The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Appendix B, requires the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct periodic risk assessments of agency purchase and travel card programs. OIG conducts these assessments to identify and analyze the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments and to determine the appropriate scope, frequency, and number of periodic audits of these programs.
To assess risk associated with the Department of State’s (Department) travel card program, OIG reviewed the Department’s FY 2024 travel card data and concluded that the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments within the Department’s travel card program was “medium.” OIG based its conclusion on the travel card program’s size, internal controls, training, previous audits, and observations from OIG’s Office of Investigations (INV).
Although OIG concluded that risk to the travel card program is “medium,” OIG plans to audit the Department’s travel card program during FY 2026. Therefore, OIG is not recommending that an audit of the Department’s travel card program be included in OIG’s FY 2027 work plan. OIG encourages Department officials to continue prudent oversight of the travel card program to ensure that internal controls intended to safeguard taxpayer funds are fully implemented and followed by Department travel card holders.
