Open Recommendations

Embassy Lilongwe should bring its local compensation plan and practices into alignment with Department authorizations.

Embassy Lilongwe should implement a procedure for the post records coordinator to coordinate with the embassy’s sections on implementing records management requirements.

Embassy Lilongwe should complete all information systems security officer responsibilities in accordance with Department standards.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to resolve the Federal share ($1,497,008) of unallowable questioned costs related to the acquisition of an aircraft.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to implement policies and procedures to ensure the costs of capital assets are properly allocated to WSFR grants based on the proportional benefits the grants receive.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to resolve the Federal share ($33,728) of questioned costs related to unallowable merit-based incentive pay charged to WSFR grants.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to implement policies and procedures to ensure merit-based incentive benefits allocated to a grant code do not exceed the value of the benefits earned on that grant.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to implement policies and procedures to ensure costs of tuition reimbursements receive prior written approval from the FWS.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to resolve the Federal share ($16,021) of questioned costs related to unallowable administrative leave costs.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to require the Department to implement policies and procedures to ensure administrative leave costs are scrutinized for relation to grant purpose.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to resolve the Federal share ($4,043) of unsupported questioned costs related to the payout of employees' annual leave costs charged to the grant.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to implement policies and procedures to ensure that leave paid to employees is properly allocated to a grant code and does not exceed the value of leave earned on that grant.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to develop policies and procedures to identify and evaluate potential sources of program income on grants.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to resolve damage to real property due to trespassing cattle.

We recommend that the FWS require the Department to implement a mechanism to enforce existing policies that ensure compliance, where applicable, with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act requirements and Federal regulations for the proper reporting of subawards.

We recommend that the Director of the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships Hub take the following actions: Conduct an assessment of the utility of the sub-award indicator, given underlying data reliability issues, and consider alternative indicators to measure progress toward New Partnerships Initiative goals.

We recommend that the Director of the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships Hub take the following actions: Update guidance on the New Partnerships Initiative to clarify performance measurement requirements, including the frequency and method of communicating results from the missions to the responsible office in Washington, DC, and the intended use of the data at the Agency level

Update NMSS informal guidance, as needed, with up-to-date examples for staff to consistently determine the severity level of Part 37 violations.

Update the Enforcement Policy and Enforcement Manual to specifically reference Title 10 C.F.R. Part 37 requirements; include in these updated documents any necessary references to the newly updated informal guidance; and, disseminate the updated documents for staff consideration when determining the severity level of Part 37 violations.

EXIM’s Office of Human Capital, in coordination with the Office of General Counsel, should revise the Conduct, Performance, and Discipline Policy to either define the standards of conduct or cite EXIM’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics as well as clarify policy language to ensure that all EXIM employees are held to the same standards of conduct, regardless of the employee's appointment status.

Coordinate with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to ensure its methodology to develop Field Office staffing requirements meets OMBrequirements.

Evaluate its method of determining Regional staffing levels and consider whether a method that evaluates the level of work associated with thecases in addition to the case intake is more appropriate and what, if any, impact the ratios of R cases to C cases may affect the level of work.

Develop an internal control process to address the findings at Appendix A and related NxGen data issues.

The Chief Ethics Officer, in coordination with other EXIM senior officials, should conduct an analysis to determine whether EXIM’s practice of soliciting sponsorship fees sufficiently mitigates the appearance of favoritism towards any potential conference sponsor.

The Chief Ethics Officer, in coordination with other EXIM senior officials, should consider developing updated criteria for reviewing sponsorship applications to mitigate potential favoritism concerns.