Watchdog Urges Agencies to Improve Employee Name Change Process, Tech Modernization

If a federal employee needs to change their name, whether due to marriage, divorce, or personal reasons, agencies need to lay out a clearer set of instructions.

That’s the takeaway of a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which reviewed the name change process at four agencies: the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of State, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

It found that SSA and VA, “lacked comprehensive guidance documenting an employee's responsibilities to effectively complete all the steps required to request a name change, including expected time frames” with employees telling GAO in focus groups that they experienced significant challenges in the process. GAO notes that due to the time consuming nature of the name change process, “federal employees' abilities to complete work tasks could be adversely affected.”

“The name change process resulted in several weeks of work slowdown and even work stoppage and that is a waste of taxpayer resources,” said one employee in the GAO focus group. 

In addition, the agencies were cited for shortfalls in other areas. SSA did not include all the steps employees must take to complete the name change process, such as updating IT systems and agency credentials. And the IRS never set up a system for employees to formally change their names as a result of gender transition although federal employees are no longer able to request a name change due to gender transition after an executive order from President Trump.

GAO recommended that all four agencies collect feedback on the name change process. It also urged VA and SSA to create guidance for employees on changing their names. VA disagreed with the recommendation, arguing that it already does so. 

OMB Needs to Prioritize or Terminate IT Program

GAO also released a report looking at the implementation of the Technology Business Management (TBM) framework, a framework that was introduced eight years ago to help the federal government streamline IT spending. 

However, after eight years, GAO notes that most agencies have not developed a plan for implementing TBM and blamed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a “lack of guidance.” 

Given this, GAO says OMB either needs to deem the program an administration priority or shut it down. 

“OMB’s lack of action and guidance over the last 8 years has led to substantial TBM delays. While costs continue to mount, full TBM implementation is stalled. Action is required now to determine the future of TBM in the federal government,” stated the report. 

OMB did not respond to the report’s recommendation.