In 2020, the Department of Energy implemented Department Order 486.1A, Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities (Order), which prohibits Department and Laboratory employees from participating in foreign Government-sponsored talent recruitment programs and restricts other foreign Government-sponsored activities or affiliated activities with a foreign country of risk.
We initiated this inspection to determine if the Department and its National Laboratories are complying with the Order.
We determined that the Department and its National Laboratories did not consistently comply with Department Order 486.1A requirements. Specifically, we found issues surrounding reporting disclosures, and the submission and review of quarterly disclosure reports. Additionally, we found that the Federal Oversight Advisory Body did not adhere to the Order.
If the Department and its National Laboratories are not consistently complying with the Order, then U.S. competitive and national security interests and Department program objectives may not be protected; potential conflicts of interest may arise; and the unauthorized transfers of scientific and technical information may occur.
We have made five recommendations that, if fully implemented, should help ensure that the issues identified in this report are corrected.
