Federal Reports

The Office of Inspector General evaluated NASA’s efforts to mitigate the risks posed by orbital debris—human-made objects in space no longer serving a useful purpose—as well as the Agency’s coordination with international and commercial organizations to address the issue.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) assessed the merits of an August 2019 hotline allegation that a deceased veteran’s VA funds had been misused while he was living at a California nursing home. As part of its assessment, which is the subject of an upcoming report, the OIG discovered the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) had not finalized the veteran’s incompetency proposal. VBA staff had received medical evidence that he was incapable of managing his VA benefits payments and had prepared an incompetency proposal, which when finalized results in VA appointing a fiduciary to manage the beneficiary’s funds. However, the proposal had been initiated three years before his death but not completed. This delay conflicts with VBA guidance that the decision be made and a fiduciary—a person or legal entity charged with managing the incompetent beneficiary’s estate—appointed within 141 days.The OIG expanded its review and found VBA had not finalized incompetency proposals for 221 beneficiaries from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2019. Of the 221 beneficiaries, the OIG statistically selected 55 records and determined that all were without incompetency decisions. Generally, the incomplete decisions occurred because staff did not update the workload management tool to show an incompetency proposal was pending a decision. Without that update, the case does not appear in the inventory of incompetency proposals requiring final action, no decision is made or fiduciary appointed, and vulnerable beneficiaries’ funds could be mismanaged. VBA agreed 52 of the 55 were incomplete (stalled); the others were on appeal or had been flagged for a decision. This management advisory memo provides VBA with the remaining 166 of the 221 records found to have incomplete decisions so that VBA can determine whether further action is needed to ensure incompetency proposals are finalized.

Inspector General's FY2020 Letter to OMB on SEC's Implementation of Purchase Card Program Audit Recommendations

Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this audit to determine whether VA complied with the requirements of section 759(a), “Covered Agency Responsibilities,” of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. Geospatial data is information that is tied to a location on the Earth, and is used by VA to support budget, strategic planning, and policy decisions. VA did not meet three of the 13 agency responsibilities.First, VA did not promote geospatial data activities, although the OIG found VA did not have the necessary criteria from the Federal Geographic Data Committee to develop and implement a strategy to comply with this requirement. Second, VA had not promoted geospatial data integration and, third, ensured that geospatial information was included on agency record schedules that have been approved by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), as required by the act. VA met the other ten requirements of the act by sharing geospatial data, allocating geospatial resources, using geospatial data standards, coordinating with other federal and nonfederal entities, and making geospatial information more useful to the public. VA also protected personal privacy, maintained confidentiality, searched required sources before expending funds to acquire geospatial data, provided high quality data to those receiving federal funds for geospatial data collection, and designated representatives to coordinate with other lead covered agencies. According to VA officials they do not collect, hold, manage, or consume declassified geospatial data, and the OIG team did not find evidence to the contrary, making the related requirement not applicable.The OIG recommended that VA establish mandatory policies and responsibilities to promote the integration of geospatial data and establish a process that ensures geospatial data and activities are included on VA record schedules that have been approved by NARA.

The audit objectives were to evaluate the extent to which GAO has (1) followed leading practices for managing the New Blue project; and (2) tracked the cost and schedule performance of the project. GAO initiated the New Blue project as an effort to publish web-based products in a way that increases automation in report development. While the development efforts were largely consistent with recommended practices, the OIG identified several opportunities for improvement, in scheduling, cost estimating and requirements management practices. The OIG recommended that GAO update its procedures to ensure that all recommended practices are followed in order to provide management with key information for decision making for the remainder of the New Blue project and future system development efforts.

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was enacted. It included $8 billion for direct payments to Indian Tribes and $522 million of direct appropriations to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) for COVID-19 response. Given this infusion of funding, we examined the impact of COVID-19 on the Indian detention system from April 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020, including the actions the BIA and the tribes have taken to respond to outbreaks of this virus, and how other longstanding challenges have affected the BIA’s response.We worked with the Office of Justice Services (OJS) to distribute a questionnaire to all 96 Indian Country detention facilities, reviewed OJS policies, and conducted interviews with Bureau and detention facility officials. We received responses from 59 of the 96 facilities (61 percent). The results provided us with overall case numbers and insight on how Indian Country detention facilities implemented the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance for social distancing, cleaning, personal protective equipment (PPE), and health screenings. To address the spread of COVID-19 in Indian Country detention facilities, we found that the OJS issued guidance and screening tools, provided funding for deep cleaning, and provided PPE.Inmate overcrowding and inadequate staffing levels are two longstanding challenges that continue to affect Indian Country detention facilities. These challenges further increase the risk that inmates will contract COVID-19. Facility officials told us that they attempted to obtain COVID-19 tests, work with tribal governments to obtain early releases or home confinement, increase social distancing, and screen inmates and staff within the unique constraints of each detention facility.Detention facilities, including those in Indian Country, face significant challenges in overcoming COVID-19 outbreaks because inmates live, work, eat, and participate in activities in close proximity to each other. It is critical that OJS and detention facility officials remain focused on this issue and continue to monitor, communicate, and implement the latest guidance from health professionals.