Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training should clarify DOL's expectations of the role of state workforce agencies in addressing the employment and training needs of those affected by SUD and how non-targeted WIOA funding can be used to assist job seekers and employers. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: DOL agreed with this recommendation. ETA anticipates providing information and technical assistance to help workforce system grantees understand how they can address the impacts of SUD on the workforce. The agency also plans to issue guidance by the end of 2020 to share promising practices and describe how WIOA funds can be used to support job seekers in recovery and employers.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training should share information from targeted grantees with all state workforce agencies, tribal governments, and outlying areas regarding lessons learned and promising practices in addressing the needs of job seekers affected by SUD and potential employers. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: DOL agreed with this recommendation, noting that ETA has created resources that are available to all states based on its experience administering some of the targeted grants. ETA officials cited the recently published literature review and companion resource guide, and said they also plan to share the evaluation of the Phase 1 grants widely when it is available, including any resources or tools developed by states that were awarded Phase 1 grants. In addition, ETA plans to host at least one webinar to share additional promising practices from the targeted grants that could be useful to local workforce boards around the country.

Recommendation: The Director of the Bureau of Indian Education should develop a systematic process for identifying JOM contractors and maintaining an accurate and complete list of contractors and other relevant information about contractors, such as the amount of JOM funds they receive and their current points of contact. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Indian Education
Status: Open

Comments: Interior concurred with this recommendation. They expect their newly expanded JOM program workforce to develop, publish and implement a comprehensive JOM policy and procedure that includes a systemic process for identifying JOM contractors and maintaining a complete and accurate list of contractors. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Recommendation: The Director of the Bureau of Indian Education, in coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs as needed, should establish a process to track and monitor the timeliness of JOM disbursements to non-tribal contractors, including identifying a target date for disbursing funds to these contractors. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Indian Education
Status: Open

Comments: Interior concurred with this recommendation. The BIE, BIA and other partners will work collaboratively to publish and implement a policy and procedure that accurately tracks and monitors timely disbursement of JOM funds to these contractors. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Recommendation: The Director of the Bureau of Indian Education should develop a timeline to assess the usefulness of the information they are collecting from JOM contractors and update JOM information collection forms, including converting them to an electronic format to reduce the burden on contractors to complete them. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Indian Education
Status: Open

Comments: Interior concurred with this recommendation. They expect that their newly expanded JOM program workforce will expedite the BIE's review and information collection efforts. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Recommendation: The Director of the Bureau of Indian Education should develop and provide training to contractors on administering the JOM program. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Indian Education
Status: Open

Comments: Interior concurred with this recommendation. SIE and JOM staff will be tasked with developing a technical assistance framework for contractors and a training plan as part of the wider JOM program policy and task procedures. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Recommendation: The Director of the Bureau of Indian Education should clearly define the roles and responsibilities and identify the staff necessary for conducting critical JOM functions, including administering contracts, reviewing the appropriateness of contract types, and overseeing those contractors that are subject to BIE oversight. (Recommendation 5)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Indian Education
Status: Open

Comments: Interior concurred with this recommendation. The BIE, BIA and other partners plan to work collaboratively to develop an inter-bureau policy that clearly identifies each agency's roles and responsibilities. They are also developing a data-informed workforce analysis for the JOM program. They will continue to develop and implement a data-informed workforce strategy to identify human capital needs and clearly identifies and assigns critical JOM-related functions among BIE divisions, offices and staff. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Recommendation: The Secretary of State, working with the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, should collaborate with the Departments of Defense and Agriculture and other Departments as necessary, to develop a comprehensive approach to the monitoring and evaluation of projects that directly support the objectives of prosperity, governance, and security, and incorporate this approach into the Strategy monitoring and evaluation plan.

Agency: Department of State
Status: Open

Comments: State did not concur with the recommendation, indicating that it continues to collaborate with agencies regarding U.S. government activities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. However, in May 2020, State noted that, to the extent possible, it would seek to include agencies, such as the Departments of Defense and Agriculture, into the Progress Report for the U.S. Strategy for Central America's Plan for Monitoring and Evaluation. When we confirm what actions State has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Recommendation: Congress should consider legislation establishing permanent statutory authority for a disaster assistance program administered by HUD or another agency that responds to unmet needs in a timely manner and directing the applicable agency to issue implementing regulations.

