Federal Reports

A key facet of the U.S. Postal Service’s Delivering for America plan is a nearly $10 billion investment to modernize its aging delivery vehicle fleet. The Postal Service plans to acquire 106,480 vehicles between fiscal years (FY) 2023-2028, 9,250 of which are E-Transits — a left-hand drive (LHD), battery electric vehicle (BEV). We previously reported that the Postal Service acquired 1,076 E-Transits between March 2023 and June 2024 (78 percent below its original plan). This audit provides an update to that report.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s planning for the 2030 census includes multiple phases. As part of the development and integration phase, the bureau will conduct its first census test in 2026, which is a trial run of activities and operations to help prepare for the decennial census. 

Conducting a census test requires recruiting and hiring temporary employees, such as enumerators, census field supervisors, outreach assistants, and census trainers. For the 2026 Census Test, the bureau’s Field Division planned a more thorough approach to preparing the staffing estimates than had been done in the past. According to Field Division management, it decided to develop a more detailed staffing plan because of proposed scope changes to field infrastructure and hiring that require robust staffing estimates. 

Our audit objective was to assess the bureau’s staffing plans and progress in meeting workforce hiring goals for the 2026 Census Test. We found that the bureau did not finalize its staffing plan for the census test. The bureau expected to finalize and approve the staffing plan and cost model by January 31, 2025, but did not because (1) data needed to prepare the plan was received later than expected or had not yet been provided and (2) the bureau did not have a procedure that documents staffing plan requirements and methodology to ensure workforce planning is done in a consistent and timely manner and according to management’s expectations. 

We made four recommendations to help the bureau improve its workforce planning and field staffing operations for the 2026 Census Test. 

The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigated allegations that Public Allies mismanaged its AmeriCorps members (members) in relation to its July 2022 restructuring, which included the closure of some local offices and service sites. Following the restructuring, AmeriCorps OIG received multiple complaints from members citing a lack of transparency and widespread confusion regarding the operational status of local Public Allies offices. Some members reported being unsupervised and unsure of reporting structures in the immediate aftermath of the announcement. AmeriCorps OIG initiated an investigation into the alleged member mismanagement and to assess the financial responsibility of Public Allies in its use of AmeriCorps funds, specifically examining the causes and events leading up to the restructuring.

BLM did not comply with Federal and BLM requirements when processing applications for solar and wind renewable energy development on BLM public lands.

At the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Supply Chain, we examined the cost proposal submitted by a contractor for (1) outage and supplemental maintenance and modification services and (2) support services at TVA’s nuclear plants.  Our examination objective was to determine if the cost proposal was fairly stated for a planned $975 million contract.

In our opinion, the cost proposal was fairly stated. Specifically, the proposed total noncraft labor burden rates for the recovery of indirect costs were supported by recent actual costs.  However, we determined the proposed noncraft wage ranges were not reflective of the actual salary costs for the contractor’s employees.  In addition, (1) the proposed rate schedule included a payroll tax rate even though the contractor indicated it could bill payroll taxes at actual costs and (2) the contractor did not propose a rate for long-term temporary assignments, as requested in the request for proposal.