Federal Reports

Audit of NLRB's compliance with the FAR and internal controls

Final Management Letter: Review of SEC Controls Over Public Comments Submitted Online and Actions Taken in Response to a Known Error

The EPA OIG has identified a concern regarding the lack of a requirement for EPA research grant recipients to report foreign support after receiving a grant award.

The United States Capitol Police maintains policies and procedures that provide guidance to employees for the performance of their duties.  Those policies and procedures are categorized as either an SOP or a Directive.  The Office of Inspector General has made many recommendations related to the revision or implementation of policies and procedures. In response, USCP has made substantial progress addressing these recommendations.

This semiannual report summarizes the GPO OIG's activities and accomplishments for October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023.

We found an oil and gas company failed to report royalties from mineral production on an Indian Lease in Oklahoma.

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

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviews nonpharmaceutical proposals submitted to the VA National Acquisition Center for Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts. Specifically, the OIG reviews nonpharmaceutical proposals for FSS contracts that have an anticipated annual value of $10 million or more for high-tech medical equipment, $3 million or more for all other FSS contracts, or $100,000 or more for dealers/resellers without significant sales to the public, or as requested by VA. These reviews help contracting officers negotiate fair and reasonable prices.This report summarizes the reviews of nonpharmaceutical proposals conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2021. The 26 proposals covered six FSS schedules with a cumulative estimated contract value of about $1.4 billion, with a total of 25,753 offered items. Contract negotiations for 22 of 26 nonpharmaceutical proposals had been completed as of May 17, 2022, and the OIG’s recommendations assisted contracting officers in obtaining $41 million in contract savings for VA.The OIG found that commercial sales practices disclosures were accurate, complete, and current for nine of the 26 proposals. The remaining 17 proposals could not be reliably used for negotiations until the noted deficiencies, such as identified lower prices, were corrected. The OIG also reviewed vendor commercial selling practices and made recommendations for lower prices than offered for 17 of 26 proposals (65 percent), resulting in adjusted recommended cost savings of approximately $182 million. Finally, the OIG evaluated and suggested alternative tracking customers for 10 of the 26 proposals. A vendor’s proposed tracking customer may not be suitable if the customer does not have similar buying patterns as the FSS or does not have adequate coverage of the offered items.This report does not propose any additional recommendations that necessitate any action or VA response.

What We Looked AtThe Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Investigations and Professional Responsibility (AXI) conducts administrative investigations and special inquiries on FAA employees and contractors suspected of violating Agency orders, regulations, and policy. The Federal Aviation Administrator asked our office to conduct a review of AXI following a December 2020 Senate Committee report that detailed significant lapses in aviation safety oversight and leadership at FAA. Our audit objective was to assess AXI’s policies, procedures, and practices for conducting administrative investigations and evaluate its compliance with applicable standards or best practices. What We FoundAXI’s guidance overlaps with and contradicts FAA’s guidance, potentially leaving investigators unclear about their responsibilities. An FAA directive also currently prohibits investigators from concluding whether employees actually engaged in misconduct, which senior AXI officials believe would make their reports more effective. Per the request of the Administrator, we obtained training records to determine if investigators received the necessary indoctrination training. However, AXI’s electronic training system records are not current, making it difficult to track whether agents are fully trained on proper investigative techniques and protocols. In addition, the office lacks internal controls to ensure the appropriate official always reviews and signs investigation reports. As a result, sensitive investigation reports could be issued without management’s awareness. Field investigators also lack clear guidance on referring criminal cases to OIG, and AXI does not have internal controls to ensure that it accounts for investigative requests that it rejects or that do not fall under its authority. Without an accurate record, some cases may get overlooked. Finally, AXI’s policies, procedures, and practices do not comply with Federal or AXI standards for program reviews, which hinders its ability to ensure investigators meet program requirements, help FAA take effective corrective action against employees who engage in misconduct, and prevent errors from reoccurring. Our RecommendationsFAA concurred with all 11 of our recommendations to strengthen AXI’s policies, procedures, and practices for conducting administrative investigations.

