State Department: Additional Actions Needed to Address IT Workforce Challenges
GAO-22-105932
Published: Jul 12, 2022. Publicly Released: Jul 12, 2022.
Fast Facts
A talented and skilled IT workforce is critical to efficient agency operations and protection against cyber threats. The State Department has implemented some workforce recruitment and retention best practices for its IT staff—including raising entry-level pay for experienced applicants and expanding incentive pay.
However, State doesn't have a plan to gauge whether these measures are working—such as establishing metrics and regularly assessing its current and future workforce needs.
Our 16 recommendations could help State improve the recruitment and retention of its IT workforce.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Implementing leading workforce practices is essential to successfully recruiting and retaining IT staff. Of 15 recruitment and retention practices GAO evaluated, the Department of State (State) has fully implemented one, partially implemented 11, and not implemented three. For example, State has collected training performance data, but has not recruited continuously year-round for most of its IT positions or regularly assessed staffing needs. If State increases its focus on recruitment and retention practices, the department can better compete with other employers for critical IT staff with key skills and abilities.
GAO identified 10 challenges related to State recruiting and retaining its IT workforce. GAO did not include three challenges in this report due to State's sensitivity concerns. The recruitment and retention challenges in State's IT workforce included a narrow marketing and recruiting focus, low pay and a limited number of incentives and promotions, a lengthy hiring and clearance process, and inaccurate position descriptions and insufficiently detailed announcements (see figure). For example, IT staff said State's marketing and recruitment strategies focused on reaching a small portion of the population. Further, IT staff noted the general public did not have an awareness of State's mission and the IT employment opportunities that were available.
IT Workforce Recruitment and Retention Challenges at the Department of State
Note: GAO did not include three challenges in this report due to State's sensitivity concerns.
State has acted to overcome some of these challenges, including raising entry-level pay for experienced IT applicants and expanding its incentive pay program. State's policy calls for access to timely and accurate data to set performance metrics and for a plan to monitor and evaluate progress toward achieving goals. However, State does not have such IT workforce data needed to set performance metrics, nor does it have a plan to monitor and evaluate progress toward achieving its goals. Consequently, State does not know if its actions are improving its recruitment and retention, and achieving its goals.
Why GAO Did This Study
State depends on information systems to support its mission to advance the interests of the American people in foreign policy. State in turn relies on its IT personnel to maintain and protect these information systems.
GAO was asked to review State's IT workforce. This report examines to what extent State has (1) implemented recruitment and retention processes that are consistent with applicable leading practices, and (2) identified IT workforce recruitment and retention challenges and evaluated the effectiveness of its actions to address these challenges.
GAO analyzed recruitment and retention processes and leading practices, and documentation on IT workforce challenges and actions taken by State. GAO also interviewed officials at State headquarters and six overseas posts, which it selected based on factors such as the number of IT staff.
This is a public version of a sensitive report that was distributed on a limited basis. In response to State officials' request, GAO excluded from this public report (1) its evaluation of IT workforce vacancies and the impact of such vacancies, and (2) selected recruiting and retention challenges.
