Human Capital: Practices That Empowered and Involved Employees
(14-SEP-01, GAO-01-1070).
People are the federal government's most valuable asset. Studies
of private and public sector organizations have shown that
high-performing organizations value and invest in their
employees--human capital--and align their "people policies" to
support organizational performance goals. In the federal
government, however, strategic human capital management is a
pervasive challenge. GAO has included human capital on its
high-risk list. The Administration's emphasis on workforce
planning and restructuring will require federal agencies to
examine how they can flatten their organizational hierarchy and
improve their work processes. To optimize the services provided
to citizens, federal employees must understand the link between
their daily work activities and the results their organization
seeks to achieve. For the initiatives GAO reviewed, the agencies
undertook changes that represented a significant departure from
their traditional operations. As a result, they had to overcome
organizational and cultural barriers, including a lack of trust,
resistance to change and lack of buy-in from front-line employees
and managers, and various implementation issues, such as workload
demands. The agencies developed strategies to address these
barriers, such as maintaining open communication and reassigning
and hiring personnel. In implementing the practices to empower
and involve employees, agencies identified a range of examples to
demonstrate the performance improvements these efforts have
accomplished.
-------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
REPORTNUM: GAO-01-1070
ACCNO: A01776
TITLE: Human Capital: Practices That Empowered and Involved
Employees
DATE: 09/14/2001
SUBJECT: Agency missions
Federal agency reorganization
Federal employees
Human resources utilization
Internal controls
Performance measures
Personnel management
Private sector practices
Productivity in government
Strategic planning
VBA Training and Performance Support
System
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GAO-01-1070
A
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management,
Restructuring, and the District of Columbia, Committee on Governmental
Affairs, U. S. Senate
September 2001 HUMAN CAPITAL Practices That Empowered and Involved Employees
GAO- 01- 1070
Letter 1 Results In Brief 2 Background 5 Scope And Methodology 8 Six Key
Practices Helped Empower And Involve Employees 9 Agencies Addressed Barriers
To Efforts That Empowered And
Involved Employees 21 Agencies Cited Examples Of Performance Improvements 24
Conclusions 26 Agency Comments 27
Related GAO Products 29
Lett er
September 14, 2001 The Honorable George V. Voinovich Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia Committee on
Governmental Affairs United States Senate
Dear Senator Voinovich: People are the federal government?s most valuable
asset in managing for results, and you have emphasized the importance of
empowering and involving employees to help agencies achieve their goals and
improve government operations. As our studies of private and public sector
organizations have shown, high- performing organizations focus on valuing
and investing in their employees-- human capital-- and on aligning their
?people policies? to support organizational performance goals. However,
strategic human capital management is a pervasive challenge in the federal
government, and is one of the governmentwide areas that we have
identified as high risk. 1 In addition, the Administration?s emphasis on
workforce planning and restructuring will require federal agencies to
examine how they can flatten their organizational hierarchy and improve
their work processes. The
Office of Management and Budget?s May 8, 2001, bulletin called for agencies
to use workforce planning to redistribute higher- level positions to front-
line, service delivery positions that interact with citizens. 2 Effective
workforce planning and restructuring efforts will build upon implementation
of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) to address
results- oriented goals, improve performance, and assure accountability. To
optimize the provision of services to citizens, it is crucial that employees
understand the connection between their daily
work activities and the results their organizations seek to achieve. 1 High-
Risk Series: An Update (GAO- 01- 263, Jan. 2001). 2 Office of Management and
Budget, Bulletin No. 01- 07, Workforce Planning and Restructuring, May 8,
2001.
At your request, this report examines selected experiences five agencies
have had in implementing practices that helped empower or involve frontline
employees. Our objectives were to (1) identify and provide examples of the
key practices agencies used to empower and involve employees, (2) identify
some of the barriers that these agencies experienced and strategies they
used to address them, and (3) provide examples of reported performance
improvements from empowering and involving employees. As agreed, we have
examined selected employee empowerment and involvement practices at specific
components within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal
Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM), and the Veteran?s Benefits Administration (VBA). The
practices we examined at specific agency components were selected from those
initiatives agency officials identified that had, in their view,
successfully empowered and involved employees.
Results In Brief The organizations we reviewed used six key practices in the
initiatives that we reviewed to empower and involve employees. Figure 1
identifies the practices and provides some examples of how the organizations
used them.
Figure 1: Six Practices Used to Help Empower and Involve Employees
Demonstrating top leadership commitment. To p leadership commitment is
crucial in
instilling a common vision across the organization and creating an
environment that is
receptive to innovation. Leaders of the agency organiz ations we reviewed
envisioned
needed changes, communicated openly with em ployees, and instituted
organizational
c hanges. For example, the Director of the FAA Lo
gistics Center deci ded that the Center
needed to operate more like a private sector business. He me t in open
forums with
employees to discuss his vision and, with the help of employees and union
representatives, reorganized the C
enter.
Engaging employee unions. Effective labor- management r elatio
ns help to achieve consensus and solve problems expeditiously
. In some cases the unions participa ted in pre
decisional discus s
ions with agency management before changes were implemented. For example,
IRS involved its employees? union in pre- decisional discussions a
bout proposed new p
olicies.
Training employee s to enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
All five agencies provided formal or on- the- job training to employees to
support the changes that were b
eing made. For example, O
PM provided on- the- job cross training to a retirement proc essing
team so that the team could adjudicate retirement claims under both the Civ
il Ser
v ice
Retirement Sy s
tem (CSRS) and the Federal Employees? Retirement Syste m (FERS).
Using employee teams to help ac complish agency missions. All five agencies
used
teams to help accomplish agency missions. Teams helped flatten organizations
by merging divisions and enhanced flexi
bility in meeting job demands. F or example, V
BA regional offices created self- directed employee teams and merged divis
ions to process veterans? benefits claims from beginni
ng to end. Team mem bers learned new skills and
had more flexibility t
o help each other ac c
omplish tasks.
Involving employees in planning and sharing pe rforman
ce information.
The agencies involved employees to varying degrees in planning and share
d performance information with them. For examp
le, one IR S d
ivision used an employee te am to help develop its
strategic plan and shared performance information. One way that FAA's
Logistics center shared performance information was by posting performance
data in charts, graphs, and tables throughout the building so employees
could see the Center's progress toward achi
eving organizational goals.
