Tax Administration: IRS Needs Better Strategic Planning and Evaluation of Taxpayer Assistance Training

Highlights

Millions of taxpayers ask IRS questions about tax law each year. While the accuracy of IRS's answers has improved in some cases, it is still not always what taxpayers or Congress expect. Concerns about accuracy have raised questions about the adequacy of the training IRS provides to its taxpayer assistance staff. Because of these questions, GAO was asked to assess the extent to which IRS's planning and evaluation of its taxpayer assistor training conformed to guidance published by GAO and others. Planning and evaluation are part of a feedback loop whereby lessons from one year can be applied to making improvements in future years.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. Specifically, in the area of planning, IRS should establish a long-term goal for the accuracy of taxpayer assistance.	Closed – Implemented Based on our recommendation, IRS established a long-term goal for the accuracy of taxpayer assistance as of November 15, 2006. Based on information from IRS, the goal will be tracked through IRS's Wage and Investment Division's Accounts Management and Assistance program and includes fiscal year targets for customer accounts resolved, toll-free tax law, and toll-free accounts.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. Specifically, in the area of planning, IRS should establish goals and measures for training and development logically linked to accuracy.	Closed – Implemented Based on our recommendation, IRS established a long-term goal for the accuracy of taxpayer assistance, including fiscal year targets and measures for customer accounts resolved, toll-free tax law, and toll-free accounts. The goal and related targets and measures were completed as of November 15, 2006.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. Specifically, in the area of planning, IRS should determine and track the relative importance of the various factors, including training, that affect accuracy.	Closed – Implemented In July 2008, IRS expanded the use of its Embedded Quality Reports System (EQRS)to Taxpayer Service functions. Using EQRS allows for a more direct assessment of training effectiveness as it relates to performance of specific applications and case attributes. EQRS includes links to key course content objectives for a more direct assessment of training effectiveness as it relates to performance of specific applications and case types.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. Specifically, in the area of planning, IRS should benchmark training and development programs against high-performing organizations.	Closed – Implemented In May 2009, IRS released its benchmarking study on training and development. The vast majority of the data collected was obtained through research conducted by the Corporate Leadership Council. The Council conducted a comprehensive search of published materials, augmented by IRS's Quality and Performance Management office. Data was collected from approximately 13 organizations determined to be most closely aligned with IRS. Significant findings for IRS to attain the next level of training effectiveness include IRS to continue to (1) focus on measurable training impact, (2)link strategic business objectives to training, and (3) collect customer satisfaction data.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. Specifically, in the area of planning, IRS should conduct skills and knowledge gap analyses for all taxpayer assistance programs, to include identifying and comparing current skills to long-term skill needs.	Closed – Implemented IRS implemented the field assistance technical assistance battery (FA TAB) in June 2006; all employees are expected to complete the assessment. The FA TAB helps to identify gaps in training and/or reference materials based on compiled FA TAB results so that gaps may be filled to meet the needs of employees, thus improving quality. According to IRS, the implementation of the FA TAB indicates that the values of such assessments are inculcated into its near-term goals and long-term strategies.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. Specifically, in the area of planning, IRS should consider costs, benefits, ways to mitigate risks, and the appropriate level of investment for training and development efforts.	Closed – Implemented According to IRS, its annual training plan formulation process allows business divisions to identify their training priorities based on strategic plans and the level of funding appropriated for that year. When the Service-wide long-term goals are finalized and approved, the training plan will be developed considering costs, benefits, risk mitigation, and appropriate levels of investment for training and development efforts.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. In the area of evaluation, IRS should continue to pursue the level 4 pilot in TEC and, if that analysis is shown to be feasible, conduct level 4 evaluations for its other taxpayer assistance training and development programs. The evaluations should include an analysis of the feasibility and cost effectiveness of alternative level 4 methodologies and a data collection and analysis plan.	Closed – Implemented IRS has taken steps to meet the level 4 requirement. Specifically, IRS completed a level 3 evaluation prototype utilizing the embedded quality review system. IRS also used industry experts, Donald and Jim Kirkpatrick to review the evaluation. Based on feedback from the Kirkpatrick's review, the level 3 prototype was completed using a training course conducted at a variety of locations. Collectively the actual training and instructor feedback moving through the first three levels of evaluation demonstrated training value through compelling evidence. This meets the level 4 requirement.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. In the area of evaluation, IRS should continue to pursue the level 4 pilot in TEC and, if that analysis is shown to be feasible, conduct level 4 evaluations for its other taxpayer assistance training and development programs. The evaluations should include a comparison of the accuracy benefits to the costs of the training.	Closed – Implemented IRS has taken steps to meet the level 4 requirement. Specifically, IRS completed a level 3 evaluation prototype utilizing the embedded quality review system. IRS also used industry experts, Donald and Jim Kirkpatrick to review the evaluation. Based on feedback from the Kirkpatrick's review, the level 3 prototype was completed using a training course conducted at a variety of locations. Collectively the actual training and instructor feedback moving through the first three levels of evaluation demonstrated training value through compelling evidence. This meets the level 4 requirement.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. In the area of evaluation, IRS should continue to pursue the level 4 pilot in TEC and, if that analysis is shown to be feasible, conduct level 4 evaluations for its other taxpayer assistance training and development programs. The evaluations should include benchmarking of the analytical methods and the results of the data analysis against high-performing organizations.	Closed – Implemented In May 2009, IRS released its benchmarking study on training and development. The vast majority of the data collected was obtained through research conducted by the Corporate Leadership Council. The Council conducted a comprehensive search of published materials, augmented by IRS's Quality and Performance Management office. Data was collected from approximately 13 organizations determined to be most closely aligned with IRS and included benchmarking of the analytical methods and the results of the data analysis against high-performing organizations.
Internal Revenue Service	The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should take appropriate action to ensure that IRS's planning and evaluations of its taxpayer assistance training and development efforts better conform to guidance for strategically planning and evaluating the training efforts. In the area of evaluation, IRS should continue to pursue the level 4 pilot in TEC and, if that analysis is shown to be feasible, conduct level 4 evaluations for its other taxpayer assistance training and development programs. The evaluations should include an analysis of stakeholder assessments of the impact of training on accuracy.	Closed – Implemented IRS has taken steps to meet the level 4 requirement. Specifically, IRS completed a level 3 evaluation prototype utilizing the embedded quality review system. IRS also used industry experts, Donald and Jim Kirkpatrick to review the evaluation. Based on feedback from the Kirkpatrick's review, the level 3 prototype was completed using a training course conducted at a variety of locations. Collectively the actual training and instructor feedback moving through the first three levels of evaluation demonstrated training value through compelling evidence. This meets the level 4 requirement.
Internal Revenue Service	IRS should replace the defunct Administrative Corporate Education System database, which had been used to store level 2 data, with another database for this purpose.	Closed – Implemented In October 2007, IRS implemented a process to collect level 2 data and store it in the Enterprise Learning Management System (ELMS), which replaces ACES. In addition, IRS's Human Capital's Office of Learning Technology asked IRS training directors to review and update items in the ELMS course catalog to ensure they accurately reflect content which requires a level 2 evaluation.

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