Agency: Congress
Status: Open

Comments: A bill introduced and passed by the House of Representative in the 116th Congress, HR 3702, would permanently authorize the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should develop additional guidance for HUD staff to use when assessing the adequacy of the capacity and unmet needs assessments that grantees develop. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: In November 2019, HUD said that CPD will provide training to HUD staff regarding the standards for assessing unmet needs and grantee capacity. HUD needs to provide written guidance or other documentation outlining the standards HUD staff must consider when assessing the adequacy of grantees' capacity and unmet needs assessments.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should require staff to document the basis for their conclusions during reviews of grantees' financial controls, procurement processes, and grant management procedures and capacity and unmet needs assessments. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: In November 2019, HUD stated that HUD staff are now required to indicate the basis for their conclusions in the checklist used to review financial controls and all correspondence between grantees and HUD staff regarding revisions to the financial processes will be provided as part of the certification or grant approval package. We are following up with CPD on the extent to which similar requirements have been developed for reviews of procurement processes, grant management procedures, and capacity and unmet needs assessments. In addition, CPD needs to provide documentation showing that all correspondence between grantees and HUD staff regarding revisions to financial controls, procurement processes, and grant management procedures and capacity and unmet needs assessments are to be part of the grant's approval package.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should develop and implement a comprehensive monitoring plan for the 2017 grants. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: In November 2019, HUD stated CPD had modified the CDBG-DR risk analysis tool to include pre-award conditions that must be factored into the provision of the grant agreement as well as future monitoring reviews. HUD stills needs to develop a comprehensive monitoring plan for the 2017 grants based on the risk assessments conducted using this revised tool.

Recommendation: The FTA Administrator should determine, in collaboration with transit stakeholders, whether additional transit workforce data are needed to identify potential future occupational shortages in the transit industry and whether the benefits of this collection would outweigh the cost of gathering it. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Transportation: Federal Transit Administration
Status: Open

Comments: On February 11, 2020 FTA stated that they anticipate issuing a notice of funding opportunity to establish a technical assistance center devoted to addressing the workforce development needs of the transit industry. They anticipate implementing this recommendation by January 31, 2021.

Recommendation: The FTA Administrator should develop and document a strategy that outlines how FTA will help address future transit workforce needs. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Transportation: Federal Transit Administration
Status: Open

Comments: On February 11, 2020 FTA stated that they anticipate issuing a notice of funding opportunity to establish a technical assistance center devoted to addressing the workforce development needs of the transit industry. They anticipate implementing this recommendation by January 31, 2021.

Recommendation: The FTA Administrator should develop and document clearly defined performance goals and measures for its transit workforce development efforts. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Transportation: Federal Transit Administration
Status: Open

Comments: DOT concurred with this recommendation and stated that FTA will enter into a cooperative agreement with a non-profit partner to develop and implement performance measures for FTA's workforce development efforts. FTA will coordinate with the Department of Labor on these measures. FTA plans to complete these actions by October 1, 2021.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Labor should collaborate with the Secretary of Transportation to continue to convene key groups of stakeholders to gather information on potential workforce changes that may result from automated trucking as the technology evolves, including analyzing needed skills and identifying any information or data gaps, to allow the agencies to fully consider how to respond to any changes. These stakeholders could include, for example, representatives of other relevant federal agencies, technology developers, the trucking industry, organizations that represent truck drivers, truck driver training schools, state workforce agencies, and local workforce development boards. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: DOL agreed with this recommendation. The agency noted several efforts that it said will help the agency assess and provide information on the potential workforce effects of evolving technologies, such as automated trucking. For example, DOL noted that the agency's employment projections incorporate expert interviews and other information to identify shifts in industry employment. DOL is also currently consulting with DOT to study these workforce effects, and agreed to consider what other information and stakeholder meetings remain necessary after that study-due in March 2019-is completed. Likewise, DOL agreed to share related information as the technology evolves, and the agency noted it currently publishes employment projections and other occupational information. While useful, these efforts alone will not allow DOL to sufficiently anticipate the future workforce effects of automated trucking. For instance, the broad employment projections do not provide estimates specifically for the long-haul truck drivers who could be affected by automated trucking first. Further, DOL's occupational information is based on surveys of current workers, so it does not include the skills future drivers will need as automated trucking evolves. Therefore, we continue to believe that convening stakeholders and sharing information about potential workforce effects in the future will position DOL to better understand and inform key stakeholders of these changes.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Transportation should collaborate with the Secretary of Labor to continue to convene key groups of stakeholders to gather information on potential workforce changes that may result from automated trucking as the technology evolves, including analyzing needed skills and identifying any information or data gaps, to allow the agencies to fully consider how to respond to any changes. These stakeholders could include, for example, representatives of other relevant federal agencies, technology developers, the trucking industry, organizations that represent truck drivers, truck driver training schools, state workforce agencies, and local workforce development boards. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Transportation
Status: Open

