Federal Reports

MEMORANDUM FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE LEAD INSPECTOR GENERAL

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

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluated and tested USDA’s compliance with the requirements of Binding Operational Directives (BOD) 19-02 and 22-01.

VA appoints fiduciaries to manage benefits for veterans who cannot do so for themselves, including distributing funds for their care, support, and welfare. When a beneficiary dies, the fiduciary must disburse the remaining funds either to a valid heir or back to VA if there is no will.The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) assessed an anonymous allegation received in June 2022 that two fiduciaries under the jurisdiction of VA’s Indianapolis, Indiana, fiduciary hub had not released four beneficiaries’ funds who died in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2020. During that assessment, the OIG identified two additional beneficiary cases warranting review.The OIG substantiated both fiduciaries returned the six funds to either VA or an heir between August and November 2022, but with delays ranging from 19 months to 12 years from the beneficiaries’ death or the date VA received the fiduciary’s final accounting of the funds distribution.Although fiduciaries must submit a final accounting within 90 days of the beneficiary’s death under federal regulation, there is no statutory or regulatory timeliness standard for fiduciaries to disburse funds to heirs or return them to VA. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, however, VA should promptly reclaim and reallocate those funds for the benefit of other veterans when there is no valid will or heir. Heirs also should not have to wait excessive periods to receive funds to which they are entitled. The OIG made four recommendations to promote the prompt return of deceased beneficiaries’ VA derived funds to heirs or VA through improved monitoring and guidance. Although the review focused on the two fiduciaries related to the initial allegations, the process deficiencies identified and related recommendations could have significant effect across VA’s nationwide Fiduciary Program.

Our objective was to evaluate the Postal Service’s use of AGVs in mail processing operations from the beginning of October 2019 through June 2023. We judgmentally selected nine sites based on AGV usage to conduct our observations.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Bywater Station in New Orleans, LA. The Bywater Station is in the Louisiana District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 70116, 70117, and 70177. These ZIP Codes serve about 39,567 people and in a predominantly urban area. This delivery unit has 32 city routes. We judgmentally selected the Bywater Station based on the number of Customer 360 inquiries, Informed Delivery contacts, and stop-the-clock scans performed at the unit.Our objective was to evaluate mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Bywater Station in New Orleans, LA.

This interim report presents the results of our self‑initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Carrollton Station in New Orleans, LA. The Carrollton Station is in the Louisiana District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 70118 and 70125. These ZIP Codes serve about 47,721 people in an urban area. This delivery unit has 42 city routes. We judgmentally selected the Carrollton Station based on the number of Customer 360 inquiries, Informed Delivery contacts, undelivered route information, and stop-the-clock scans performed at the unit.Our objective was to evaluate mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Carrollton Station in New Orleans, LA.

This interim report presents the results of our self-initiated audit of mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Central Carrier Station in New Orleans, LA. The Central Carrier Station is in the Louisiana District of the Southern Area and services ZIP Codes 70119, 70122 and 70124. These ZIP Codes serve about 81,386 people in an urban area. This delivery unit has 81 city routes. We judgmentally selected the Central Carrier Station based on the number of Customer 3602 inquiries, Informed Delivery contacts, undelivered route information, and stop-the-clock scans performed at the unit.Our objective was to evaluate mail delivery, customer service, and property conditions at the Central Carrier Station in New Orleans, LA.

Our objective was to evaluate the efficiency of operations at the New Orleans P&DC. To accomplish our objective, we focused on four audit areas: mail clearance times; delayed mail; late, canceled, and extra outbound trips; and load scans. We reviewed Surface Visibility Web data for late, canceled, and extra trips, as well as load scans for the period from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023. Further, we identified mail clearance time goals for the New Orleans P&DC and compared them with operations shown in the Run Plan Generator report. During our site visit from June 12 to 15, 2023, we interviewed P&DC management and observed mail processing and dock operations.