The oversight community is effectively operating as though Ukraine were an overseas contingency operation but without special hiring authorities. Image: alexkich/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA joint report by three agency IG offices has cited a familiar problem in government with new initiatives—difficulty in staffing up—as hampering oversight of military and other aid to Ukraine.
A report from the IGs of State, USAID and DoD notes that Congress has increased their budgets to take on new oversight responsibilities while maintaining their prior activities. That has funded additional hiring and travel to Europe, for example.
It said that while the Defense IG office is still assessing staffing requirements, at State and USAID, “the lack of flexible hiring authorities to support Ukraine oversight has presented a challenge. The oversight community is effectively operating as though Ukraine were an overseas contingency operation but without the special hiring authorities which would ordinarily accompany the designation of such an operation.”
Those would include the ability to retain temporary employees or rehired annuitants on an ongoing basis and allowing for surge hiring, it said.
It said the offices have responded by reassigning existing employees and using some alternative hiring mechanisms and other temporary hiring authorities. In addition, the IG office at USAID is turning to an often-used response to lack of in-house capacity; it “is in the process of awarding a contract to supplement its oversight activities.”
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