We performed this review as part of our ongoing inspection with the objective to conduct integrated oversight of the funding provided to Forest Service's Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Alert Memorandum:Closure of Participating MainStreet Lending Program Bank

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a surge in demand for ventilators and provoked concerns about potential supply shortages across VA medical facilities. During the course of a previous broader review, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) uncovered a potential issue with the number of ventilators procured and stored at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, and sought to determine whether they had been properly requested, acquired, received, and accounted for.The OIG found the facility acquired more ventilators from March 1, 2020, through November 30, 2021, than were needed for veteran care. Facility and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) officials duplicated purchase efforts, resulting in the facility obtaining 112 ventilators—56 from a local contract and 56 from a VHA national contract. This was due in part to facility officials’ concerns about the pandemic-related demand and acquisition delays from supply chain disruptions. The VHA-purchased ventilators, worth about $2.5 million, were never used for patient care at the hospital. They were placed in storage for more than 19 months during which other VA facilities reported shortages. The ventilators were quickly redistributed in 2022 after facility officials turned them in.The hospital lacked an effective methodology to determine the number of ventilators the hospital needed either before or during the pandemic. Contributing to these issues was VA’s lack of a reliable inventory system to identify excess equipment.VA concurred with the OIG’s recommendations to (1) document a methodology for determining the number of ventilators required to fulfill the facility’s mission during routine and emergency operations and (2) determine whether the remaining ventilators are all needed or can be turned in as required by VA policy. VA submitted documentation of corrective actions resulting in the OIG’s closure of the recommendations as implemented.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Allapattah Station in Miami, FL. The Allapattah Station is in the Florida 3 District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 33142 and 33242. These ZIP Codes serve about 52,444 people in an urban area. This delivery unit has 31 city routes. We judgmentally selected the Allapattah Station based on the number of Customer 360 and Informed Delivery contacts associated with the unit, and Stop-the-Clock scans performed at the unit.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Doral Branch in Doral, FL. The Doral Branch is in the Florida 3 District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 33172, 33192, 33206, and 33222. These ZIP Codes serve about 37,076 people in an urban area. This delivery unit has 24 city routes. We judgmentally selected the Doral Branch based on the number of Customer 360 and Informed Delivery contacts associated with the unit and Stop-the-Clock scans performed at the unit.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Flagler Station in Miami, FL. The Flagler Station is in the Florida 3 District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 33128, 33129, 33130, 33131, 33132, and 33136.These ZIP Codes serve about 87,503 people in a predominantly urban area. This delivery unit has 79 city routes. We judgmentally selected the Flagler Station based on the number of Customer 360 and Informed Delivery contacts associated with the unit and Stop-the-Clock scans occurring at the delivery unit rather than at the customer’s point of delivery.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Princeton Branch in Homestead, FL. The Princeton Branch is in the Florida 3 District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 33031, 33032, and 33039. These ZIP Codes serve about 42,137 people in a predominantly urban area. This delivery unit has 14 rural routes and 11 city routes. We judgmentally selected the Princeton Branch based on the number of Customer 360 and Informed Delivery contacts associated with the unit, and Stop-the-Clock scans performed at the unit.

This report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of the efficiency of operations at the Miami Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) in Miami, FL. We conducted this audit to provide U.S. Postal Service management with timely information on operational risks at this P&DC. We judgmentally selected the Miami P&DC based on a review of first and last mile failures;1 clearance times; work hours; mail volume and productivity; overall scanning performance; and late, canceled, and extra trips. The Miami P&DC is in the Gulf Atlantic Division and processes letters and return parcels for retailers. The Miami P&DC services multiple 3-digit ZIP Codes in urban and rural communities.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires the DOI to submit an annual report to Congress, detailing information on orphaned wells programs.

