relatively stable case intake.

The NMB measures its progress in meeting its performance goals through customer feedback, staff discussion, and the use of the agency's case management system. Feedback from labor, management and neutral parties is continuous and an integral part of managing the agency. Through weekly managers' meetings, department staff meetings, and full quarterly reviews, agency management identifies problems and makes adjustments in work processes or resource levels. The NMB develops work plans and establishes deadlines for all projects including those performed by contractors. When information technology upgrades are completed, the case management system will monitor, measure and report case activities and production within mediation, representation and arbitration program areas. This will enable the NMB to determine whether agency or departmental program activities are on track to meet annual performance plan and strategic plan targets and goals.

The NMB is developing a management audit and evaluation system to determine program effectiveness and to foster program improvements. This will involve measures of customer satisfaction concerning current services and the identification of any additional services that may be necessary to serve the parties. Case statistical data will be reviewed to identify trends. Evaluation and feedback data will be used to determine the effectiveness of major programs as well as training, facilitation and alternative dispute resolution services.

* Upon recommendations of the Mediator and Senior Mediator, the Chief of Staff may except a case or cases from these standards.