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Audit of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Awards and Recognition Program

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
OIG-NRC-25-A-12
Report Type
Audit
Description
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) generally administered performance awards effectively; however, the OIG identified deficiencies in administering special act awards that require improvement. Specifically, the NRC granted special act awards frequently, often without sufficient justification, raising concerns about compliance with the policy criteria intended to recognize exceptional or superior achievements or contributions. In some cases, award justifications appeared to be duplicated, and some awards were miscoded in employee records, further highlighting weaknesses in award processing and documentation practices.The NRC can improve the accuracy and consistency of its performance award determinations. The issues identified by the OIG included overlapping appraisal periods and failure to prorate awards for some part-time employees, resulting in noncompliance with award limits. In addition, time off was granted in excess of the NRC policy limits, underscoring the need to enhance oversight of time-off awards to prevent future occurrences.The report makes nine recommendations to strengthen the documentation, justification, and oversight of awards to ensure compliance with applicable rules and agency policy.
Joint Report
No
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
View report on Oversight.gov

Recommendations

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations implement reconciliation and validation procedures for any office not using the performance award tool to prevent duplicate awards or overlapping appraisal periods.

Agency Response Dated January 16, 2026: Effective immediately, OCHCO will require each office to submit a standardized award log for all performance awards (template or spreadsheet for all offices to report awards). Upon implementation, the online awards submission tool will provide the capability to run reports to flag duplicate entries. Managers and HR personnel will be required to compare review submissions against validation reports before processing new awards.<br />
Target completion date: October 1, 2026<br />
OIG Analysis: OCHCO’s proposed actions will address the recommendation. The recommendation will remain open until management implements the standardized award log and establishes procedures to identify and prevent duplicate awards.

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations provide guidance for prorating awards based on an employee’s work schedule and duration of employment during the appraisal period.

Agency Response Dated January 16, 2026: OCHCO will establish award eligibility thresholds for<br />
different durations of employment (part-time) during the appraisal period and prorate the award accordingly. OCHCO will provide management sample calculations demonstrating<br />
how awards are prorated based on work schedule and employment duration.<br />
Target completion date: October 1, 2026<br />
OIG Analysis: OCHCO’s proposed actions will address the recommendation. The recommendation will remain open until management provides the established award eligibility<br />
thresholds and related guidance.

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations implement validation controls within the performance award tool to ensure that cash awards fall within the policy-defined limits for each performance rating.

Agency Response Dated January 16, 2026: OCHCO will configure the online awards submission tool to flag entries that exceed or fall below the defined limits (exceptions approved by the EDO). The tool will include automatic calculations for award proration based on employment duration or work schedules. OCHCO will train managers and HR personnel on eligibility thresholds and validation rules. OCHCO will periodically review the system configuration to ensure it reflects policy updates or changes in award ranges.<br />
Target completion date: October 1, 2026<br />
OIG Analysis: OCHCO’s proposed actions will address the recommendation. The recommendation will remain open until management implements the performance award validation controls.

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations track time-off awards to maintain compliance with the leave year limit and monitor their impact on productivity.

Agency Response Dated January 16, 2026: The awards submission tool will include both monetary and non-monetary awards within its use scope. Before any award is approved and processed, offices and HR personnel will check the database to confirm the employee has not<br />
exceeded agency policy limits for time-off awards and confirm the award should proceed through the approval process in accordance with MD 10.72. OCHCO will train managers and HR personnel on tracking procedures, leave year limits, and compliance requirements.<br />
Target completion date: March 31, 2026<br />
OIG Analysis: OCHCO’s proposed actions will address the recommendation. The recommendation will remain open until management implements the award limit validation procedures.