50024-0016-11 - Recommendation 1

We recommend that FNS continue to carry out the plan described in its S&EMP in order to publish IP and UP estimates for FNS SFSP in the accompanying materials to future annual financial statements, which includes PaymentAccuracy.gov. In the meantime, we recommend that FNS evaluate if some payments should be considered unknown payments by devising a method to determine the amount of potential IPs and report these as UPs until the above-mentioned methodology has been finalized. If FNS is unable to devise a method to do this, we recommend that this is disclosed in PaymentAccuracy.gov.
For each year of non-compliance:
FNS should provide information for SFSP describing the actions that the agency will take to come into compliance. This information should be published on PaymentAccuracy.gov and serve as the plan for what FNS will submit to the appropriate authorizing and appropriations committees of Congress as prescribed by M-21-19. This should include:
• Measurable milestones to be accomplished in order to achieve compliance for the program
• The designation of a senior agency official who shall be accountable for the progress of the executive agency in coming into compliance for each program
• The establishment of an accountability mechanism, such as a performance agreement, with appropriate incentives and consequences tied to the success of the senior agency official in leading the efforts of the agency to come into compliance for the program