ML24156A196
| ML24156A196 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/04/2024 |
| From: | Virkar H NRC/OIG/AIGA |
| To: | Buhler M NRC/EDO |
| References | |
| DNFSB-20-A-04 | |
| Download: ML24156A196 (1) | |
Text
NRC Headquarters l 11555 Rockville Pike l Rockville, Maryland 20852 l 301.415.5930 nrcoig.oversight.gov MEMORANDUM DATE:
June 4, 2024 TO:
Mary J. Buhler Executive Director of Operations FROM:
Hruta Virkar, CPA /RA/
Assistant Inspector General for Audits & Evaluations
SUBJECT:
STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS: AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM (DNFSB-20-A-04)
REFERENCE:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD, CORRESPONDENCE DATED MARCH 29, 2024 Attached is the Office of the Inspector Generals (OIG) analysis and status of recommendation as discussed in the agencys response dated March 29, 2024. Based on this response and the updated DNFSB memorandum dated June 4, 2024, recommendations one through four remain open and resolved, while recommendations five and six are now closed. Please provide an updated status of the open, resolved recommendations by October 31, 2024.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 301.415.1982 or Mike Blair, Team Leader, at 301.415.8399.
Attachment:
As stated cc: T. Tadlock, OEDO G. Garvin, OEDO
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 2 Recommendation 1:
With the involvement of the Office of the Technical Director, develop and implement an Excepted Service recruitment strategy and update guidance to reflect this strategy.
Agency Response Dated March 29, 2024:
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has made significant progress in defining a strategy, and developing updated policies for DN recruitment in the Excepted Service. During Fiscal Years FY 2022 and 2023, DNFSB executed an aggressive staffing plan that focused on hiring highly skilled Engineers, Scientists, and professionals to support the Agencys mission, bringing the agency up to 116 positions filled with Full-Time Equivalents (FTE) in (FY 2023), just short of 4 (FTEs) from the FY 2023 agency hiring target goals. In addition, the Office of the Technical Director (OTD) and Human Resources (HR) have worked together to create open, continuous announcements to recruit for hard-to-fill positions, such as resident inspectors. Finally, HR and OTD have worked together to recruit for summer scholars positions at universities across the country that can be hired as full-time entry-level engineers in the future. DNFSB also drafts a Staffing Plan every year to detail which DN positions should be targeted for recruitment. Request that the OIG review and evaluate the progress made to allow the Agency to receive partial credit for the work that has been completed thus far. HR and OTD will complete a written DN recruitment strategy by 4th Quarter, FY24.
OIG Analysis:
The proposed action meets the intent of the recommendation. The recommendation will be closed when the OIG verifies that the DNFSB has developed and implemented an Excepted Service recruitment strategy and has updated guidance to reflect this strategy.
Status:
Open: Resolved.
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 3 Recommendation 2:
Develop and implement a step-by-step hiring process metric with periodic reporting requirements.
Agency Response Dated March 29, 2024:
DNFSB will develop and implement a step-by-step hiring process metric with periodic reporting requirements by 4th quarter FY 2025. DNFSB has made significant improvement and progress in our hiring timeliness. In the near future, DNFSB is will begin migrating to the Interior Business Center (IBC) as our new personnel Service Provider. The selection of this service provider will improve the efficiency and standardize business operations that provides accounting, personnel, logistics, system development and/or operations/hosting support services for our agency.
Also, the Agency has made significant progress in meeting our hiring targets shown in the table below. The substantial hiring progress was completed through a dedicated concerted effort between the Office of the General Manager, the Office of the Technical Director, and the newly established Office of the Executive Director of Operations.
The Human Resources Division developed and implemented a hiring tracker to allow the Agencys Senior Leadership visibility of the hiring process, security clearance processing, and onboarding milestones aligned to hiring actions.
DNFSB Hiring Targets FY20-23 Fiscal Year New Hires FTE / FTE Target 2020 17 100/100 2021 13 100/114 2022 5
106/115 2023 9
116/120 OIG Analysis:
The proposed action meets the intent of the recommendation. The recommendation will be closed when the OIG verifies that the DNFSB developed and implemented a step-by-step hiring process metric with periodic reporting requirements.
Status:
Open: Resolved.
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 4 Recommendation 3:
Update and finalize policies and procedures relative to determining the technical qualifications of OTD applicants.
These should include examples of experience such as military and teaching, and their applicability to OTD positions.
Agency Response Dated March 29, 2024:
DNFSB DHR is finalizing the DN hiring procedure with an estimated completion date of Quarter 4 FY 2024.
OIG Analysis:
The proposed action meets the intent of the recommendation. The recommendation will be closed when the OIG verifies that the DNFSB updated and finalized policies and procedures relative to determining the technical qualifications of OTD applicants. Updates to the procedures should include examples of experiences such as military and teaching, and their applicability to OTD positions.
Status:
Open: Resolved.
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 5 Recommendation 4:
Develop and issue hiring-process guidance and provide training to DNFSB staff involved with the hiring process.
