Building Human Capital Strategies

Building effective human capital strategies that will allow the department to attract, hire, and retain an effective workforce is an overarching issue that directly affects its ability to respond to the above challenges.

• DOT has a large proportion of workers nearing retirement; 46 percent of its workforce is projected to become eligible for retirement by 2012, more than most other federal agencies.

  Highlights of GAO-08-630T (PDF)

• FAA in particular faces major challenges in this area, since 42 percent of air traffic controllers, who ensure the safe and smooth movement of air traffic in the air and on the ground at airports; 31 percent of airway transportation system specialists, who install and maintain air traffic control systems; and 48 percent of aviation safety inspectors, who perform critical safety oversight of the aviation industry and air operators, are projected to be eligible to retire by 2013.

  Highlights of GAO-10-89 (PDF)

• In addition, as FAA moves closer to undertaking a number of major NextGen system acquisitions, a critical component for keeping such acquisitions on track will be having the right skill set within the agency to successfully manage NextGen programs. Transitioning to NextGen means an increasing number of acquisitions and increasing complexity within those acquisitions. FAA faces a significant challenge in hiring and retaining an adequate acquisition workforce to handle the transition, particularly in attracting managers who understand how to apply a systems approach to managing acquisitions.

  Highlights of GAO-08-1078 (PDF), Highlights of GAO-08-460T (PDF)

• These issues point to the importance of a human capital system that incorporates strategic workforce planning, including succession planning, and the use of existing flexibilities and the use of existing flexibilities such as recruitment and retention incentives, in order to effectively address workforce gaps and strengthen future organizational capacity.

  Highlights of GAO-08-762T (PDF), Highlights of GAO-07-556T (PDF)

• FAA's human capital system generally mirrors leading practices in strategic workforce planning, recruitment and hiring, performance management, and training. FAA follows fewer leading practices in diversity management. The agency's ranking near the bottom in surveys of the best places to work in the federal government could pose a challenge in attracting employees with the skills needed to accomplish future missions. FAA has established an action plan to address this challenge, but has not established accountability for the plan's success.

  Highlights of GAO-10-89 (PDF)

^ Back to topWhat Needs to Be Done

• While FAA has taken steps to analyze the skills needed for NextGen in comparison with its current staff resources, in response to our recommendation, it may take considerable time to select, hire, and integrate what the agency estimates could be up to 200 more staff with the needed skills.

  Highlights of GAO-08-1078 (PDF)

• FAA needs to incorporate leading diversity management practices in future updates of its diversity management plans and take steps to hold the agency and its managers accountable for achieving the plan's goals and outcomes.

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