NASA Workforce
Briefing on National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Use of Term Appointments Gao ID: GAO-08-920R September 10, 2008Congress expanded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ability to use term appointments to fill civil service positions in 2004. NASA sought this flexibility to ensure that it could hire and retain the workforce it desired. In a joint explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. No. 110-161), Congress asked us to review NASA's use of term appointments for civil servant positions. We briefed the committees on the results of our review. This report summarizes that briefing. As agreed to by the committees, this concludes our work performed under this mandate.
Since receiving its expanded human capital flexibilities, NASA has steadily increased its use of term appointments when hiring new employees. Subsequently, NASA has increased the number of conversions from term to career or career-conditional appointments. From 2003 through 2007, the majority of employees who separated from NASA voluntarily retired. Less than 1 percent separated because the employee's appointment expired. NASA's goal is to evolve to a science and engineering workforce that at a minimum is comprised of 15 percent term/temporary appointments by 2013. However, NASA centers are given the option to use term appointments for other positions.
GAO-08-920R, NASA Workforce: Briefing on National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Use of Term Appointments
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United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
September 10, 2008:
Congressional Requesters:
Subject: NASA Workforce: Briefing on National Aeronautics and Space
Administration's Use of Term Appointments:
Congress expanded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's
(NASA) ability to use term appointments to fill civil service positions
in 2004. NASA sought this flexibility to ensure that it could hire and
retain the workforce it desired. In a joint explanatory statement
accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. No. 110-
161), you asked us to review NASA's use of term appointments for civil
servant positions. We briefed the committees on the results of our
review. This report summarizes that briefing, which is reprinted in
full as an enclosure. As agreed to by the committees, this concludes
our work performed under this mandate.
Summary:
Since receiving its expanded human capital flexibilities, NASA has
steadily increased its use of term appointments when hiring new
employees. Subsequently, NASA has increased the number of conversions
from term to career or career-conditional appointments. From 2003
through 2007, the majority of employees who separated from NASA
voluntarily retired. Less than 1 percent separated because the
employee's appointment expired. NASA's goal is to evolve to a science
and engineering workforce that at a minimum is comprised of 15 percent
term/temporary appointments by 2013. However, NASA centers are given
the option to use term appointments for other positions.
Background:
Over the past few years, GAO and others in the federal government have
underscored the importance of human capital management and strategic
workforce planning. Federal agencies, as a whole, face new and
increasingly complex challenges in the 21st century and must transform
their organizations to meet the challenges of long-term fiscal
constraints, changing demographics, evolving governance models, and
other factors. This involves developing a strategic approach to human
capital management that integrates human capital efforts with their
missions and program goals, which we have recently reported federal
agencies typically lack.
In response to an increased governmentwide focus on strategic human
capital management, NASA has taken several steps to improve its human
capital management. These include steps such as requesting and
receiving additional human capital flexibilities through the NASA
Flexibility Act of 2004 (Pub. L. No. 108-201) (Flexibility Act) to help
the agency compete successfully with the private sector in attracting
and retaining employees and to reshape and redeploy its workforce to
support its mission.
Congress passed the Flexibility Act, which included a term appointment
authority that was broader than that otherwise generally available to
government agencies. In general, federal agencies may make term
appointments for 1 to 4 years where the need for employee services is
not permanent.[Footnote 1] The Flexibility Act grants NASA an expanded
term appointment authority that allows the agency to make term
appointments for 1 to 6 years and also allows NASA to non-competitively
convert employees from term to career or career-conditional
appointments under certain conditions.[Footnote 2] Reasons for making a
term appointment include project work such as NASA's science and
exploration projects, scheduled abolishment of a position,
reorganization, or uncertainty of future funding. According to NASA,
such authority is particularly useful to NASA as it manages the
agency's transition from the Space Shuttle Program to a new generation
of transportation vehicles. Other flexibilities granted NASA include
recruitment, relocation and retention bonuses, as well as the creation
of a Science and Technology Scholarship Program.
