Page 1 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

441 G St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20548

August 28, 2013

The Honorable Mary Landrieu 

Chairman 

The Honorable Dan Coats 

Ranking Member 

Subcommittee on Homeland Security 

Committee on Appropriations 

United States Senate

The Honorable John Carter 

Chairman 

The Honorable David Price 

Ranking Member 

Subcommittee on Homeland Security 

Committee on Appropriations 

House of Representatives

Border Security: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Has Taken Steps to Address GAO’s 

Recommendations Aimed at Ensuring Officers Are Fully Trained

This letter formally transmits information we provided your offices on July 24, 2013, in response to a 

mandate in the explanatory statement accompanying the Department of Homeland Security 

Appropriations Act, 2013.1 This mandate required us to follow up on the findings from our December 

2011 report on U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) officer training programs to identify 

progress that has been made and any remaining deficiencies.2 CBP, within the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for securing U.S. borders and facilitating legal travel and 

trade. Nearly 22,000 CBP officers are responsible for securing the border at U.S. ports of entry, 

locations at which individuals and merchandise may seek legal entry into the United States. In 

December 2011, we found that CBP had revised its training program for new CBP officers in 

accordance with training standards, but concluded that CBP could do more to identify and address 

incumbent officer training needs, such as evaluating the effectiveness of training and conducting a 

comprehensive assessment of the results of covert tests of CBP’s inspection processes.3 For example, 

 

1 Explanatory Statement, Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, 159 Cong. Rec. S1287, S1550 (daily 

ed. Mar. 11, 2013). See also H.R. Rep. No. 112-492, at 41 (2012).

2 See GAO, Border Security: Additional Steps Needed to Ensure That Officers Are Fully Trained, GAO-12-269 (Washington, 

D.C.: Dec. 22, 2011). This was a public version of a Sensitive Security Information (SSI) report that we issued in October 

2011.

3 See GAO-12-269.

 
 

Page 2 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

CBP developed and mandated training for all CBP officers in response to covert test results (e.g., a 

refresher course called “Back to Basics” and subsequent follow-on training), but it had not fully 

evaluated the effectiveness of the training. We made four recommendations to the CBP Commissioner 

to help address these and other issues, and CBP concurred with these recommendations. This report 

addresses the actions that CBP has taken to implement the recommendations from our December 

2011 report and the status of the recommendations. We modified the slides in the enclosure to include 

updates CBP provided in August 2013 regarding additional actions it had taken to address one of our 

recommendations subsequent to our July 24, 2013, meeting with your offices. 

To conduct this work, we obtained and analyzed documentation and information on CBP's efforts 

conducted in response to the four recommendations in our December 2011 report, and we evaluated 

whether these actions had addressed each recommendation. We also interviewed CBP officials 

responsible for officer training programs and efforts conducted in response to our recommendations, 

including officials from the Office of Training and Development (OTD), Office of Field Operations 

(OFO), and Office of Internal Affairs (IA).4 We also reviewed our prior reports on CBP training programs 

for background and context. We conducted this performance audit from June 2013 to August 2013 in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we 

plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for 

our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained 

provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

In summary, CBP has taken actions to address the recommendations from our December 2011 report; 

three of the four recommendations are closed, and CBP has actions underway to address the 

remaining open recommendation (see table 1).

 

4 OTD and OFO share responsibility for ensuring that newly hired and incumbent CBP officers are sufficiently trained. IA is 

responsible for ensuring compliance with all CBP-wide programs and policies relating to corruption, misconduct, or 

mismanagement and for executing the internal security, integrity, and management inspections programs. For example, IA 

operates a covert test program to identify potential security vulnerabilities at ports of entry. For more information about OTD’s 

and OFO’s responsibilities for CBP officer training, see the enclosure, slide 7.
 

Page 3 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Table 1: Status of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Response to the 

Recommendations from Our December 2011 Report on CBP Officer Training

Source: GAO analysis of CBP information. 

For additional information on the results of our work, please see the slides in the enclosure. We are not 

making any recommendations in this report.

