The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spends billions annually to procure critical goods and services, yet challenges persist in recruiting, retaining, and managing its acquisition workforce. A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) outlines key obstacles and provides actionable recommendations to address them.
Workforce Challenges Identified
The DHS acquisition workforce includes personnel overseeing procurement functions such as program managers, contracting officers, and contracting officer’s representatives, along with other supporting disciplines. In interviews conducted by GAO, 41 of 55 program managers, contracting officers, and contracting officers highlighted excessive workloads as a primary challenge, with many required to fulfill multiple roles due to staff shortages or lack of experience among team members.
Hiring delays compound these issues, particularly for program managers. GAO found that 12 of 17 program managers interviewed cited protracted hiring timelines—ranging from three to 18 months—as a significant barrier. These delays hinder DHS’s ability to effectively address its workforce needs.
Efforts to Mitigate Challenges
DHS has implemented several initiatives to address workforce challenges, including career development programs, mentorship opportunities, and training for acquisition leaders. However, GAO found that DHS has not evaluated the effectiveness of these efforts. Without such evaluations, DHS lacks assurance that its programs are effectively mitigating workforce challenges like excessive workloads and lengthy hiring processes.
Data Gaps in Workforce Management
Another critical finding from the GAO report is DHS’s lack of comprehensive data on the size and demographics of its acquisition workforce. While some data is collected, DHS has not developed a methodology to identify personnel in eight supporting acquisition disciplines. This incomplete information undermines the agency’s ability to make informed decisions about workforce planning and future needs.
Recommendations for Improvement
The GAO issued four key recommendations to DHS:
- Assess and Monitor Mitigation Efforts: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Under Secretary for Management to develop a strategy to evaluate whether current efforts to address workforce challenges align with identified issues. This strategy should include establishing performance metrics and monitoring results to ensure effectiveness.
- Refine Staffing Model and Data Collection: The Office of Program Accountability and Risk Management should continue refining its staffing model by identifying process efficiencies in data collection, working with components to assess additional data or resource needs, and ensuring the model supports current and future staffing requirements.
- Establish a Comprehensive Methodology: The Under Secretary for Management should create a clear methodology for identifying personnel supporting the 11 acquisition disciplines defined by DHS, ensuring comprehensive workforce visibility.
- Maintain Comprehensive Workforce Data: The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer should identify methods to maintain complete and accurate data across all 11 acquisition disciplines. This could include gathering additional data from components or requiring acquisition personnel to update records regularly in DHS systems.
DHS agreed with one recommendation but disagreed with the remaining three. The GAO maintained that its recommendations are valid and necessary for DHS to enhance its acquisition workforce management.
Why This Matters
Each year, DHS obligates billions of dollars to acquire goods and services critical to its mission. The effectiveness of these acquisitions directly impacts national security, disaster response, and infrastructure protection. Addressing the workforce challenges outlined by GAO is essential to ensuring that DHS can meet its obligations efficiently and effectively.