Another human capital management tool that is available to all federal
agencies is the reduction-in-force (RIF)[Footnote 3] process, which
federal agencies use to separate or demote employees for reasons such
as lack of work, reorganization, shortage of funds, or the exercise of
certain reemployment or restoration rights. NASA has stated that it
will only use its RIF authority as a measure of last resort. However,
NASA has been prohibited from conducting a RIF since 2005 when Congress
included moratorium language in the NASA Authorization Act of
2005[Footnote 4] (Pub. L. No. 109-155).
NASA's Use of Term Appointments:
Since passage of the Flexibility Act, NASA's use of term appointments
has steadily increased. We examined NASA's demographic trends from
fiscal years 2003 through 2007 and found that term appointment hiring
is increasing and surpassed full-time permanent hiring in fiscal year
2005 (see fig. 1). Currently, term appointments make up 8 percent of
NASA's total workforce, and range from 3 percent to 20 percent
depending on the center. Overall, NASA has experienced an increase in
hiring levels at the agency.
The majority of NASA's civil service workforce is made up of scientists
and engineers. NASA saw a marked decrease in full-time permanent hiring
for science and engineering positions while significantly increasing
term appointment hiring for science and engineering positions from
fiscal years 2003 through 2007, which mirrors the overall workforce
trends shown in figure 1.
Figure 1: Trend of Full-time Permanent and Term Appointment New Hires:
This figure is a combination line graph showing trend of full-time
permanent and term appointment new hires. One line represents the term
appointment, and the other line represents the full-time permanent. The
X axis represents the fiscal year, and the Y axis represents the number
of new hires.
Fiscal year: 2003;
Full-time permanent: 406;
Term appointment: 152.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Full-time permanent: 495;
Term appointment: 320.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Full-time permanent: 224;
Term appointment: 269.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Full-time permanent: 277;
Term appointment: 337.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Full-time permanent: 273;
Term appointment: 515.
[See PDF for image]
Source: GAO analysis of NASA data.
[End of figure]
The Flexibility Act grants NASA the ability to non-competitively
convert term appointments to career or career-conditional appointments
if certain conditions are met, such as:
* the current term appointment was made from a competitive announcement
that stated the potential for conversion to a permanent appointment;
* the term appointee completed at least 2 years of continuous service;
and:
* the term appointee demonstrates good performance.
Since the passage of the Flexibility Act, NASA's conversion rates more
than doubled from fiscal years 2005 through 2007 (see fig. 2), with
Johnson Space Center accounting for the largest percentage of
conversions when compared to other centers at NASA.
Figure 2: Number of Conversions from Term Appointment Each Fiscal Year:
This figure is a combination bar graph showing the number of
conversions from term appointment each fiscal year. One bar represents
conversion to career/career conditional, and the other represents total
conversions to permanent status. The X axis represents fiscal year, and
the Y axis represents the number of conversions. The light shading
represents conversion to career/career conditional, and the Y axis
represents total conversions to permanent status.
Fiscal year: 2003;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 91;
Total conversions to permanent status: 175.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 74;
Total conversions to permanent status: 130.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 54;
Total conversions to permanent status: 110.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 207;
Total conversions to permanent status: 361.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 309;
Total conversions to permanent status: 425.
[See PDF for image]
Source: NASA.
Note: Total Conversions to Permanent Status include Cooperative
Education Program (co-op) conversions to career/career conditional
appointments.
[End of figure]
On the other side, most employee separations from NASA consisted of
full-time permanent employees from fiscal years 2003 through 2007. Over
half of all separations were for voluntary retirement--less than 1
percent of all separations during that time were due to expired
appointments that were not renewed. Term appointments accounted for
only 4 percent of all employee separations, and appointees left for
various reasons such as resignation, transfer to another agency,
expired appointment, and termination during the probationary period.
