GAO MAKES 10 RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS DOE-EM CHRONIC UNDERSTAFFING

According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) continues to suffer from chronic understaffing and management challenges, despite efforts by DOE to recruit, hire, develop, and retain personnel.

The GAO found that, at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2023, DOE-EM had 263 vacant positions across its headquarters, cleanup sites, and EM Consolidated Business Center, and an overall 18% vacancy rate across 14 mission-critical job series. GAO conducted interviews across EM, and consistently found that difficulties with recruitment and hiring were expressed by EM officials.

In addition to high vacancy levels, the GAO found that DOE-EM faces high attrition rates, with 44% of its staff being eligible for retirement by 2030. A more in depth breakdown (see table below) shows that for FY 2023, DOE-EM’s average attrition rate was 10.6, which exceeded the DOE’s and the federal government’s average attrition rates of 8.1 percent each. 

Source: GAO analysis of Department of Energy and EM information. | GAO-24-106479
aThese values are rounded to the nearest whole percent. Vacancy rate pertains to fiscal year 2023.
bGeneral Engineering includes the vacancies jointly labeled General Engineering/Physical Science. Approximately 55 of these vacancies can be filled by either, while 40 are labeled General Engineering.

According to the GAO, DOE-EM's efforts have been insufficient to replenish its aging workforce. DOE-EM has not taken steps to adopt recommended strategies, resulting in schedule delays, cost overruns, workplace accidents, and ultimately, project failures. Furthermore, the incongruencies between messaging in its program planning and budget request only serve to obscure the extent of DOE-EM's problems to external stakeholders, such as DOE and Congress. Communication breakdowns between EM and DOE's Shared Service Center have also hampered EM's workforce management efforts and could be improved by better aligning with leading collaboration practices. Without greater efforts to include workforce planning and outreach programs in DOE's strategic plans and vision, the GAO assessed that management challenges and project failures are are likely to continue. In a new forward-looking workforce plan, GAO recommends that DOE-EM implements leading strategic planning practices, such as developing hiring goals and succession planning.

Among a list of 10 recommendations, GAO suggested that DOE-EM develop a forward looking workforce plan, that DOE-EM update agreements with DOE's Shared Service Center, and that Congress consider requiring EM to report annually on its efforts to address recurring workforce problems. EM agreed with all of GAO's recommendations.

To read the full report, click here.

For the report's highlight page, click here.