Image

Human Capital

Open Recommendations

National Nuclear Security Administration: Actions to Recruit and Retain Federal Staff Could Be Improved

Show

3 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
National Nuclear Security Administration	The Director of the NNSA Office of Human Resources should collaborate with relevant stakeholders—including program, functional, mission-enabling, and field offices—to develop a continuing process for systematically analyzing and sharing information agencywide on challenges recruiting and retaining staff. (Recommendation 1)	Open NNSA agreed in principle with this recommendation. In its April 2024 response letter, NNSA stated that the NNSA Office of Human Resources will review its communication and distribution processes to identify potential opportunities to enhance awareness and use of available information. NNSA estimates completing this action by September 30, 2024.
National Nuclear Security Administration	The Director of the NNSA Office of Human Resources should regularly assess the results of NNSA's recruitment and retention actions using outcome-based performance measures. (Recommendation 2)	Open NNSA agreed in principle with this recommendation. In its April 2024 response letter, NNSA stated that the NNSA Office of Human Resources plans to document its strategies for using performance measures to assess the results of its recruitment and retention actions and develop standard operating procedures for recruitment. NNSA estimates completing these actions by December 31, 2024.
National Nuclear Security Administration	The Director of the NNSA Office of Learning and Career Management should establish a process to monitor offices' progress implementing actions to address the results of their Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results. (Recommendation 3)	Open NNSA agreed in principle with this recommendation. In its April 2024 response letter, NNSA stated that the NNSA Office of Learning and Career Management is taking action to establish a more structured process for monitoring the implementation of offices' actions and will work to identify additional opportunities to document more fully and enhance its existing processes. NNSA estimates completing this action by September 30, 2024.

National Nuclear Security Administration: Improvements Needed for Overseeing Contractor Workforce Recruitment and Retention Efforts

Show

2 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
National Nuclear Security Administration	The Associate Administrator for NNSA's Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services should track the time it takes to review official human resources requests and use that information to determine if changes in its process are needed. (Recommendation 1)	Open NNSA concurred with this recommendation. In its April 2024 response letter, NNSA indicated it will develop a list of management and operating (M&O) human resources requested to be tracked, including target processing timelines. In addition, NNSA said it will work with the M&O contractors to come to a mutual understanding of when NNSA's review officially begins and the factors that impact timing and key decisions. We will update the status of this recommendation when NNSA provides additional information on the actions taken.
National Nuclear Security Administration	The Associate Administrator for NNSA's Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services should fully assess and identify the information it needs to oversee M&O contractors' recruitment and retention efforts, including whether collecting additional information could inform its oversight efforts. (Recommendation 2)	Open NNSA concurred with this recommendation. In its April 2024 response letter, NNSA indicated it will review recruitment and retention related information that M&O contractors provide to NNSA to identify the current set of data used for oversight. In addition, NNSA said it will work with M&O contractors to identify opportunities where other existing information can be leveraged to further enhance oversight efforts. We will update the status of this recommendation when NNSA provides additional information on the actions taken.

Navy Readiness: Actions Needed to Improve the Reliability and Management of Ship Crewing Data

Show

11 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet amend guidance to require documentation of the review process—to include the factors they consider—when determining whether enlisted crewing target levels should be adjusted. (Recommendation 1)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations—in coordination with the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Navy Personnel Command Career Management Department—removes the rules that allow junior sailors to count as filling positions of senior sailors in the Navy's fill and fit metrics, including when having to provide such data in certain reports to Congress pursuant to section 597 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2020. (Recommendation 2)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations—in coordination with the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Navy Personnel Command Career Management Department—reviews all business rules and source system data that inform the calculations for fill and fit metrics and aligns them across relevant documents for consistency to ensure the quality of data it uses to monitor ship readiness. (Recommendation 3)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations—in coordination with the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Navy Personnel Command Career Management Department—establishes thresholds for measuring Navy enlisted classification fill and fit metrics against funded positions and personnel requirements, and reports this information to Congress, when required to report pursuant to section 597 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2020. (Recommendation 4)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations—in coordination with the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet—updates guidance related to (1) personnel policies and procedures and (2) enlisted crewing target levels to clearly and consistently describe those personnel requirements and what they represent in TFMMS. (Recommendation 5)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations—in coordination with the Navy Manpower Analysis Center—updates guidance related to (1) personnel policies and procedures and (2) personnel management data elements and values to clearly and consistently reflect that only NAVMAC can validate personnel requirements for ships. (Recommendation 6)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

National Mediation Board: Agency Should Take Steps to Regularly Update Its Plans and Policies and Ensure Staff Receive Necessary Training

Show

4 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
National Mediation Board	The NMB Board should establish procedures for regularly updating its workforce and succession plan. These procedures should help ensure that NMB's workforce and succession plan is long-term in focus and includes a workforce analysis that identifies skills gaps, an action plan with strategies to close gaps, plans to implement those strategies, and measures to assess progress as described in OPM's Workforce Planning Guide. (Recommendation 1)	Open NMB agreed with this recommendation. The agency stated that it is aware of its staffing needs, has been working to fill vacant positions, and has hired a Human Resource specialist. GAO acknowledges that having an up-to-date workforce and succession plan would not solve all of NMB's workforce challenges. However, developing and maintaining such a plan will help NMB to better understand and proactively address its workforce needs as they continue to evolve. We will monitor NMB's progress to address this recommendation.
National Mediation Board	The NMB Board should establish procedures for regularly updating its agency-wide training policy. (Recommendation 2)	Open NMB agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's progress in implementing this recommendation.
National Mediation Board	The NMB Board should provide officials who are assigned essential additional roles with sufficient training and information, including position descriptions, necessary to understand and carry out the full scope of their responsibilities. (Recommendation 3)	Open NMB agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's progress in implementing this recommendation.
National Mediation Board	The NMB Board should develop procedures to ensure it has all necessary personnel policies in place and that they are regularly reviewed and updated to meet the needs of the agency and comply with federal requirements. (Recommendation 4)	Open NMB agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's progress in implementing this recommendation.

View More Recommendations

GAO Contacts

Timothy J. DiNapoli

Managing Director

dinapolit@gao.gov

Yvonne Jones

Director

Alissa H. Czyz

Director

Dawn Locke

Director