Federal Reports

The Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 requires the U.S. Department of Education (Department) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to identify and report annually on the most serious management challenges the Department faces. The Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 requires the Department to include in its agency performance plan information on its planned actions, including performance goals, indicators, and milestones, to address these challenges. To identify management challenges, we routinely examine past audit, inspection, and investigative work, as well as issued reports where corrective actions have yet to be taken; assess ongoing audit, inspection, and investigative work to identify significant vulnerabilities; and analyze new programs and activities that could post significant challenges because of their breadth and complexity.Last year, we presented four management challenges: improper payments, information technology security, oversight and monitoring, and data quality and reporting. Although we noted some progress by the Department in addressing these areas, each remains as a management challenge for fiscal year (FY) 2013. We previously provided the executive summary of the FY 2013 management challenges for inclusion in theDepartment’s Agency Financial Report.

At the request of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and its contractor, Cotton & Company LLP, conducted a performance audit of the United States Capitol Police (USCP or the Department)'s Building Access Card (BAC) process. The objectives of this audit were to determine (1) if the Department had established adequate internal controls and procedures over USCP's badging and fingerprinting process to ensure that the risk of unauthorized personnel on the U.S. Capitol Complex was reduced to an acceptable level and (2) if USCP complied with applicable policies and procedures. The audit scope included controls, processes, and operations in place at USCP as of August 1, 2012.

This paper provides a documented overview of P2P digital commerce. It includes an examination of specific market facilitators that may be familiar names (eBay, Craigslist, etsy, and others) as well as newer P2P service facilitators such as Airbnb, Getaround, and TaskRabbit. Common attributes of facilitators are discussed, along with how payment processing and various customer service issues may be handled. The paper also identifies gaps and problems in today’s marketplace and discusses Postal Service products and services that exist today or may be developed in the future to facilitate this market.