The Government Accountability Office has released a report regarding an audit it conducted on an effort by the National Nuclear Security Administration to undergo agency reform so as to better meet the demands of a $200 billion nuclear modernization program.
NNSA Reforms
The reform involves 15 recommendations — proposed by NNSA itself in a 2022 document titled “Evolving the Nuclear Security Enterprise: A Report of the Enhanced Mission Delivery Initiative” — to improve various aspects of the agency and its contractor operating environment, including contracting, employee recruitment and retention, and program and project management, GAO said Thursday.
Audit Findings
Of the 15 recommendations, the government watchdog identified six as being at high risk for fraud, waste, abuse or mismanagement. The plans for these six were deemed to be largely aligned with leading practices in the areas of leadership focus and attention. Most, however, were found to not be in full alignment with leading practices in the areas of setting goals, using data and evidence, monitoring, addressing management challenges and engaging key stakeholders.
According to GAO, weaknesses in these areas undermine NNSA’s ability to monitor the effectiveness of the reforms and, ultimately, whether challenges or risks of fraud, waste and abuse have been addressed or overcome.
Eight recommendations were put forward by GAO to mitigate these issues. NNSA concurred with all of them.
