Open Recommendations

OIG recommends that the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services develop and implement a methodology to periodically review and update the budget object codes (BOC) included in the Foreign Affairs Handbook (4 FAH-1 H-613). This methodology should include collaborating with other bureaus to assist in identifying BOCs that are not needed, new BOCs that bureaus believe would be beneficial, or changes to the definitions of existing BOCs.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services (CGFS) develop and implement guidance on the use of “not otherwise classified” budget object codes. As part of the process to develop guidance, CGFS should obtain information from bureaus on specific topics that the bureaus believe need authoritative guidance.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services develop and implement a communications strategy to periodically provide updates and reminders on the use of budget object codes, including “not otherwise classified” budget object codes.

We recommend that the Office of Refugee Resettlement issue guidance to care provider facilities regarding the requirement to include all relevant ORR and DHS contacts in their emergency contact lists.

Ensure AVP implements written performance reporting policies and procedures to ensure its reports are accurate, submitted timely, and reflect an appropriate share of accomplishments towards achieving federally assisted activities.

Ensure AVP implements policies and procedures to ensure compliance with its federal grant award conditions.

Ensure AVP implements written federal grant administration policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the DOJ Grants Financial Guide and other federal grant award requirements.

Remedy $601,578 in unsupported personnel expenditures.

Remedy $4,848 in unallowable pre-award personnel and fringe expenditures

Ensure AVP implements written policies and procedures to ensure personnel expenditures charged to its federal grants are based on records that accurately reflect work performed and support a reasonable allocation or distribution of costs among specific activities or cost objectives when recipients work on multiple grant programs or cost activities.

Remedy $78,667 in unsupported fringe benefits expenditures

Ensure AVP implements written policies and procedures to ensure fringe benefit expenditures are accurate and calculated correctly.

Remedy $67,831 in unsupported other direct costs.

Ensure AVP implements written policies and procedures to ensure program costs are approved by OVW, allocable to the grant, and supported with adequate documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with its purchasing procedures and the federal grant requirements.

Establish program- or award-specific performance goals to measure the progress of recipients in implementing activities under state-administered sheltering assistance grant awards.

Establish coordinated program- or award-specific oversight activities to monitor, assess, and provide guidance to sheltering assistance grant recipients on performance and corrective actions to address shortfalls. In addition: • ensure proper documentation of oversight activities; and • validate accuracy of progress-related data provided by the award recipient.

Determine the allowability of the questioned transactions and recover $5,409,880, if applicable.

We recommend that HUD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Housing and Voucher Programs update and consolidate requests for reasonable accommodation policies and procedures to ensure that there is centralized guidance available for the field offices and PHAs.

We recommend that HUD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Housing and Voucher Programs conduct additional outreach efforts to educate tenants and PHAs on their rights and responsibilities related to requests for reasonable accommodation, including technical assistance, webinars, and external communications to inform PHAs about their responsibilities and how to evaluate requests for reasonable accommodation, and help families understand their rights.

We recommend that HUD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Housing and Voucher Programs require that PHAs track requests for reasonable accommodation, including the date of the request, the type of request, and the disposition and date of any action taken that should be made available to HUD at its request.

We recommend that the National Cancer Institute coordinate with the National Institutes of Health’s DGSI/Closeout Center to update policies and procedures for monitoring grantees’ submission of closeout documents to include increased outreach to grantees before the final reports (Final FFR, FRPPR, and FIS) become delinquent.

Coordinate with EPA regions to provide recurring training on Clean Air Act Title V fee laws and regulations to permitting agencies.

In collaboration with EPA regions, develop and implement a plan to address declining Clean Air Act Title V revenues.

Update the EPA’s guidance documents to require regions to establish time frames for permitting authorities to complete corrective actions inprogram and fee evaluation reports and clear, escalating consequences if timely corrective actions are not completed.

Update the Clean Air Act Title V guidance documents to establish criteria for when regions must conduct Title V fee evaluations and require a minimum standard of review for fee evaluations.