Where the knowledge is

About a third of all federal employees will be eligible for retirement in the next five years, and a considerable amount of knowledge soon will be walking out the door.

To some degree, this isn't bad. A certain amount of turnover is desirable in any organization. It can foster new thinking, refresh the workforce and give younger workers a chance to take on additional responsibilities. Nevertheless, the outflow of federal workers will cause serious difficulties in maintaining efficiency and service.

Government agencies can take steps to solve these problems. The Private Sector Council, whose mission is to promote the exchange of knowledge between the private sector and government, recommends tapping the expertise of federal retirees. The council, of which I'm president, has been working with the National Older Worker Career Center Inc. of Arlington, Va., and AskMe Corp., a Washington state developer of knowledge management systems, on a multifaceted and cost-effective proposal for keeping retirees connected.