GAO report on USNR zero-based review

The Web site of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that in October, GAO "published report # GAO-06-125, evaluating the Zero-Based Review (ZBR) which determined the number of selected Navy Reservists needed to support the active Navy force."

According to the report, "The Navy's zero-based review process focused on identifying the extent to which the active force could perform Navy missions and then determine[d] whether Reserve manpower could fill any remaining gaps, which may not have resulted in the most cost-effective mix of active and Reserve forces.

"Congress mandated that GAO assess several issues related to the Navy's review of Selected Reserve manpower requirements, including (1) the extent that the Navy used clearly defined and consistent criteria and a sound methodology in determining the future mix of Active and Reserve Components and (2) the extent the Navy's zero-based review process considered operational concepts and emerging mission requirement.

"The Navy's zero-based review had two limitations that could have changed the number of active and Reserve manpower recommended to the Chief of Naval Operations. The Navy (1) did not assess the most cost-effective mix of active and Reserve manpower to perform the mission and (2) used out dated critical mission documents as a baseline for manpower requirements.

"GAO's prior work has shown that when Reserve forces can successfully meet deployment and operational requirements, they can perform missions for less cost than active forces, and that decisions about the number of personnel needed to perform government functions should be driven by valid and reliable data.

"The Navy's zero-based review was an important first step in its overall strategy to assess the role of the Navy Reserve in the total Navy force.... However, the Navy's approach of using capability gaps in the active force as the means to determine Navy Reserve manpower requirements was too narrow.... "This approach did not provide assurance that the Navy will have the most cost-effective mix of active and Reserve forces in the future. Furthermore, using outdated mission documents as a baseline for determining manpower requirements substantially reduced assurance that the Navy activities started with the best data for making quality manpower assessments.... It is important that all future assessments consider the most cost-effective force mix and be based on current mission documents."

The full report can be found at: http://www.gao.gov/new. items/d06125.pdf.

GAO Report: Improving USERRA Complaint Process

ROA's efforts last year contributed toward establishing the need for a study that was requested by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) from GAO on whether USERRA compliance has changed. The USERRA act is intended to eliminate or minimize employment disadvantages to Reserve Component members with their civilian careers.

Excerpts from that report follow:

"Currently, DoD's Employment Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), Department of Labor's (DOL) Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) and solicitors offices, Department of Justice (DO]), and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) all operate their own automated systems for tracking USERRA complaints.... Duplication of data occurs because systems are not shared, resulting in officials from different agencies spending time collecting information that has already been provided to another agency," serving to slow the complaint resolution process.

"Formal referrals by VETS investigators to DOJ or OSC must be accompanied by a paper file, which when passed through the mail adds to the inefficiency.... Elapsed time of a case becomes just as important as processing time." GAO recommends that DOL shift from its official paper to electronic files to prevent losses and permit duplicate records.

"The responsibility for enforcing and implementing USERRA is complex, involving several federal agencies. A single complaint can start at DoD and flow through three different DOL offices before finally being resolved at DOJ or OSC.... Agency officials have not addressed complaint processing issues.... Instead, they focus their goals on outputs from their particular portion process.... However, no agency has visibility over the entire complaint process. Therefore it is difficult for the responsible agencies to achieve their common goal-to minimize the employment disadvantages that can result from service" [in the Reserve Components].

"Meanwhile, the servicemember knows how much time is passing since the initial complaint was filed.... A 2004 DoD survey showed that at least 72 percent of the.... Guard and Reserve members with USERRA problems never sought assistance for their problems."

GAO recommends that DoD include additional questions in the periodic Status of Force Survey to determine the extent of USERRA-related problems, and why they might not seek assistance. GAO also recommends that Congress consider designating a single individual or office to maintain visibility over the entire complaint resolution process.

The full report can be found at: http ://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0660high.pdf.

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