The Conference Board recently released a study, sponsored by Accenture HR Services, which compares and contrasts the practice of HR outsourcing in government with the private sector. The report titled, "HR Outsourcing in Government Organizations," finds the outsourcing movement is taking hold in government agencies, noting that outsourcing among U.S. government organizations currently lags the private sector but is on the verge of rapid growth. It finds that antiquated IT systems, severe budget shortfalls resulting from the late ''90s economic downturn and a new focus on customer service and performance measurement are driving the government sector to embrace HR outsourcing.

Why to outsource HR, what outsourcing HR structure looks like in public organizations, and common constraints and obstacles to public-sector outsourcing, are topics detailed in the report. In addition, the report features a series of case studies of trailblazing government organizations that currently outsource multiple HR functions, including the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, Detroit Public Schools and the City of Copenhagen, to name a few.

The report serves to educate public officials about the business, explode baseless myths, and perhaps intrigue politicians whose careers may depend on providing more and better services with less public money.

This latest report complements The Conference Board''s previous report on corporate experience ("HR Outsourcing: Benefits, Challenges and Trends"), and serves as a useful guide for those looking to chart the progress of HR outsourcing in government.

For complete details, go to: www.conference-board.org.