Open Recommendations

As expeditiously as possible, the Commissioner of the Fiscal Service should ensure that the financial agency agreement (FAA) for Direct Express Program cardholder services includes adequate provisions to help ensure that open SR notices are reviewed timely and that investigations are concluded within 10 business days per Regulation E or that the cardholder receives provisional credit no later than the 10th business day; and as recommended in our July 2019 report, Fiscal Service should use banking regulator reports to monitor compliance with the FAA and service level requirements.

Work with ARC to resolve the questioned cost totaling $20,083 for ARC funded personnel cost.

Revise policies and procedures to ensure payments made with federal funds are allowable in accordance with the grant agreements terms and requirements of the Uniform Guidance.

Work with ARC to resolve the questioned cost totaling $2,565 for unsupported non-ARC Other (in-kind) match costs.

Work with ARC to resolve the questioned cost totaling $4,738 for unsupported non-ARC Personnel match cost.

Revise policies and procedures to perform quality control reviews of expenses incurred to ensure match costs reported to ARC are accurately reflected and fully supported by documentation in accordance with the grant agreement terms and the Uniform Guidance.

Develop a comprehensive, strategic assessment of the Post Office Box program, which would include analysis of how key program components, such as prices, utilization, service, and marketing, impact on current and prospective customer segments and demand across the country.

Implement a plan when deploying future
Matrix Regional Sorters to provide necessary training to maintenance staff
for a smooth and timely transition from contractor support.

Analyze the Matrix Regional Sorter performance to determine if goals are attainable and, if not, determine
realistic goals for each facility with a Matrix Regional Sorter, updating any cost savings projections if necessary.

Determine how to appropriately remedy its management and use of an improper personal services contract.

Evaluate the lapses that occurred in the FBI's management and oversight of this contract. This evaluation should include determining the best course of action for resolving the $4,928 payment discrepancy, while taking into consideration Contractor-1 receiving less than the firm-fixed-price amount on the relevant task orders. In addition, the FBI should analyze prior OIG reported contract issues to determine if additional action is needed to enhance the FBI's contracting practices due to similar issues occurring in this contract.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OSERS require RSA to design and document procedures for its annualreview process. The procedures should be in the form of written policies and procedures or protocols, and designed toensure compliance with applicable requirements, including those covered in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and theDepartment’s “Guide for Managing Formula Grant Programs.”

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OSERS require RSA to strengthen its process for selecting State VRagencies to monitor by (a) incorporating a risk factor that accounts for an agency’s technical assistance needs (such asnumber of requests made or complexity of technical assistance needs) into the accountability model used to help selectagencies and (b) establishing a reasonable time period (for example, 8 to 10 years) during which all agencies must bemonitored (through periodic onsite monitoring or offsite monitoring) by RSA at least once.

CO make a determination regarding the allowability of questioned costs identified in this report, recover those amounts determined to be unallowable, and determine whether additional steps are needed to validate the allowability of costs.

Develop a tool to analyze the data in CBFish and identifying potential issues.

Identify the optimal size of the CO workforce to ensure that it is appropriate for the workload distribution.

Review the seven contracts that remain open as identified in the report, along with the expired contracts and agreements not included in our sample, and addressing the issues resulting in delayed closeout.

Develop and implement additional processes and controls to strengthen BPA’s oversight and monitoring of contracts such as training, tracking task status more accurately, and documenting justification for final disposition of task.

Update BPA’s policies and procedures to include a process for closing out IAAs and to establish specific closeout timeframes.

Evaluate the current design and operating effectiveness of the invoicing practices and revising, developing, or implementing a policy to strengthen and improve BPA’s overall approach to reviewing invoices.

Consider the use of a structured, documented self-assessment process to ensure compliance with applicable requirements and continuous improvement of the Program.

ACF should monitor whether States are conducting credit checks of all three CRAs for children aged 14 or older who are in foster care, as required.

ACF should further assist States in building their capacity to conduct credit checks and to interpret and resolve credit reports effectively.

ACF should seek to partner with other government agencies to develop strategies to address issues that States experienced working with CRAs.

Define the roles and responsibilities of the appropriate assistant under secretaries, program office staff, and regional and medical center staff in the implementation and monitoring of the substance use disorder hiring initiative and ensure the relative priority of the initiative is communicated; hiring progress is monitored; possible hiring challenges are addressed to the extent possible; and actions are taken as needed to meet the goals of the hiring initiative.