NASA has taken steps to fully integrate term employees with permanent
employees in the NASA workforce. For example, policies that govern
employee working conditions apply to all employees, regardless of term
or permanent appointment. Furthermore, term employees are not
identified in any way that separates them from their permanent
coworkers. For example, according to NASA officials the badges of term
and permanent employees are identical. Term employees receive the same
benefits as permanent employees, such as coverage under Federal
Employees Health Benefits, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance
Programs, and Federal Employees Retirement System; annual and sick
leave; and within-grade increases. Term employees are also covered by
the same adverse action procedures as permanent employees as long as
they have successfully completed their probationary period (which
permanent employees must also complete). Further, term employees are
allowed to apply for permanent positions with NASA once they are
eligible and when vacancies are advertised, and may be eligible for
noncompetitive conversion to permanent appointment if certain criteria
are met.
NASA considers its term hiring authorities to be among the most
important of its human resources strategies and believes that term
appointments provide an attractive employment package for applicants,
while still not burdening the agency with the obligations of permanent
employees. NASA believes the agency needs to have a more flexible
workforce to respond effectively to mission, programmatic, and budget
changes as well as demographic and labor market fluctuations, and that
the agency needs evolve to a more appropriate blend of permanent and
nonpermanent civil servants. In light of this, NASA has set a goal for
NASA centers to maintain a minimum of 15 percent term/temporary
workforce for science and engineering positions by 2013 (not including
students or Cooperative Education Program).[Footnote 5] While the 15
percent goal is focused only on science and engineering positions, most
centers target all hires for term appointments. NASA has committed to
the Office of Management and Budget to increase its use of term
appointments in order to increase its future ability to downsize its
civil service workforce if necessary due to the changing nature of the
agency's work, program and project funding decreases, and/or
termination of program or project work. NASA officials stated the
agency's options are limited for creating a flexible workforce given
the prohibition on RIF and that using term appointments generally has
not seemed to deter applicants. We are not making any recommendations
in this report.
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
In written comments on the draft report, NASA generally agreed with the
information presented and our conclusions. NASA also provided some
observations on the report, which have been addressed in the report, as
appropriate. NASA's written comments are reprinted in enclosure II.
Scope and Methodology:
To assess NASA's use of term appointments, we reviewed and analyzed
criteria such as laws, regulations, requirements documents, and
stakeholder reports as well as analyzed workforce data and identified
trends. We also interviewed appropriate officials from NASA, including
those within the Office of Human Capital Management, Office of General
Counsel, Space Operations Mission Directorate, Exploration Systems
Mission Directorate, and Kennedy Space Center; the International
Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers; and the National
Academy of Public Administration. We assessed the reliability of the
data and determined that they were sufficiently reliable for the
purposes of this report. For more information on how we conducted our
review, please see the scope and methodology section in the enclosed
briefing.
We conducted this performance audit from February 2008 to May 2008 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that
the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and
conclusions based on our audit objectives.
We are sending copies of this report to the NASA Administrator and
other interested congressional committees. We will also make copies
available to others upon request. In addition, the report will be
available at no charge on GAO's Web site at [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov].
If you or your staff have any questions regarding this report, please
contact me at (202) 512-4841 or chaplainc@gao.gov. Contact points for
our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found
on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made contributions to
this report are listed in enclosure III.
Signed by:
Cristina T. Chaplain:
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management:
Enclosures - 3:
List of Requesters:
The Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski:
Chairman:
The Honorable Richard C. Shelby:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies:
Committee on Appropriations:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Alan B. Mollohan:
Chairman:
The Honorable Rodney P. Frelinghuysen:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies:
Committee on Appropriations:
House of Representatives:
The Honorable Mark Udall:
Chairman:
The Honorable Tom Feeney:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics:
Committee on Science and Technology:
House of Representatives:
[End of section]
Enclosure I: Briefing Slides:
Briefing to Congressional Requesters:
NASA‘s Use of Term Appointments:
Mandate and Objective:
Mandate:
* A joint explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2008 requires that GAO review NASA‘s use of term
appointments for civil service positions;
Objective:
* Identify trends regarding NASA‘s use of term appointments for civil
service positions;
Reporting
* Plan to issue a product summarizing our findings during the late
summer;
Scope and Methodology:
To assess NASA‘s view on the use of term appointments, interviewed
officials from:
* NASA, including those within the:
- Office of Human Capital Management;
- Office of General Counsel;
- Space Operations Mission Directorate;
- Exploration Systems Mission Directorate;
- Kennedy Space Center;
* International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers;
* The National Academy of Public Administration;
Reviewed and analyzed laws, guidance, requirements documents, internal
NASA studies and reports, prior GAO reports, and other issued reports
related to NASA‘s workforce.