Delegating authorities to front- line employees. Employees at each of the
agencies had
been delegated authorities. In some instances employees were formally
authorized to
approve specified dollar levels of program as s
istance or procurements. For example, FEMA?s public assistance coordinators
were authorized to a
pprove up to $100,000 in financial assistance to citiz
ens adversely affected by natural disasters or other
emergencies. In other instances, teams of employees were provided new
authorities to make decisions related to their work processes, workloads,
training needs, and work schedules.
For the initiatives we reviewed, the agencies undertook changes that
represented a significant shift from their traditional operations and, as
such, encountered organizational and cultural barriers that needed to be
overcome as they sought to empower and involve employees. These barriers
included a lack of trust, resistance to change and lack of buy- in
from front- line employees and managers, and a variety of implementation
issues, such as workload demands. The agencies developed strategies to
address these barriers, such as maintaining open communication and
reassigning and hiring personnel. Managers and employees adapted to the
changes at their agencies over time, particularly once they perceived
benefits, such as improved communication, from the new practices.
In implementing the practices to empower and involve employees, agencies
identified a range of examples to demonstrate the performance improvements
these efforts have accomplished. Performance improvements cited included
increased efficiency and improved customer satisfaction. For example,
operating as a team has allowed FAA?s Logistics Center to substantially
reduce the time needed to make emergency radar
repairs. FAA, IRS, OPM, and VBA generally agreed with the contents of this
report. FEMA did not comment on the report.
Background No management issue facing federal agencies could be more
critical to their ability to serve the American people than their approach
to strategic human capital management, including attracting, retaining, and
motivating their employees. High- performing organizations in the private
and public sectors have long understood the relationship between effective
?people
management? and organizational success. However, the federal government,
which has often acted as if federal employees were costs to be cut rather
than assets to be valued, has only recently received its wake- up call. As
our January 2001 Performance and Accountability Series reports made clear,
serious federal human capital shortfalls are now eroding the ability of many
federal agencies- and threatening the ability of others- to economically,
efficiently, and effectively perform their missions. 3 The
problem lies not with federal employees themselves, but with the lack of
effective leadership and management, along with the lack of a strategic
approach to marshaling, managing, and maintaining the human capital needed
for government to discharge its responsibilities and deliver on its
promises. 4 All five of the agencies we reviewed have experienced challenges
in managing their human capital. Each has implemented management changes in
response to the challenges they face, including implementing strategies to
empower and involve employees.
FAA faces challenges, including the need to enhance communication and
teamwork, and to provide employees with the training and skills they need to
operate effectively. For example, we have reported on FAA?s
implementation of management reforms, including delegating authorities to
teams, to improve its rulemaking processes. 5 In our July 2001 report on
aviation rulemaking we recommended, among other things, that the FAA
Administrator take steps to (1) empower team members by giving them the
authority to coordinate with the associate administrators (which would
eliminate a separate review and approval step), (2) empower team
3 Performance and Accountability Series- Major Management Challenges and
Program Risks: A Governmentwide Perspective (GAO- 01- 241, Jan. 2001). In
addition, see the accompanying 21 reports, numbered GAO- 01- 242 through
GAO- 01- 262 on specific agencies.
4 Human Capital: Meeting the Governmentwide High- Risk Challenge (GAO- 01-
357T, Feb. 1, 2001). 5 Aviation Rulemaking: Further Reform Is Needed to
Address Long- Standing Problems (GAO- 01- 821, July 9, 2001).
members by permitting them to set their own schedules and deadlines, and (3)
hold staff and management accountable for ensuring that schedules are
realistic.
At IRS we identified the challenges the organization faces in revamping its
human capital policies to help achieve its congressionally mandated
transformation to an agency that better balances service to the taxpayers
with enforcement of the tax laws. 6 IRS has made major changes to modernize
its organization and operations and comply with the IRS
Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. 7 These changes present major
management challenges and will require considerable time to successfully
implement them, and IRS managers and employees are still learning how to
work effectively in the new environment. In revamping its performance
management system, for example, we reported that IRS? new system is weakest
at the front line, where interactions with taxpayers occur. 8 However, IRS
officials told us that IRS is conducting customer satisfaction surveys to
enhance its knowledge about what IRS employees can do to better meet
taxpayers? needs.
6 Human Capital: Taking Steps to Meet Current and Emerging Human Capital
Challenges (GAO- 01- 965T, July 17, 2001). 7 P. L 105- 206, July 22, 1998. 8
Follow- up to the May 8, 2001, Hearing Regarding the IRS Restructuring Act?s
Goals and IRS Funding (GAO- 01- 903R, June 29, 2001), and IRS Modernization:
Continued Improvement in Management Capability Needed to Support Long- Term
Transformation (GAO- 01- 700T, May 8, 2001).
VBA faces challenges in processing veterans? benefit claims accurately and
in a timely manner. In its fiscal year 2000 performance report, the Veterans
Administration reported that performance declined with respect to its
rating- related claims- processing timeliness and national accuracy rate.
Among the reasons it cited for this decline was underestimating how long it
would take to realize the impact of initiatives such as increased staffing
and
improved training. 9 We reported that many experienced claims- processing
staff are expected to retire and that VBA?s training and recruitment
programs may not be adequate to ensure a sufficient workforce of competent
claims processors. 10 VBA officials told us that, in response to the concern
we raised that many of the training modules might not be
available in time to train new employees, VBA has stepped up implementation
of its plans to use a new Training and Performance Support System (TPSS). 11
This system is intended to provide standardized training
to new employees who will replace the wave of employees expected to retire
during the next several years. According to VBA officials, they are
currently using TPSS training modules to facilitate the training of some new
employees, but the training modules needed for other newly hired employees
will not be available until November 2001. In the interim, VBA is using a
web- based ?field guide? to train those employees. The field guide uses a
variety of delivery mechanisms including satellite broadcasts, video
teleconferencing and centralized and localized classroom instruction.
FEMA also faces special mission- related challenges, including providing
timely responses to disaster aid requests, preventing or reducing harm and
losses from future disasters through cost- effective mitigation efforts, and
working effectively with other federal, state, and local programs. To
address its strategic human capital management challenges, FEMA has
started an initiative to reduce middle management layers and streamline its
organization. 12
9 Veterans Affairs: Status of Achieving Key Outcomes and Addressing Major
Management Challenges (GAO- 01- 752, June 15, 2001). 10 Major Management
Challenges and Program Risks: Department of Veterans Affairs (GAO- 01- 255,
Jan. 2001). 11 Veterans? Benefits: Training for Claims Processors Needs
Evaluation (GAO- 01- 601, May 31, 2001). 12 Federal Emergency Management
Agency: Status of Achieving Key Outcomes and Addressing Major Management
Challenges (GAO- 01- 832, July 9, 2001).
