New GAO Reports – Results-Oriented Management, Whistleblower Protection

Results-Oriented Management: OPM Needs to Do More to Ensure Meaningful Distinctions Are Made in SES Ratings and Performance Awards, GAO-15-189: Published: Jan 22, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 23, 2015: “GAO recommends that the Director of OPM consider various refinements to better ensure the SES performance appraisal system certification guidelines promote making meaningful distinctions in performance. Options could include not certifying appraisal systems where the modal rating is “outstanding.” OPM disagreed with the recommendation stating that, among other things, it could result in forced distributions in ratings. GAO maintains that additional action should be considered to ensure equity in ratings and performance awards across departments.”
Whistleblower Protection: Additional Actions Needed to Improve DOJ’s Handling of FBI Retaliation Complaints, GAO-15-112: Published: Jan 23, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 23, 2015: “Congress may wish to consider whether FBI whistleblowers should have means to seek corrective action if retaliated against for disclosures to supervisors, among others. Further, GAO recommends that DOJ clarify guidance to clearly convey to whom employees can make protected disclosures, provide complainants with estimated complaint decision timeframes, and develop an oversight mechanism to monitor regulatory compliance. DOJ and the Office of the Inspector General concurred with GAO’s recommendations.”