Examined NASA‘s workforce strategy and human capital plans to determine
current and future plans for the use of term appointments and NASA‘s
efforts in workforce transition.
Analyzed data from NASA‘s Workforce Information Cubes for NASA (WICN),
which is a workforce reporting and monitoring system. Specifically, to
assess NASA‘s workforce new hire and separation demographics, we
analyzed WICN data on NASA employees from fiscal year 2003 through
2007. We limited our analysis to full time permanent, part time
permanent, temporary, term appointment, and intern-fellow employee
data.
We assessed the reliability of the NASA workforce data by (1) reviewing
existing information about the data and the system that produced them,
(2) interviewing agency officials knowledgeable about the data, (3)
reviewing past data reliability assessments. We determined that the
data were sufficiently reliable for the purposes of this engagement.
We conducted this performance audit from February 2008 to May 2008, in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that
the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and
conclusions based on our audit objectives.
Term Appointments Available Government- Wide:
U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (5 C.F.R. Part 316 (2008));
Civil service regulations for temporary and term employment by
agencies;
Agencies may make term appointments for 1 – 4 years where the need for
employee services is not permanent;
Reasons for making a term appointment include:
* project work,
* extraordinary workload,
* scheduled abolishment,
* reorganization,
* uncertainty of future funding;
NASA Flexibility Act of 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-201:
Grants NASA the ability to make term appointments for 1 – 6 years;
Allows NASA to convert employees from term to permanent appointment
without competition under certain conditions;
Requires NASA to submit a workforce plan to include identifying and
addressing areas of critical need:
* Critical need is a specific and important requirement that NASA
cannot fill due to an inability to fill positions or employees do not
possess the requisite skills;
Other flexibilities include –:
* Recruitment, relocation and retention bonuses;
* Creation of Science and Technology Scholarship Program;
* Limited appointments to SES positions;
NASA Overall Workforce Trends from Fiscal Years 2003 – 2007:
Overall, NASA experienced an increase in hiring levels from fiscal
years 2003 – 2007, with a peak in fiscal year 2004;
NASA also experienced an increase in separations from the agency, with
a peak in fiscal year 2005;
Science and engineering as well as professional administrative staff
made up the majority of all new hires and separations;
Aerospace engineering and general engineering represent the top 2
occupations for hiring and separations;
Majority of new hires are between the ages of 30 – 49;
Majority separations are between the ages of 50 – 69;
Figure: Overall Number of NASA New Hires and Separations by Fiscal Year
This figure is a combination line graph showing overall number of NASA
new hires and separations by fiscal year. The lines represent the
number of new hires, and the number of separations. The X axis
represents the fiscal year, and the Y axis represents the number.
Fiscal year: 2003;
Number of separations: 623;
Number of new hires: 603.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Number of separations: 763;
Number of new hires: 954.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Number of separations: 1223;
Number of new hires: 665.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Number of separations: 881;
Number of new hires: 737.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Number of separations: 881;
Number of new hires: 816.
[See PDF for image]
Source: GAO analysis of NASA data.
[End of figure]
NASA‘s Use of Term Appointments:
Since passage of the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004, NASA‘s use of term
appointments has increased.