Recommendations
GAO is making 16 recommendations to improve State's IT workforce management. State concurred with 15 but did not concur with one on expanding the number of Foreign Service IT positions available to external applicants year-round. As discussed in the report, GAO believes the recommendation is still warranted.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to ensure that the IT workforce planning processes and documents in development are completed and updated regularly for the Civil Service. (Recommendation 1) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In December 2023, State provided the IT Strategic Workforce Plan that included information on Civil Service IT workforce issues and plans to update the strategic plan every two years. As of April 2024, the department has completed the 2023 workforce plan but has not demonstrated that it established a process for updating its IT workforce planning documents for the Civil Service regularly. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has established a process for updating its IT workforce planning documents for the Civil Service regularly.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to ensure that the IT workforce planning processes and documents in development are completed and updated regularly for the Foreign Service. (Recommendation 2) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In December 2023, State provided the IT Strategic Workforce Plan that included information on Foreign Service IT workforce issues and plans to update the strategic plan every two years. As of April 2024, the department has completed the 2023 workforce plan but has not demonstrated that it established a process for updating its IT workforce planning documents for the Foreign Service regularly. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has established a process for updating its IT workforce planning documents for the Foreign Service.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to update State's domestic competency and staffing monitoring tools and incorporate the results of these tools in updated workforce planning documents. (Recommendation 3) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In December 2023, State noted that it developed a competency model for Civil Service IT employees and provided the results of the domestic competency study. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had incorporated any findings into the following year's IT Strategic Workforce Plan and other documents. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has incorporated the domestic competency study into the following year's IT workforce planning documents.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to update State's overseas competency and staffing monitoring tools, incorporating the results of these tools in updated workforce planning documents. (Recommendation 4) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In July 2023, State noted that it developed competency models for Civil Service and Foreign Service IT employees, and administered surveys to domestic and overseas employees in April 2023 and was analyzing the data to develop a final report with findings. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had completed that report or that it had incorporated any findings into the following year's IT Strategic Workforce Plan and other documents. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has completed the overseas competency study and incorporated it into the following year's IT workforce planning documents.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to develop a plan, including performance indicators, baselines, milestones, and targets, to monitor the progress of the department's IT recruitment programs and processes. (Recommendation 5) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that a Foreign Service Applicant Tracking system, a system that would enable tracking the department's IT recruitment, would to be implemented no later than mid-2025. State further noted that it is continuing its efforts to educate hiring managers and HR staff on hiring mechanisms available for IT Civil Service positions. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had implemented that system for the Foreign Service, developed an evaluation mechanism for the Civil Service, or developed a plan to monitor the progress of the department's IT recruitment programs and processes. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has developed a plan that includes performance indicators, baselines, milestones, and targets, to monitor the progress of the department's IT recruitment programs and processes.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to ensure that relevant data related to IT recruitment activities are accurate and available to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals. (Recommendation 6) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that a Foreign Service Applicant Tracking system, a system that would enable tracking of relevant data on the department's IT recruitment, would to be implemented no later than mid-2025. State further noted that it is continuing its efforts to educate hiring managers and HR staff on hiring mechanisms available for IT Civil Service positions. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had implemented that system for the Foreign Service, developed the evaluation mechanism for the Civil Service, or developed a plan to ensure the accuracy and availability of recruitment data to monitor and evaluate State's performance in meeting its human capital goals. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has ensured that relevant data related to IT recruitment activities are accurate and available to facilitate decision-making, and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting State's IT human capital goals.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to consider expanding the number of Foreign Service IT positions that are available to external applicants year-round. (Recommendation 7) |
The Department of State (State) did not concur with the recommendation. Nonetheless, in February 2024, State noted that it had recently combined three Foreign Service IT skill codes into one skill code and, in the future, planned to have one vacancy announcement that will be offered year-round. In April 2024, we verified that State, in response to our recommendation, recently decided to consolidate three of its Foreign Service IT skill codes into one skill code and have one vacancy announcement that will be offered externally year-round going forward. By taking these actions, State has increased its ability to recruit continuously, and to better fill Foreign Service IT staff vacancies.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to consider expanding the number of Civil Service IT positions that are available to external applicants year-round. (Recommendation 8) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State that the department continues to use the full range of hiring mechanisms available for IT positions and educates hiring managers and HR staff on these mechanisms. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had documented its decision on whether to expand the number of Civil Service IT positions year-round. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has considered expanding the number of Civil Service IT positions that are available to external applicants year-round.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to create and document a strategy for using hiring flexibilities and recruitment incentives for IT recruiting. (Recommendation 9) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that it continues to use the full range of hiring options available, and had recently approved two new recruitment incentives for certain IT professionals, subject to the availability of 2023 funding. However, as of April 2024, State had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had created and documented a strategy for using hiring flexibilities and recruitment incentives for IT recruiting. