Podcast Roundup – Podcasts You May Have Missed

Posted on November 29, 2018 by

We’ve been busy podcasting! And if you’re not subscribed on iTunes or our RSS feed, you’re missing out. Today’s WatchBlog catches you up on some of our recent podcasts.

Rural Hospital Closures: From 2013-2017, 64 hospitals in rural areas in the United States closed their doors. These closures mean limited access to quality healthcare for many Americans. Listen to James Cosgrove, a director in our Health Care team, talk about trends in rural hospital closures—including how financial stress, geography, and increased competition from other providers have affected these closures.

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Photo of a Hospital Entrance Sign

2017 Hurricanes and Wildfires: The damage caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires in 2017 led to $120 billion in supplemental funding from Congress. Hear Chris Currie, a director on our Homeland Security and Justice team, talk about the federal response to these disasters and key recovery challenges.

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Photo of Chris Currie, a GAO Homeland Security and Justice Director

Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Use: Around 1 in 6 adolescents and more than 1 out of 3 young adults used illicit substances in 2016. Most young adults who develop substance use disorders begin using in adolescence. Hear John Dicken, a director on our Health Care team, talk about federal grants for substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery among adolescents and young adults.

Photo of a Bag of Pills Exchanging Hands

Afghanistan Security Equipment:  The United States has spent nearly $84 billion in Afghan security since 2002. That investment includes equipment, as well as the training necessary to operate and maintain that equipment. Listen to Jessica Farb, a director in our International Affairs and Trade team, discuss the Afghan Security Forces’ ability to operate and sustain the equipment they bought.

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Photo of U.S.-Purchased Equipment for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces

Weapons Systems Cybersecurity: DOD plans to spend around $1.66 trillion on its portfolio of major weapons systems—including weapons that are more computerized and networked than ever before. But as technology advances, so does the threat posed by cyber-attacks. Tune in to Cristina Chaplain, a director on our Contracting and National Security Acquisitions team, as she discusses the state of cybersecurity for DOD’s weapon systems.

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Embedded Software and Information Technology Systems Are Pervasive in Weapon Systems (Represented via Fictitious Weapon System for Classification Reasons)

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CIO Management Responsibilities Remain a Challenge for Most Agencies

Posted on November 27, 2018 by

photo of person using a computer

Federal agencies planned to spend more than $96 billion on information technology (IT) in fiscal year 2018. IT systems are critical to the health, economy, and security of the nation. But the government faces longstanding problems in IT management. For example, agencies have struggled to protect themselves against threats from hackers, terrorists, insiders, and other nations.

Congress established the federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) position to serve as an agency focal point to address IT challenges. Today’s WatchBlog describes shortcomings and challenges in carrying out federal CIO responsibilities.

Are CIOs fulfilling their responsibilities?

Federal laws and guidance assign agency CIOs with key responsibilities for effectively managing IT in six areas:

  • leadership and accountability
  • strategic planning
  • workforce
  • budgeting
  • investment management
  • information security

These responsibilities should be documented in agencies’ IT management policies. But we found most of the 24 major agencies did not fully define the role of their CIOs for any of the six key areas.

Figure 1: Extent to Which 24 Agencies’ Policies Addressed the Role of Their Chief Information Officers, Presented from Most Addressed to Least Addressed Area

In addition, the 24 CIOs that we surveyed acknowledged that they were not always very effective in implementing the six IT management areas. If agencies don’t fully define the role of CIOs in their policies, they cannot effectively address long-standing IT management challenges.

Figure 2: Extent to Which Chief Information Officers Reported Effective Implementation of Six Responsibility Areas, Presented from Most Effective to Least Effective AreaFactors helping CIOs better manage IT

The 24 agency CIOs we surveyed frequently cited a number of factors as important in enhancing their ability to effectively manage IT. CIOs reported that clear guidance, legal authority, and their position in the agency’s hierarchy are factors that helped them carry out their responsibilities. For example, one CIO attributed much of the agency’s success in managing IT to good relationships that the CIO had with the agency head and that official’s deputy. Another CIO indicated that support from the head of the agency had enabled that official to cancel a troubled project and reallocate that funding to critical information security improvements on another effort.

Figure 5: Factors Commonly Identified by at Least Half of the Selected Chief Information Officers (CIO) as Enabling Their Effective Management of Information Technology (IT), Presented from Most Enabling to Least Enabling FactorIT management challenges

Half of the 24 agency CIOs we surveyed reported management challenges like the process for hiring and recruiting IT personnel, financial resources, and the availability of staff resources. We recommended that the Office of Management and Budget update its guidance to fully address these challenges.