In response to a hotline complaint, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this audit to determine if the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provided effective oversight of the installation and deployment of its resilient, high-frequency radio network to ensure reliable communications capabilities during crises and natural disasters. The complainant alleged (1) the network was not functioning as intended; (2) waste, fraud, and abuse had occurred in the network’s approval and implementation; and (3) the radio at the VA Butler Healthcare System in Pennsylvania had not been properly maintained.The OIG substantiated that the network was not functioning as intended. The OIG concluded 82 percent of sites with radios did not have two-way voice communication three years after installation should have finished.The audit team also found waste had occurred in approval and implementation, as VHA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) did not adequately oversee the network’s acceptance and installation—especially testing to demonstrate operability—or finalize the operations plan. Medical center directors did not provide enough staff to support network operations.Finally, the audit team substantiated inadequate maintenance at the Pennsylvania site. Disagreement between OEM and another office regarding which was responsible contributed to a lapse in the network maintenance contract, affecting sites in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.Delayed implementation and the lack of network operability after spending over $8.5 million leave VA without dependable emergency communications, putting veterans’ and VA employees’ health and safety at risk.The OIG recommended VA medical facilities maintain enough trained staff to operate the network; VHA clarify the program office responsible for the network and finalize the operations plan; and OEM outline requirements for acceptance if additional equipment is purchased, issue guidance about where radios should be installed and monitored, and ensure sites can obtain repairs for network equipment.

The U.S. Postal Service is replacing its aging mail delivery vehicle fleet with Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs). The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires agencies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) when evaluating major federal acquisitions that could significantly affect the environment – such as that for NGDVs. The Postal Service completed the EIS process in February 2022.

Our objective was to assess Postal Service compliance with manual PVDS controls in the Atlantic Area and identify opportunities for improvement. We randomly selected 183 PS Forms 8125 to analyze for compliance. We reviewed documentation from the origin and destination offices to ensure forms were complete, had not been altered in transit, and were retained, as required. Also, during observations at 12 facilities, we verified whether PS Forms 8125 were retained for one year.

Florida residents Jean Barbier and Bryan DeCastro were sentenced on April 5, 2023, in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. DeCastro was sentenced to 11 months in prison, 3 years’ probation, and was ordered to pay $155,929 in restitution to Amtrak. Barbier was sentenced to 7 months in prison, 3 years’ probation, and was ordered to pay $74,818 in restitution to Amtrak. Both defendants were employed by a company contracted by Amtrak to provide food services. Our investigation found that DeCastro fraudulently altered the timecards of Barbier and another individual to make it appear they worked more hours than they did, resulting in payment for hours they did not work. Barbier then paid DeCastro kickbacks for falsely inflating the timecards. Judicial action is pending for another defendant in this case.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Office of Inspector General (OIG) contracted with the independent public accounting firm RMA Associates, LLC (RMA) to audit DFC’s charge card program in accordance with Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Actof 2012 (Charge Card Act). The audit determined DFC effectively developed and implemented policies and procedures for its charge card program.

KPMG made 24 recommendations intended to strengthen the DOI’s information security program as well as those of the DOI’s bureaus and offices.

At the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Supply Chain, we examined the cost proposal submitted by a company for performance of nonnuclear modification and supplemental maintenance services. Our examination objective was to determine if the company's cost proposal was fairly stated for a planned 5-year, $386 million contract.In our opinion, the company's cost proposal was overstated. Specifically, we found (1) the application base for the company's proposed markup rate for the recovery of general and administrative (G&A) costs did not reflect TVA's intent, (2) the company's proposed markup rate for the recovery of workers' compensation and general liability costs exceeded the markup rate provided for in TVA's request for proposal (RFP), and (3) the company's proposed markup rate for the recovery of noncraft payroll tax costs was overstated compared to recent actual costs. We estimated TVA could avoid about $54.29 million over the planned $386 million contract by (1) requiring the company's G&A markup rate to be applied to unburdened noncraft wages to more accurately reflect TVA's intent for reimbursing G&A costs, (2) negotiating revised workers' compensation and general liability insurance markup rates to comply with the RFP requirements, and (3) revising the contract to provide for reimbursement of actual noncraft payroll tax costs. (Summary Only)

This report contains information about recommendations from the OIG's audits, evaluations, reviews, and other reports that the OIG had not closed as of the specified date because it had not determined that the Department of Justice (DOJ) or a non-DOJ federal agency had fully implemented them. The list omits information that DOJ determined to be limited official use or classified, and therefore unsuitable for public release.The status of each recommendation was accurate as of the specified date and is subject to change. Specifically, a recommendation identified as not closed as of the specified date may subsequently have been closed.

