Summary: GAO reviewed certain Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) personnel policies and procedures applicable to Universal Annual (UA) employees to identify ways in which AAFES can more equitably or effectively manage its UA work force.
Several areas were noted where increased management attention could benefit AAFES and could provide more effective use of nonappropriated funds. GAO specifically identified (1) a number of unplanned transfer actions which were more costly than preplanned transfers, (2) several incidents of inconsistently applied mobility agreement policies, and (3) some examples of poor matching of employee skills with job requirements. A review of the Central Promotion Board revealed several problems which suggest that management cannot rely on the board to consistently identify the best qualified candidates for promotion. Further, GAO found AAFES employees do not enjoy the same appeal rights as other Federal employees and are not guaranteed the right to receive the supplemental retirement benefits they earned for participating in the AAFES executive management program.
