ML25168A197
| ML25168A197 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/17/2025 |
| From: | Virkar H NRC/OIG |
| To: | Mirela Gavrilas NRC/EDO |
| References | |
| OIG-NRC-25-E-01 | |
| Download: ML25168A197 (1) | |
Text
NRC Headquarters l 11555 Rockville Pike l Rockville, Maryland 20852 l 301.415.5930 nrcoig.oversight.gov MEMORANDUM DATE:
June 17, 2025 TO:
Mirela Gavrilas Executive Director for Operations FROM:
Hruta Virkar, CPA /RA/
Assistant Inspector General for Audits & Evaluations
SUBJECT:
STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS: EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM (OIG-NRC-25-E-01)
REFERENCE:
DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR NUCLEAR MATERIALS, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND CORPORATE PROGRAMS, OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS, MEMORANDUM DATED JUNE 10, 2025 Attached is the Office of the Inspector Generals (OIG) analysis and status of recommendations as discussed in the agencys response dated June 10, 2025. Based on this response, recommendations 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2 are now closed. Recommendations 1.2, 3.3, and 4.1 remain open and resolved. Please provide an updated status of the open, resolved recommendations by December 10, 2025.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 301.415.1982 or Danielle Mahal, Team Leader, at 301.415.5965.
Attachment:
As stated cc: J. Martin, ADO D. Lewis, DADO E. Deeds, OEDO OIG Liaison Resource EDO ACS Distribution
Evaluation Report EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (OIG-NRC-25-E-01) 2 Recommendation 1.1:
Establish a process to verify that all telework agreements are submitted and reviewed to maintain oversight and data integrity.
Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025:
The Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) concurs with the recommendation. Effective May 2025, a formal process is in place to ensure all telework agreements are submitted and reviewed to maintain oversight and data integrity. All employees who wish to participate in the telework program must submit a telework agreement through the Telework Agreement Data Application (TADA).
Supervisors are required to electronically approve all agreements before an employee may begin teleworking.
TADA automates the telework business process, which is initiated by the employee (submitter), routed through the designated supervisor (approver), and forwarded to OCHCO, if applicable. The system includes built-in validations that prevent submission of incomplete forms by generating flags and prompting users to enter all required data before submission. TADA was made available to all NRC employees on April 24, 2025.
OIG Analysis:
The OIG confirmed that TADA adequately supports the submission and approval of telework agreements. This recommendation is now closed.
Status:
Closed
Evaluation Report EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (OIG-NRC-25-E-01) 3 Recommendation 1.2:
Conduct periodic reconciliations between the telework agreements and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC) payroll system to ensure the accuracy and completeness of employees telework statuses.
Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025:
OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. Effective July 2025, Human Resources (HR) Specialists will institute quarterly reviews of telework status codes in the Federal Personnel Payroll System (FPPS) against telework data in TADA. Specifically, HR Specialists will be tasked with reconciling telework codes in FPPS against data generated from the TADA system. HR Specialists will also verify all necessary updates are made to resolve discrepancies in employee telework data.
OIG Analysis:
The OIG will close the recommendation once the quarterly review of the telework status codes in the FPPS against telework data in TADA is completed. This recommendation remains open and resolved.
Status:
Open: Resolved
Evaluation Report EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (OIG-NRC-25-E-01) 4 Recommendation 2.1:
Implement and document validation procedures to ensure submitted telework agreements are complete and records are maintained in compliance with NRC procedures.
Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025:
OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. Effective April 24, 2025, employees are required to submit telework agreements using TADA. Agreements are approved by the supervisor and stored electronically within the application, in accordance with NRC recordkeeping procedures.
Supervisors are also able to review telework agreements and run reports for employees on their staff.
As discussed in Recommendation 1.1, TADA includes built-in validations that prevent submission of incomplete forms by generating flags and prompting users to enter all required data before submission.