Comments: DOT agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's progress to address it.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Transportation should consult with the Secretary of Labor to further analyze the potential effects of automated trucking technology on drivers to inform potential workforce-related regulatory changes, such as the requirements to obtain a commercial driver's license or hours of service requirements (e.g., the maximum hours commercial truck drivers are permitted to work). This could include leveraging the analysis described by the Explanatory Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 once it is complete, as well as information the department obtains from stakeholders as the technology evolves. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Transportation
Status: Open

Comments: DOT agreed with this recommendation. The agency noted two of its current efforts related to automated trucking technology, namely its October 2018 automated vehicles voluntary guidance, Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles 3.0, and its Congressionally-directed research on the impact of automated vehicle technologies on the workforce.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Labor should consult with the Secretary of Transportation to share information with key stakeholders on the potential effects of automated trucking on the workforce as the technology evolves. These stakeholders could include, for example, representatives of other relevant federal agencies, technology developers, the trucking industry, organizations that represent truck drivers, truck driver training schools, state workforce agencies, and local workforce development boards. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: DOL agreed with this recommendation. The agency noted several efforts that it said will help the agency assess and provide information on the potential workforce effects of evolving technologies, such as automated trucking. For example, DOL noted that the agency's employment projections incorporate expert interviews and other information to identify shifts in industry employment. DOL is also currently consulting with DOT to study these workforce effects, and agreed to consider what other information and stakeholder meetings remain necessary after that study-due in March 2019-is completed. Likewise, DOL agreed to share related information as the technology evolves, and the agency noted it currently publishes employment projections and other occupational information. While useful, these efforts alone will not allow DOL to sufficiently anticipate the future workforce effects of automated trucking. For instance, the broad employment projections do not provide estimates specifically for the long-haul truck drivers who could be affected by automated trucking first. Further, DOL's occupational information is based on surveys of current workers, so it does not include the skills future drivers will need as automated trucking evolves. Therefore, we continue to believe that convening stakeholders and sharing information about potential workforce effects in the future will position DOL to better understand and inform key stakeholders of these changes.

Recommendation: The Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) should identify and disseminate strategies to states and service providers for increasing the participation of SNAP recipients referred to the SNAP E&T program. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Agriculture: Office of the Secretary: Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services: Food and Nutrition Service
Status: Open

Comments: FNS officials agreed with this recommendation and indicated they are taking steps towards closing it. Specifically, FNS officials said they plan to take the following actions to disseminate strategies on increasing participation among SNAP recipients referred to the SNAP E&T program: 1) update the SNAP E&T Best Practices Study to include strategies on increasing participation by December 2021; 2) publish results from Pilot Projects to Reduce Dependency and Increase Work Requirements and Work Effort Under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that include information regarding which outreach, referral, and enrollment processes are most effective by 2021; and 3) provide technical assistance through SNAP to Skills with new attention on increasing SNAP E&T participation and engagement among eligible SNAP participants. We will continue to monitor FNS's efforts to disseminate strategies through these mechanisms with a particular focus on ensuring these strategies reach both state officials and service providers.

Recommendation: The Administrator of FNS should take additional steps to address data reliability issues in the state-reported data on SNAP E&T participant characteristics and outcomes, including steps to address imprecise instructions on data collection forms and staff confusion at the state level. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Agriculture: Office of the Secretary: Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services: Food and Nutrition Service
Status: Open

Comments: FNS generally agreed with this recommendation. They noted that they have been providing continued technical assistance to states to improve data quality and in October 2018 made updates to the SNAP E&T data report. FNS plans or has additional changes pending to the SNAP E&T data report and SNAP Quality Control guidance that it plans to use to collect improved SNAP E&T data in fiscal year 2021. In addition, FNS plans to leverage results from data and technical assistance grants upon their completion in September 2020 to disseminate best practices to help states improve outcome reporting data. We are encouraged by FNS's efforts in these areas and will evaluate the results of these actions as we continue to monitor the agency's progress in addressing this recommendation.

