Federal Reports

Our audit objective was to assess the First Responder Network Authority’s Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network services in response to the devastating wildfires that broke out on the Hawaiian island of Maui in August 2023. We focused on AT&T’s operational response, FirstNet Authority’s oversight of AT&T from a program and contract perspective, and the extent the network was a reliable means of communicating for public safety agencies during the wildfire response.

We found that FirstNet Authority’s network services were not effective in supporting the public safety response to the Maui wildfires. Specifically, FirstNet Authority did not ensure that (I) timely, adequate network services were provided to support public safety’s response, (II) a sufficient plan for business continuity and disaster recovery was developed before the wildfires, and (III) network service response efforts were accurately reported afterward.

The audit objectives were to determine whether program funds were managed in accordance with the ARC and Federal grant requirements.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this inspection report to determine whether data sharing between the Employment and Training Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) could mitigate the risk of fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit payments and SBA disaster program disbursements.

In 2020, soon after Congress expanded the Unemployment Insurance and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Programs in response to the adverse economic effects caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor OIG and SBA OIG respectively began reporting on heightened risks of fraud and found similar fraud indicators. The two OIGs found that billions of dollars were paid to the same likely fraudsters under both programs. The DOL and SBA OIGs identified this issue through a data use agreement and subsequent data sharing and matching project, highlighting an opportunity to collaborate on data matching to mitigate fraud.

SBA OIG made three recommendations – two to facilitate improved fraud controls via collaboration and one to reevaluate eligibility. SBA agreed with the three recommendations, and the planned actions will resolve those recommendations.

Although DOI took steps toward building an ERM capability, we found that it was not fully implemented as required by OMB Circular A-123.