2019 MoCo Inspector General Report: Telework Program of the Montgomery County Public Schools

 

OIG Report 19-004 (May 22, 2019)

Background: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) had 254 employees approved for telework in 2018. The telework program, implemented in 2006, includes a small number of consulting teachers but does not primarily include the academic workforce. The OIG conducted this review to assist MCPS in assessing its current telework program. Key Points in the OIG Report: We identified relevant significant controls over telework by researching recommended practices in the Federal Government, the State of Maryland, Montgomery County, and nearby local governments. We also reviewed articles from management consultants and researched telework in other educational institutions. 

From this research, we identified 10 key controls: 

1) Supervisors set objectives, deadlines, and reporting requirements 

2) Teleworkers’ performance measured same as that of other workers 

3) Written policies 

4) Training required for employees & managers 

5) Remote work site criteria in writing and self-certification required 

6) Mix of telework and office days to meet office needs 

7) Written agreements 

8) Data on telework hours collected 

9) Technology controls in place 

10) Telework approvals based on clear written standards 

We concluded that MCPS has all of these controls but needed improvement in two of them: technology controls and clear written standards for telework approvals. We interviewed teleworkers and their supervisors. The teleworkers we interviewed said that teleworking enabled them to be more productive, because of fewer interruptions; a quieter workspace making it easier to hear and focus; and a more flexible, less hectic environment. The supervisors we interviewed found telework to be beneficial to employee productivity and were comfortable managing teleworkers. We made the following recommendations: • MCPS should explore the possibility of expanding its telework program to capture benefits such as reduced real estate costs and the ability to continue operations in severe weather, subject to labor agreements;

• In its training for supervisors of teleworkers, MCPS should include guidance on monitoring teleworkers and measuring their long-term performance, including establishing objectives, setting deadlines, and requiring status reports; • MCPS should update its written policies so that they a) prohibit copying certain data onto employees’ personally owned computers or other personal devices and b) require employees to inform MCPS if equipment with MCPS data is lost; and • MCPS management should communicate in writing to decision-makers and employees its criteria for approving telework and determining the number of days that an employee may telework, and it should monitor the decisions system-wide to ensure that the decisions are equitable. Key Points in the MCPS Chief Operating Officer’s Response: The MCPS Chief Operating Officer (MCPS COO) stated that MCPS appreciated the potential benefits of teleworking noted in our report and was encouraged by the responses from employees who indicated that teleworking enables them to be more productive. The MCPS COO wrote that MCPS is committed to ongoing and continuous improvement and will work to enhance its controls going forward, utilizing practices highlighted in the report. The MCPS COO noted that MCPS is particularly interested in opportunities to strengthen training of employees and supervisors, as well as enhancing technology controls focusing on data security.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OIG/Resources/Files/PDF/oig_annual_report_fy_2019.pdf