The fifth agency we report on- OPM- downsized significantly during the
1990s. Among its many responsibilities, OPM receives tens of thousands of
federal employee claims for retirement and insurance benefits each year.
Although its processes have not changed significantly since the 1980s, OPM
plans to modernize its retirement systems. This modernization is OPM?s
central strategy to meet the long- term customer service and financial
management objectives for CSRS and FERS. In its fiscal year 2002 performance
plan OPM reported that, beginning in fiscal year 2002, it will phase in a
new business model for retirement claims processing. 13
Scope And To meet our objectives, we asked officials at five agencies to
identify Methodology
initiatives they had that empowered or involved employees. From the
inventories of the initiatives they developed in response to our request, we
asked agency officials to identify those agency components and initiatives
that, in their view, had successfully involved and empowered employees. We
sought to identify practices that were commonly implemented by the agencies
within the past 5 years. In some cases, agencies focused our attention on
practices that began earlier.
We interviewed agency executives, managers, supervisors, front- line
employees, and union representatives to discuss how agencies had implemented
these practices to empower and involve employees, and we analyzed related
documents and information they provided. We did not attempt to verify the
performance data that agencies provided.
We included FAA in our review because it has certain exemptions from the
Federal Acquisition Regulations designed to facilitate delegating
procurement authorities to lower levels. We included IRS and OPM in our
review, given IRS? exemption from certain title 5 personnel provisions and
OPM?s human capital leadership role in the federal government. FEMA and VBA
were selected because a literature review of relevant articles indicated
that front- line employees from those agencies had been empowered or
involved in key agency decisions or operations.
Because we were seeking to review initiatives that had successfully
empowered and involved employees, we asked headquarters officials to
identify organizational components for our review. Our FAA work was 13
Office of Personnel Management: Status of Achieving Key Outcomes and
Addressing Major Management Challenges (GAO- 01- 884, July 9, 2001).
concentrated at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, OK.
Our FEMA work was done at the National Security Affairs Office, the Response
and Recovery Directorate, and the Operations Support Directorate within FEMA
headquarters in Washington, D. C., and at FEMA?s
U. S. Fire Administration in Emmitsburg, MD. Our work at IRS was done at the
Wage and Investment Division in IRS? headquarters in Washington, D. C., and
at the Accounts Management, Submissions Processing, and Compliance branches
at the Ogden, UT, Service Center. Our OPM work was conducted at its
Retirement and Insurance Service locations in Washington, D. C., and Boyers,
PA. Our VBA work was conducted at VBA?s
regional offices in Los Angeles, CA; Muskogee, OK; and Phoenix, AZ. Our
selection process was not designed to provide examples that could be
considered representative of all the employee empowerment and involvement
initiatives at the agencies reviewed or the federal government in general.
We conducted our work from October 2000 through August 2001 in accordance
with generally accepted government auditing standards. Six Key Practices The
five agencies we reviewed implemented key empowerment and Helped Empower And
involvement practices as part of making organizational changes intended to
realign organizations and processes to improve performance. The Involve
Employees
practices were (1) demonstrating top leadership commitment; (2) engaging
employee unions in making changes; (3) training employees to enhance their
knowledge, skills, and abilities; (4) using employee teams to help
accomplish agency missions; (5) involving employees in planning, and sharing
performance information; and (6) delegating authorities to frontline
employees.
Demonstrating Top Top leadership commitment is crucial in developing a
vision, initiating Leadership Commitment
organizational change, maintaining open communications, and creating an
environment that is receptive to innovation. In earlier reports and
testimonies, we observed that top leadership must play a critical role in
creating and sustaining high- performing organizations. Without the clear
and demonstrated commitment of agency top leadership, organizational
cultures will not be transformed, and new visions and ways of doing
business will not take root. 14 Consistent attention to employee empowerment
and involvement issues helps to ensure that changes are sustained. Agency
leaders need to commit their organizations to valuing and investing in their
employees by
empowering, involving, and providing them the tools to do their best, and by
implementing the modern performance management and incentives systems needed
to focus employees? efforts on achieving agency missions and goals. Top
leadership commitment entails time, energy, and persistence in providing
incentives and establishing accountability. Agency leaders must commit their
organizations to valuing and investing in their employees and focusing their
employees? efforts on achieving stated agency missions and goals. 15 While
top leadership commitment can be
demonstrated in many ways, the following are examples employees and managers
identified for the selected initiatives we reviewed at these agencies.
Think strategically about areas where innovation would make good business
sense. Leaders conceptualized new approaches to improve performance and
engaged employees and managers in shaping the implementation of that vision.
For example, the Director at FAA?s Logistics Center saw the need for
operating more like a private sector business and envisioned the
organizational and operational changes that would be required to do that.
The Logistics Center?s Director helped to ensure that all employees shared
his vision by discussing proposed changes with his top- level managers and
by meeting with front- line
14 Managing for Results: Federal Managers? Views Show Need for Ensuring Top
Leadership Skills (GAO- 01- 127, Oct. 20, 2000); Management Reform: Using
the Results Act and Quality Management to Improve Federal Performance (GAO/
T- GGD- 99- 151, July 29, 1999); and Management Reform: Elements of
Successful Improvement Initiatives (GAO/ T GGD- 00- 26, Oct. 15, 1999). 15
GAO- 01- 965T.
employees and union representatives to obtain their input about potential
changes.
Reorganize and integrate operations. Leaders implemented their visions by
realigning their organizations to improve performance and increase the
coordination of mission- related activities. For example, a Branch Chief in
OPM?s Retirement and Insurance Service enabled a new team to improve claims
processing by, among other things, providing cross- training for the team to
handle both CSRS and FERS claims.
Create an environment of trust and honest communication.
Leaders made themselves available to employees and unions, promoted open and
constructive dialog, and were receptive to ideas and suggestions from
employees at all levels. Following an approach to
change management that is transparent and highly participatory is a key
element in involving and empowering employees. For example, several of the
agencies held town- hall meetings with employees to discuss
workplace issues and provide a forum for input and feedback. IRS employees
said that they felt that management used the information they provided about
proposed changes.
