Open Recommendations

We recommend that the FAS Commissioner ensure TTS’s hiring procedures comply with GSA hiring requirements.

We recommend that the FAS Commissioner strengthen controls to ensure that: 1) TTS’s hiring actions provide open and fair competition among qualified applicants and adhere to merit system principles; 2) TTS’s hiring actions are properly documented to allow for a complete and accurate third-party review, as required by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management; 3) recruitment incentives are considered in lieu of Superior Qualifications Appointments and are documented to verify compliance with 5 C.F.R. 531.212(d), Consideration of recruitment incentive; and 4) the USDC group recruitment incentive is reviewed and approved annually, as required by GSA Order HRM 9575.1 CHGE 1…

We recommend that the FAS Commissioner evaluate the Superior Qualifications Appointments awarded to TTS employees beginning April 1, 2021, to determine if the pay step granted is properly supported. If errors exist, refer to GSA’s Office of General Counsel to determine the appropriate action.

We recommend that the FAS Commissioner evaluate the TTS Talent team’s job series classifications to ensure they align with the team’s primary responsibilities and develop necessary controls to ensure future compliance.

We recommend that the FAS Commissioner evaluate TTS’s pay distribution and develop the controls necessary to ensure there is equal pay for work of equal value and consistency throughout TTS and GSA in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 2301(b)(3), Merit system principles.

(U) Rec. A.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Partnerships, in coordination with the Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, update the feasibility review and technical feedback process or develop a new oversight process to verify completion of all assessment and monitoring product submissions, including tracking the corrective actions needed for concerns identified and documenting the reasons for approving significant security cooperation initiatives with outstanding concerns.

(U) Rec. A.2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency further develop and implement data management capabilities within Socium for the clear identification of programs and activities associated with significant security cooperation initiatives, and for additional assessment and monitoring functions, including functionality for initial assessments, performance monitoring plans, and monitoring reports.

(U) Rec. A.3.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Commander, U.S. Indo?Pacific Command, should require the Director, U.S. Indo?Pacific Command, Strategic Planning and Policy (J?5) develop and implement instructions to establish the roles and responsibilities of U.S. Indo?Pacific Command security cooperation stakeholders for assessment, monitoring, and evaluation requirements, including security cooperation organization responsibilities.

(U) Rec. B.1.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Partnerships determine at the completion of the next annual congressional monitoring report for the Indo?Pacific Maritime Security Initiative whether the recently implemented processes to reconcile the fiscal year data into a calendar year report are allowing the timely completion of the report as expected. If the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Partnerships is still unable to issue the report on time, the Deputy Assistant Secretary should implement additional controls to ensure that the report is issued in a timely manner.

(U) Rec. B.2.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency issue the FY 2023 section 386, title 10, United States Code annual congressional monitoring report as required.

(U) Rec. B.2.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency implement additional controls to ensure that the report is issued in a timely manner if the Defense Security Cooperation Agency is still unable to issue the section 386, title 10, United States Code annual congressional monitoring report on time following the planned updates to Socium and recently implemented processes to collect and reconcile data.

(U) Rec. B.2.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency determine whether the processes put in place for data collection and reconciliation address the timeliness issues for future reports. If the Defense Security Cooperation Agency is still unable to issue the report on time, the Director should implement additional controls to ensure that the report is issued in a timely manner.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security should ensure that high threat posts conduct a full inventory of the sensitive documents in their possession that would require destruction in the event of evacuation and incorporate the volume of sensitive documents into their respective emergency action training, drills, and planning, including an explicit estimate of the time it would take to destroy current and actual holdings of Sensitive But Unclassified materials.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs should develop and implement guidance to ensure that consular sections at U.S. embassies fully account for all passports in their possession for processing and return passports to the owner while waiting for documentation or approvals.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, in coordination with the Office of Crisis Management and Strategy, should review post Emergency Action Plans to ensure that they fully and comprehensively address coordination with nearby posts in crisis-response operations.

Develop, document, and implement a strategy with clear goals, metrics, and priorities to guide efforts for improving customer service to passengers with disabilities. This strategy should also clarify roles and responsibilities, including how the relevant departments should coordinate on accessibility issues.

Strengthen and document a process for collecting, tracking, and resolving all accessibility-related complaints—including defining timelines for resolving them—in accordance with federal regulation.

Begin tracking and using other relevant data sources to improve visibility over the quality of the company’s customer service to passengers with disabilities and to inform the strategy it develops.

Formalize a process to regularly train all customer-facing employees and supervisors on interacting with passengers with disabilities in accordance with federal regulation. This should include clarifying the responsibility for enforcing this requirement and which employees and supervisors should receive training.

Establish and document a process to ensure that the company fully considers passengers with disabilities in any efforts to improve the communication of essential travel information.

analysis, develop a proposal of any potential improvement options and submit it to the Executive Leadership Team for consideration.

Since the Supply Chain Buyer Guide is only applicable to the Supply Chain organization, we recommend the Vice President, Supply Chain, develop an agency-wide standard program and process defining the process for evaluating and awarding purchase orders under blanket contracts. The standard program and process should define when (1) the product or service should be competed among multiple vendors before issuing a purchase order and (2) deviations from competition guidelines are acceptable.

The OIG recommends the Director ensures staff have processes to prevent repeat environment of care findings.

The OIG recommends the Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 Director monitors for similar or repeated environment of care findings and ensures facility staff sustain improvements.

The OIG recommends the Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 Director ensures facility leaders identify environment of care trends and establish performance improvement plans with outcome measures to address them.