Goal of 15 percent of science and engineering positions:
* Use for other positions determined by Centers;
Term appointments seen by NASA management as a tool to manage the
workforce due to the moratorium on the use of reduction-in-force;
NASA officials stated that NASA is using its term appointment authority
consistent with the purposes for which it originally requested this
flexibility;
NASA's guidance implementing the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004 lists
similar reasons for making a term appointment as the Code of Federal
Regulations;
Some Centers base decisions to hire terms on analysis of the position,
such as the recruitment market or uncertain work volume;
Center officials stated that using term appointments generally does not
deter applicants;
Barriers to hiring terms include hiring ceilings and market
competitiveness;
Conversion of Term Appointments to Permanent Status:
Term employees allowed to apply for permanent positions with NASA once
they are eligible and vacancies are advertised:
Term employees appointed under the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004 may be
noncompetitively converted to a permanent competitive service
appointment if specific criteria met, such as:
* Current term appointment made from a competitive announcement that
stated the potential for conversion to a permanent appointment;
* Completed at least 2 years of continuous service;
* Employee demonstrates good performance;
Figure: Trend of Full-Time Permanent and Term Appointment New Hires:
This figure is a combination line graph showing trend of full-time
permanent and term appointment new hires. One line represents term
appointment, and the other represents full-tome permanent. The X axis
represents the fiscal year, and the Y axis represents the number of new
hires.
Fiscal year: 2003;
Full-time permanent: 406;
Term appointment: 152.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Full-time permanent: 495;
Term appointment: 320.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Full-time permanent: 224;
Term appointment: 269.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Full-time permanent: 277;
Term appointment: 337.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Full-time permanent: 273;
Term appointment: 515.
[See PDF for image]
Source: GAO analysis of NASA data.
[End of figure]
Figure: Percentage of NASA Term Appointment Workforce by Center:
This figure is a bar graph showing percentage of NASA term appointment
workforce by center. The X axis represents the agency, and the Y axis
represents percentage. The light shaded bars represent science and
engineering workforce, and the darker shading bars represent total.
Agency: NASA;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 9;
Total: 8.
Agency: ARC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 14;
Total: 13.
Agency: DFRC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 23;
Total: 20.
Agency: GRC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 3;
Total: 4.
Agency: GSFC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 4;
Total: 3.
Agency: JSC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 10;
Total: 10.
Agency: KSC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 16;
Total: 16.
Agency: LARC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 8;
Total: 7.
Agency: MSFC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 8;
Total: 8.
Agency: SSC;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 4;
Total: 3.
Agency: HQ;
Science and Engineering Workforce: 12;
6.
[See PDF for image]
Source: NASA.
[End of figure]
Figure: Number of Full-Time Permanent and Term Appointment Science and
Engineering and Professional Administrative New Hires each Fiscal Year:
This figure is a combination of two shaded line graphs showing the
number of full-time permanent and term appointment science and
engineering and professional administrative new hires each fiscal year.
The X axis represents the fiscal year, and the Y axis represents the
number of new hires. The light shading represents science and
engineering, and the dark shading represents professional
administrative.
Full Time Permanent:
Fiscal year: 2003;
Professional Administrative: 209;
Science and Engineering: 171.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Professional Administrative: 195;
Science and Engineering: 259.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Professional Administrative: 154;
Science and Engineering: 64.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Professional Administrative: 215;
Science and Engineering: 53.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Professional Administrative: 174;
Science and Engineering: 73.
Term Appointment:
Fiscal year: 2003;
Professional Administrative: 91;
Science and Engineering: 27.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Professional Administrative: 79;
Science and Engineering: 212.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Professional Administrative: 77;
Science and Engineering: 174.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Professional Administrative: 100;
Science and Engineering: 227.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Professional Administrative: 114;
Science and Engineering: 350.
[See PDF for image]
Source: GAO analysis of NASA data.
[End of figure]
Figure: Number of Conversions from Term Appointment Each Fiscal Year:
This figure is a combination bar graph showing the number of
conversions from term appointment each fiscal year. One bar represents
conversion to career/career conditional, and the other represents total
conversions to permanent status. The X axis represents fiscal year, and
the Y axis represents the number of conversions. The light shading
represents conversion to career/career conditional, and the Y axis
represents total conversions to permanent status.
Fiscal year: 2003;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 91;
Total conversions to permanent status: 175.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 74;
Total conversions to permanent status: 130.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 54;
Total conversions to permanent status: 110.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 207;
Total conversions to permanent status: 361.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Conversion to career/career conditional: 309;
Total conversions to permanent status: 425.
[See PDF for image]
Source: NASA.
Note: Total Conversions to Permanent Status include Cooperative
Education Program (co-op) conversions to career/career conditional
appointments.