This report communicates the results of the Fiscal Year 2022 Federal Trade Commission Office of Inspector General review of the FTC’s compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) (Public Law 116-117).

The fiscal year 2022 FISMA evaluation concluded that AmeriCorps’ information security program remains ineffective. Control weaknesses in the following areas prevent AmeriCorps’ cybersecurity program from maturing: (1) mobile devices, (2) IT asset inventory management, (3) vulnerability and patch management program, (4) Personal Identity Verification (PIV) multifactor authentication, (5) performance measures, (6) security assessments and (7) contingency planning. AmeriCorps has not made significant progress in implementing prior FISMA recommendations: it has implemented only 12 of the 42 open recommendations from the FY 2017- FY 2021 FISMA evaluations. The failure to address critical deficiencies leaves AmeriCorps systems and data vulnerable to breach, which may expose sensitive information, including Personally Identifiable Information, to unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. Implementing more of these recommendations will help AmeriCorps to mature its information security program and bring it closer to effectiveness. AmeriCorps concurred with the three new recommendations in our report, which together with the 30 remaining prior year recommendations, will assist AmeriCorps in developing a mature and effective information security program. The full report contains a summary and evaluation of management’s response.

As required by the Inspector General Act of 1978 (as amended), this Semiannual Report summarizes the activities of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General for the preceding 6-month period.

In this Semiannual Report to Congress (SAR), we discuss accomplishments and activities of OIG from October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023, as well as its goals and plans.

We audited the Puerto Rico Department of Housing’s (PRDOH) Home Repair, Reconstruction, or Relocation (R3) program. We initiated this audit as part of our commitment to helping the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) support effectiveness and accountability in long-term disaster recovery. Our objective was to determine whether PRDOH followed applicable program requirements when spending R3 program funds.During our audit of PRDOH’s R3 program funds, we determined that PRDOH generally followed applicable program requirements; however, we identified four contracts where PRDOH may have used the prohibited cost plus a percentage of cost (CPPC) contracting method to acquire program management services. Specifically, there were multiple indicators that all four of its program management services contracts could be considered CPPC contracts. PRDOH itself was concerned that these agreements were prohibited CPPC contracts and amended three of the contracts “in order to clarify that the agreement is not a ‘cost-plus-percentage-of-cost’ contract.” However, we believed that the amendments did not completely remove the question of whether these agreements violate the CPPC contracting prohibition. At our request, HUD obtained a legal opinion from its Office of General Counsel which opined that the contracts in question did not constitute a CPPC contract.This report contains no recommendations. However, we are troubled by the manner in which PRDOH handled these four contracts, especially in their formation and administration prior to HUD’s 2019 monitoring review. We believe additional monitoring of PRDOH’s contracting actions is prudent to ensure they are compliant with HUD requirements.

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) provides an enterprise-wide, strategically aligned portfolio view of organizational challenges that provides improved insight about how to more effectively prioritize and manage risks. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors established a formalized ERM program in 1999 to (1) develop a standard framework and (2) promote risk management awareness and techniques to manage risks throughout the company. Due to the importance of TVA identifying and assessing risks, we evaluated (1) the process used by TVA business units (BU) to identify risks and (2) how BU risks were used to comprise TVA's enterprise risk levels. We determined the processes used by TVA were generally effective for identifying strategic business unit (SBU)/BU risks and assessing those risks to determine enterprise level risks. However, we identified some opportunities for improvement related to documentation of the ERM process and defining and documenting TVA’s risk appetite. Additionally, we could not determine if the risks in the 2022 Enterprise Level Risk Portfolio adequately addressed the rolling blackouts that occurred on December 23 and 24, 2022.

Attached is a list of the reviews we plan to begin between April and June 2023.

The questioned costs on this report is sensitive information.

As part of the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) oversight responsibility, we are issuing this informational report about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)., which is undergoing an audit of its payment schedule process.

