Federal Reports

The objective of the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General (DOI OIG) Qualitative Assessment Review was to determine whether the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) had internal control systems in place that provided reasonable assurance that SIGTARP followed professional standards when conducting investigations. The professional standards were the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) Quality Standards for Investigations and the Attorney General Guidelines for Offices of Inspector General with Statutory Law Enforcement Authority.DOI OIG performed the review in accordance with the CIGIE Qualitative Assessment Review Guidelines for Federal Offices of Inspectors General. They used the questionnaires and checklists attached to these review guidelines. DOI OIG analyzed existing policies and procedures; spoke with staff; reviewed closed investigative case files; and tested compliance with SIGTARP’s internal control systems to the extent we considered appropriate. They conducted the review in January and February 2024.

The U.S. Postal Service provides customers across the nation mail service six days a week as required by law. In December 2022, Winter Storm Elliott arrived in Western New York, and within minutes, winds went from 10 to 70 miles per hour and brought about 36 inches of snow over four days. During a winter storm emergency that may disrupt normal operations, the Postal Service may continue its mission of delivering services to the American public or decide to close facilities and cease operations. It is vital for the Postal Service to prepare for and respond to winter emergencies in a timely manner to safeguard employees. Additionally, it is critical for the Postal Service to capture lessons learned and address potential preparedness and response weaknesses following a weather emergency.

While conducting a risk assessment to inform our Fiscal Year 2024 Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Commerce report, we concluded that the ship construction program the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently undertaking is insufficient to fully meet the requirements outlined in the bureau’s fleet plan. Further, the lack of an up-to-date fleet plan has negatively impacted NOAA’s ability to communicate its capability needs and required funding. In addition, we highlight a significant challenge in ensuring that the agency has sufficient staff with the required skills to simultaneously acquire three new classes of ships. We also identify a need for increased programmatic oversight of these complicated and expensive acquisition programs.

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System, which includes the Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Montgomery, Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Tuskegee, and multiple outpatient clinics in Alabama and Georgia. This evaluation focused on five key operational areas:• Leadership and organizational risks• Quality, safety, and value• Medical staff privileging• Environment of care• Mental health (suicide prevention initiatives)The OIG issued two recommendations for improvement in the mental health area of review:• Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation completion• Suicide-related event reporting

An annual update on the OIG’s oversight of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s implementation of the IIJA, which appropriates over $60 billion to the EPA for fiscal years 2022 through 2026, representing the largest appropriation that the Agency has ever received.