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Open Recommendations

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: Adopting Leading Practices Could Strengthen DOE's Engagement with Stakeholders and Governments
GAO-24-106014
Sep 09, 2024
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of Environmental Management The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management should conduct and document an objective evaluation of the operation and effectiveness of EM's SSABs, including evaluating challenges related to the recruitment and appointment of board members, representation, and board attendance and member turnover. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Environmental Management The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management should develop and use a national framework that defines EM's strategy for engagement with stakeholders and governments across the EM complex and that incorporates elements of leading practices for engagement. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Environmental Management The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management, in coordination with EM site leadership, should develop engagement plans at the site or regional level that institutionalize expectations for how to engage stakeholders and governments with a cohesive voice and incorporate elements of leading practices for engagement. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Federal Oil and Gas Royalties: Opportunities Exist to Improve Interior's Compliance Program
GAO-24-103676
Sep 06, 2024
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14 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of Natural Resources Revenue The Director of ONRR should assess the benefits of incorporating randomly selected compliance activities into its workplans, including the resources necessary to conduct the appropriate number of random compliance activities, to validate its risk models. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Natural Resources Revenue The Director of ONRR should consider adding related violation data to already closed cases in OMT to better assure ONRR has complete data on violations in its current compliance data system. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Natural Resources Revenue The Director of ONRR should consider examining how to better link compliance royalty collections with the associated violation. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Natural Resources Revenue The Director of ONRR should assess the need to develop a consistent and complete dataset from ONRR's multiple compliance data systems to better analyze historical compliance performance and inform its compliance strategy. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Natural Resources Revenue The Director of ONRR should consider how to better assure that it will have a consistent and complete compliance dataset should OMT be replaced, including an assessment of migrating key compliance data to its future compliance data system. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Natural Resources Revenue The Director of ONRR should reiterate its existing policy for using PAD numbers—for example, through additional training—to ONRR staff about how payments resulting from compliance activities are to be recorded in accordance with existing policies (i.e., PAD number). (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: More Effective Oversight Is Needed to Help Ensure Better Project Outcomes
GAO-24-106716
Jul 31, 2024
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management develops or updates relevant guidance for conducting project reviews—including root cause analyses—for EM capital asset projects to include steps for analyzing federal management performance and oversight effectiveness. (Recommendation 1)
Open
The agency agreed with this recommendation. When we receive additional information, we will update the recommendation's status.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management works with the Director of the Office of Project Management to leverage existing mechanisms to hold applicable contractors accountable for maintaining a compliant EVMS, evaluate if additional mechanisms are needed to hold contractors accountable—such as withholding payment if an EVMS is not compliant—and, if necessary, request authority from Congress to use those mechanisms. (Recommendation 2)
Open
The agency agreed with this recommendation. When we receive additional information, we will update the recommendation's status.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management evaluates how EM capital asset project officials develop and use lessons learned to determine if new lessons learned are being adequately documented and existing lessons learned are being adequately reviewed, analyzed, and applied, or if further guidance is needed. (Recommendation 3)
Open
The agency agreed with this recommendation. When we receive additional information, we will update the recommendation's status.
Department of Energy The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management should ensure that the Director of EM's Office of Project Management develops a process to determine if EM capital asset projects that meet certain criteria—such as those that are particularly high risk or complex—need additional proactive federal oversight from the beginning of the project's lifecycle. (Recommendation 4)
Open
The agency agreed with this recommendation. When we receive additional information, we will update the recommendation's status.

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: Changes Needed to Address Current and Growing Shortages in Mission-Critical Positions
GAO-24-106479
Jul 18, 2024
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11 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Congress To support its ability to conduct oversight, Congress should consider implementing an annual reporting requirement to help ensure EM prioritizes workforce management and addresses recurring workforce problems. Such a requirement could include annual reporting on EM's efforts to implement recommendations and strategies, or additional direction on how EM and DOE should address workforce problems that numerous reports have identified. (Matter 1)
Open
As of August 2024, Congress has not passed legislation that would implement this matter.
Department of Energy The Senior Advisor for EM should revise EM's workforce planning to align with leading practices, including being forward-looking, clearly documenting human capital performance targets and measures, and developing comprehensive succession plans, while also ensuring that internal and external planning documents align. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In a letter responding to our report, the Office of Environmental Management (EM) agreed with our recommendation. EM stated it will revise its Strategic Human Capital Plan to align with leading practices, incorporating forward-looking strategies and clearly define performance targets and measures, as well as develop comprehensive succession plans. EM estimated completing this action by December 2026.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer and EM review and update their MOA to address key collaboration practices including reviewing and updating guidance, use and access of human capital data, and a regular feedback mechanism to identify and address problems continually as service needs change. (Recommendation 2)
Open
In a letter responding to our report, the Office of Environmental Management (EM) agreed with our recommendation. EM stated that it will collaborate with the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer to review and update the MOA and engage in regular feedback. EM estimated completing this action by September 2025.
Department of Energy The Senior Advisor for EM should ensure that EM provides guidance and training to hiring and resource managers on the use of all available recruitment, hiring, and retention flexibilities, benefits, and incentives. (Recommendation 3)
Open
In a letter responding to our report, the Office of Environmental Management (EM) agreed with our recommendation. EM stated that it will continue to work with the Shared Service Center to provide comprehensive guidance and training to hiring and resource managers regarding the use of all available recruitment, hiring, and retention flexibilities, benefits, and incentives. EM estimated completing this action by September 2025.
Department of Energy The Senior Advisor for EM should develop and implement a strategy for a multigenerational pipeline, which includes, where appropriate, reclassifying vacant EM positions to cover a broader range of GS levels and prioritizing the use of intern and fellowship programs that provide authority to convert such staff to permanent appointments. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In a letter responding to our report, the Office of Environmental Management (EM) agreed with our recommendation. EM stated that it will reclassify vacant positions to cover a broader range of General Schedule levels and recruit skilled personnel across different career stages, while prioritizing the use of intern and fellowship programs that provide authority to convert staff to permanent appointments. EM estimated completing this action by December 2026.
Department of Energy The Senior Advisor for EM should develop a strategy, based on forwardlooking planning, for using EK and EJ positions across the complex, which, depending on its authority, may be used to propose the authorization of additional EK or EJ positions for EM. (Recommendation 5)
Open
In a letter responding to our report, the Office of Environmental Management (EM) agreed with our recommendation. EM stated that it will develop a strategy involving a comprehensive assessment of current staffing needs, future workforce requirements, and emerging environmental challenges to effectively use EK and EJ positions across the complex. EM estimated completing this action by December 2026.
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