Open Recommendations

In our August 2024 alert, we recommended that the Chief, Business Continuity Operations Officer, should ensure that where TIGTA did not conduct an inspection, an immediate assessment is conducted of AEDs across the IRS AED program to identify, repair, or replace AEDs that are nonoperational.

In our September 2024 alert, we recommended that the Chief, Business Continuity Operations Officer, should ensure that an immediate assessment is conducted to ensure that AED trainer models are not distributed, mounted, and available for use in the event of an emergency. If any AED trainer models exist, they should be immediately removed and stored away from AED cabinets and signage to avoid confusion.

The Chief, Business Continuity Operations Officer, should ensure that AED site coordinators complete their monthly maintenance inspections as required.

In our September 2024 alert, we recommended that the Chief, Business Continuity Operations Officer, should determine whether AEDs have been implemented at these IRS PODs. If so, provide documentation that supports AEDs have been provided at these PODs, e.g., serial numbers and locations of AEDs.

In our September 2024 alert, we recommended that the Chief, Business Continuity Operations Officer, should identify where AEDs have not been implemented at IRS PODs with more than 100 employees and determine whether an AED program will be implemented at these PODs, e.g., recruiting and training volunteers, installing AEDs, etc.

We recommend that ACL develop mitigating controls and strategies to address the high and moderate risks we identified.

Issue guidelines that clearly and comprehensively address MCSAP oversight responsibilities, to include: (a) reimbursement request review steps and documentation in support of these steps, (b) expectations for program and process reviews as well as onsite monitoring, and (c) documentation and supervisory review of quarterly report monitoring.

Revise annual risk assessment guidelines to: (a) include an assessment of MCSAP-specific risks; (b) place a necessary level of emphasis on Organizational Management factors; (c) clarify how to address risk factors and Division Office flexibility to change the priority level to something other than what the tool suggests; and (d) provide steps to revise the annual risk assessment template, as needed, to reflect risk changes.

Develop and implement a process to notify FMCSA's State Programs Division of grantees that receive a medium or high priority level-from the annual risk assessment; document and maintain these risk levels in a centralized location.

Revise monitoring plan guidelines to: (a) incorporate supervisory review and approvals of monitoring plans; (b) verify plans are fully completed and include rationale for any activities not completed; and (c) update the monitoring plan template, as needed, to reflect these changes.

Revise guidelines: (a) on the impact of Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) goal performance for creating a clear line between the performance of CVSP goals and when to take enforcement action and (b) for CVSP goal performance tracking to urge Division Offices to document oversight of CVSP goals; identify which systems to review and how often to review them; and follow-up with the State grantee when needed.

USDA OIG has determined that this recommendation contains sensitive information and will not be publicly released due to privacy concerns.

USDA OIG has determined that this recommendation contains sensitive information and will not be publicly released due to privacy concerns.

USDA OIG has determined that this recommendation contains sensitive information and will not be publicly released due to privacy concerns.

USDA OIG has determined that this recommendation contains sensitive information and will not be publicly released due to privacy concerns.

Take corrective actions to ensure that facilities and programs remove unauthorized sensitive information from collaborative application sites.

Expand roles and responsibilities of facility and program information system security officers and privacy officers to include the routine review of SharePoint and Teams site permissions and content.

Implement automated tools and policies, supported with training, to enable the timely and routine detection and correction of improper sharing and unauthorized content throughout VA.

Mandate standardized training for SharePoint administrators and owners to clarify and reinforce data security requirements.

USAID/Indonesia determine the allowability of $42,764 ineligible questioned costs, as detailed on pages 25 to 37 of the audit report and recover any amount that is unallowable.

USAID/Indonesia verify that Yayasan Project HOPE corrects the seven instances of material noncompliance detailed on pages 25 to 37 of the audit report.

2. We recommend that the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director direct the Commissioner for Patents and the Chief Information Officer to develop clear, specific, and measurable objectives and system success criteria for the CPC-related and patent search AI tools.

3. We recommend that the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director direct the Commissioner for Patents and the Chief Information Officer to revise project management policies and practices to encourage increased engagement, as appropriate, with end users and others affected by the system, such as the public, earlier in the project lifecycle.

4. We recommend that the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director direct the Commissioner for Patents and the Chief Information Officer to create an AI-specific risk management plan (or revise existing policies and procedures to reflect the same) that requires a system-specific risk management approach, including identifying, documenting, analyzing, and managing risks.

5. We recommend that the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director direct the Commissioner for Patents and the Chief Information Officer to implement AI-specific risk management practices for the next-generation CPC AI tool and the patent search AI tool.