[End of figure]
Figure: Conversions from Term Appointment to Permanent by Center:
This figure is a combination bar graph showing conversions from term
appointment to permanent by center. The shading represents the years:
2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. The X axis represents the agency, and the Y
axis represents the number of conversions.
"2004" "2005" "2006" "2007"
ARC;
2004: 2;
2005: 0;
2006: 8;
2007: 9.
DFRC;
2004: 0;
2005: 0;
2006: 0;
2007: 10.
GRC;
2004: 3;
2005: 0;
2006: 4;
2007: 4.
GSFC;
2004: 18;
2005: 6;
2006: 28;
2007: 35.
JSC;
2004: 5;
2005: 4;
2006: 91;
2007: 153.
KSC;
2004: 15;
2005: 2;
2006: 24;
2007: 52.
LARC;
2004: 8;
2005: 5;
2006: 5;
2007: 5.
MSFC;
2004: 3;
2005: 7;
2006: 1;
2007: 13.
SSC;
2004: 2;
2005: 1;
2006: 9;
2007: 1.
HQ;
2004: 13;
2005: 25;
2006: 15;
2007: 13.
[See PDF for image]
Source: NASA.
[End of figure]
Figure: NASA Workforce Separations by Type of Appointment for Fiscal
Year 2003 - 2007:
This figure is a combination line graph showing NASA workforce
separations by type of appointment for fiscal years 2003-2007. The X
axis represents the fiscal year, and the Y axis represents the number
of separations. One line represents term appointment, and the other
represents full-time permanent.
Fiscal year: 2003;
Full-time permanent: 623;
Term appointment: 0.
Fiscal year: 2004;
Full-time permanent: 758;
Term appointment: 5.
Fiscal year: 2005;
Full-time permanent: 1190;
Term appointment: 33.
Fiscal year: 2006;
Full-time permanent: 817;
Term appointment: 64.
Fiscal year: 2007;
Full-time permanent: 809;
Term appointment: 72.
Source: GAO analysis of NASA data.
[End of figure]
Figure: Trends of NASA Workforce Separations by Reasons Given for each
Fiscal Year:
This figure is a combination bar graph showing trends of NASA workforce
separations by reasons given for each fiscal year. The X axis
represents the reason for separation, and the Y axis represents the
number of separations. The shading represents the years: 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006, and 2007.
Reason for separation: Retirement–Voluntary;
2003: 355;
2004: 482;
2005: 727;
2006: 441;
2007: 443.
Reason for separation: Resignation;
2003: 105;
2004: 120;
2005: 181;
2006: 183;
2007: 173.
Reason for separation: Transfer to another agency;
2003: 73;
2004: 69;
2005: 84;
2006: 97;
2007: 130.
Reason for separation: Retirement–Early out;
2003: 15;
2004: 22;
2005: 157;
2006: 98;
2007: 50.
Reason for separation: Death;
2003: 33;
2004: 26;
2005: 30;
2006: 14;
2007: 23.
Reason for separation: Retirement–|Disability;
2003: 20;
2004: 21;
2005: 10;
2006: 20;
2007: 18.
Reason for separation: Removal;
2003: 11;
2004: 4;
2005: 12;
2006: 5;
2007: 17.
Reason for separation: Expired appointment;
2003: 1;
2004: 1;
2005: 3;
2006: 11;
2007: 13.
Reason for separation: Retirement–In lieu of involuntary action;
2003: 5;
2004: 8;
2005: 2;
2006: 3;
2007: 3.
Reason for separation: Resignation–|In lieu of|involuntary|action;
2003: 3;
2004: 2;
2005: 6;
2006: 2;
2007: 4.
Reason for separation: Termination during probation;
2003: 2;
2004: 3;
2005: 2;
2006: 2;
2007: 4.
Reason for separation: Reduction in force;
2003: 0;
2004: 4;
2005: 7;
2006: 0;
2007: 0.
Reason for separation: Termination;
2003: 0;
2004: 1;
2005: 2;
2006: 5;
2007: 2.
