DEFENSE WORKFORCE: DOD Needs to Assess Its Use of Term and Temporary Appointments

DOD employs term and temporary personnel as a part of its overall civilian workforce. Recently, DOD extended the maximum duration of term appointments to 8 years with further extensions considered on a case-by-case basis, and temporary appointments to 3 years. House Report 116-120 included a provision for GAO to review DODs use of term and temporary hiring authorities. GAOs report (1) identifies changes in the number of DOD term and temporary personnel from fiscal years 2016 through 2019, and (2) assesses the extent to which DOD modified term and temporary appointments and completed and submitted a statutorily required report assessing those modifications. GAO analyzed DOD personnel data from fiscal years 2016 through 2019 to identify any changes, DOD memoranda modifying term and temporary appointments, and relevant statutes; and interviewed DOD and Office of Personnel Management officials. GAO recommends that DOD report the results of the assessment of employee perceptions of modifications to term and temporary appointments to Congress and GAO. DOD concurred with the recommendation.