Department of Commerce

This report describes the most serious management and performance challenges facing the Department and its bureaus in FY 2026, categorizing them under three overarching topic areas: Modernizing Technology and Operations, Providing Core Services and Data, and Managing Spending.

The Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA’s) Business Center program is a network of centers supporting minority business enterprises that are funded through cooperative agreements with private-sector entities, state entities, native entities, and institutes of higher education. MBDA has an...

We assessed the effectiveness of the Department’s program for managing public-reported vulnerabilities in its public-facing information technology systems. We found that the Department established a vulnerability disclosure program; however, it was not fully effective. Specifically, the Department’s...

The U.S. Census Bureau’s planning for the 2030 census includes multiple phases. As part of the development and integration phase, the bureau will conduct its first census test in 2026, which is a trial run of activities and operations to help prepare for the decennial census. Conducting a census...

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues patents based on its examination of applications for compliance with Patent Act statutes and relevant case law. USPTO’s Office of Patent and Quality Assurance (OPQA) performs independent quality reviews of examiner office actions to ensure...

Our objective was to assess National Weather Service (NWS) tornado forecasting and warning performance and identify potential opportunities for enhanced effectiveness. We contracted with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), an independent firm, to perform this evaluation. Our office oversaw the...

Our audit objective was to assess the U.S. Department of Commerce’s management and implementation of the Grants Enterprise Management System (GEMS) project. We found that bureaus have procured multiple systems to manage grants; bureaus did not follow Department information technology investment...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) operates NOAA’s fleet of specialized environmental data-collecting aircraft, including three “hurricane hunter” aircraft: one Gulfstream-IV-SP (G-IV) that is 29 years old and flies high...

Over recent decades, the United States has seen a decline in its leadership in semiconductor chip manufacturing and research. To counter this and strengthen domestic semiconductor production and innovation, Congress passed the CHIPS Act of 2022. The CHIPS Act provides $50 billion to the Department...