The Thrust of Federal Personnel Requirements Relating to State and Local Requirements
Abstract
Public Administration ForumThe Thrust of Federal Personnel Requirements Relating to State and Local Requirements SAGE Publications, Inc.1970DOI: 10.1177/027507407000400107 Albert H.Aronson Office of State Merit Systems U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare In our federal system, grants-in-aid are a primary instrument of attaining national objectives through programs federally supported and state and locally administered. Concern with efficient administration necessarily involves attention to personnel administration - typically 80 per cent of administrative grants are for state and local salaries. Federal concern with the caliber of staff in federally-aided programs may be manifested in a variety of ways. There may be informal discussions of key appointments and personal assistance in recruitment. There may be the imposition of minimum qualifications for various jobs, reflecting professional standards and the predilections of administrators. Another approach is requiring a state and local personnel system to meet general federal standards. In over twenty grant programs the Congress has included a condition that there be a state or locally administered merit system covering personnel in the programs. This approach was a reversal of grant provisions in the original Social Security Act, which prohibited any requirement as to selection, tenure, or compensation of state and local