Target investments and provide incentives to facilitate change. Leaders
provided funding and created financial and other incentives to support new
ways of working and to encourage employees to attain the agencies? goals and
objectives. For example, the FAA Logistics Center Director committed to
providing every Logistics Center employee with a $500 cash award if the
Center met all of its performance targets for fiscal year 2001. At the time
of our review, the Logistics Center was on track to meet or exceed its
goals.
Participate in efforts to benchmark successful organizations. Some leaders
visited organizations that were models for enhancing organizational
flexibility and maintaining quality standards. By visiting and benchmarking
model performance practices, leaders demonstrated to employees their
personal commitment to making the changes needed
for their offices or units to become high- performing organizations. 16 For
example, the Director of one VBA regional office visited several private
sector organizations to observe how they processed claims and ensured
accuracy. The insights gained were factored into the changes made in
regional office claims operations.
16 Benchmarking is a critical part of an effective improvement program
because it helps an organization identify outstanding levels of performance
that have actually been achieved. Benchmarking therefore helps define
specific reference points for setting goals for improving performance. See
Managing for Results: Critical Actions for Measuring Performance (GAO/ T-
GGD/ AIMD- 95- 187, June 20, 1995).
Use a 360- degree performance feedback system. One leader used input from
team members to improve the team?s performance. An OPM Branch Chief who
supervises the cross- trained claims processing team
implemented a 360- degree feedback system for assessing both her and her
team members? performance. Under that system, team members provide her with
input on her performance as a team coach as well as input on the performance
of other team members. She then uses that information for self- assessment
and in providing performance feedback
to individual team members. Engaging Employee Unions Involving employee
unions, as well as involving employees directly, is crucial to achieving
success. Major changes can involve redesigning work processes, changing work
rules, developing new job descriptions,
establishing new work hours, or making other changes to the work environment
that are of particular concern to employees? unions. Obtaining union
cooperation and support through effective labormanagement relations can help
achieve consensus on the planned changes, avoid misunderstandings, and more
expeditiously resolve problems that occur. The following are examples of how
agencies engaged employee unions.
Develop and maintain an ongoing working relationship with unions. Agencies
worked cooperatively with employee unions and found that an ongoing
relationship enhanced communication. For example, OPM maintained a
continuous dialog through weekly meetings of management and union
representatives to share information and address workplace issues. Officials
at OPM?s Retirement Operations Center at Boyers, PA, and the American
Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) said that their excellent working
relationship helped facilitate the adjustments made to incorporate new
technology at the Center. They said when new technology reduced the Center?s
need for
file clerks, union and management officials worked together to ensure that
affected employees received advance notice about upcoming changes, training
in new skills, and information about available job opportunities.
Document formal agreements. Agencies had formal agreements to serve as a
foundation setting forth the manner in which labor and management would work
together. For example, the agreement between IRS and the National Treasury
Employees Union (NTEU) was designed to ensure that employees are adequately
represented and informed of proposed new policies and have input into the
proposals.
The agreement also provides for continuous improvement in IRS operations in
part by providing employees the authority, resources, and other inputs they
need to effect changes and to be accountable for performing effectively, and
provides for NTEU participation in various forums, such as business process
improvement teams and cross- unit committees.
Build trust over time. Some agencies have undertaken a long- term effort
to create an environment of trust and openness in working cooperatively with
unions. For example, both IRS and NTEU officials credited the excellent
working relationship they developed over the last decade for helping to
reorganize IRS. Officials at IRS stated that the reorganization has resulted
in operating divisions that are focused on
serving taxpayers and flatter decision- making structures with clear endto-
end accountability. The NTEU President said that the union was willing to
expedite some negotiations on mission- critical issues because a trusting
relationship had developed and IRS employees felt that management used the
information they provided in shaping the new IRS.
Participate jointly in making decisions. Agencies involved unions and
incorporated their input into proposals before finalizing decisions. For
example, several unions provided suggestions about how agencies should share
performance information with employees. In another instance, OPM?s
Operations Center and AFGE worked jointly on predecisional
matters, such as the hiring of a new director of the Operations Center.
Training Employees to Both employees and managers viewed training as a
critical factor in Enhance Their Knowledge,
learning how to work in new and different ways. To improve customer Skills,
and Abilities
service, employees may need new skills, such as the ability to analyze and
improve work processes or the ability to work effectively together on teams.
In addition to job- specific skills and work processes, training in teamwork
and communications and encouragement and coaching through
mentoring and networking can help employees adapt to new ways of working
that involve changes in their roles and job expectations. VBA officials, for
instance, told us that, along with providing various training modules,
employees also need on- the- job training, coaching and mentoring to enhance
their expertise through actual experience in processing claims. The
following are examples of how agencies trained employees in new processes.
Provide a mix of on- the- job and formal training. Agencies used a variety
of training techniques to help employees adjust to organizational and
operational changes. For example, OPM provided on- the- job cross training
so that a claims processing team could adjudicate both CSRS and FERS claims.
According to the Branch Chief, because the team received cross- training, it
was able to help another division reduce its backlog of FERS cases. OPM also
provided formal training to teams in how to make decisions in setting goals,
planning and assigning work, and scheduling overtime and training.
Provide training on building team relationships and new ways of working.
When making significant changes to their operations, agencies provided
training to help facilitate change. For example, when IRS undertook a major
reorganization, its Ogden, UT, Service Center trained its employees in the
new ways of conducting business. The
training workshops included (1) learning how effective teams function; (2)
improving working relationships among peers, managers and employees, and
managers and union stewards; (3) enhancing effective communications among
employees, union stewards, and managers; (4) increasing discussions about
ways to improve work processes and meet customers? needs; and (5) creating a
more positive workplace environment. The employees we interviewed said that
training on effective working relationships was especially beneficial
because they got to know their co- workers and gained an appreciation for
each
others? views.
Commit sufficient funding and time to training. Agencies considered
training needs in budget decisions and their workforce planning. For
example, as FAA?s Logistics Center was being reorganized to operate in a
more businesslike manner, it trained employees about the need for, as well
as on how to develop, quality work processes. This enabled employees to
document information that was required for the Logistics Center to receive
International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) 9000 certification for quality work processes. 17 To
receive this certification, an organization must show that it has
standardized, high- quality processes that result in products and services
that are provided in a timely manner.
