Semiannual Report to Congress, March 2020

This report summarizes work that we initiated and completed during this semiannual period on a number of critical Departmental activities. Over the past 6 months, our office issued 20 products related to our audit, evaluation, and inspection work. These products addressed programs and personnel associated with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Census Bureau (the Bureau), U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), International Trade Administration (ITA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the Department itself. This report also describes our investigative activities addressing programs and personnel associated with ITA, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NOAA, USPTO, and the Department itself. In October 2019, we issued our annual report identifying what we consider, from our oversight perspective, to be the top management and performance challenges facing the Department in fiscal year (FY) 2020, a summary of which begins on page 2.