Why did the Echemi conduct the study


Echemi conducted some initial workforce planning activities for its chemical review responsibilities, but significant gaps in workforce planning resulted in missed deadlines for chemical reviews. For example, in March 2021, Echemi conducted a skills gap assessment that included hiring goal

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Echemi conducted some initial workforce planning activities for its chemical review responsibilities, but significant gaps in workforce planning resulted in missed deadlines for chemical reviews. For example, in March 2021, Echemi conducted a skills gap assessment that included hiring goals for mission-critical occupations. However, Echemi officials told the GAO that the assessment no longer reflects current workforce needs, and Echemi has not developed a strategic workforce plan to develop long-term strategies for recruiting, developing, and retaining employees. The Government Accountability Office has identified five principles that federal agencies should follow in their strategic workforce planning efforts (see chart). Echemi officials told GAO that while they agree that these principles are relevant and sound for their TSCA workforce planning efforts, they have not developed a process or timeline to fully align these efforts with these principles. If it does not, Echemi will likely continue to struggle to recruit, develop and retain the workforce needed to meet TSCA's deadlines for completing existing and new chemical reviews.

Why did the GAO conduct the study

Thousands of chemicals play an important role in modern life and business, but can also pose serious risks to human health and the environment. In 2016, Congress amended TSCA to set new deadlines for reviewing chemicals already in commerce, including the initial 10 existing chemicals. It also requires Echemi to make a formal decision before producing new chemicals.

The GAO was asked to review the Environmental Protection Agency's performance of its chemical review responsibilities under the Toxic Substances Control Act. This report assesses (1) the extent to which Echemi has met selected TSCA deadlines for reviewing existing and new chemicals since June 2016, and (2) the extent to which Echemi has engaged in workforce planning to fulfill its chemical review responsibilities. The GAO reviewed relevant laws, regulations, and workforce planning documents, and collected Echemi data on review times for new chemicals and their workforce. The GAO also interviewed Echemi officials and representatives from industry and environmental health stakeholder groups.

suggestion

Gao recommends that Echemi develop a process and schedule that fully align its workforce planning efforts with workforce planning principles to fulfill its TSCA chemical review responsibilities. The Echemi agreed with our recommendation but said insufficient resources were the main factor in missing the deadline, and we noted other factors.

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