To see our report, click on the link below

The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) are two of the largest housing programs Treasury implemented under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA). Both programs were created to help families keep their homes and stabilize communities in the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. As part of its oversight of EESA, SIGTARP has issued multiple audit and evaluation reports and other products on HAMP and HHF. These reports and products included numerous findings and recommendations to Treasury that aimed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the two programs; enhance transparency and accountability; and reduce the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse.The objectives for this evaluation were to summarize the findings and recommendations SIGTARP made in its reports and other products on HHF and HAMP, to assess the status of the recommendations, and to identify lessons learned for ongoing and future housing programs. SIGTARP’s products identified findings that led to 285 recommendations on the HHF (221) and HAMP (64) programs. SIGTARP organized its recommendations by three categories including (1) promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of the programs; (2) prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse; and (3) promote transparency and accountability. Nearly 50% of the recommendations aimed to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of HHF and HAMP, while 40% of the recommendations sought to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse. Treasury fully implemented 98, or 34 percent, of SIGTARP’s recommendations and partially implemented 105, or 37 percent. Treasury’s implementation of these recommendations resulted in program changes that enabled more eligible struggling homeowners to receive much needed assistance, recoveries of wasted program funds, and greater protections from fraud, waste, and abuse. Almost 30 percent of SIGTARP’s recommendations remain unimplemented, representing missed opportunities to further enhance the programs and lessons learned for future housing and federal programs.

In accordance with the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012), AmeriCorps, a Federal grant-making agency, is responsible for establishing and maintaining safeguards and internal controls for its government card program. The government card program is composed of purchase cards used by AmeriCorps personnel to purchase commercial goods and services, and travel cards used for official government travel expenses. In FY 2021, AmeriCorps transitioned its financial operations to a shared service platform offered by the Administrative Resource Center (ARC) within the U.S. Treasury Department, which included changes in the internal controls and roles and responsibilities of AmeriCorps’ Government charge card program. Due to these changes, AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General (OIG) decided to initiate an audit and engaged CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) to assess AmeriCorps’ government charge card program. Although AmeriCorps has established and maintained internal controls for purchase and travel card programs through its engagement with ARC, its key controls are not operating effectively. The auditors identified deficiencies in AmeriCorps’ ability to verify transaction approvals, allowability of expenses, and training for cardholders because the relevant documents were not appropriately retained. In addition, the auditors found that purchase and travel card accounts were not always closed after employees left AmeriCorps. Effective internal controls over government charge cards are important to mitigate the risk of fraudulent, improper, and illegal transactions. AmeriCorps concurred with 12 of our 15 recommendations to assist it in developing an effective charge card program and plans to incorporate corrective actions. Sections V and VI of the report contain a summary and our auditor’s evaluation of AmeriCorps’ response to our report.

Interim Report: Audit of the Effectsthe Main Street Lending Program’sLoan Losses Have on Treasury’sInvestment in the Program

This Office of Inspector General Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the outpatient care provided at the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System in Harlingen. This evaluation focused on key operational areas:• Leadership and organizational risks• Quality, safety, and value• Medical staff privileging• Environment of careThe OIG did not issue any recommendations.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System in Florida to assess allegations related to a patient’s cancer care coordination.The OIG did not substantiate that the primary care provider failed to coordinate care or that the pulmonologist failed to surveil the patient’s care. However, the pulmonologist did not inform the patient about the results of a computerized tomography (CT) scan or use the mandatory appointment scheduling process as required. Attempts were made by the pulmonologist to discuss the CT scan results with the patient, but the patient canceled the appointments. The pulmonologist responded to the patient’s rescheduling requests by entering notes in the patients’ electronic health record (EHR) instead of using the required appointment scheduling process, resulting in the patient not being seen by the pulmonologist.The OIG identified concerns regarding community care coordination after a facility chiropractor did not follow up on a community care chiropractor’s recommendation for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After meeting with the patient for complaints of back pain, the community care chiropractor’s note and documented recommendation for an MRI were scanned into the patient’s EHR. Although the facility chiropractor acknowledged the note through signature, the OIG found no documented evidence that the facility chiropractor took action to determine if an MRI was needed. The patient received an MRI months later that showed a fracture, likely related to underlying metastatic disease.The OIG made three recommendations to the Facility Director to ensure that pulmonology providers communicate test results to patients and utilize the appropriate appointment scheduling processes, and to ensure that chiropractor providers review community care notes and takes actions as needed.