OIG Analysis:
The OIG confirmed that TADA has validation controls that prevent the submission of incomplete forms and require users to enter all required data. This recommendation is now closed.
Status:
Closed
Evaluation Report EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (OIG-NRC-25-E-01) 5 Recommendation 3.1:
Require all official duty station changes resulting from telework to be supported by an approved agreement and ensure all relevant documentation is retained within the telework records.
Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025:
OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. TADA is the centralized repository for all NRC telework agreements. As such, all relevant documentation is retained within the system and is used to support any changes to an employees official duty station.
To ensure data integrity and compliance, an employees official duty station and any updates to the duty station must be approved and recorded in TADA. Prior to the supervisors approval of the telework agreement, employees are prompted within TADA to select their official duty station.
This duty station is critical as it determines both the employees telework location and the pay rate, which is based on the designated duty station.
Additionally, any request for full-time telework (remote work) will include documentation in TADA that references the employees duty station, ensuring proper tracking and approval for remote work arrangements.
OIG Analysis:
The OIG confirmed that TADA requires the employee to enter the official duty station, and any updates to this information can be approved and recorded in TADA. This recommendation is now closed.
Status:
Closed
Evaluation Report EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (OIG-NRC-25-E-01) 6 Recommendation 3.2:
Implement a process to track the completion of corrective actions for discrepancies and ensure any unresolved issues are properly addressed.
Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025:
OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. The implementation and use of TADA eliminated the corrective actions previously identified during the audit. The application includes built-in validations that prevent employees from proceeding with telework agreement submissions if there are errors. This ensures all discrepancies are fully resolved at the point of entry.
If any application errors or issues remain, they are escalated appropriately to ensure timely resolution. The process includes assigning responsible parties to correct the issue, setting clear timelines for resolution, and generating a monthly report to track the status of all corrective actions.
This structured approach ensures that all discrepancies are addressed and resolved efficiently.
OIG Analysis:
The OIG agrees that timely information updates and improved documentation in TADA will help to identify and resolve issues promptly. This recommendation is now closed.
Status:
Closed
Evaluation Report EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (OIG-NRC-25-E-01) 7 Recommendation 3.3:
Implement a tracking system to monitor telework agreements nearing expiration, ensuring that necessary updates, such as changes to official duty stations, are made promptly and in accordance with established procedures.
Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025:
OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. TADA electronically monitors remote and special circumstances telework agreements nearing expiration. This allows employees and supervisors to make any necessary updates promptly in accordance with established procedures.
Specifically, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) will implement a notification feature in TADA to tag telework agreements that are nearing their expiration dates.
This feature will automatically alert the employees supervisor, prompting them to initiate and approve the renewal of the telework agreement in a timely manner. This enhancement will help ensure continuous compliance and avoid any lapses in telework authorizations.
OIG Analysis:
The OIG will close the recommendation once the notification feature to avoid any lapses in telework authorizations is implemented in TADA. This recommendation remains open and resolved.
Status:
Open: Resolved
Evaluation Report EVALUATION OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS TELEWORK PROGRAM Status of Recommendations (OIG-NRC-25-E-01) 8 Recommendation 4.1:
Develop procedures to mitigate the risk of inaccurate locality pay resulting from employees not reporting to their official duty station as required by the terms of their telework agreements.
Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025:
OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring employees adhere to the terms of their telework agreements, including reporting to their official duty station. OCHCO will develop specific procedures to validate duty stations in FPPS and provide controls for supervisors to mitigate the risk of inaccurate locality pay and ensure compliance with the requirements set forth in the employees telework agreement. The procedures will align with the quarterly reviews outlined in response to Recommendation 1.2.
OIG Analysis:
The OIG will close the recommendation once OCHCO develops specific procedures to validate duty stations in FPPS and provide controls to ensure compliance with the requirements in the employees telework agreement. This recommendation remains open and resolved.
Status:
Open: Resolved