DAVE

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does the Dave Report show 8,845 long term vacant positions, while the dashboard only reflects 8,838 positions?

A: The difference of 7 positions is because some State agencies do not use the Integrated HR/ Payroll System and therefore do not have a position number associated with the vacancy. The dashboard relies on the position number as the unique identifier for the associated information on the position. As a result, these seven positions are included in the Dave Report’s total of 8,845 long term vacancies but are excluded from the dashboard.

State Bar (2 positions)
State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners (1 position)
Education Lottery Commission (*4 positions)

Q: What does “Total Lapsed Salary Generated for 6 Months or Greater” mean on the dashboard?

A: Lapsed salary is generated from positions funded by state appropriations, specific agency-generated receipts, and federal funding and grants. As defined by the Office of State Budget and Management, lapsed salary is the dollar amount not expended for salary during the period in which a position is vacant.

In alignment with the Office of State Budget and Management’s definition of lapsed salary, for this dashboard, the total lapsed salary generated for 6 months or greater is the total dollars budgeted for positions vacant for 6 months or more and not expended for salary during the entire period in which the position was vacant. While state agencies do expend generated lapsed salaries, the total lapsed salary generated does not represent (1) actual lapsed salary dollars that were available and/or used by state agencies for other purposes, or (2) total funds available in the future if long-term vacancies were eliminated.

Q: What does "unfunded placeholder" mean on the dashboard?

A: Unfunded placeholders are usually federal positions which do not receive funding but are kept in OSHR’s system in case they need to be hired quickly. For example, the Department of Commerce’s Division of Employment Security Commission (DES) is made up of unfunded federal positions reserved for an unemployment crisis. Keeping these positions within OSHR’s system allows for rapid hiring if the need arises. This label was created for clarity within our report and is not intended to reference any legal definition.

Q: Will public universities and community colleges be a part of the dashboard?

A: OSA also collected long-term vacancy and associated lapsed salary information from North Carolina public universities and community colleges, but those results will be published in a separate report. Universities have greater flexibility in managing budgets and operations, which made it necessary to report their vacancy and salary data separately from State agencies.

Q: If a position was vacant for 6 months as of August 6, 2025, but has since been filled, do we still need to report it? How should we show that it was filled in the spreadsheet?

A: Yes. You must still provide a description of all positions that were vacant for six months or more as of August 6, 2025, even if they were filled after that date. In Column S (Plans for Release or Elimination) on Tab 1a, Vacancy Data Details, note that the position was filled after August 6 and include the employee’s official start date.

Q: What does Tab “2a: Agency Operations and Fiscal Effectiveness” require?

A: This section provides a broad overview of how the agency uses public funds to carry out its statutory mission and responsibilities. Agencies should include:

• The statutory mandate that defines the agency’s mission.
• Laws or regulations that govern its operations.
• A description of how public monies are spent.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or other strategic measures that demonstrate the effectiveness of those expenditures.
• How the agency tracks and reports progress toward its mission using KPIs or strategic measures.

The goal is to present a clear picture of agency operations: What is the agency required to do by law, how does it operate within those laws, how does it spend public funds to achieve its mission, and how does it measure progress and effectiveness in doing so?

Q: Should agencies include only State-funded position data in their DAVE Act submissions, or do they also need to include federal, institutional, and local county funding?

A: All funding sources should be included; State, federal, institutional, and local county funded. This ensures a complete picture of vacancies and fiscal impacts across the agency.

Q: What should we enter on Tab 1a if we had no vacancies over six months as of August 6th 2025?

A: You can type: “As of August 6, 2025, our agency did not have any permanent position vacancies of over six months.”

Q: What should we write on Tab 1b if there were no vacancies?

A: Please restate that your agency had no vacancies for the requested period in the text box. If you would like, you may also share any general challenges your agency faces in filling vacancies.

Q: Do we still need to provide information for Tab 1c if there were no vacancies?

A: Yes. Please provide the budget-to-actual information for the requested account code (Community Colleges Only). Include a description of any differences and explain how those funds were used.

Q: How will we know that you have received the KPI-related information from the Community College System Office for our college, so we can be sure we have completed our documentation request?

A: The KPI-related information will be submitted to us directly by the Community College System Office. Once received, we can notify all community colleges so you know when your information has been provided to us and that this portion of your submission is complete.

Q: We do not have a remote work policy since our organization no longer allows work from home. How should we present this information?

A: A statement noting that your organization does not permit remote work will be sufficient. If you have a written policy reflecting this, you should provide the current version.