Figure 6: Factors Commonly Identified by at Least Half of the Selected Chief Information Officers (CIO) as Challenges to Their Effective Management of Information Technology (IT), Presented from Most Challenging to Least Challenging Factor

Further compounding the management challenges is the lack of consistent leadership in the CIO position. We noted previously that CIOs and former agency IT executives believed it was necessary for a CIO to stay in office for 3 to 5 years to be effective and 5 to 7 years to fully implement major change initiatives in large public sector organizations. However, the median tenure for permanent and acting agency CIOs who had completed their time in office was about 20 months between 2012 and 2017.

How can effectiveness of CIOs’ management responsibilities be improved?

We made 27 recommendations to federal agencies to improve the effectiveness of CIOs’ implementation of their responsibilities for each of the six IT management areas.

We intend to follow up on our recommendations and monitor agencies’ progress.

To learn more, check out our full report.

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Marking 40 Years with the Civil Service Reform Act

Posted on November 19, 2018 by

Photo Showing Two Federal Employees Shaking HandsLast month marked a milestone in the history of the country’s federal personnel system. Forty years ago on October 13, the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) was landmark legislation and it continues to serve as the foundation for much of the present personnel system governing federal workers. Today’s WatchBlog explores what we have found about its implementation through the years and opportunities that lie ahead.

What is the Civil Service Reform Act?

The CSRA significantly changed how the federal government manages its workforce.  For example, it replaced the Civil Service Commission with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). It also enacted nine merit system principles designed to improve the quality of public service by, among other actions, recruiting employees from all segments of society, providing equal pay for work of equal value, and retaining and separating employees on the basis of their performance. Further, the CSRA also established a Senior Executive Service so government would have competent executives.

Shortly after it was enacted, we reported on OPM’s progress implementing the CSRA and noted that despite reforms, the civil service system was still viewed as burdensome, outdated, overregulated, and inflexible. Over the years, we have recommended numerous actions OPM should take to strengthen federal personnel management.

What Are More Recent Issues?

Fast forward to today: we believe that key personnel functions still need to be modernized. Since CSRA was enacted, the federal workforce has changed to include many more white collar jobs requiring complex analytical thinking skills. In light of these changes, in 2008 we reported on additional efforts needed in human capital planning, diversity management, and OPM leadership.

In 2014, we reported that the General Schedule (GS)—the government’s classification system for defining and organizing federal positions—had not kept pace with the government’s evolving requirements. Modernizing it would help the government have the right people at the right place, at the right time, and in the right numbers to address complex national challenges.

What’s Needed in the Future?

Since 2014, we have made a number of priority recommendations to OPM that address broader government-wide reforms. For example, we recommended that the government use prior studies and lessons learned to examine ways to make the GS system’s design and implementation more consistent with the attributes of a modern, effective classification system.

Meanwhile, federal agencies can take some actions on their own to improve how they manage their workforce. Implementing our leading practices in human capital management is a good place to start. We have also made recommendations to address and close skills gaps within specific federal agencies as well across the federal government.

Recently, we highlighted how agencies already have the authority to make changes but often are not taking advantage of that authority. In 2016, we found that many federal agencies were using relatively few available hiring authorities. A hiring authority is the law, executive order, or regulation that allows an agency to hire a person into the federal civil service. Agencies used 105 hiring authorities in fiscal year 2014, but relied on 20 of them for nearly all new hires.

Figure Showing Agencies Relied on 20 Hiring Authorities for Nearly all New Hires in Fiscal Year 2014

Earlier this year, we blogged about how federal agencies may also provide special payments in certain circumstances to hire people with needed critical skills. Our report found that in 2016, federal managers were seldom using these special payments, such as retention and relocation incentives or student loan repayments.

Figure Showing CHCO Agencies Used Special Payment Authorities for a Small Number of Their Employees, Fiscal Year 2016

Another change that would support the federal workforce would be to reexamine the way that federal employees are hired and paid. Last year, we testified that it is important for agencies to make better use of the tools already at their disposal, such as using more flexibility in their hiring practices. Acting on our findings could significantly improve the government’s personnel management system and help agencies better carry out their missions.

We will continue to monitor both broader government-wide efforts at implementing CSRA as well as to present opportunities for agencies to improve their human capital management to ensure they are consistent with the spirit of the CSRA.

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Performance and Accountability in FY 2018

Posted on November 15, 2018 by

Title Page of Performance and Accountability Report Fiscal Year 2018We saved the government over $75 billion—a return of about $124 for every dollar invested in us—in FY 2018. Our annual Performance and Accountability Report details our work supporting the Congress and helping improve the performance and accountability of the federal government.

This year’s report highlights the money we’ve helped the government save, how we’ve helped improve federal operations, and our congressional testimonies.

Today’s WatchBlog explores.

Saving taxpayer money

We achieved cost savings in federal agencies and programs by making recommendations to prevent payment errors, reduce fraud, and make better use of federal funds.

