Rapid Changes in Information Technology Require a Skilled and Well- Managed Workforce

As agencies wrestle with human capital management, they face a significant challenge in the information management and technology areas. These practices fall in four key areas:   Requirements—assessing the knowledge and skills needed to effectively perform IT operations to support agency mission and goals   Inventory—determining the knowledge and skills of current IT staff so that gaps in needed capabilities can be identified   Workforce strategies and plans—developing strategies and implementing plans for hiring, training, and professional development to fill the gap between requirements and current staffing   Progress evaluation—evaluating progress made in improving IT human capital capability, and using the results of these evaluations to continuously improve the organization’s human capital strategies In July, we reported that agencies’ progress in addressing IT human capital strategies had been sluggish. Also, agencies appear to be at risk of not having enough of the right people with the right skills to manage service procurements. performance shortfalls. In a performance management environment where federal agencies are held accountable for delivering improvements in program performance, the “people dimension” is of paramount importance.
What GAO Found

Federal agencies face few tasks more critical than attracting, retaining, and motivating people. As our society has moved from the industrial age to the knowledge age, the success or failure of federal agencies can depend on having the right number of people with the right mix of knowledge and skills. This is especially true in the information technology (IT) area, where widespread shortfalls in human capital have undermined agency and program performance. This report discusses strategic human capital management as a high-risk area, summarizes agencies progress in addressing IT human capital needs, compares suggestions GAO made in earlier testimonies and those made in a recent report by the National Academy of Public Administration, and highlights important challenges to implementing IT human capital reform proposals.