Agency Comments 

We provided a draft of this report to DHS for review and comment. DHS provided technical comments, 

which we incorporated as appropriate. During the comment period, DHS also provided us with additional 

evidence on actions CBP had taken related to the fourth recommendation to develop a plan for 

conducting a training needs assessment to address any skill gaps for incumbent CBP officers and to 

implement that plan. We evaluated this evidence, concluded the recommendation was closed as 

implemented, and updated the report and related enclosure to reflect CBP’s actions and our 

conclusion.

- - - - - 

Recommendations CBP actions to address recommendations 

Status of 

recommendations 

1. Conduct an evaluation of the 

effectiveness of the “Back to Basics” 

and subsequent follow-on training 

CBP has completed an evaluation of the “Back to 

Basics” course, but has not yet conducted an 

evaluation of the follow-on training. According to 

CBP officials, the Office of Training and 

Development plans to complete an evaluation of 

the follow-on training by November 2013.

Open, but actions are in 

progress. 

2. Conduct a comprehensive 

assessment of its covert test results 

to identify the causes of and 

systemic issues underlying the 

results 

CBP conducted a comprehensive assessment of 

the covert test results, reported on key factors 

contributing to the results, and implemented 

actions to address these factors. The report 

addressed our recommendation and should help 

CBP identify patterns or trends that indicate the 

extent to which CBP officer training, 

performance, or other systemic issues may 

contribute to the covert test results. 

Closed as implemented 

3. Establish a policy that specifies 

roles and responsibilities for training 

and related oversight, including 

oversight of training records 

CBP developed a policy and standard operating 

procedures that specified training roles and 

responsibilities and related oversight, including 

oversight of training records. The policy and 

standard operating procedures addressed our 

recommendation and should help strengthen the 

reliability of CBP’s training records. 

Closed as implemented 

4. Develop a plan for conducting a 

training needs assessment to 

address any skill gaps for incumbent 

CBP officers and then implement 

that plan 

CBP conducted a three-phase analysis to identify 

potential skill gaps and training needs for 

incumbent CBP officers and completed a report 

that includes the outcomes of this analysis and 

recommended action steps to address training 

gaps for incumbent officers.

Closed as implemented 
 

Page 4 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional committees and to the Secretary 

of Homeland Security. This report is also available at no charge on GAO’s website at 

http://www.gao.gov. Should you or your staff have questions concerning this report, please contact me 

at (202) 512-6912 or GamblerR@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations 

and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report were 

Kathryn Bernet (Assistant Director), David Alexander, Jennifer Bryant, and Frances Cook. 

Rebecca Gambler

Director 

Homeland Security and Justice 

Enclosure
Enclosure

Page 5 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Enclosure Enclosure

Border Security: U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection Has Taken Steps to Address GAO’s 

Recommendations Aimed at Ensuring Officers 

Are Fully Trained

Briefing for Staff of the Subcommittees on Homeland 

Security, U.S. Senate and House Committees on 

Appropriations

Page 1
Enclosure

Page 6 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Contents

• Introduction 

• Objective, Scope, and Methodology

• Summary

• Background

• Findings

• GAO Contact

Page 2
Enclosure

Page 7 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Introduction

• The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as recent 

incidents involving potential terrorists attempting to enter the 

country, highlight the need for a vigilant and well-trained workforce 

at the border. 

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department 

of Homeland Security (DHS), is the lead federal agency charged 

with inspecting travelers and goods for admission into the United 

States at ports of entry.1

• Nearly 22,000 CBP officers play a central role in ensuring that CBP 

accomplishes its mission of securing the border while also 

facilitating the movement of millions of legitimate travelers and 

billions of dollars in international trade. 

