2):  1. Specifically, none of the plans included analyses of gaps between the  critical skills and competencies currently needed by the workforce and  those that will be needed in the future. Furthermore, none of the plans contained results-oriented  performance measures. As a result, DOD and the components do not have  comprehensive strategic workforce plans to guide their human capital  efforts. Need for Information on Current and Future Workforce Competencies Is the Major Challenge to Effective Strategic Workforce Planning

The major challenge that DOD and most of the components face in their  efforts to develop and implement strategic workforce plans is their need  for information on current workforce competencies and the competencies  they anticipate needing in the future. This problem results from DOD’s and  the components’ not having developed tools to collect and/or store, and  manage data on workforce competencies that are critical to successful  work accomplishment. As a result, it is not clear whether they are  designing and funding workforce strategies that will effectively shape the  civilian workforce with the appropriate competencies needed to  accomplish future DOD missions. Senior department and  component officials all acknowledged this shortfall, and told us that they  are taking steps to address this challenge. Though these are steps in the  right direction, the lack of information on current competencies and future  needs is a continuing problem that several organizations, including GAO,  have previously identified. Although DOD and the components have taken steps to develop and  implement civilian strategic workforce plans to address future civilian  workforce needs, they generally lack some key elements essential to  successful workforce planning. Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve the comprehensiveness of strategic workforce planning for the  DOD civilian workforce, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense  direct the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the military service  headquarters, and the Defense Logistics Agency to build upon their  strategic workforce planning efforts through the following three actions:    Analyze and document the gaps between current critical skills and  competencies and those needed for the future workforce. Human Capital: Major Human Capital Challenges at the Departments of  Defense and State.
Why GAO Did This Study

During its downsizing in the early 1990s, the Department of Defense (DOD) did not focus on strategically reshaping its civilian workforce. GAO was asked to address DOD's efforts to strategically plan for its future civilian workforce at the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the military services' headquarters, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Specifically, GAO determined: (1) the extent to which civilian strategic workforce plans have been developed and implemented to address future civilian workforce requirements, and (2) the major challenges affecting the development and implementation of these plans.

What GAO Found

OSD, the service headquarters, and DLA have recently taken steps to develop and implement civilian strategic workforce plans to address future civilian workforce needs, but these plans generally lack some key elements essential to successful workforce planning. As a result, OSD, the military services' headquarters, and DLA--herein referred to as DOD and the components--do not have comprehensive strategic workforce plans to guide their human capital efforts. None of the plans included analyses of the gaps between critical skills and competencies (a set of behaviors that are critical to work accomplishment) currently needed by the workforce and those that will be needed in the future. Without including gap analyses, DOD and the components may not be able to effectively design strategies to hire, develop, and retain the best possible workforce. Furthermore, none of the plans contained results-oriented performance measures that could provide the data necessary to assess the outcomes of civilian human capital initiatives. The major challenge that DOD and most of the components face in their efforts to develop and implement strategic workforce plans is their need for information on current competencies and those that will likely be needed in the future. This problem results from DOD's and the components' not having developed tools to collect and/or store, and manage data on workforce competencies. Without this information, it not clear whether they are designing and funding workforce strategies that will effectively shape their civilian workforces with the appropriate competencies needed to accomplish future DOD missions. Senior department and component officials all acknowledged this shortfall and told us that they are taking steps to address this challenge. Though these are steps in the right direction, the lack of information on current competencies and future needs is a continuing problem that several organizations, including GAO, have previously identified.