DHS Acquisition Managers Overstretched as Agency Fails to Analyze Data: GAO

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needs to change the way it manages its 13,000 strong acquisitions workforce, as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) cited the agency on numerous fronts including heavy workload, too slow to hire, and not analyzing workforce data.

In addition, GAO cited DHS for knowing it has problems with the acquisitions workforce, but not taking action.

For its report, GAO spoke with acquisition program managers, contracting officers, and contracting officers’ representatives, representing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Acquisitions managers are responsible for overseeing the $20 billion in products each year that DHS purchases to help fulfill its mission.

Workload in Focus

41 of the 55 program managers interviewed by GAO cited heavy workload as their “most considerable challenge.” Some of the acquisitions managers were filling multiple roles due to staffing issues.

GAO notes that the fallout from heavy workload includes reduced performance quality, longer timelines, and the risk of burnout.

Another major concern was the time it takes to hire new employees for DHS acquisitions. 12 of the 17 acquisitions program managers interviewed cited hiring timelines as a challenge. GAO noted in a fiscal year (FY) 2023 report that DHS acquisition hiring time frames ranged from three to 18 months.

“Among acquisition program managers who identified length of hiring as a moderate or greater challenge, the most frequently mentioned effect was the loss of job candidates,” noted GAO. “Most acquisition program managers also mentioned the security clearance process as contributing to long hiring time frames.”

The interviewees also mentioned training, communication, retention, and finding qualified candidates as other challenges on the staffing front.

DHS Data Concerns

The GAO report noted that DHS was aware of hiring issues, and took steps to mitigate some of the challenges, such as instituting shadowing programs and rotating acquisitions professionals across component agencies.

However, GAO cited the agency for not analyzing if those mitigation techniques were effective.

DHS was also cited for not having comprehensive data on the size or demographics of its acquisition workforce.

“Without establishing a methodology to identify these personnel and collecting comprehensive data on them, DHS lacks reasonable assurance that its decisions about current and future workforce requirements are based on complete information,” GAO wrote.

Recommendations

GAO made four recommendations to DHS.  

DHS only agreed with one of the recommendations, which was to ensure that the Office of Program Accountability and Risk Management works to refine its staffing model, improves data collection, and reviews what data and resources are needed to meet the model’s goals.

DHS disagreed with the other three, although GAO maintains they are valid.

Those recommendations tasked DHS with assessing whether mitigation efforts are aligned with acquisition workforce challenges, ensuring a methodology for identifying information about acquisition personnel, and identifying methods to maintain comprehensive data across all 11 disciplines that constitute the acquisition workforce.