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Open Recommendations

Personnel Vetting: Leadership Attention Needed to Prioritize System Development and Achieve Reforms
GAO-26-108838
Feb 24, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency aligns DCSA's schedule for the National Background Investigation Services program with the "well-constructed" characteristic as defined in GAO's guides for scheduling and Agile software development by addressing those scheduling best practices that were partially met, including establishing a valid critical path. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency aligns DCSA's schedule for the National Background Investigation Services program with the "credible" characteristic as defined in GAO's guides for scheduling and Agile software development by addressing those scheduling best practices that were partially or minimally met, including conducting a schedule risk analysis. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Air Traffic Control Workforce: FAA Should Establish Goals and Better Assess Its Hiring Processes
GAO-26-107320
Dec 17, 2025
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The Administrator of FAA should ensure that FAA develops a system, such as its planned dashboard for applicants, that provides applicants with the ability to efficiently access information related to their application, including the ability to check their application status and obtain the information they need to complete their next steps. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Aviation Administration The Administrator of FAA should establish and document measurable goals for its processes to recruit, hire, and train air traffic controllers. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Aviation Administration The Administrator of FAA should use the information FAA collects across its databases to assess its processes for recruiting, hiring, and training air traffic controllers and inform decisions about any needed improvements. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Mine Safety: Commission That Reviews Legal Disputes Needs Improved Management Oversight
GAO-25-107171
Sep 25, 2025
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9 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission The Chair of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission should ensure that the Commission establishes a process for managing the agency's performance—including defining goals, reliably measuring performance, and using performance information—that follows federal performance management guidance. The process should promote the participation of all senior leaders at the Commission and establish the Commission's goals and objectives in consultation with Congress and relevant stakeholders. The process should also provide the Commission the opportunity to identify the resources it needs to achieve its goals. (Recommendation 1)
Open
The Commission agreed with this recommendation. The Commission acknowledged the deficiencies of its past strategic planning efforts and performance goals and measures and said it will develop near-term performance goals and measures to facilitate progress toward its strategic goals, in line with federal law and following federal performance management guidance. It will also improve its case-related data, and - after developing a plan to address this recommendation - incorporate stakeholder feedback into the plan (including consultations with Congress, the Department of Labor, mine operators, and worker advocates). We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission The Chair of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission should ensure that the Commission develops written policies for reviewing and monitoring how the Commission spends its appropriated funds to promote their effective use. (Recommendation 2)
Open
The Commission agreed with this recommendation. The Commission said it has engaged shared service providers to ensure compliance with federal regulations, adjusted processes to ensure spending oversight, and plans to hire a financial manager with the requisite skills to create our recommended policies. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission The Chair of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission should ensure that the Commission develops a strategic workforce plan that identifies the critical areas of expertise—such as human capital, finance, and legal compliance—needed to achieve the Commission's goals and creates a strategy to address identified resource gaps. (Recommendation 3)
Open
The Commission agreed with this recommendation. The Chair plans to work with senior leadership to develop a plan that will address skill gaps related to human capital, finance, and legal compliance areas. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission The Chair of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission should ensure that the Commission creates comprehensive hiring and promotion policies that are consistent with leading practices and legal requirements. (Recommendation 4)
Open
The Commission agreed with this recommendation. It plans to create comprehensive hiring and promotion policies consistent with best practices and legal requirements. In addition, the Commission said that it will ensure supervisors receive required training on employment standards and best practices, including proper consideration of veterans' preference and equal employment opportunity guidelines. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission The Chair of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission should ensure that the Commission establishes a comprehensive enterprise risk management process to help the agency determine the most significant risks to achieving its goals and prioritize how to use its resources to address these risks. (Recommendation 5)
Open
The Commission agreed with this recommendation. The Commission said it would take corrective action by developing an enterprise risk management framework consistent with relevant federal guidance, and that the Chair will work to ensure the COO has access to the resources required to implement the framework in compliance with federal requirements. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission The Chair of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission should assign roles and responsibilities to ensure the Commission complies with relevant laws and regulations. (Recommendation 6)
Open
The Commission agreed with this recommendation. The Chair plans to work with senior leadership to ensure that roles and responsibilities are assigned, communicated, and understood to ensure legal compliance with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Defense Workforce: Efforts to Address Challenges in Recruiting and Retaining Federal Wage System Employees
GAO-25-107152
Sep 03, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Commander of Edwards Air Force Base develops measurable staffing targets for Edwards's FWS workforce and documents these targets in a civilian workforce plan or other documents used to help manage Edwards's FWS AF workforce. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOD and Air Force concurred with this recommendation and said they would take steps to implement it. When we confirm what actions DOD and Air Force have taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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