National Nuclear Security Administration: Fully Incorporating Leading Practices for Agency Reform Would Benefit Enhanced Mission Delivery Initiative
Fast Facts
The National Nuclear Security Administration is overseeing a $200 billion nuclear modernization effort and hasn't been this busy since the Cold War. An internal review concluded that it wouldn't be able to meet this workload without changes. It made 18 recommendations, including new approaches to contractor management and workforce retention.
The NNSA has taken actions to implement many recommended reforms. Several reforms cover areas we previously identified as High Risk.
However, it is not fully following leading practices, such as establishing a process to monitor progress.
Our recommendations address this issue and more.
U.S. Air Force missile maintainers working on an intercontinental ballistic missile
Highlights
What GAO Found
To address the increased demands of its estimated $200 billion nuclear weapon modernization effort, in September 2022, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) published a report titled Evolving the Nuclear Security Enterprise: A Report of the Enhanced Mission Delivery Initiative. The report had recommendations for reforming its agency and contractor operating environment that covered many aspects of NNSA's operations, including program and project management, employee recruitment and retention, and contracting.
NNSA used the results from the report to develop 15 reforms, which the agency has implemented through decentralized implementation teams under a central reporting structure. NNSA considers 11 reforms implemented and four ongoing. In addition to the continued development of the ongoing reforms, officials stated they will continue to monitor and modify the implemented reforms. However, the reporting structure that had been in use was disbanded by September 2024, and NNSA has not defined how it will govern follow-on continuous improvement efforts or monitor and report on their status.
Reforms Sought for Managing Weapon Modernization Programs
B-61 bomb, modernized under processes the National Nuclear Security Administration seeks to reform through the Enhanced Mission Delivery Initiative.
NNSA's implementation plans for six of the 15 reforms that GAO selected based on their relation to areas it previously identified as at risk for fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement partially aligned with relevant leading practices for successful agency reform. These plans were most in alignment with leading practices on leadership focus and attention. However, most of the plans for the six high-risk reform areas did not fully align with leading practices for setting goals, using data and evidence, monitoring, addressing longstanding management challenges, and engaging key stakeholders. Without establishing goals or processes to collect data and evidence, NNSA will not be able to monitor the effectiveness of implemented and ongoing reforms. Without this information, NNSA cannot assess whether the underlying issues identified in the Enhanced Mission Delivery Initiative report have been addressed. Further, by not monitoring the effects of relevant reforms on high-risk areas or the potential for fraud, waste, and abuse, NNSA will not know if reforms could potentially perpetuate longstanding challenges or increase risks of fraud, waste, and abuse.
Why GAO Did This Study
NNSA is the busiest it has been since the Cold War as it oversees a $200 billion nuclear modernization effort. Recognizing the need to address the agency's increased demands, the NNSA Administrator established the Enhanced Mission Delivery Initiative team in January 2022. The team's report made recommendations to help NNSA better deliver on its national and global security missions. Several recommendations affect acquisition and program management at NNSA, which have been on GAO's High Risk List for decades.
A report accompanying the fiscal year 2023 consolidated appropriations act includes a provision for GAO to evaluate the Initiative's proposed implementation. This report (1) describes the Initiative report's findings and recommendations and examines (2) NNSA's plans for implementation and the status of the reforms, and (3) the extent to which NNSA's six reforms GAO identified as at high risk for fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement were aligned with selected leading practices for agency reform.
Recommendations
GAO is making eight recommendations to NNSA, including that it define how it will govern follow-on continuous improvement efforts; establish goals and processes to monitor reforms' progress against those goals; and monitor reforms to ensure they do not increase risks of fraud, waste, and abuse. NNSA concurred with all eight recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| National Nuclear Security Administration | The Office of NNSA's Associate Principal Deputy Administrator should define how it will govern continuing activities on EMDI reforms and future continuous improvement activities, including how it will monitor and report on the status of those activities. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator should ensure that goals and associated outcomes are established and documented for all implemented and ongoing reforms. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator should ensure that EMDI reform goals remain aligned with outcomes as reform efforts change for all implemented and ongoing reforms. (Recommendation 3) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| National Nuclear Security Administration | The Office of the NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator should document a strategy for continuous two-way communication on reforms with key stakeholders and employees, which should be part of governing ongoing and future continuous improvement efforts. (Recommendation 4) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator should monitor the effects of EMDI and future reforms on high-risk areas to ensure relevant reform efforts do not perpetuate long-standing challenges or increase risks of fraud, waste, and abuse. (Recommendation 5) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator, in developing ongoing and future reforms, should ensure that reform teams develop and use a portfolio of high-quality, credible data and evidence, such as root cause analysis or program evaluations. (Recommendation 6) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator should establish processes to collect the needed data and evidence to monitor implemented, ongoing, and future reforms against their goals. (Recommendation 7) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Associate Principal Deputy Administrator should assess strategic workforce needs specific to reforms, including whether reforms are appropriately resourced, the effects of agency reforms on the current and future workforce, and the potential adverse impacts to agency mission for all implemented and ongoing reforms. (Recommendation 8) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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