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Open Recommendations (2 total)

Federal Hiring: USA Staffing System Supports Hiring Needs, but Actions Are Needed to Strengthen Training and Program Management

GAO-24-105738
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Park Service The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Director of NPS to ensure that USA Staffing Program Managers at their agency routinely solicit and analyze training feedback from human capital professionals and use such information to improve training resources that address human capital professionals' needs. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

COVID-19: Reviewing Existing Policies Could Help Selected Agencies Better Prepare for Dedicated User Fee Revenue Fluctuations

GAO-21-104325
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Park Service The Director of the National Park Service should document and implement plans to periodically review the agency's target rate for recreation fee carryover balances at individual park units. (Recommendation 2)
Open
The Department of the Interior concurred with our recommendation and, in response, in 2021 updated its expenditure policy to include a section stating that the Recreation Fee Program Office would evaluate the agency's 35 percent carryover target to assess whether that target was necessary to achieve the program's goals or if the target could be modified to create a more effective program. NPS officials further stated that they would conduct annual assessments of which parks did not meet the carryover target and why they did not, as well as engage with its community of practice to gather information on spending patterns and needs to conduct a comprehensive analysis of whether to adjust the 35 percent carryover balance. Beginning in fiscal year 2022, NPS required parks to reduce their unobligated balances below 35 percent of a 3-year rolling average of gross revenue to be calculated annually. Under the updated policy, funds in excess of that 35 percent target carryover will be swept annually from parks into nationwide funds. In April 2023, NPS officials told us they had received and analyzed parks' carryover target data for fiscal year 2022 and that excess funds had been swept according to the agency's policy. In addition to these annual assessments, NPS plans to evaluate its unobligated balance and the carryover target every 3 years to help ensure that any carryover value does not contribute to growing balances or have a negative impact operationally. NPS plans to conduct its first 3-year review at the end of 2024 and will internally document its processes as it updates policies and reference manuals. We will continue to provide updates on these efforts as NPS completes its planned documentation and implementation of its carryover balance evaluation.
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