	Background

Over the last decade, telework has emerged as a management tool in the  federal government. The statutory framework for telework includes  provisions that require agencies to take certain actions related to telework,  provide agencies with tools for supporting telework, and provide both GSA  and OPM with lead roles in the implementation of telework in the federal  government. Therefore, these  agencies have not established a delineation of their respective roles. After we discussed the issues created by the lack of coordination between  GSA and OPM with both agencies, a GSA official indicated that GSA and  OPM expressed a new commitment to coordination, especially with regard  to the governmentwide telework Web site. Such a commitment reflects a  promising start for better assisting federal agencies in improved  implementation of their telework programs. However, the key to success  will be sustained efforts by both agencies to work together in assisting  agencies and providing consistent and straightforward guidance, services,  and resources on the governmentwide telework initiative. Selected Federal Agencies Are Not Fully Implementing Key Telework Practices

We identified 25 key practices in telework-related literature and other  sources as those that federal agencies should implement in developing  their individual telework programs. While all four agencies we reviewed have taken at least some steps to  implement most of the key practices, we found that only 7 of the 25 key  practices had been fully implemented by all four agencies. Although some telework-related  resources from GSA and OPM, including GSA’s telework implementation  manual and OPM’s recently released telework guide for managers,  supervisors, and telework coordinators, already provide federal agencies  with information on how to implement several of the key practices we  identified, agencies may need additional guidance, guidelines, and/or  individualized technical support to fully implement these practices. Although GSA and OPM are lead agencies for the governmentwide  telework initiative, they have not fully coordinated their efforts in leading  the governmentwide telework initiative and have had difficulty in resolving  their conflicting views on telework-related matters. Scope and Methodology

The objectives of this report were to  characterize the federal laws and their requirements that currently apply  to telecommuting within the federal agencies in the executive branch;   determine what the General Services Administration (GSA) and the  Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are doing, as lead agencies, to  coordinate and promote telecommuting in the federal government;  determine what selected federal agencies are doing to implement key  practices in developing telecommuting programs; and   identify additional governmentwide actions that could be taken to  encourage federal agencies to increase telecommuting participation. Comments from the Department of Veterans Affairs

	GAO Responses to Comments from VA

1.
Why GAO Did This Study

Telework--work done at a location other than a traditional office--has gained widespread attention over the past decade as a human capital flexibility offering various potential benefits to employers, employees, and society. Using such flexibilities as management tools can help the federal government address its human capital challenges. GAO did this study in response to a congressional request to assess the federal government's progress in implementing telework programs and to determine what else can be done to give federal employees the ability to telework under appropriate circumstances.

What GAO Found

The statutory framework for federal telework requires agencies to take certain actions related to telework, provides agencies with tools for supporting telework, and provides both the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration (GSA) with lead roles and shared responsibilities for the federal telework initiative. Both agencies offer services and resources to support and encourage telework in the federal government. However, these agencies have not fully coordinated their telework efforts and have had difficulty in resolving their conflicting views on telework-related matters. As a consequence, agencies have not received consistent, inclusive, unambiguous support and guidance related to telework. After we discussed the issues created by the lack of coordination between GSA and OPM with both agencies, a GSA official then indicated that GSA and OPM expressed a new commitment to coordination. Such a commitment reflects a promising start for better assisting federal agencies in improved implementation of their telework programs. However, the key to success will be sustained efforts by both agencies to work together in assisting agencies and providing consistent and straightforward guidance, services, and resources on the governmentwide telework initiative. GAO identified 25 key practices in telework-related literature and guidelines as those that federal agencies should implement in developing telework programs and grouped these practices under seven categories. While the four selected executive agencies we reviewed--the Department of Education (Education), GSA, OPM, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)--have taken at least some steps to implement most of the key practices, only 7 of the 25 key practices, such as establishing a cross-functional project team and establishing an agencywide telework policy, had been fully implemented by all four agencies. Although some telework-related resources from GSA and OPM provide federal agencies with information on how to implement several of the key practices we identified, agencies may need additional guidance, guidelines, and/or individualized technical support to fully implement these practices.