1A port of entry is a location by which individuals and merchandise may seek legal entry into the United States. There are 329 air, sea, 

and land ports in the United States, plus 15 preclearance offices in Canada, Ireland, and the Caribbean. Page 3
Enclosure

Page 8 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Introduction (cont’d) 

• In December 2011, we found that CBP had revised its training 

program for new CBP officers in accordance with training 

standards, but could do more to identify and address incumbent 

officer training needs, such as evaluating the effectiveness of 

training and conducting a comprehensive assessment of the results 

of covert tests of CBP’s inspection processes.2

• For example, CBP developed and mandated training for all 

CBP officers in response to covert test results (e.g., a 

refresher course called “Back to Basics,” and subsequent 

follow-on training), but it had not fully evaluated the 

effectiveness of the training.

• We made four recommendations to CBP to address these and other 

issues, and CBP concurred with these recommendations.

2See GAO, Border Security: Additional Steps Needed to Ensure That Officers Are Fully Trained, GAO-12-269 (Washington, D.C.: 

Dec. 22, 2011). This was a public version of a Sensitive Security Information (SSI) report that GAO issued in October 2011. Page 4
Enclosure

Page 9 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Objective, Scope, and Methodology 

• The explanatory statement accompanying the fiscal year 2013 DHS Appropriations Act 

mandated GAO to follow up on the findings from our December 2011 report to identify 

progress that has been made and any remaining deficiencies.3

• This briefing addresses the actions that CBP has taken to implement the 

recommendations from our December 2011 report to strengthen CBP officer training 

programs and the status of these recommendations.

• Scope and Methodology 

• We obtained and analyzed documentation and information on CBP's efforts 

conducted in response to our four recommendations in our December 2011 report, such as conducting an assessment of its covert test results and evaluating an officer training course, and we evaluated whether CBP’s actions had addressed 

each recommendation. 

• We also interviewed CBP officials responsible for training programs and efforts in 

response to our recommendations and reviewed prior GAO reports on CBP training programs for background and context.

• We provided a draft of these slides to DHS to confirm their technical accuracy. 

CBP provided technical comments, which we incorporated into the slides as 

appropriate. 

3Explanatory Statement, Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, 159 Cong. Rec. S1287, S1550 (daily ed. 

Mar. 11, 2013). See also H.R. Rep. No. 112-492, at 41 (2012). Page 5
Enclosure

Page 10 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Summary 

CBP has taken actions to address the recommendations from our December 2011 report; three of 

the four recommendations are closed and CBP has actions underway to address the remaining 

open recommendation (see Table 1):

Table 1: Status of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Response to the Recommendations from GAO’s December 2011 

Report on CBP Officer Training

Source: GAO analysis of CBP information. 

Page 6

Recommendations CBP actions to address recommendations Status of 

recommendations 

1. Conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of 

the “Back to Basics” and subsequent follow-on 

training 

CBP has completed an evaluation of the “Back to Basics” 

course, but has not yet conducted an evaluation of the follow-on 

training.

Open, but actions are in 

progress.

2. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of its 

covert test results to identify the causes of and 

systemic issues underlying the results 

CBP conducted a comprehensive assessment of the covert test 

results, reported on key factors contributing to the results, and 

implemented actions to address these factors. 

Closed as implemented

3. Establish a policy that specifies roles and 

responsibilities for training and related oversight, 

including oversight of training records 

CBP developed a policy and standard operating procedures that 

specified training roles and responsibilities and related oversight, 

including oversight of training records. 

Closed as implemented

4. Develop a plan for conducting a training 

needs assessment to address any skill gaps for 

incumbent U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) officers and then implement that plan 

CBP conducted a three-phase analysis to identify potential skill 

gaps and training needs for incumbent CBP officers and 

completed a report that includes the outcomes of this analysis 

and recommended action steps to address training gaps for 

incumbent officers. 

Closed as implemented
Enclosure

Page 11 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Background: CBP Components’ Roles and 

Responsibilities for CBP Officer Training 

• CBP’s Office of Training and Development (OTD) and Office of Field 

Operations (OFO) share responsibility for ensuring that newly hired 

and incumbent CBP officers are sufficiently trained. 

• OTD designs, develops, delivers, and evaluates CBP-wide training 

courses and establishes training standards and policies. 

• OFO identifies CBP officer training requirements and provides 

subject-matter experts to assist in the development and instruction 

of some training courses, and reviews training that is developed.

