OPM needs to do more to “ensure it is sharing quality information with those responsible for making decisions regarding USA Staffing.” Image: Andrii Yalanskyi/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffGAO has recommended improvements to the OPM-operated USA Staffing service as well as steps that agencies using that service can take to get better value from it.
USA Staffing, one of several talent acquisition systems available to federal agencies, provides services for recruitment, assessment, and evaluation of potential job candidates under interagency agreements. A report said that such agreements apply to some 140 subagencies and components of two dozen major departments and agencies.
In a closer look at some users of USA Staffing—Treasury, Interior, NASA, IRS, and NPS—GAO said they “reported general satisfaction with its functionalities” although they experienced frustrations with some aspects, including system downtime. Also, it said that the latter two agencies “do not routinely solicit feedback on the USA Staffing training they provide to staff” on how to use the system, which could help them identify problems and improve the training.
It said that while OPM similarly collects feedback from client agencies on matters such as its support to them, it needs to do more to “ensure it is sharing quality information with those responsible for making decisions regarding USA Staffing.”
Further, while OPM generally implemented cybersecurity risk assessments for USA “it did not fully identify control weaknesses. Specifically, some agreements with agencies connecting systems to USA Staffing had expired. As a result, OPM was unaware of the security state of those systems connected with USA Staffing.”
GAO said that that after alerting OPM to the latter issue, OPM took steps to put in place new monitoring processes to help ensure the timely renewal of agreements. It said that OPM and individual agencies also agreed with its recommendations.
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