Senior Executive Service

Implementation of the Navy's Program To Rotate Career SES Members Gao ID: GGD-88-4 October 5, 1987

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO investigated the Navy's implementation of its Senior Executive Service (SES) rotation program.

GAO found that the: (1) program requires the Navy to rotate SES employees after they have held a position for 5 years; (2) Navy granted 30 permanent exemptions and 10 temporary waivers from mandatory rotation in view of unique skills, program needs, or personal circumstances; and (3) Navy plans to evaluate the program. GAO also found that: (1) the Navy began the program before providing SES members with information on its implementation; (2) although 65 percent of the 360 SES members polled believed that the information they eventually received was adequate, some did not completely understand the program's operation; (3) about 48 percent opposed the program, with technically skilled members more opposed than those with managerial skills; (4) many members were concerned about the program's sensitivity to individual needs; and (5) members cited career limitations and decreased morale as the most likely program disadvantages and a broader perspective of Navy activities and management flexibility as the most likely advantages.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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