• CBP’s Office of Internal Affairs (IA) is responsible for ensuring 

compliance with all CBP-wide programs and policies relating to 

corruption, misconduct, or mismanagement and for executing the 

internal security, integrity, and management inspections programs. For 

example, IA operates a covert test program to identify potential 

security vulnerabilities at ports of entry.

Page 7
Enclosure

Page 12 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Background: Newly Hired CBP Officer Training 

Requirements

• In 2009, CBP revised its training curriculum for new CBP officers to enhance an officer’s ability to 

identify behavioral indicators displayed by terrorists and criminals and identify fraudulent 

documents, among other tasks. Figure 1 provides details on the revised basic training program. 

Figure 1: Overview of Revised Basic Training Program for Newly Hired U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers 

Page 8
Enclosure

Page 13 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Background: Incumbent CBP Officer Training 

Requirements

• All CBP officers are required to take individual mandatory training courses, 

such as fraudulent document detection and firearms qualification and 

proficiency, among others. CBP provides most mandatory courses on a one- time or annual basis via a web-based training application. Some courses are 

provided in an instructor-led classroom format. 

• Also, in March 2010, OFO developed and mandated a “Back to Basics” 

refresher course for all CBP officers that emphasized the basic inspection 

duties that all CBP officers are required to perform during a primary 

inspection,4 such as comparing the travel document to the traveler and asking 

appropriate questions to confirm the traveler’s identity.

• From June 2011 through September 2012, CBP delivered the follow-on 

course to “Back to Basics,” which includes more specific instructions 

regarding inspection duties, to about 35 percent of CBP supervisory and non- supervisory CBP officers, among others. 

• In addition, OFO has developed nonmandatory specialized courses for 

incumbent officers assigned to specialized teams (e.g., air or sea cargo 

targeting training). 

4When travelers (U.S. persons and foreign nationals) enter the country through ports of entry, CBP officers conduct a screening procedure 

referred to as a primary inspection where officers take steps to ensure that the traveler is in compliance with all U.S. legal requirements. Page 9
Enclosure

Page 14 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Background: Incumbent CBP Officer Training 

Requirements (cont’d)

• Further, as part of the merger to create CBP in 2003, CBP 

cross-trained CBP officers to simultaneously perform 

immigration and customs inspection functions as well as 

identify and refer possible agricultural violations for further 

inspection.5

• For example, CBP required all legacy customs officers to 

complete courses in immigration law and immigration and 

agriculture fundamentals and all legacy immigration officers 

to complete courses in customs law and customs and 

agriculture fundamentals. 

• In June 2011, CBP officially retired the cross-training courses 

and replaced them with postacademy modules that contained 

revised content. 

Page 10 5In March 2003, inspectors from the three legacy agencies—the Department of Justice’s U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Department 

of the Treasury’s U.S. Customs Service and the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service—were merged to form CBP. 
Enclosure

Page 15 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Background: December 2011 Report Findings

• In December 2011, we found that CBP had revised its training program 

for new officers in 2009 in accordance with OTD training development 

standards and rolled out the revised basic training in February 2011. 

• We also found that CBP had taken steps to identify and address the 

training needs of incumbent CBP officers. However, we concluded that 

CBP could do more to ensure its incumbent officers were fully trained. 

For example:

• CBP had conducted covert tests to assess vulnerabilities at ports 

of entry, but had not assessed the results to identify the causes 

and systemic issues that may have contributed to the results (e.g., 

training, performance, or other issues), consistent with IA protocols.

• In response to the covert test results, CBP developed and 

mandated training for all CBP officers (e.g., “Back to Basics” and 

follow-on training6), but it had not fully evaluated the effectiveness 

of the training, consistent with its training development standards. 

6CBP officials referred to the follow-on training course as “Total Inspectional Awareness.” Page 11
Enclosure

Page 16 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Background: December 2011 Report Findings 

(cont’d)

• In addition, CBP did not have policies or procedures to guide component offices’ efforts to implement and oversee training and had unreliable training records.