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has created and documented a strategy to use their available hiring options.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to develop a plan, including performance indicators, baselines, milestones, and targets, to monitor the progress of the department's IT retention programs and processes. (Recommendation 10) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that its Talent Retention Plan would be finalized at the end of February 2024. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the Talent Retention Plan included key human capital performance objectives, goals, indicators, baselines, milestones, and targets, obtained from retention data. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it had developed a plan that includes indicators, baselines, milestones, and targets, that the department can use to monitor and evaluate its progress and determine the effectiveness of its IT retention actions, programs and processes.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to ensure that relevant data related to IT retention activities are accurate and available to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals. (Recommendation 11) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that its Talent Retention Plan would be finalized at the end of February 2024. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the Talent Retention Plan had relevant data related to IT retention activities that were accurate and available to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide relevant data related to IT retention activities this is readily available to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to obtain and track data related to employee morale issues for IT professionals in order to evaluate State's progress toward meeting its human capital goals. (Recommendation 12) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In December 2023, State completed its IT Strategic Workforce Plan which identifies trends impacting the IT workforce, key findings, and recommendations based on an analysis of the 2021 IT workforce, federal surveys, and stakeholder interviews. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had collected and tracked data related to the morale of its IT workforce. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has consistently collected data related to its IT employee retention and morale issues and evaluate State's progress toward meeting its IT human capital goals.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to create and document a strategy on implementing meaningful rewards programs and on providing incentives to motivate and reinforce expected levels of performance and desired conduct in the IT workforce. (Recommendation 13) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In December 2023, State noted it had active IT Skills Incentive Pay (SIP) and Cybersecurity SIP reward programs to incentivize the IT workforce. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had created and documented a strategy on implementing meaningful rewards programs and providing incentives, such as its skills incentive programs and special pay rates, to motivate and reinforce expected levels of performance and desired conduct to retain its IT workforce. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has created and documented a strategy on implementing meaningful rewards programs and on providing incentives to motivate and reinforce expected levels of performance and desired conduct in the IT workforce.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to create and document a strategy to develop a tailored approach to the use of available flexibilities, benefits, and incentives and tailoring benefits to current IT employees' needs for retention. (Recommendation 14) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that its Talent Retention Plan would be finalized at the end of February 2024 and that the department led the U.S. government interagency on position-based workplace flexibilities policy, such as those related to telework. However, as of April 2024, the department had it not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it had used data related to its IT retention activities to create and document a strategy for its IT workforce that discussed the use of available flexibilities, benefits, and incentives and how it would tailor them to meet the retention needs of its current IT employees'. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that it has created and documented a strategy, using IT retention data, that it can use to tailor the use of its available flexibilities, benefits, and incentives to meet its current IT employees' needs and State's mission.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to obtain and track data on aligning Foreign Service IT employee performance expectations with agency goals to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals. (Recommendation 15) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that Foreign Service evaluations had been transferred to a modernized evaluation system, allowing them to be analyzed by bureau leadership, and tracking goals related to IT human capital goals would be done at the bureau-level. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that its performance evaluation system collected and tracked data on Foreign Service IT employee performance, in relation to bureau/department goals, gathered employee feedback during the evaluation process or demonstrated how the evaluation system aligned individual IT Foreign Service employee performance expectations. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that has consistently obtained and tracked data related to aligning Foreign Service IT employee performance expectations with department goals to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals.
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| Department of State | The Secretary of State should direct the Under Secretary for Management to obtain and track data on aligning Civil Service IT employee performance expectations with agency goals to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals. (Recommendation 16) |
The Department of State (State) concurred with the recommendation. In February 2024, State noted that Civil Service evaluations had been transferred to a modernized evaluation system, allowing them to be analyzed by bureau leadership, and guidance was issued to managers on more directly aligning performance expectations with agency goals which would be done at the bureau-level. In addition, State revised its competencies to emphasize the importance of developing and building on its IT knowledge and skills. However, as of April 2024, the department had not yet provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that its performance evaluation system collected and tracked data on Civil Service IT employee performance, in relation to bureau/department goals, gathered employee feedback during the evaluation process or demonstrated how the evaluation system aligned individual IT Civil Service employee performance expectations. To fully implement this recommendation, State will need to provide evidence that has consistently obtained and tracked data related to aligning Civil Service IT employee performance expectations with department goals to facilitate decision-making and enable the department to monitor and evaluate its performance in meeting its IT human capital goals.
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