The Government Accountability Office defines training as educational programs of instruction in professional, technical, or other fields that are, or will be, related to the employee’s job responsibilities. TVA’s Regulatory and Corporate Training and Support organization aims to (1) create and maintain safety and environmental training that ensures employees are trained to regulatory requirements, (2) support the job assessment process to ensure employees are assigned the training they need to perform their jobs, and (3) create and support the corporate and technical training that enables individual professional and technical development. Due to the importance of training and development programs in contributing to improved organizational performance and enhanced employee skills and competencies, we conducted an evaluation of TVA’s training and development processes. We found the process for identifying training needs was generally effective; however, we found some of TVA’s training processes were not effective and needed improvement. Specifically, we found (1) not all individuals were assigned the appropriate training, and (2) the effectiveness of training was not always being measured.

FEMA awarded $110 million in humanitarian relief funds provided by ARPA to the EFSP National Board to provide services to families and individuals encountered by DHS in communities most impacted by the humanitarian crisis at the Southwest border. As of September 8, 2021, the National Board awarded $80.6 million of the funds to 25 local recipient organizations (LRO) in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. We reviewed $12.9 million from 18 LROs and found they did not always use the funds consistent with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Humanitarian Relief Funding and Application Guidance (funding and application guidance).

Our objective was to assess whether the Postal Service’smanagement of trailer utilization is effective. To accomplish ourobjective, we analyzed trailer utilization data, HCR schedules,and load scan performance for FY 2022. Further, we conductedobservations at facilities with average trailer utilization above65 percent, between 40 and 65 percent, and below 40 percentduring FY 2022.

To see our report, click on the link below

At the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Supply Chain, we examined the cost proposal submitted by a company for performance of nonnuclear modification and supplemental maintenance services. Our examination objective was to determine if the company's cost proposal was fairly stated for a planned 5-year, $579 million contract.In our opinion, the company's cost proposal was overstated. Specifically, we found the proposed markup rate for recovery of the company's workers' compensation and general liability costs exceeded the markup rate and application base provided for in TVA's request for proposal (RFP). We estimated TVA could avoid about $4.39 million over the planned $579 million contract by negotiating revised workers' compensation and general liability insurance markup rates and application base to comply with the RFP requirements.(Summary Only)

The EPA Office of Inspector General has observed that grantees and subrecipients may not be fully aware of key fraud prevention and enforcement measures.

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of the Chief Procurement Officer’s use of its quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP) for its Atlanta Homeownership Center field service management (FSM) housing contracts. We initiated the audit to support HUD’s priority on increasing efficiency in procurement. An assessment of HUD’s use of its QASP, as part of its 3.10 FSM 5-year contract solicitation, could help HUD improve its overall effectiveness in contract administration. Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD effectively administered QASPs for its FSM contracts to assist in achieving HUD’s mission.HUD’s Atlanta Homeownership Center did not effectively develop and implement a QASP for the six FSM contracts reviewed. It did not (1) include all contract performance tasks requiring surveillance in its monitoring plans, (2) sufficiently review and accurately rate contractor performance, or (3) consistently document contractor performance in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). These conditions occurred because HUD lacked controls to ensure that the QASP was used for contractor performance monitoring. Instead, HUD implemented a field service manager contract monitoring plan to measure contractor performance in a freestanding database, which did not include all performance standard tasks required for monitoring and did not align with the contracts’ acceptable quality levels of performance measurement. As a result, HUD lacked the structure necessary to ensure that contractors were held accountable for their performance in accordance with contractual requirements.We recommend that HUD’s Chief Procurement Officer (1) direct the contracting officers to update the QASP to include all minimum performance requirements and oversee the implementation of the QASP with HUD’s FSM contracts, (2) require the contracting officers to timely complete CPARS reports and submissions to the governmentwide system for use by all Federal agencies, (3) require all staff involved in FSM contracts’ oversight to maintain required documentation to support the contracts, and (4) require the contracting officers to designate contracting officer representatives in a timely manner. We also recommend that the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Single Family Housing ensure that contracting officer representatives (1) are involved with the development, implementation, and documentation of the FSM QASP to monitor contractor performance; (2) ensure that ratings are aligned with the contract; and (3) complete CPARS in a timely manner.