• For example, OFO officials stated that port management and field office directors were responsible for ensuring that CBP officers 

complete training related to their job duties, but no policy existed 

that assigned those responsibilities.

• Also, according to our analysis of training records, in December 

2011, we found that more than 4,000 legacy customs officers had 

not completed required cross-training, although they were required to do so during the cross-training program, which ended in June 2011. According to OFO officials, the training records were 

incomplete, and it was unlikely that these officers had not 

completed required training. 

• However, we concluded that without reliable training records, CBP cannot provide reasonable assurance that CBP officers have 

completed required or recommended training in accordance with federal internal control standards. 

Page 12
Enclosure

Page 17 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Background: December 2011 Report Findings 

(cont’d)

• Further, CBP had not conducted a comprehensive training needs 

assessment to address any skills gaps or training needs for incumbent officers.

• CBP had taken steps to identify training needs among incumbent 

CBP officers. For example, in 2011, CBP completed a curriculum 

gap analysis, which compared the revised basic training program for new CBP officers with the previous basic training to identify new skills or material that incumbent CBP officers may not have 

learned in their basic training. 

• However, CBP had not conducted a comprehensive training needs 

assessment to identify and address potential gaps in incumbent 

officers’ current skills and competencies. 

• Under executive order and federal regulations, agencies are to 

review programs to identify training needs, establish priorities for training, and allocate resources in accordance with those 

priorities.7 Further, OTD training development standards state that a training needs assessment is needed to identify knowledge or 

skill gaps and suggest material for new or follow-on training. 

7Exec. Order No. 11,348, § 303, 32 Fed. Reg. 6335, 6335 (Apr. 20, 1967); 5 C.F.R. § 410.201(c)-(d). Page 13
Enclosure

Page 18 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Status of Recommendation 1: Open; Actions in 

Progress 

Recommendation 1: Conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of 

“Back to Basics” and subsequent follow-on training

• CBP has completed an evaluation of the “Back to Basics” 

course, but has not yet conducted a formal evaluation of the follow-on training. 

• In January 2012, OTD completed an evaluation of the “Back 

to Basics” course that identified strengths and areas for 

improvement in the training. 

• In November 2012, CBP officials obtained the results of 

covert tests conducted before, and since, implementation 

of the follow-on training to determine whether there were 

any differences in officer performance and to identify any 

additional requirements for training. 

Page 14
Enclosure

Page 19 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Status of Recommendation 1: Open; Actions in 

Progress (cont’d)

• In June 2013, CBP officials reported they did not consider this 

analysis of the covert tests to be an evaluation of the 

effectiveness of the follow-on training, given the covert tests 

are designed to provide a snapshot of a port’s operation on a 

particular day and therefore represent a limited sample size 

and challenges related to proving a causal relationship 

between the follow-on training and the test results. 

• CBP reported that OTD plans to work with OFO to determine if 

the follow-on training delivered to OFO managers and officers 

at select ports of entry has had an overall effect on 

performance by conducting a formal training evaluation. 

According to CBP officials, OTD plans to complete the formal 

evaluation of the follow-on training by November 2013. 

Page 15
Enclosure

Page 20 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Status of Recommendation 2: Closed as 

Implemented

Recommendation 2: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the covert test 

results to identify the causes of and systemic issues underlying the results. 

• CBP conducted a comprehensive assessment of the document fraud 

covert test results, reported on key factors contributing to the results, and 

implemented actions to address these factors. 

• In December 2011, IA completed its comprehensive analysis of the document fraud covert test results from fiscal years 2009 through 2011 and sent a report documenting its findings to the OFO Acting 

Assistant Commissioner.8

• In the report, IA identified several factors that contributed to the 

potential vulnerabilities identified by the covert tests, and made seven 

recommendations to OFO to help address these factors. 

• In May 2012, OFO reported to IA the actions OFO was taking to implement the recommendations. As of March 2013, IA determined 

OFO had implemented five of the seven recommendations. 