Reason for separation: Retirement– Mandatory;
2003: 0;
2004: 0;
2005: 0;
2006: 0;
2007: 1.
[See PDF for image]
Source: GAO analysis of NASA data.
[End of figure]
Summary:
NASA uses its term appointment authority to have a more scalable
workforce;
Using term appointments to manage the workforce due to reduction-in-
force limitations;
Use of term appointments for the science and engineering workforce is
increasing;
Rate of conversions from term to permanent is also increasing;
Majority of separations due to retirement;
[End of section]
Enclosure II: Comments from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration:
Headquarters:
Washington, DC 20546-0001:
August 22, 2008:
Reply to Attention of:
Space Operations Mission Directorate:
Ms. Christina T. Chaplain:
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management:
United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
Dear M. Chaplain:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) appreciates
the opportunity to comment on your draft report entitled, "NASA
Workforce: Briefing on National Aeronautics and Space Administrations,
Use of Term Appointments" (GAO-08-920R).
Overall, NASA finds the draft report to he thorough, objective, and
helpful in addressing one of our top Agency activities, workforce
management, We are pleased with your recognition of our positive steps
and progress in this area and generally agree and support the
conclusions you have reached, However, in reviewing the draft report,
we have enclosed some observations that will help clarify a few points
in the report. If you have any questions or require additional
information, please contact Ms. Toni Dawsey at (202) 358-0520.
Sincerely,
Signed by:
William H. Gerstenmaier:
Associate Administrator for Space Operations:
Enclosure:
NASA Comments on the Government Accountability Office (GAO)-08-420R
Draft Report -
NASA Workforce: Briefing on National Aeronautics and Space
Administration's Use of Term Appointments:
The following observations will help clarify the following points in
the report:
Paragraph 1, Summary:
This section paraphrases NASA's term policy, leaving out the target
date as well as appointments that are nonpermanent but other than term.
It states: "NASA's goal is to maintain a science and engineering
workforce that at a minimum is comprised of 15 percent term
appointments." NASA's current policy is: "Centers will evolve toward
achieving and maintaining a minimum profile of 15 percent
term/temporary workforce for science and engineering positions by 2013,
(not including students/coops)."
Paragraph 3, Background:
The report notes that "Congress included moratorium language in the
NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (Pub. L. No. 109-155)." Note that this
same moratorium language has been included in each subsequent draft
NASA Authorization Act, and has been included in the FY 2007, NASA
Appropriations Act as well as the pending FY 2009, House and Senate
Appropriations Acts.
Paragraph 4, Figure 2:
It is not clear what types of conversions are being compared in this
figure. While the meaning of "Conversion to Career/Career Conditional"
is clear, the meaning of "Total Conversions to Permanent Status" and
what comprises it, is not.
[End of section]
Enclosure III: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
GAO Contact:
Cristina Chaplain, (202) 512-4859 or chaplainc@gao.gov:
Acknowledgments:
In addition to the contact named above, Jim Morrison, Assistant
Director; M. Greg Campbell; Amber Lopez; Jean McSween; Jose Ramos; and
Alyssa Weir made key contributions to this report.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] 5 C.F.R. Part 316 Subpart C (2008).
[2] Permanent employees are generally hired into the federal government
under a career-conditional appointment. A career-conditional employee
must complete 3 years of substantially continuous service before
becoming a full career employee. Career-conditional employees
automatically become career employees upon completion of this service
requirement.
[3] 5 C.F.R. Part 351 (2008).
[4] The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. No. 110-161) had
the effect of extending a moratorium on RIFs that was included in the
NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (Pub. L. No. 109-155). Specifically, the
act states that "no funds shall be used to implement any Reduction in
Force or other involuntary separations (except for cause) by NASA prior
to September 30, 2008."
[5] NASA officials stated that the 15 percent goal was determined by
taking into consideration information from worst-case staffing
scenarios, a model used to predict the degree of workforce change at
each center over the 5-year budget horizon, and prior experience with
centers operating with term to permanent employee ratios relatively
close to the 15 percent target. GAO did not validate the reliability of
NASA's model.
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