Agency Response Dated March 29, 2024:
Hiring process training for the DN pay plan was delivered to DN supervisors and executive managers, including those in acting roles, on September 28, 2023 (copy attached). The OTD organization includes a Technical Director, Deputy Technical Director, and five OTD divisions each led by a single senior executive supervisor (seven supervisor/manager positions).
September 28, 2023, DN Hiring training attendees:
OTD
- Katherine Herrera
- David Campbell
- Todd Davis
- Timothy Dwyer
- Patrick Migliorini
- Johathan Plaue
- Mark Sautman
- Richard Tontodonato DHR
- LeMont Neal
- Crystal Kearney Hennings
- Carolyn Washington
- Veronica McCray Upon completion of the DN hiring procedures in Q424, additional training will be provided to ensure understanding of the policy and procedures for all DNFSB leaders and employees with roles in the DN hiring process.
Request that the OIG review and evaluate the progress made to allow the Agency to receive partial credit for the work that has been completed thus far. DNFSB DHR is finalizing the DN hiring procedure with an estimated completion date of Quarter 4 FY 2024
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 6 Recommendation 4 (continued):
OIG Analysis:
The proposed action meets the intent of the recommendation. The recommendation will be closed when the OIG verifies the DNFSB developed and issued hiring-process guidance used by the DNFSB to provide the recommended training to the DNFSBs staff involved with the hiring process.
Status:
Open: Resolved.
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 7 Recommendation 5:
Conduct analyses to determine (1) the optimal SES span-of-control that promotes agency efficiency and effectiveness, and (2) the impact on agency activities when detailing employees to vacant SES positions.
Agency Response Dated March 29, 2024:
Since issuance of the audit conclusions that led to this recommendation, the number of SES vacancies has decreased. In building a multi-year human capital strategic plan that guides succession planning, DNFSB will be poised to anticipate and address expected attrition and impact on leadership continuity. The audit analyses documented negative effects from multiple SES vacancies, a hiring freeze on SES positions, and non-SES staff filling SES positions.
Since the issuance of the audit report, the agency actively recruited to fill SES vacancies and operated for a time with all SES positions filled. While the agency currently has two SES vacancies (Associate Technical Directors for Nuclear Weapon Programs and Nuclear Materials, Processing and Stabilization), the vacancy rate is substantially below the rate at the time of the audit and the vacancies are not resulting in the same negative effects documented in 2019.
Since the issuance of the recommendation in January 2020, the agency has also restructured the SES core based on the statutory addition of an Executive Director of Operations (EDO) position and aligned the General Manager and the Technical Director SES positions under the EDO. As such, we believe the intent of the recommendation has been met and request closure of this item.
Updated Agency Response Dated June 4, 2024:
In reference to the OIG Audit of the DNFSBs Human Resources Program dated January 27, 2020 (DNFSB-20-A-04), the agency commits to either filling SES vacancies in a timely manner, subject to budget constraints, or otherwise managing our allocation in conjunction with OPM requirements.
Currently, the Board only has two SES vacancies: Associate Technical Director, Nuclear Weapons Programs and Associate Technical Director, Nuclear Materials Processing
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 8 Recommendation 5 (continued):
Stabilization. These vacancies were posted to USAJOBS on April 8 and closed on May 17, 2024. The agency is working through the hiring process for these vacancies and is committed to working to fill vacancies as they become available.
The agency requests closure of recommendations 5 and 6 of the audit.
OIG Analysis:
Based on the updated agency response on June 4, 2024, this recommendation is now closed.
Status:
Closed.
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 9 Recommendation 6:
Develop and implement an action plan to mitigate negative effects shown by the SES analyses.
Agency Response Dated March 29, 2024:
The audit analyses documented negative effects from multiple SES vacancies, a hiring freeze on SES positions, and non-SES staff filling SES positions. Since the issuance of the audit report, the agency actively recruited to fill SES vacancies and operated for a time with all SES positions filled. While the agency currently has two SES vacancies (Associate Technical Directors for Nuclear Weapon Programs and Nuclear Materials, Processing and Stabilization), the vacancy rate is substantially below the rate at the time of the audit and the vacancies are not resulting in the same negative effects documented in 2019.
As such, we believe the intent of this recommendation has been met and request closure of this item.
Updated Agency Response Dated June 4, 2024:
In reference to the OIG Audit of the DNFSBs Human Resources Program dated January 27, 2020 (DNFSB-20-A-04), the agency commits to either filling SES vacancies in a timely manner, subject to budget constraints, or otherwise managing our allocation in conjunction with OPM requirements.
Currently, the Board only has two SES vacancies: Associate Technical Director, Nuclear Weapons Programs and Associate Technical Director, Nuclear Materials Processing &
Stabilization. These vacancies were posted to USAJOBS on April 8 and closed on May 17, 2024. The agency is working through the hiring process for these vacancies and is committed to working to fill vacancies as they become available.
The agency requests closure of recommendations 5 and 6 of the audit.
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE AUDIT OF THE DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARDS (DNFSBS) HUMAN RESOURCES PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (DNFSB-20-A-04) 10 Recommendation 6 (continued):
OIG Analysis:
Based on the updated agency response on June 4, 2024, this recommendation is now closed.
Status:
Closed.