Recommendation: The Administrator of FNS should determine and communicate to states how the agency will use newly reported outcome and participant characteristics data to assess the effectiveness of state SNAP E&T programs. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Agriculture: Office of the Secretary: Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services: Food and Nutrition Service
Status: Open

Comments: FNS officials agreed with this recommendation. FNS officials noted that with the submission of January 2019 outcome reporting measures, the agency has a complete year of data which FNS will use to establish a baseline for each State's SNAP E&T program. However, FNS has not yet articulated how the data will be used to assess effectiveness of the programs, or provided examples of how FNS has used the data to provide feedback on the effectiveness of SNAP E&T programs. We will continue to monitor FNS's efforts to communicate to the states how the outcome data can be used to assess program effectiveness.

Recommendation: The Commissioner of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration should work with state VR agencies to determine whether and what additional information and assistance VR agencies may find helpful regarding on-demand training, such as online videos, to employers on disability issues. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: Education disagreed with this recommendation, noting that state VR agencies have the primary responsibility for determining how best to meet employers' needs, promote mainstream employment, and collaborate with other workforce programs in their states. Education recognized the importance of providing information and technical assistance to state VR agencies to help them serve employers, while stressing that it is a state matter how to best meet the training needs of employers. The agency did not provide an update in FY19.

Recommendation: The Commissioner of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration should work with state VR agencies to determine how to most effectively disseminate information about the circumstances in which individuals who are employed may be eligible for career advancement services. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: Education disagreed with this recommendation, noting that state VR agencies have the primary responsibility for determining how best to meet employers' needs, promote mainstream employment, and collaborate with other workforce programs in their states. The agency recognized the importance of expanding career advancement opportunities for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act as amended by WIOA. At the same time, Education said it is up to states to determine how to most effectively disseminate information about their services. Education noted it will continue to work with state VR agencies to determine what additional information may be necessary about the circumstances in which individuals who are employed may be eligible for career advancement services. The agency did not provide an update in FY19.

Recommendation: The Commissioner of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration should work with state VR agencies to develop more complete information on when and how VR agencies should assess employment settings, including settings supported by the AbilityOne program, to determine if they meet the definition of competitive integrated employment. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: Education disagreed with this recommendation. The agency stated that it is a state matter to determine whether an employment location qualifies as an "integrated setting" for the purpose of the VR program, and that it is not Education's role to inform states as to when and how to make such determinations. Nevertheless, Education said it will continue to work with the states to determine if additional information would help them assess employment locations. The agency did not provide an update in FY19.

Recommendation: The Commissioner of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration should encourage local areas to clarify and document the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies in working with employers and provide sample language of how local areas may document roles and responsibilities in their MOUs. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: Education neither agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation. Education said it believes that state workforce development agencies are in the best position to lead employer engagement efforts, but will continue to collaborate with other federal partners to provide technical assistance to states in this area, including examples of state- and local-level collaboration on employer engagement. The agency did not provide an update in FY19.

Recommendation: The Commissioner of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration should, in setting the employer performance measurement approaches with DOL after the pilot is concluded, take into account VR agencies' concerns and key attributes of successful performance measures, including clarity in what is meant by employer services, coverage of the VR agencies' core program activities, and consideration of factors outside of VR agencies' control. (Recommendation 5)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: Education neither agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation. Education said it will work with DOL to ensure that state VR agencies' concerns are considered when the performance measure for effectiveness in serving employers is finalized. The agency did not provide an update in FY19.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary of DOL's Employment and Training Administration should encourage local areas to clarify and document the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies in working with employers and provide sample language of how local areas may document roles and responsibilities in their MOUs. (Recommendation 6)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: DOL agreed with this recommendation, noting that local workforce boards and one-stop partners are in the best position to lead employer engagement, but that it will collaborate with federal partners in providing related technical assistance. In June 2019, DOL shared with GAO a local workforce area memorandum of understanding (MOU) that documents the workforce system partners' roles and responsibilities for engaging with employers. DOL has posted this MOU on its technical assistance web site, so it is available to other local workforce areas. However, in order to close the recommendation as implemented, GAO will need DOL to demonstrate that the agency has actively encouraged local workforce areas to document the roles and responsibilities of workforce partners--including the vocational rehabilitation program--for working with employers, through a Training and Employment Guidance Letter or other such guidance.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary of DOL's Employment and Training Administration should, in setting the employer performance measurement approaches with Education after the pilot is concluded, take into account VR agencies' concerns and key attributes of successful performance measures, including clarity in what is meant by employer services, coverage of the VR agencies' core program activities, and consideration of factors outside of VR agencies' control. (Recommendation 7)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: DOL agreed with this recommendation and said it will coordinate with Education to ensure state VR agencies' concerns are considered in defining the performance measure. In June 2019, DOL told us the two agencies expected to complete their evaluation of the pilot performance measures for effectiveness in serving employers by June 30, 2020, and then make a final decision about which measures to put in place. DOL also said the two federal agencies are working to consider VR agencies' concerns during this pilot, and have developed a crosswalk to identify appropriate VR services that count towards this measure. For GAO to close this recommendation as implemented, DOL will have to demonstrate that the finalized performance measures have taken into account VR agencies' concerns, including clarity in what is meant by employer services, coverage of the VR agencies' core program activities, and consideration of factors outside of VR agencies' control.