17 ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies representing
140 countries. ISO 9000 certification recognizes standardized quality
processes established by organizations to produce consistently high- quality
products or services.
Using Employee Teams To Adopting a teams- based approach to operations can
improve employee Help Accomplish Agency
morale and job satisfaction by creating an environment characterized by
Missions
open communication, enhanced flexibility in meeting job demands, and a sense
of shared responsibility for accomplishing agency goals and objectives.
Using teams can also assist in integrating different perspectives,
flattening organizational structure, and streamlining operations. In a prior
GAO report on best practices, we said that commercial firms began using
integrated product teams in the 1980s as a
way to get better results faster. 18 An integrated product team is a
concentration of product expertise within a team of employees who, together,
have the authority to design, develop, test, manufacture, and deliver a
product. In examining FAA?s efforts to modernize its air traffic control
systems, we stated that although FAA has identified an integrated team
approach as key to the agency?s efforts to deploy systems that meet
performance goals, major offices still tended to function in stovepipes that
inhibit an integrated team approach. 19
The following are examples of how teams were used in the agency initiatives
we reviewed.
Create teams of employees who represent multiple organizational functions
and different grade levels. Agencies flattened their organizational
structures by including employees from various organizational functions and
grade levels on teams. For example, VBA consolidated regional office
operations by merging two divisions and creating teams with members from
both functions who could process claims from beginning to end. In some
cases, forming
teams provided opportunities for front- line employees to assume leadership
roles. FEMA?s teams at the U. S. Fire Administration provided opportunities
for front- line employees to lead teams whose members
included a mix of employees and supervisors. Agencies also took steps to
streamline their processes by using a team approach. For example, VBA
streamlined its claims process by allowing one employee to handle
all aspects of a claim, instead of requiring employees to write referrals
and wait for responses from other divisions. VBA?s team approach also
18 Best Practices: DOD Teaming Practices Not Achieving Potential Results
(GAO- 01- 510, Apr. 10, 2001). 19 Air Traffic Control: Role of FAA?s
Modernization Program in Reducing Delays and Congestion (GAO- 01- 725T, May
10, 2001).
enhanced accountability to veterans because team members were responsible
for handling specific claims.
Establish an integrated working environment with common goals. When
agencies established teams, this provided an environment in which individual
team members were encouraged to work together toward achieving team goals.
For example, FEMA?s U. S. Fire Administration teams had members from units
throughout the
organization. The teams met on a weekly basis and identified ways to
implement over 170 Board of Visitors recommendations for improving the Fire
Administration?s operations. These teams facilitated communications and
employee involvement by maintaining a focal point for the organization,
working toward consensus, and posting
performance data showing progress toward addressing these recommendations.
Assign team responsibilities and provide an environment for learning.
Agencies assigned a broad range of responsibilities to teams and allowed
members to help each other and learn new skills. For example, VBA?s claims-
processing teams were responsible for controlling claims from when first
received until finally adjudicated. That required the team to conduct a full
range of claims functions, including receiving and controlling the claims,
contacting veterans and hospitals to obtain information, and making benefit
decisions. Team members were able to assist other team members when needed,
which
helped develop team members? skills in functions they did not previously
perform. To enable the team to efficiently meet their objectives, the teams
were also responsible for setting their work schedules and managing their
workload.
Hold teams accountable for results. The agencies held teams accountable
for accomplishing their work, and working together in a team environment
encouraged team members to share accountability. When teams made decisions
about how to do their work, employees told us they felt greater
accountability for the teams? overall performance.
For example, members of the FAA Logistics Center?s integrated product teams
were accountable for all aspects of the Center?s products, including
maintenance, repair, storage, and shipping. The teams? performance was
measured on a regular basis, providing direct feedback to the teams.
Physically collocate team members when appropriate. Agencies collocated
team members when the employees had been working in the same building or
facility. Although technology is being used to help bring teams that are
geographically dispersed together in a virtual environment, to the extent
that team members are already located
nearby, moving team members to a shared location improved communication and
enhanced efficiency. 20 For example, collocating OPM?s retirement team
members facilitated the sharing of information among members and led to
improved work processes and customer satisfaction.
Involving Employees in Involving employees in planning and sharing
performance information can Planning and Sharing
help employees understand what the organization is trying to accomplish
Performance Information
and how it is progressing in that direction. Involving employees in the
planning process helps to develop agency goals and objectives that
incorporate insights about operations from a front- line perspective, as
well as increases employees? understanding and acceptance of organizational
goals and objectives. Involving front- line employees in the goal- setting
process also helps create a clear ?line of sight? throughout the
organization
so that everyone understands what the organization is trying to achieve and
the goals it seeks to reach. Employees we met with appeared committed to
working toward the goals of their agencies and to providing high quality
service.
20 Advances in the use of information technology and the Internet are
continuing to change the way federal agencies communicate, use, and
disseminate information, deliver services, and conduct business. See
Electronic Government: Challenges Must Be Addressed With Effective
Leadership and Management (GAO- 01- 959T, July 11, 2001).
Sharing performance information can provide employees with a more meaningful
perspective about how their day- to- day activities contribute toward the
organization?s goals and objectives. Sharing performance
information also allows supervisors to provide clearer and more specific
feedback to teams and front- line employees on their expectations, progress,
and performance. Agencies? use of performance information can be improved.
In May 2001, we reported that, based on a survey of federal managers at 28
agencies, at no more than 7 of the 28 agencies surveyed did 50 percent or
more of the managers respond that they used performance information to a
great or very great extent. 21 However, at the agencies we visited, managers
used performance information and shared this information with front- line
employees through various mechanisms. Some of these agencies, such as VBA
and IRS, used a balanced scorecard
approach, which is intended to provide a balanced perspective regarding
agency results, customer satisfaction, and employee feedback. At one of
VBA?s regional offices, for example, computerized information is
continuously displayed on video screens providing employees with current
performance information. The employees we met with were aware of their
agencies? and their units? performance goals and objectives, and they said
that sharing performance information had enhanced communications across all
levels of the organization. Employees told us that sharing performance
information provided everyone with a focus to work toward and a status
report on their progress. They also said that sharing performance
information generated more performance- related discussions, including at
town- hall meetings, other meetings with managers, and during team meetings.
The following are examples of how agencies involved employees in planning
and sharing performance information.
