Federal Reports

Our Objective(s)To evaluate DOT Operating Administrations' implementation of National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) priority actions, monitoring of progress, and measurement of success. Specifically, we assessed DOT's (1) identification and implementation of NRSS priority actions and (2) procedures for monitoring progress and measuring success of those priority actions.
Why This AuditDOT set a long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities through its NRSS. The NRSS emphasized a multifaceted approach to safety improvements and a collaborative effort between the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) and relevant surface transportation Operating Administrations. We initiated this audit due to DOT's new and comprehensive approach towards traffic safety and its goal for the NRSS to help decrease fatalities.
What We FoundDOT identified and implemented priority actions that aligned with high-risk factors to decrease fatalities.

DOT identified 29 NRSS priority actions in 2022 and added 14 actions in 2023. These 43 actions targeted high-risk factors contributing to traffic fatalities, including occupant protection, alcohol-impaired driving, speeding, pedestrian safety, and motor carrier safety.
As of January 2025, DOT reported that it had completed 38 priority actions and 5 were still in progress.

DOT monitored NRSS priority actions and measured overall impact but lacked procedures to measure success of individual actions.

DOT monitored the progress of individual priority actions and measured the overall impact of the NRSS. In January 2025, the Department attributed 10 consecutive quarters of declines in traffic fatalities to the progress in implementing NRSS priority actions.
However, the NRSS Action Team had not established requirements or procedures to measure the success of individual priority actions.
DOT officials stated they would evaluate an action's success by monitoring improvements in long-term safety data, which would be difficult to attribute to any specific priority action. As a result, it is unclear how individual priority actions contributed to DOT's progress towards achieving goals to decrease fatalities.

RecommendationsWe made 1 recommendation to improve DOT's administration of the NRSS.

What OIG Inspected 

OIG inspected the executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Bridgetown, Barbados. The inspection also included Embassy St. George’s, Grenada; Consular Agency Antigua and Barbuda; and Consular Agency Martinique. 

What OIG Found 

• Embassy Bridgetown’s Front Office generally complied with Department of State standards for tone at the top and standards of conduct, execution of foreign policy goals and objectives, security and emergency planning, and equal employment opportunity. The Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, engaged all elements of the workforce, provided useful guidance, and responded to employee concerns.
• Embassy Bridgetown did not have a clear delineation of chief of mission security responsibilities for British and French territories in the Eastern Caribbean.
• The embassy had deficiencies in consular oversight.
• Embassy Bridgetown had several safety issues related to elevator mechanical deficiencies, fire protection, and workplace safety inspections.
• The embassy’s contract file management and contracting officer’s representative program did not fully comply with Department standards.
• The embassy had deficiencies related to the security of information systems and information technology assets, the emergency communications program, and mobile device management in Bridgetown and at Embassy St. George’s.  

What OIG Recommends

OIG made 30 recommendations: 29 recommendations to Embassy Bridgetown and 1 recommendation to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. In its comments on the draft report, the Department concurred with 24 recommendations, partially concurred with 2 recommendations, and neither agreed nor disagreed with 4 recommendations. OIG considers all 30 recommendations resolved. The Department’s formal responses are reprinted in their entirety in Appendix B. 

The independent public accounting firm of McBride, Lock & Associates, LLC, under contract with the Office of Inspector General, audited Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grants administered by the Montana Secretary of State, totaling $10.83 million. This included federal funds, state matching funds, and interest income earned on the Election Security grant.

With a requested fiscal year 2026 budget of about $3.5 billion for homelessness programs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is committed to preventing and ending veteran homelessness. VHA’s Homeless Programs Office uses a required screening process to identify veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and need assistance. Medical facilities must complete screenings for veterans under their care, have a process for positive screenings, and ensure staff respond to requests for services within seven business days. Follow-up action must occur within 30 days.

From January through June 2024, VHA screened over 2.4 million veterans and identified 31,149 who reported either experiencing or being at risk of homelessness. About 59 percent (18,250) requested to be referred to social work or homelessness program staff for further assistance. At 42 of 140 facilities, 25 to about 71 percent of veterans (depending on the facility) who wanted to be referred for additional assistance during the screening did not receive follow-up action within 30 days.

The audit team evaluated screening reminder processes at four medical facilities and found weaknesses in the referral and follow-up processes that put veterans at risk of not receiving assistance after they indicated they were experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Deficiencies in the process occurred, in part, because facilities did not establish written local policies and procedures in accordance with federal internal control standards and VHA policy. In addition, the Homeless Programs Office did not ensure facilities had an effective mechanism to monitor follow-up action. The VA Office of Inspector General made four recommendations to improve controls over referral, follow-up, and monitoring processes to ensure veterans’ needs are addressed after positive homelessness screenings. VHA’s under secretary concurred with three recommendations and concurred in principle with one recommendation.

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) purchase card program, OIG reviewed the Department’s FY 2024 purchase card data and concluded that the risk of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments within the Department purchase card program was “medium.” OIG based its conclusion on the purchase card program’s size, internal controls, training, previous audits, violation reports, and observations from OIG’s Office of Investigations (INV).  

With respect to the criterion related to previous audits, OIG audited the Department’s purchase card program and issued a report in March 2019. The five recommendations offered in that report have been implemented and closed. Therefore, OIG is not recommending that an audit of the Department’s purchase card program be included in its FY 2027 work plan. However, OIG encourages the Department’s purchase card manager to continue prudent oversight of the purchase card program to ensure that internal controls intended to safeguard taxpayer funds are fully implemented and followed by Department purchase card holders.