The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reduced staff in recent years because expected growth in the nuclear industry did not occur, but hasn’t used workforce management best practices, GAO has said.
After rising to the 4,000-employee range in 2010-2013, NRC staffing has dropped by about 600, nearly to the level before the buildup, GAO said.
However, it said that the agency: has not established agencywide goals for its workforce size or composition beyond a two-year budget cycle; does not have comprehensive employee skills information because it does not have a systematic approach or system to track that information; and has not consistently trained managers or supervisors on strategic human capital management or assessing employees’ skillsets.
“Without incorporating these practices, NRC cannot determine the most appropriate size and composition of the agency’s workforce, and it risks being unable to respond to changes in the nuclear industry . . . if not carefully managed, imprecise reductions could lead NRC to miss efficiencies in matching its workforce with expected demand for service,” it said. “
The report said the NRC generally agreed with its recommendations.