Create mechanisms to involve employees in the planning process. Agencies
used various mechanisms to develop strategic plans, gather feedback from
internal stakeholders for identifying gaps in existing strategic plans, and
obtain employee input and feedback. For example, one IRS division used an
employee team to help to develop its strategic
plan. The team ensured that all division employees had opportunities to 21
Managing for Results: Federal Managers? Views on Key Management Issues Vary
Widely Across Agencies (GAO- 01- 592, May 25, 2001).
provide input, and the agency used that input as part of its efforts to
develop a balanced set of goals and objectives for the division.
Post performance information throughout the workplace. Agencies shared
performance information with employees by posting it through a variety of
means, including charts, graphs, newsletters, and agency intranet postings.
For example, FAA?s Logistics Center posted performance charts and graphs in
the entry foyers of its buildings and at the entrances to its organizational
units. Such postings permitted
employees to easily see how their units? performance was contributing to
agency goals and objectives. The Logistics Center also had a monthly
newsletter for sharing organizational performance information and
providing an arena for employees to share information.
Share performance information in meetings. Agencies frequently held town-
hall and other meetings to discuss program performance and organizational
issues. Agencies used town- hall meetings to help employees better
understand how their work efforts contributed to overall organizational
success. The town- hall meetings also provided a
forum in which employees and managers could discuss organizational changes
and suggest operational improvements. For example, IRS? Ogden, UT, Service
Center employees we interviewed said that for the first time regular and
effective communications between Center managers and employees was
occurring. They said that, in addition to listening, managers were taking
action on employees? suggestions, which made the employees see that their
input was valued. Frequent team meetings provided employees an opportunity
to obtain feedback
about agency performance. For example, VBA teams shared performance
information at weekly meetings, information that helped the teams assess
their progress in meeting performance goals.
Survey employees on their views regarding organizational direction.
Agencies used surveys to obtain employees? views, such as input regarding
the direction of organizational changes. IRS? Wage and Investment Operating
Division surveyed employees on the strengths, opportunities, and priorities
for each of the division?s branches, shared survey results with employees,
and implemented changes as a result.
Delegating Authorities to Delegating authorities to front- line employees
involves the transfer of Front- line Employees
authorities from managers to those employees who are closer to citizens and
provide services and information as part of their day- to- day activities.
Providing delegated authorities can enable employees to control their own
work processes and schedules. Delegating authorities also gives employees
the opportunity to look at customer needs in an integrated way
and effectively respond to those needs. Delegating authorities can benefit
agency operations by streamlining processes. Furthermore, delegating
authorities to front- line employees gives managers greater opportunities to
concentrate on problems or policy- level issues. If employees believe they
have the authority to tackle goals and objectives beyond their formal job
descriptions and assigned units, then when customers have legitimate
complaints, empowered front- line employees can ?make it right? immediately
rather than having to wait for management to get involved.
The following are examples of how agencies delegated authorities to
frontline employees.
Empower on- site staff with authority to make decisions. Agencies
delegated authorities and empowered front- line employees to exercise
responsibilities to more fully address customer needs. For example, FEMA
public assistance coordinators are on- site at the disaster or emergency to
observe the conditions and to coordinate public
assistance. They were delegated the authority to determine applicants?
eligibility, to approve up to $100,000 in public financial assistance, and
to help to ensure that applicants are kept fully informed throughout the
public assistance process. Eliminate layers of review. Agencies reduced
the number of
approvals needed for various activities and delegated greater authority to
front- line employees to make decisions. For example, FAA?s Aeronautical
Center delegated authorities to its audiovisual teams to make decisions
while on location, such as the need to visit locations in addition to those
originally planned and approved. This allowed the
audiovisual teams to more efficiently meet customer needs. At FEMA,
delegating authority to the Public Assistance Coordinators eliminated two
additional state reviews of applications for assistance and two other
reviews by FEMA.
Provide more time for managers to focus on problem areas or policy
matters. Agencies targeted managers? skills on more difficult problems or
policy areas by delegating some authorities to front- line employees. For
example, VBA managers said they were able to use their time more efficiently
after delegating day- to- day claims- processing authorities to the teams.
They said that by delegating these authorities, they could concentrate on
policy matters and more difficult problems that the teams were unable to
handle.
Establish a new position with appropriate authority. Some agencies
identified situations in which new positions of authority could help benefit
operations. For example, VBA, as part of its efforts to
reengineer its claims processing, established a new decision review officer
position and provided employees in those positions the authority to review
and change claims decisions that veterans appealed. Prior to this, veterans?
appeals were addressed under a formal hearing process. Because decision
review officers have more flexibility to address appeals informally,
creating this new position provided the opportunity
to streamline the process and save time. Agencies Addressed The agencies we
reviewed undertook changes that represented a Barriers To Efforts
significant shift from their traditional operations and, as such,
encountered organizational and cultural barriers that needed to be overcome
as they That Empowered And
sought to empower and involve employees. Some of the barriers included
Involved Employees
a lack of trust, resistance to change and a lack of buy- in, and
implementation issues. Despite encountering these barriers, the employees
and managers we met at each of the five agencies perceived
benefits from the employee empowerment and involvement practices that their
agencies had implemented. To address the barriers, the agencies used such
strategies as open communication, a commitment to change, and providing
performance feedback. All of these efforts entailed cultural
transformations, and therefore there was some natural resistance that took
time and effort to overcome. Nevertheless, the experiences of these agencies
demonstrate that organizations can make progress in addressing barriers to
empower and involve their employees. The following are some examples of the
barriers encountered and the strategies used to address them.
