The act assigns OPM major leadership responsibilities including (1)  providing policy and policy guidance for telework; (2) assisting each  agency in establishing appropriate qualitative and quantitative measures  and teleworking goals; (3) identifying best practices and  recommendations for the federal government and reviewing the outcomes  associated with an increase in telework, including effects on energy  consumption, job creation and availability, urban transportation patterns,  and the ability to anticipate the dispersal of work during periods of  emergency; and (4) submitting an annual report to Congress addressing  the telework program of each executive agency that includes an  assessment of each agency’s progress in meeting outcome goals that the  agency may have established, such as the impact of telework on  recruitment and retention and energy use, among others. Selected Agencies Identified Benefits and Costs Associated with Telework, but Generally Lacked Supporting Data

Figure 2 shows telework benefits we identified associated with federal  agency telework programs, based on a literature review and the  experiences of the six selected agencies whose telework programs we  examined. The cost of personnel was the most frequently identified ongoing  cost associated with these five agency telework programs. Personnel  costs can include salaries for telework coordinators or employee training  costs. Selected Agencies Had Little Supporting Data for Benefits and Costs

The act does not require agencies to provide supporting data to OPM for  benefits or costs incurred. Selected Agencies Had Supporting Data for Some Benefits

Supporting data for benefits from all of the selected agencies are shown  in figure 5. OPM had asked  questions about costs savings in its 2011, 2012, and 2013 telework data  calls and added additional questions on the amount of cost savings and  the methodology for calculating the savings in the 2013 telework data call  in response to our recommendation. None of the selected agencies’ officials said that  they were planning to collect additional cost savings information. However, with no information being required on cost savings as a part of  OPM’s data call and agencies’ plans to reduce collection of this data in  the future, agencies will have less information to assess the value of their  telework programs than they currently do. Officials from DOT, EPA,  GSA, and USDA stated that they provided telework training for managers  and employees. First, OPM  offers training and webinars on responding to the telework data call. Third, OPM offers various services for a fee to help agencies implement  or improve an existing telework program. OPM has guidance on calculating telework benefits in various  resources but none on costs incurred. By not taking advantage of data sources that can inform on benefits nor  providing guidance on costs associated with telework, agency  assessments may be less informative about the net cost savings of  telework and, ultimately, the value of telework. OPM did not ask agencies about cost savings in its 2014-2015 telework  data call despite a substantial decrease in the number of cost savings  examples reported associated with telework programs and the number of  agencies planning on tracking telework cost savings. Congress also will not have the information it  needs to oversee federal telework programs as OPM will not be reporting  this information to Congress. To help ensure that agencies are reporting cost savings associated  with their telework programs, include cost savings questions in future  telework data calls. To help agencies determine the value of their telework programs,  working with the Chief Human Capital Officers Council, provide  clarifying guidance on options for developing supporting data for  benefits and costs associated with agency telework programs. OPM also concurred with  our second recommendation and said it would work with the CHCO  Council to support agency efforts to determine the value of their telework  programs by developing clarifying guidance for agencies with CHCO input  and by hosting a CHCO academy session focused on evaluating the  benefits and costs of telework programs. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report identifies (1) the reported benefits and costs associated with  federal agency telework programs and assesses the extent to which  selected agencies have supporting data; and (2) some of the key  resources that federal agencies can use to help calculate benefits and  costs associated with their telework programs. One-time costs incurred include one-time information  technology set-up, such as system software. We selected a nongeneralizable sample of six  agencies: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Deposit  Insurance Corporation (FDIC), General Services Administration (GSA),  Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Department of Transportation  (DOT), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). We analyzed this information to assess the extent that the  selected agencies have supporting data for the benefits and costs  associated with telework programs that the agencies identified.
Why GAO Did This Study

With over 1 million federal employees eligible for telework in 2013, federal agencies are fully engaged in incorporating telework as a standard human capital flexibility. GAO was asked to review the benefits and costs associated with agency telework programs. This report (1) identifies the reported benefits and costs associated with federal agency telework programs and assesses the extent to which selected agencies have supporting data; and (2) identifies some of the key resources that federal agencies can use to help calculate benefits and costs associated with their telework programs.
For this review, GAO selected six agencies—DOT, EPA, FDIC, GSA, MSPB, and USDA—based on criteria that included agency size and reported cost savings from telework. GAO analyzed selected agencies' documents and interviewed agency officials to assess the extent that these agencies had supporting data. GAO also compiled and reviewed potential resources for agencies.

What GAO Found

Benefits associated with telework programs include continuity of operations and reduced employee absences, based on GAO's literature review and the experiences of six selected agencies. The benefits most frequently cited by the selected agencies—the Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), General Services Administration (GSA), Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)—were improved recruitment/retention, increased productivity, and improved work/life balance. Ongoing costs of telework programs include training and managing the telework program and one-time costs include information technology set up. The ongoing cost most frequently cited by the selected agencies was personnel costs. However, GAO found that the selected agencies had little data to support the benefits or costs associated with their telework programs. All of the selected agencies could provide some supporting documentation for some of the benefits and only two could provide supporting documentation for some of the costs.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) collects data on telework via its annual data call and consults with the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council about its annual telework report to Congress. However, GAO found substantial declines in agency reporting of telework cost savings to OPM. For example, in 2012, agencies reported 66 examples of telework cost savings, but a year later they reported 29 examples. Amidst this decline, OPM decided to collect less information about cost savings—a key benefit of telework. OPM asked agencies for cost savings information in 2011, 2012, and 2013 but did not in its 2014-2015 agency data request. The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 requires an annual assessment of agencies in meeting established outcome goals. Assessments that include information on benefits, net costs savings, and costs can help decision makers in determining the overall effects of their telework programs and the progress achieved. OPM officials stated that they streamlined the annual data request to focus on the act's requirements, which do not explicitly include reporting on cost savings. However, as a result of this decision Congress will have less information to assess the value of telework.
OPM provides resources to agencies to help them with their telework programs, but may be missing other opportunities to help agencies better identify the net cost savings associated with their telework programs. The resources OPM offers include fee-for-service assistance to help implement or improve existing telework programs and training and webinars on responding to its annual data call. However, OPM guidance lacks information about how agencies can use existing data collection efforts to more readily identify benefits of their telework programs, and OPM has not provided guidance on how agencies should calculate the costs of their programs. By not taking advantage of existing data sources or having guidance on calculating costs, agencies are limited in their efforts to evaluate the net cost savings associated with their telework programs. As a result, Congress does not have the information it needs to assess the true value of telework, which could impact its ability to provide oversight of telework across the federal government.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Director of OPM should include cost savings questions in future telework data calls and provide clarifying guidance on options for developing supporting data for benefits and costs. OPM concurred with both recommendations. OPM will include cost savings questions from previous surveys in the 2016 agency telework survey. OPM will work with the CHCO Council to develop more guidance for agencies on evaluating the benefits and costs of telework programs.