Out of Control. Given the gravity of the global war on terrorism and Iraq, you would think that the government would be willing to hire-in America's best and brightest. No such luck. I was talking with a senior government official this morning and he told me that while there is a huge need for high quality/experienced people, he can't hire them. The reason is two-fold:
- In order to qualify for any senior job in the government you need a current security clearance.
- He can't interview or reject people hired by contractors that meet the very basic requirements of the job (ie. the most restrictive of which is a security clearance).
The result is that low-quality internal candidates are being pushed up through the US defense establishment to levels of responsibility that exceed their capabilities. You can't fight a war of this magniture with a half-assed effort like this. Where's the program to get the best and the brightest involved??? [John Robb's Weblog]