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Public Housing Voucher Programs’ oversight of the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative (FYI). We audited the program early in its implementation to identify opportunities to improve the program’s design and effectiveness. Our audit objective was to determine the effectiveness of FYI.Opportunities exist to enhance oversight of the Foster Youth to Independence Initiative to improve program effectiveness. Specifically, HUD did not (1) implement strategies or provide guidance to maximize voucher utilization, (2) have assurance that youths were informed of supportive services or that the services were available for the duration of their participation, (3) include FYI in its annual risk assessment and did not have FYI program-specific risk assessment or monitoring policies and procedures, or (4) establish specific and measurable objectives for FYI or collect data that would allow it to assess the program’s overall effectiveness. These conditions occurred because the program was new, and HUD focused on providing housing vouchers to public housing agencies (PHA). Also, HUD was focused on the monitoring and use of CARES Act funds and relied on the PHAs and public child welfare agencies (PCWA) for program oversight of participant eligibility and supportive services. As a result, HUD lacked assurance that the $46.7 million allocated for FYI vouchers would be fully utilized to reach the vulnerable population it is intended to serve, improve the program participants’ self-sufficiency, and that the program was effective.We recommend that the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Housing Voucher Programs (1) develop and implement a plan to assist PHAs in improving voucher utilization, including providing additional guidance to PHAs to improve coordination between PHAs and PCWAs to improve voucher utilization and limit barriers to leasing; (2) require PHAs to document that they informed FYI participants at program entry of their eligibility for supportive services for the duration of the program; (3) For each youth referred, require PHAs to obtain PCWA certification that the PCWA will provide or secure access to supportive services.; (4) include FYI in its voucher risk assessment and develop and implement monitoring policies, procedures, and controls; and (5) establish and implement methods to regularly assess the effectiveness of the program in preventing and ending youth homelessness and improving participants self-sufficiency, which could include performance metrics and periodic studies performed by the Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R).

As part of its IIJA oversight role, the OIG will assess whether the EPA is using its roughly $60 billion in IIJA funds in accordance with congressionally designated purposes. OIG oversight will focus on the execution of IIJA funds, the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs receiving IIJA funds, and the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse.

The OIG evaluated allegations that staff at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center (facility) provided inadequate alcohol withdrawal management in the Emergency Department for a patient who died approximately two days after discharge, inadequately responded to the patient’s urgent care needs, and failed to provide posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) care. During the inspection, the OIG also identified concerns related to discharge care coordination, leaders’ failure to consider an institutional disclosure, and adequacy of primary care assessments and documentation regarding the patient’s alcohol use and safe transport.The OIG substantiated that Emergency Department staff mismanaged the alcohol withdrawal care of the patient, and that a medical support assistant inadequately responded to the patient’s report of “bad” withdrawal symptoms and lack of transportation to the Emergency Department. It was not substantiated that facility staff failed to provide PTSD care.Facility leaders had not established procedures for care coordination of patients discharged from the Emergency Department. The extent of family member involvement in the patient’s discharge planning could not be determined because of the absence of documentation and conflicting reports.Although the OIG determined an institutional disclosure should have been considered following the patient’s adverse clinical outcome, facility leaders told the OIG that it was not considered because internal reviews did not warrant that action.A nurse practitioner failed to thoroughly assess the patient’s substance use, schedule follow-up, and discuss immediate safety concerns.The OIG made seven recommendations to the Facility Director related to a review of the patient’s care, evaluation of the Emergency Department alcohol withdrawal management protocol, consideration of written Emergency Department discharge planning and care coordination guidance, consideration of institutional disclosure, establishment of administrative staff protocol for urgent care needs, and primary care procedures for management of intoxicated patients.