	Congress Has Established a Statutory Framework to Promote Agency Telework Programs and Increase Employee Participation

Through a number of legislative actions, Congress has indicated its desire  that agencies create telework programs to accomplish a number of  positive outcomes. 106-346 in October 2000, which  provides the current mandate for telework in the executive branch of the  federal government by requiring each executive agency to establish a  policy under which eligible employees may participate in telework.In this  law, Congress required each executive branch agency to establish a  telework policy under which eligible employees of the agency may  participate in telework to the maximum extent possible without  diminishing employee performance. The legislative framework has provided both the General Services  Administration (GSA) and OPM with lead roles for the governmentwide  telework initiative—to provide services and resources to support and  encourage telework, including providing guidance to agencies in  developing their program procedures. Although agency telework policies meet common requirements and often  share some common characteristics, each agency is responsible for  developing its own policy to fit its mission and culture. Better Performance Measures and Program Evaluations Could Improve the Assessment of Telework in the Federal Government

In our 2003 study of telework in the federal government, we identified 25  key practices that federal agencies should implement in developing their  telework programs. A business case analysis of telework can ensure that an agency’s telework  program is closely aligned with its own strategic objectives and goals. We have recently noted instances where agency officials cited their  telework programs as yielding some of the benefits listed above. The fifth agency reported the number of  participants based on a survey of supervisors who were expected to track  teleworkers. As for the fourth key practice closely related to managing for program  results—identifying problems or issues with the telework program and  making appropriate adjustments—none of the four agencies we reviewed  for our 2003 study had fully implemented this practice and one of the four  had taken no steps to do so despite the importance of using data to  evaluate and improve their telework programs. To help agencies better manage for results through telework programs, in  our 2005 study we had said that Congress should determine ways to  promote more consistent definitions and measures related to telework. In  particular, we suggested that Congress might want to have OPM, working  through the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council, develop a set  of terms, definitions, and measures that would allow for a more  meaningful assessment of progress in agency telework programs. Program  management and oversight could be improved by more consistent  definitions, such as eligibility. Some information may take additional effort  to collect, as for example, on actual usage of telework. Other valuable  information may already be available through existing sources. The  Federal Human Capital Survey, for example—which is administered  biennially—asks federal employees about their satisfaction with telework,  among other things. In any case, OPM and the agency CHCO Council are well situated to sort  through these issues and consider what information would be most useful. The CHCO Council and OPM could also work together on strategies for  agencies to use the information for program improvements, including  benchmarking.
Why GAO Did This Study

Telework continues to receive attention within Congress and federal agencies as a human capital strategy that offers various flexibilities to both employers and employees. Increasingly recognized as an important means to achieving a number of federal goals, telework offers greater capability to continue operations during emergency events, as well as affording environmental, energy, and other benefits to society. This statement highlights some of GAO's prior work on federal telework programs, including key practices for successful implementation of telework initiatives, identified in a 2003 GAO report and a 2005 GAO analysis of telework program definitions and methods in five federal agencies. It also notes more recent work where agency officials cite their telework programs as yielding benefits. As GAO has previously recommended, Congress should determine ways to promote more consistent telework definitions and measures. In particular, Congress might want to have the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council develop definitions and measures that would allow for a more meaningful assessment of progress in agency telework programs.

What GAO Found

Through a number of legislative actions, Congress has indicated its desire that agencies create telework programs to accomplish a number of positive outcomes. Many of the current federal programs were developed in response to a 2000 law that required each executive branch agency to establish a telework policy under which eligible employees may participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance. The legislative framework has provided OPM and the General Services Administration with lead roles for the governmentwide telework initiative--providing services and resources to support and encourage telework. Although agency telework policies meet common requirements and often share characteristics, each agency is responsible for developing its own policy to fit its mission and culture. In a 2003 report, GAO identified a number of key practices that federal agencies should implement in developing their telework programs. Four of these were closely aligned with managing for program results: (1) developing a business case for telework, (2) establishing measurable telework program goals, (3) establishing systems to collect data for telework program evaluation, and (4) identifying problems and making appropriate adjustments. None of the four agencies we reviewed, however, had effectively implemented any of these practices. In a related review of five other agencies in 2005, GAO reported that none of the agencies had the capacity to track who was actually teleworking or how frequently, relying mostly on the number of telework agreements as the measure of program participation. Consistent definitions and measures related to telework would help agencies better manage for results through their telework programs. For example, program management and oversight could be improved by more consistent definitions, such as eligibility. Some information may take additional efforts to collect, for example, on actual usage of telework rather than employees' potential to telework. However, other valuable information may already be available through existing sources, such as the Federal Human Capital Survey. The survey--which is administered biennially--asks federal employees about their satisfaction with telework, among other things. OPM and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council are well-situated to sort through these issues and consider what information would be most useful. The council and OPM could also work together on strategies for agencies to use the information for program improvements, including benchmarking.