Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Oversight of the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

Submitting OIG:

Report Description:

We performed this audit to determine whether Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has sufficient processes for overseeing vocational rehabilitation (VR) program grantees’ effective use of funds in compliance with applicable requirements. We found that RSA generally had sufficient processes for overseeing State VR agencies’ effective use of funds. These processes included communicating clear, accurate, and timely guidance and technical assistance to State VR agencies; performing annual reviews for all State VR agencies; and conducting periodic onsite and offsite monitoring for selected State VR agencies. However, we found that RSA could strengthen its oversight in key areas by developing documented procedures for its annual reviews, improving its risk assessment processes by incorporating a risk factor that accounts for a State VR agency’s technical assistance needs, and establishing a reasonable period during which all State VR agencies must be subject to onsite or offsite monitoring at least once.

Date Issued:

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

Department of Education

Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:

A23CA0140

Location(s):

Agency-Wide

Type of Report:

Other

Questioned Costs:

Funds for Better Use:

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

View Document:

Attachment	Size
FY24-A23CA0140-9524v100508SECURED.pdf	2.23 MB

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
1.1	Open	Yes
We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OSERS require RSA to design and document procedures for its annual review process. The procedures should be in the form of written policies and procedures or protocols, and designed to ensure compliance with applicable requirements, including those covered in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Department’s “Guide for Managing Formula Grant Programs.”
1.2	Open	Yes
We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OSERS require RSA to strengthen its process for selecting State VR agencies to monitor by (a) incorporating a risk factor that accounts for an agency’s technical assistance needs (such as number of requests made or complexity of technical assistance needs) into the accountability model used to help select agencies and (b) establishing a reasonable time period (for example, 8 to 10 years) during which all agencies must be monitored (through periodic onsite monitoring or offsite monitoring) by RSA at least once.

Recommendation Number

Recommendation Status

Significant Recommendation

Additional Details

1.1

Open

Yes

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OSERS require RSA to design and document procedures for its annual review process. The procedures should be in the form of written policies and procedures or protocols, and designed to ensure compliance with applicable requirements, including those covered in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Department’s “Guide for Managing Formula Grant Programs.”

1.2

Open

Yes

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OSERS require RSA to strengthen its process for selecting State VR agencies to monitor by (a) incorporating a risk factor that accounts for an agency’s technical assistance needs (such as number of requests made or complexity of technical assistance needs) into the accountability model used to help select agencies and (b) establishing a reasonable time period (for example, 8 to 10 years) during which all agencies must be monitored (through periodic onsite monitoring or offsite monitoring) by RSA at least once.

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Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Oversight of the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

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