Image Showing a Look at our FY 2018 Accomplishments

For instance, our work:

  • Helped Medicaid revise spending limits for its demonstration projects (saving $36.8 billion)
  • Reduced improper payments at the Department of Health and Human Services (saving $1.9 billion)
  • Identified unobligated balances in DOD’s Military Personnel accounts (saving $849 million)

Improving government operations

We also helped make 1,294 other improvements to federal programs and operations. For example, our work helped:

  • Prompt Congress to direct the Veterans Health Administration to research the overmedication of veterans that led to deaths, suicides, and mental health disorders
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection better protect U.S. manufacturers and consumers from the risks of counterfeit products sold online
  • The Department of Justice and the Office of National Drug Control Policy develop results-oriented measures, such as reductions in overdose deaths, to help them assess progress in combatting the nation’s opioid epidemic
  • The Transportation Security Administration to begin to update and improve its risk assessment and strategy to secure airports and control access to restricted areas
  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency to pilot a data-sharing process with states to identify potentially duplicative disaster assistance payments
  • Congress to pass legislation to strengthen the nation’s data on elder abuse by requiring annual data collection and reporting

Advising Congress

Our officials were also asked to testify in front of Congress nearly 100 times on a wide range of issues. For instance, we testified on federal efforts to assist railroads with implementing positive train control, addressing Native American youth in the justice system, key challenges for the 2020 Census, and improving the transfer and monitoring of care for unaccompanied children who enter the United States with no lawful immigration status.

Photo of Susan Fleming, Director, Physical Infrastructure Team Testifying on Positive Train Control

To learn more, check out our FY 2018 Performance and Accountability Report.

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Colleges and Universities Rely Heavily on Contingent Faculty

Posted on November 14, 2018 by

Photo of Books, Mortarboard Cap, and DiplomaIt’s American Education Week and we’re reflecting on the changing employment landscape in colleges and universities.

Not so long ago, for many, a faculty career in higher education came with expectations of steady income and almost unparalleled job security. While continuous employment, or tenure, remains a valued feature of higher education institutions, we’re seeing that more and more faculty are employed outside of the tenure track as “contingent faculty,” either part- or full-time. Depending on the school, these faculty members may be referred to as instructors, lecturers, or adjunct or visiting professors, among other terms.

Continue reading →

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Federal STEM Education Programs

Posted on November 8, 2018 by

higher educationEducation programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) play an important role in preparing students for careers in STEM fields and in enhancing the nation’s global competitiveness.

On National STEM Day, today’s WatchBlog explores the federal government’s role in supporting STEM education.

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You Have a Right to Your Medical Records

Posted on November 6, 2018 by

Photo Showing a Stethoscope and a Laptop ComputerIf you request a copy of your medical records, your healthcare provider has to give it to you. That’s the law. But there can be a gap between the law and the reality for many patients.

In this WatchBlog, we take a look at challenges faced by patients–and healthcare providers–concerning medical records, as well as where they can get information and help.

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GAO’s Contracting and National Security Acquisitions Team

Posted on October 30, 2018 by

GAO’s workforce is organized largely by subject area, with most employees working in 1 of 14 mission teams, many of which we have highlighted on the WatchBlog. Today we’ll be putting the spotlight on the Contracting and National Security Acquisitions (CNSA) team, dedicated to tracking the half a trillion dollars the federal government spends each year to buy goods and services.

Reports

CNSA reports cover how the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other federal agencies use contracts and oversee contractors; design, budget for, and buy big ticket items—such as submarines, Coast Guard cutters, and space rockets; and protect sophisticated technologies critical to national security.

Continue reading →

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Filling out Those Federal Forms

Posted on October 25, 2018 by

Image of 1040 Forms- U.S. Individual Tax ReturnAmericans spend a lot of time providing information to federal agencies, whether via tax forms or benefit applications. Overall, for example, based on government-wide estimates, the public spent 9.8 billion hours responding to federal information collections in fiscal year 2015.

Many of those hours have been spent on critically important matters such as providing information needed to protect the public, administering public benefit programs, and sending information to federal agencies so they can fulfill their missions.

Still, that’s a lot of time and resources. Can it be pruned down?

The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks to minimize the public’s administrative burden and maximize the benefit from collecting information, whether on paper or online. Today’s WatchBlog takes a look at our recent report on how agencies have responded to some of the requirements of the Act.

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Recidivism Among Prison Inmates with Serious Mental Illness

Posted on October 24, 2018 by

Photo Showing Counseling FormAs of May 2017, the Federal Bureau of Prisons oversaw almost 188,000 inmates—and nearly 8,000 of them were considered to have a serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Research has shown that prison inmates with serious mental illness are more likely to return to prison (that is, they have a higher recidivism rate). These inmates may face particular challenges on their release from prison that contribute to the cycle of repeated incarceration. For example, in addition to finding housing and a job, they may also need to find mental health treatment.

So, are there strategies that can reduce the cycle of repeated incarceration among prison inmates with serious mental illness? Today’s WatchBlog explores.

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