Strategic Plan for Serving Congress

In December 2013, Members and their staff were invited to comment on  our draft Strategic Plan for Serving Congress in FYs 2014-2019. The draft  plan was issued in February 2014 and outlines our proposed goals and  strategies for supporting Congress’s top priorities. I have met with the chairs and  ranking members of many of the standing committees and their  subcommittees to hear firsthand feedback on our performance, as well as  highlight the need to prioritize requests for our services to maximize the  return on investment. GAO Recognized as One of the “Best Places to Work”

We take great pride in reporting that we continue to be recognized as an  employer of choice, and have been consistently ranked near the top on  “best places to work” lists. Fiscal Year 2015 Requirements

GAO’s FY 2015 budget request will preserve staff capacity and continue  critical infrastructure investments. Offsetting receipts and reimbursements  primarily from program and financial audits and rental income totaling  $30.9 million are expected in FY 2015. In order to address the priorities of Congress, GAO needs a talented,  diverse, high-performing, knowledgeable workforce. However, a  significant proportion of our employees are currently retirement eligible,  including 34 percent of our executive leadership and 21 percent of our  supervisory analysts. Therefore, workforce and succession planning  remain a priority for GAO. In FY 2014, through a  targeted recruiting GAO plans to hire entry-level staff and student interns,  boosting our staff capacity for the first time in 3 years to 2,945 FTE. This  will allow GAO to reverse the downward trend in our FTEs and achieve  some progress in reaching our optimal staffing level of 3,250 FTE, and  develop a talent pool for the future. Improvements to  our aging IT infrastructure will allow GAO to further streamline business  operations, reduce redundant efforts, increase staff efficiency and  productivity, improve access to information, and enhance our technology  infrastructure to support an array of engagement management, human  capital, and financial management systems. GAO also plans to continue upgrading aging building systems to ensure  more efficient operations and security. To support these requirements our  FY 2015 budget request includes resources to: begin upgrading the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system  to increase energy efficiency and reliability;  repair items identified in our long-range asset management plan, such  as the water heater, chiller plant, and cooling fans; enhance continuity planning and emergency preparedness address bomb blast impact mitigation efforts.
What GAO Found

GAO's fiscal year (FY) 2015 budget request of $525.1 million seeks an increase of 3.9 percent to maintain staff capacity as well as continue necessary maintenance and improvements to our information technology (IT) and building infrastructure. Additionally, receipts and reimbursements, primarily from program and financial audits, and rental income, totaling $30.9 million are expected in FY 2015.
GAO recently issued our draft Strategic Plan for Serving Congress in FYs 2014-2019. The plan outlines our proposed goals and strategies for supporting Congress's top priority. I also have met with the Chairs and Ranking Members of many of the standing committees and their subcommittees to hear firsthand feedback on our performance, as well as prioritize requests for our services to maximize the return on investment.
In order to address Congressional priorities, and fulfill GAO's mission, a talented, diverse, high-performing, knowledgeable workforce is essential. Workforce and succession planning remain a priority for GAO. A significant proportion of our employees are currently retirement eligible, including 34 percent of our executive leadership and 21 percent of our supervisory analysts.
In 2014, through a targeted recruiting strategy to address critical skills gaps, GAO plans to boost our employment level for the first time in 3 years to 2,945 Full Time Equivalents (FTE). The requested FY 2015 funding level will preserve strides planned for FY 2014 to increase our staff capacity. In conjunction with the ongoing recruiting efforts and planning, we will revive our intern program and hire and train an increased number of entry level employees. This will reverse the downward staffing trajectory, develop a talented cadre of analyst and leaders for the future, achieve progress in reaching an optimal FTE level of 3,250 FTE, and assist GAO in meeting the high priority needs of Congress.
We also take great pride in reporting that we continue to be recognized as an employer of choice, and have been consistently ranked near the top on "best places to work" lists.
Improvements to our aging IT infrastructure will allow GAO to further streamline business operations, increase staff efficiency and productivity, as well as improve access to information. Planned investments in IT will address deferred upgrades and enhance our technology infrastructure to support an array of engagement management, human capital, and financial management systems.
We also plan to continue upgrading aging building systems to ensure more efficient operations and security. Areas of focus include, increasing the energy efficiency and reliability of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system; enhancing continuity planning and emergency preparedness capabilities; and addressing bomb blast impact mitigation efforts.