Navy Manpower Management:

Continuing Problems Impair the Credibility of Shore Establishment Requirements

NSIAD-85-43: Published: Mar 7, 1985. Publicly Released: Mar 7, 1985.

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GAO conducted a review to assess whether improvements have been made in: (1) the Navy's shore-based manpower management system; (2) the accuracy of Navy's workload data; and (3) the oversight of manpower planning at the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and Command headquarters and of the application and use of staffing standards at the user level.

GAO found that the Navy has made progress in managing its shore-based manpower by adopting work measurement concepts and methods. However, the Shore Requirements, Standards, and Manpower Planning System (SHORSTAMPS) and the Navy Manpower Engineering Program (NAVMEP) fall short of meeting congressional expectations. This is due primarily to: (1) the Navy's lack of oversight of manpower planning; and (2) various continuing technical problems, such as budgeting, personnel, procedures, and data. GAO believes that the key reason manpower standards are not used is the absence of monitoring and enforcement at all levels. Most of the Navy's shore manpower is not covered by the SHORSTAMPS standards, there has been little emphasis on managing and retaining trained analysts, methods-improvement studies are not being performed, none of the major commands visited was ensuring that the Shore Required Occupational Capability (SHOROC) values submitted by activities were accurate, some commands were not using the system in accordance with the approved implementation instruction, and there was no incentive to use SHORSTAMPS. Furthermore, GAO found that NAVMEP, which the Navy has initiated because of dissatisfaction with SHORSTAMPS, may be endangered due to methodological weaknesses and budget instability. In NAVMEP, the Navy is likely to sacrifice accuracy and efficiency due to time constraints, the use of macro-models, and the use of engineered estimates as a substitute for standards.

Recommendations for Executive Action

  1. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that commands be required to certify that they have reprogrammed authorizations and resources, both military and civilian, to conform to requirements generated by approved Shore Manpower Document (SHMD) standards.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  2. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that commands be required to submit SHORTSTAMPS justification for any manpower increases requested in any function for which an approved SHMD standard exists.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  3. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that commands be required to certify that they have reapplied all applicable standards before each budget cycle.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  4. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that commands be required to maintain local records to support and document the initial application and periodic reapplications of the standards.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  5. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: In order to ensure compliance with the CNO-directed implementation instructions, the Secretary of the Navy should direct the CNO to reemphasize its monitoring and enforcement program.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  6. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Navy issued OPNAVNOTE 5040 on October 29, 1986. It directed the Naval Inspector General to review, among other things, the application of SHMD manpower standards.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should establish a program to systematically examine for soundness/rigor all standards, methodologies, and processes to be used by NAVMEP to determine manpower requirements.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  7. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Navy issued OPNAVNOTE 5040 on October 29, 1985. It directed the Naval Inspector General to review, among other things, the application of SHMD manpower standards.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should introduce accepted work measurement techniques where feasible.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  8. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should provide the short- and long-term funding stability necessary for completing standards development and for reviewing and updating them periodically.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  9. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Navy believes that its Subspecialty Designator Program for manpower specialists is sufficient and it intends no action.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should consider: (1) establishing a manpower management career field for military personnel, with defined standards of background, education, training, experience, and tenure for positions; and (2) formalizing and implementing a long-range tracking system to capitalize on the experience of manpower-trained officers and enlisted personnel.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  10. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should consider expediting the implementation of the Civilian Career Program in manpower management established by the Vice Chief of Naval Operations in September 1981.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  11. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should reconsider the NAVMEP planned use of macro-models as a method of determining manpower requirements.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  12. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that the terms work measurement, standards, or engineered not be used to refer to manpower requirements criteria which have not been developed through the use of accepted work measurement techniques.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  13. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: OPNAVINST 5310.14 requires that NAVMEC perform most efficiency organization reviews. This will incorporate methods studied before standards are developed.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should consider performing methods studies prior to the development of standards.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  14. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Manpower Engineering Center Manpower Assessment Team will perform methods-improvement studies.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should commit the short- and long-term funding and staff resource stability necessary for ensuring the incorporation of methods-improvement studies into the manpower-requirements determination process.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  15. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Manpower Engineering Center Manpower Assessment Team will perform methods-improvement studies.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that efforts be intensified to clarify SHOROC definitions so that they are easily understood and less open to misinterpretation.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  16. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Manpower Assessment Team will be responsible for overseeing the parameter values.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that steps be taken to ensure that submitted parameter values are accurate by: (1) monitoring and validating data submissions; (2) requiring that formal recordkeeping systems on parameter submissions be maintained at the activity level; and (3) educating activity Department heads on the importance of accurate submission of parameter values.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  17. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The process of purifying the NMDAS database is an ongoing process which started in FY 1986.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that steps be taken to remove impediments to the application and use of SHORSTAMPS by expediting action to purify the Navy Manpower Data Accounting System (NMDAS) database so that meaningful comparisons between funded authorizations and unfunded requirements can be made.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  18. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The Manpower Assessment Team is assigned this task.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that steps be taken to remove impediments to the application and use of SHORSTAMPS by continuing with the effort to ensure that billet occupation classification codes are accurately assigned.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  19. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The new Total Force Manpower Management System (TFMMS) is allowing major command access to manpower databases.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that steps be taken to remove impediments to the application and use of SHORSTAMPS by expediting the Manpower Claimant Access Support System efforts to provide major commands with automated access to manpower databases.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

  20. Status: Closed - Implemented

    Comments: The new TFMMS will remove impediments.

    Recommendation: The Secretary of the Navy should direct that steps be taken to remove impediments to the application and use of SHORSTAMPS by developing a method for translating functional requirements into program requirements.

    Agency Affected: Department of Defense: Department of the Navy

 

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