Lack of Trust The agencies identified a lack of trust as a barrier they
experienced in their efforts to empower and involve employees. A lack of
trust can frustrate agency attempts to implement major changes in employees?
day- to- day working environment. Throughout our review, managers, unions,
and
employees continuously emphasized the importance of trust in gaining
acceptance for changes. For example, some employees feared for their job
security as FAA?s Logistics Center began to implement more business like
operations. However, they told us that they learned to trust the Logistics
Center?s Director as they recognized the need for the changes. Some
employees were skeptical that managers would listen to their input for
planning purposes. They were also concerned that performance data
would be used to justify punitive actions, rather than to increase
employees? understanding about the direction of the agency?s performance. In
addition, working in a more open environment requires employees to
trust and help each other, which some employees said initially was a barrier
to working as a team. Maintaining an open door policy that encouraged
employees to share their views and demonstrating a vision and
commitment to change were two approaches that agencies used to develop
trust. Resistance to Change and
Another barrier that agencies experienced was resistance to change and a
Lack of Buy- in lack of buy- in. Employees and managers resisted making
changes because they had to work in new and unfamiliar ways. Some employees
found it difficult to transition from working under direct supervision to
working on a team with little direct supervision. For example, according to
FEMA officials, some team members continued to seek leadership and guidance
from management, did not trust other team members, and were reluctant to
speak out in the team environment until they eventually adjusted to working
in a team environment. According to officials from the five agencies, some
managers found it difficult to operate in a new environment of more open
communication and feedback. Some FEMA managers and supervisors were
reluctant to allow employees to have delegated authorities in areas such as
budgeting, procurement, and time and attendance report approval. At FAA?s
Aeronautical Center, some employees with contracting responsibilities were
initially uncomfortable exercising newly delegated procurement authority to
purchase goods or services up to a certain dollar amount without supervisory
approval. The employees said that they gained confidence as they became more
experienced in exercising the new authority, and some of the employees and
managers who initially resisted changes adjusted to them gradually over
time. In some cases, the offices we visited made managerial and supervisory
changes when individuals were unable to adjust to a more open work
environment.
A lack of buy- in resulted in some employees and managers being reluctant to
fully participate in training. They tended to view the changes being made as
another ?flavor- of- the- month? initiative. Thus, they were not as open to
receiving new information or adopting new ways of working. IRS provided an
example of a solution to this barrier. To encourage managers to buy into
team concept training, IRS has decided to train section chiefs who will then
train employees in their work units.
Implementation Issues Implementation issues, such as workload demands and
performance incentive issues, also presented barriers to change. Although
employees generally appreciated the changes made to work in a team
environment, high workload demands affected some team members? ability to
exercise their delegated authority. VBA, for example, has a large, and
growing, backlog of compensation and pension claims. 22 Although team
members
had the authority to set their schedules and determine their day- to- day
work priorities, heavy workload demands prevented them from being able to
plan and manage their work. Some of VBA?s decision review officers also told
us that their ability to exercise their delegated authorities had been
limited by the claims- processing backlogs. Another implementation issue
that affected teams involved the incentives that agencies provided to teams
to encourage performance. For example, some employees said that working on
teams was demotivating when poor performers obtained an equal share of team
rewards. Some employees and
managers said that not enough money was available for rewarding employees
and teams that met their goals and objectives. Such issues were commonly
addressed in team meetings and in individual performance feedback.
The timing of training was another implementation issue that agencies cited
as a barrier. For example, some team members told us that it would have been
helpful if they had received training before being reorganized into teams,
rather than after. Because training was not provided prior to moving to a
team environment, the teams were immediately faced with the need for team
members to take time off of the front lines for training and skill building.
Providing training at the appropriate time for an employee can achieve
better results.
22 The accurate and timely processing of compensation and pension claims is
one of the major management challenges we have identified at the Department
of Veterans Affairs. See Major Management Challenges and Program Risks:
Department of Veterans Affairs (GAO- 01- 255, Jan. 2001).
Agencies Cited Agencies identified a range of examples to demonstrate the
different ways
Examples Of performance can be improved in implementing the practices to
empower and involve employees. As we have reported before when looking at
Performance
management reform efforts, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of
Improvements numerous initiatives and external factors that affect each
agency?s environment. 23 For example, external factors such as legislative
changes that resulted in reopening nearly 100,000 veterans? claims and the
increasing complexity of these claims have affected VBA?s results in
addressing its claims backlog. Officials from the five agencies attributed
improved operations to the employee empowerment and involvement initiatives
they had implemented, and the specific offices we visited had achieved
successes in implementing the practices we reviewed in this report.
Therefore, these examples are presented to illustrate how performance can
improve
through the contributions of empowered and involved employees.
FAA?s Logistics Center Radar Product Division team addressed emergencies,
as well as routine tasks, more quickly. Established in 1998, this Division
is an integrated product team of experts such as
engineers and electronic technicians, who perform all of the functions
required to repair ground- based radar systems. In April 2000, the airport
surveillance radar at Boston?s Logan Airport was ripped from its mounting
pedestal during severe weather conditions, severely reducing
the number of flights in and out of Logan Airport. Working together, the
team, along with other FAA and non- FAA organizations, made extensive
repairs and restored radar service within 58 hours after the incident. In
December 2000, a similar problem occurred at New York?s JFK airport, and the
team restored service within 56 hours. According to Logistics Center
officials, prior to working as an integrated product team, it required
longer for FAA to coordinate a response to similar emergencies and fully
restore service. FAA said that collocating all of the logistics functions
including Engineers, Items Managers, Technicians, Equipment Specialists,
etc, allowed the team to work together on priority areas. Collocation also
eliminated communication barriers, such as the need to write memos or leave
voice mail messages
23 NPR?s Savings: Claimed Agency Savings Cannot All Be Attributed to NPR
(GAO/ GGD99- 120, July 23, 1999).
to request services and wait for responses. Forming the team also allowed
FAA to reduce overlapping roles and responsibilities. Logistics Center
officials said that the Radar Product Division team?s coordinated
operations saved time, including reducing the average number of days
required to obtain research assistance from 45 days to 1 day.
FEMA?s customer surveys show improved satisfaction. According to FEMA, one
of its goals was to transform the public assistance program into a customer-
driven and performance- based program, thereby improving the quality and
delivery of service to state and local applicants. Customer surveys
conducted by FEMA after each disaster
where public assistance was provided showed that customer satisfaction has
improved. Fiscal year 2000 survey results showed that 85. 6 percent of the
respondents were satisfied with the assistance FEMA provided, an increase
from the 81.4 percent customer satisfaction level FEMA achieved in fiscal
year 1999. FEMA?s fiscal year 2001 target is to increase its customer
satisfaction results up to 87 percent. FEMA
officials we met with said that delegating authority to the employees in
Public Assistance Coordinator positions had contributed to this improvement.
OPM?s retirement claims processing team helped another Division in the
Retirement and Insurance Service reduce a backlog of retirement claims. In
February 2000, there was a backlog of about 12,000 FERS retirement claims,
and OPM?s management instituted a seven- point plan to address this problem.