• IA’s report addressed our recommendation and should help CBP identify patterns or trends that indicate the extent to which CBP officer 

training, performance, or other systemic issues may contribute to the 

covert test results. 

8The GAO report issued in December 2011 was a public version of an SSI report issued in October 2011 and therefore was based on 

work conducted prior to the December 2011 analysis of the covert test results. Page 16
Enclosure

Page 21 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Status of Recommendation 3: Closed as 

Implemented

Recommendation 3: Establish a policy that specifies roles and responsibilities for 

training and related oversight, including oversight of training records. 

• CBP developed a National Policy and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) document that specified roles and responsibilities for training and related oversight, including the oversight of training records. 

• In November 2011, OFO completed development of the national 

policy and SOP that assigned training and related oversight roles and 

responsibilities to OFO headquarters, field office, and port officials and 

transmitted it to field office directors.9

• Among other things, the new policy and SOP assign to certain 

designated CBP personnel, or registrars, responsibility for:

• accurate and timely entry of all field-delivered training records, and 

• regular reporting to CBP management on the status of mandatory training completions.

• Further, the new policy and SOP assign to the port director and field 

training supervisor responsibility for overseeing training data entry. 

• The policy and SOP addressed our recommendation and should help strengthen the reliability of CBP’s training records.

9The GAO report issued in December 2011 was a public version of an SSI report issued in October 2011 and therefore was based 

on work conducted prior to the November 2011 national policy and SOP. Page 17
Enclosure

Page 22 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Status of Recommendation 4: Closed as 

Implemented

Recommendation 4: Develop a plan for conducting a training needs assessment 

to address any skill gaps for incumbent CBP officers and then implement that 

plan. 

• CBP conducted a three-phase analysis to identify potential skill gaps and training needs for incumbent CBP officers and completed a report that 

includes the outcomes of this analysis and recommended action steps to 

address training gaps for incumbent officers. 

• In March 2012, OFO and OTD evaluated the current training to identify any existing gaps based on a CBP officer job task analysis. 

• In September 2012, OFO and OTD distributed a survey to incumbent CBP officers to seek feedback on possible gaps in training. 

• In April 2013, CBP officials told us that, given the low response rate to the incumbent officer survey, they plan to start over and conduct a 

three-phase Training Analysis, including (1) Training Gap Analysis, (2) Skills Gap Analysis, and (3) Training Needs Assessment. 

• In April 2013, CBP officials also told us they had been delayed in starting the analysis because of several personnel and budget issues, including retirements, attrition, loss of contract support, sequestration, 

and continuing resolutions. 

Page 18
Enclosure

Page 23 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

Status of Recommendation 4: Closed as 

Implemented (cont’d) 

• In August 2013, CBP officials stated that OTD had completed all three 

phases of its training analysis for incumbent CBP officers. Specifically: 

• On June 30, 2013, OTD officials completed phase 1, the Training 

Gap Analysis, to identify parallels and gaps between current and 

past training for incumbent officers. 

• On July 18, 2013, OTD officials completed phase 2, the Skills 

Gap Analysis. During this phase, OTD officials conducted 

telephone interviews and online surveys of incumbent CBP 

officers, including legacy officers, to identify if the training gaps 

have had an impact on the officers’ skills and abilities. 

• On August 12, 2013, OTD officials completed phase 3, the 

Training Needs Assessment, to identify the solutions and 

recommendations to address the gaps in training that had an 

impact on the skills or abilities of CBP officers. 

• In August 2013, OTD completed a report that includes the outcomes 

of this analysis and recommended action steps for addressing 

incumbent officer training gaps. OTD’s report addressed our 

recommendation and should better position CBP to develop training to 

address the incumbent CBP officer skill gaps and training needs and 

help ensure its officers are equipped to meet the operational demands 

at the border. 

Page 19
Enclosure

Page 24 GAO-13-768R CBP Officer Training Programs

(441167)

GAO Contact 

Should you or your staff have questions concerning this report, please 

contact: 

Rebecca S. Gambler

Director, Homeland Security and Justice

(202) 512-6912 

GamblerR@gao.gov

Page 20
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