The National Nuclear Security Administration — an agency
within the Department of Energy responsible for security
and management of national nuclear weapon, nonproliferation,
and naval reactor programs – needs to formalize a program
management structure in its ongoing efforts to downsize,
the Government Accountability Office has said.
It said the NNSA, which oversees contractors that operate
its facilities to ensure that activities are effective and
in line with departmental policy, began to reorganize in
2002 to solve long-standing difficulties.
So far, it has made progress in clarifying lines of authority
and it has improved communication, yet without a formalized
program management structure that identifies program managers
and details their responsibilities and qualifications as
they relate to the direction and oversight of contractor
activity under the new organization, it cannot ensure the
improved discipline and accountability it seeks in managing
its programs, said GAO.
It said, “NNSA’s reorganization is not likely to ensure that
the agency has sufficient staff with the right skills in the
right places because NNSA downsized its federal workforce
without first determining the critical skills and capabilities
needed to meet its mission and program goals.”
As a result, it will only know the composition of its workforce
after completing its 17 percent workforce reduction, scheduled
for September 30, 2004, according to GAO.
It said that barring a functional long-term workforce plan,
NNSA risks more serious staff shortages or skill imbalances,
resulting in weaker contractor oversight. Also, its risk-based
approach to rely more on contractor self-assessments could
be premature. GAO-04-545