One of the components of the plan was to provide an existing group of CSRS
benefits specialists with cross
training in FERS claims adjudication. OPM said that the team?s flexibility,
attitude, and work ethic played a significant role in the success of this
effort, which was OPM?s first cross- training initiative. According to OPM,
the team?s contribution, along with reallocating staff, hiring, and improved
automation, led to a 7,000 case reduction in the backlog by March 2001. 24
24 As reported in its fiscal year 2000 performance report, CSRS claims
processing time increased to 44 days from 32 days in fiscal year 1999, and
FERS processing times increased to more than 6 months from 3 months in
fiscal year 1999 (see GAO- 01- 884). OPM has recognized the need to address
lagging times in retirement claims processing. According to OPM, steps to
implement its modernization plan have reduced FERS processing times, and
development of a staffing plan will enable it to reduce CSRS processing
times.
IRS? Substitute for Return Authority has expedited taxpayer compliance. In
some cases, IRS employees are authorized to prepare substitute tax returns
for taxpayers that did not file or filed a false return. Instead of
referring requests to a different office as was done in the past, IRS has
delegated this authority to revenue officers. This allows one- stop case
resolution, because the revenue officers now maintain complete control of
the case through collection of any balance due. By streamlining IRS?
processes, additional taxes are being assessed within 5 to 8 months,
much faster than the 30 months it usually took before. This also benefits
taxpayers, because the amount of penalties and interest added to taxpayer
accounts is reduced when assessments are more timely. IRS reported that
during a fiscal year 2000 pilot program, revenue officers with delegated
authorities prepared 257 non- filer cases involving tax assessments of about
$3.5 million.
When VBA established its decision review officer position, it first used a
pilot program to test the new operational approach at 12 locations. VBA
found that during the pilot phase, which ended December 31, 2000, the number
of appeals resolved at the regional office level increased by 10
percent. By implementing this position nationwide, VBA projects there will
be a 45 percent increase in the number of appeals resolved at the regional
offices during fiscal year 2001. VBA attributes the increased number of
appeals resolved at the regional office level to the efforts of its decision
review officers.
Conclusions As agencies plan and implement the President?s initiative to
restructure their workforces and streamline their organizations, they need
to recognize how human capital contributes to achieving missions and goals.
Effective changes can only be made and sustained through the cooperation of
leaders, union representatives, and employees throughout the organization.
All members of an organization must understand the rationale for making
organizational and cultural changes because everyone has a stake in helping
to shape and implement initiatives as part of agencies? efforts to meet
current and future challenges. Agencies can improve their
performance by the way they treat and manage their people. In this report we
have identified six key practices used in selected initiatives to help to
empower and involve employees in identifying and implementing needed
changes. These practices are
providing sustained leadership commitment to open communications and
support culture change,
engaging unions to include all perspectives in achieving consensus about
needed changes,
using a variety of formal and on- the- job training approaches to
facilitate the development of new skills,
encouraging employees to combine their resources and talents by working
together in teams, involving employees in planning and sharing performance
information
so that employees help shape agencies? goals and better understand how their
day- to- day activities contribute to results, and
empowering staff by giving them the authority they need to make decisions
and effectively conduct agency operations. Each federal agency will need to
consider the applicability of these practices within the context of its own
mission, needs, and culture. Nevertheless, we believe that agencies can
improve their performance, enhance employees? morale and job satisfaction,
and provide a working
environment where employees have a better understanding of the goals and
objectives of their organizations and how they are contributing to the
results that American citizens want. We believe that the practices we
identified should be considered by other agencies as they seek to improve
their unique operations and respond to the challenges they are facing.
Agency Comments We provided drafts of this report in August 2001 to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Transportation, the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management, and
the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or their
designees, for their review. Cognizant agency officials from DOT, IRS, OPM,
and FAA responded orally and agreed with the contents of the draft report.
In some cases, they also provided written technical comments to clarify
specific points regarding the information presented. Where appropriate, we
have made changes to this report that reflect these technical comments. FEMA
did not provide comments on this report.
As agreed with your office, unless you announce the contents of this report
earlier, we plan no further distribution until 30 days after its issue date.
At that time, we will send copies of the report to the Chairman,
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring, and the
District
of Columbia, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs; the Chairman and
Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs; and the Chairman
and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Security, Proliferation, and Federal
Services, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. We will also send copies
to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Transportation, the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Director of the
Office of Personnel Management, and the Administrator of FEMA. In addition,
we will make copies available to others upon request. If you have any
questions about this report, please contact me or Susan Ragland on (202)
512- 6806. Others who contributed to this report were N. Scott Einhorn,
Shirley Bates, Tom Beall, Gerard Burke, Renee Chafitz, Sharon Hogan,
Cassandra Joseph, John Lesser, Michelle Sager, and Greg Whitney.
Sincerely yours, J. Christopher Mihm Director, Strategic Issues
Related GAO Products
Managing For Results: Federal Managers? Views Show Need for Ensuring Top
Leadership Skills (GAO- 01- 127, Oct. 20, 2001).
Veterans Affairs: Status in Achieving Key Outcomes and in Addressing Major
Management Challenges (GAO- 01- 752, June 15, 2001).
Veterans Benefits: Training for Claims Processors Needs Evaluation (GAO- 01-
601, May 31, 2001).
Managing For Results: Federal Managers? Views on Key Management Issues Vary
Widely Across Agencies (GAO- 01- 592, May 25, 2001).
Best Practices: DOD Teaming Practices Not Achieving Potential Results (GAO-
01- 510, Apr. 10, 2001).
High- Risk Series: An Update (GAO- 01- 263, Jan. 2001).
Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Department of Transportation
(GAO- 01- 253, Jan. 2001).
Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Department of the Treasury
(GAO- 01- 254, Jan. 2001).
Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Department of Veteran Affairs
(GAO- 01- 255, Jan. 2001).
Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Department of Veterans
Affairs (GAO- 01- 255, Jan. 2001).
Veterans Benefits Administration: Problems and Challenges Facing Disability
Claims Processing (GAO/ T- HEHS/ AIMD- 00- 146, May 18, 2000).
Veterans Benefits: Promising Claims- Processing Practices Need to be
Evaluated (GAO/ HEHS- 00- 65, Apr. 7, 2000).
Veterans Benefits Administration: Progress Encouraging, but Challenges Still
Remain (GAO/ T- HEHS- 99- 77, Mar. 25, 1999).
(450001) Lett er
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