Navy Manpower Management: Continuing Problems Impair the Credibility of Shore Establishment Requirements

Highlights

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.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should direct that commands be required to certify that they have reapplied all applicable standards before each budget cycle.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented 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.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should introduce accepted work measurement techniques where feasible.	Closed – Implemented 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.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The Navy believes that its Subspecialty Designator Program for manpower specialists is sufficient and it intends no action.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should reconsider the NAVMEP planned use of macro-models as a method of determining manpower requirements.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy	The Secretary of the Navy should consider performing methods studies prior to the development of standards.	Closed – Implemented OPNAVINST 5310.14 requires that NAVMEC perform most efficiency organization reviews. This will incorporate methods studied before standards are developed.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The Manpower Engineering Center Manpower Assessment Team will perform methods-improvement studies.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The Manpower Engineering Center Manpower Assessment Team will perform methods-improvement studies.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The Manpower Assessment Team will be responsible for overseeing the parameter values.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The process of purifying the NMDAS database is an ongoing process which started in FY 1986.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The Manpower Assessment Team is assigned this task.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The new Total Force Manpower Management System (TFMMS) is allowing major command access to manpower databases.
Department of the Navy	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.	Closed – Implemented The new TFMMS will remove impediments.