Recommendation: The Secretary of HHS should coordinate with federal agencies, including VA, that fund GME training to identify information needed to evaluate the performance of federal programs that fund GME training, including the extent to which these programs are efficient and cost-effective and are meeting the nation's health care workforce needs. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Status: Open

Comments: In January 2020, HHS indicated that the agency had not yet taken steps to identify information needed to evaluate the performance of federal programs that fund GME training, including the extent to which these programs are efficient and cost-effective and are meeting the nation's health care workforce needs. HHS reiterated its comments on GAO's report, noting that the President's fiscal year 2020 budget for HHS proposed consolidating federal spending from Medicare, Medicaid, the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, and the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Payment Program into a single grant program for teaching hospitals. The President's fiscal year 2021 budget for HHS also included this proposal. It noted that such a restructuring would allow the Department to set expectations for program performance in Medicare and Medicaid GME programs and allow the kind of tracking HRSA has been able to implement in the Children's Hospital GME program and its Teaching Hospital GME program. It noted that Congress had not responded to this request. As GAO noted in its 2018 report, this recommendation stands on its own and is separate from any legislative efforts to modify how federal GME funds are distributed. Whether or not legislation is enacted to implement a consolidated federal GME grant program, HHS should take action to identify information needed to evaluate the performance of federal programs that fund GME training. Such action is important for HHS to assure that federal programs fully meet workforce needs. However, HHS did not otherwise indicate whether it had coordinated with federal agencies that fund GME training. As of January 2020, this proposal had not been adopted.

Recommendation: The Secretary of HHS should coordinate with federal agencies to identify opportunities to improve the quality and consistency of the information collected within and across federal programs, and implement these improvements. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Status: Open

Comments: In January 2020, HHS indicated that the agency had not yet taken steps to identify opportunities to improve the quality and consistency of the information collected within and across federal programs, and implement these improvements. HHS reiterated its comments on GAO's report, noting that the President's fiscal year 2020 budget for HHS proposed consolidating federal spending from Medicare, Medicaid, the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, and the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Payment Program into a single grant program for teaching hospitals. The President's fiscal year 2021 budget for HHS also included this proposal. It noted that such a restructuring would allow the Department to set expectations for program performance in Medicare and Medicaid GME programs and allow the kind of tracking HRSA has been able to implement in the Children's Hospital GME program and its Teaching Hospital GME program. It noted that Congress had not responded to this request. As GAO noted in its 2018 report, this recommendation stands on its own and is separate from any legislative efforts to modify how federal GME funds are distributed. Whether or not legislation is enacted to implement a consolidated federal GME grant program, HHS should take action to identify information needed to evaluate the performance of federal programs that fund GME training. Such action is important for HHS to assure that federal programs fully meet workforce needs. However, HHS did not otherwise indicate whether it had coordinated with federal agencies that fund GME training. As of February 2020, this proposal had not been adopted.

Recommendation: To ensure that FDA can effectively coordinate and integrate its medical product centers' programs and emerging issues, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Commissioner of FDA to engage in a strategic planning process to identify challenges that cut across the medical product centers and document how it will achieve measurable goals and objectives in these areas.

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Status: Open

Comments: FDA concurred with the recommendation and in September 2016 and January 2018 described steps it had taken toward strategic planning for its medical product centers. However, in June 2020, FDA informed GAO that there had been several senior leadership changes and its agency-wide strategic planning process was paused to focus on the covid-19 pandemic response. Officials also noted that FDA continues to address existing strategic priorities. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information.