Open Recommendations

The Under Secretary for Health reviews the criteria and processes used to identify and exclude healthcare providers removed from VA employment for violation of policy related to safe and appropriate care of veterans, and takes action as warranted.

The Under Secretary for Health reviews previous removals of healthcare providers from VA employment as required by VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 § 108 to determine whether the reason(s) for those removals were for violation of policy related to the safe and appropriate care of veterans, and takes action as warranted.

We recommend that NTIA's Associate Administrator for the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth develop and implement formal policy and procedures for validating self-certifications to determine applicants' eligibility for future broadband grant program awards.

We recommend that NTIA's Associate Administrator for the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth update the office's internal policies and procedures to require reviewers to document detailed justifications for each stage of the review and award processes, and maintain these justifications in the official award files.

We recommend that NTIA's Associate Administrator for the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth design quality assurance procedures and implement them throughout the application review process.

The Under Secretary for Health ensures Veterans Health Administration prescribers assess risks and contraindications associated with stimulant prescribing.

The Under Secretary for Health considers establishing policy and clinical practice guidance related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnostic assessment and treatment with a stimulant and takes action as warranted.

Rec. 1.d: The DoD OIG recommended that Chief of Naval Operations develop and implement policies or processes to develop and implement policies or processes to ensure that complaints involving severe and pervasive allegations of sexual harassment are not directed to and resolved through the informal resolution process.

Rec. 3.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the DoD Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion clarify in policy whether Military Service commanders with complaint jurisdiction have the authority to downgrade a formal sexual harassment complaint to an informal complaint.

Rec. 3.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the DoD Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion modify DoD Instruction 1020.03 to require the Military Services to collect and annually report data on withdrawn and dismissed sexual harassment complaints.

2. We recommend the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator determine roles and responsibilities for oversight between NOAA and BIA. NOAA should ensure biannual progress reports for CAA funding for Tribes are collected and reviewed for compliance and take corrective action as necessary, including expediting funding that has not yet been distributed.

The Medical Center Director ensures staff keep patient care areas safe and clean.

Develop and implement procedures to routinely conduct a staffing needs assessment throughout a disaster to ensure recovery centers are adequately staffed based on customer demand and workload.

Provide FHWA Division Offices and State DOTs with all planned IIJA guidance areas and associated targeted completion dates.

Identify a list of any outstanding technical assistance requests from Division Offices and State DOTs for IIJA guidance clarifications and fulfill them.

Develop and implement a policy to require Headquarters' concurrence when Division Offices are making procedural revisions to their standard operating procedures for reviewing and approving STIPs to ensure continued alignment with the Agency's standards prescribed in its template.

We recommend that Indian Affairs incorporate the Department's definition of deferred maintenance into the Indian Affairs Manual, the facility management system's work order approval process, and the system training guidance.

We recommend the Bureau of Indian Education, in coordination with Indian Affairs and Many Farms schools, inspect and immediately address the foundation and boiler issues identified in the report.

We recommend the Bureau of Indian Education, in coordination with Indian Affairs, conduct a workforce study to ensure BIE has the capacity to oversee the transferred facility management responsibilities in its regions.

We recommend the Bureau of Indian Education close or cancel the 14 work orders that we concluded had been addressed (work order IDs AB157793, AB157794, AB155209, AB154396, AB381236, AB147686, AB159719, AB152087, AB385474, AB488840, AB207746, AB701825, AB664814, AB343991).

We recommend the Bureau of Indian Education develop and implement a review process to assess the status of all open work orders and make appropriate updates in the facility management system.

We recommend the Bureau of Indian Education, in coordination with Indian Affairs, develop and implement a continual monitoring process to assess the statuses of and close deferred maintenance work orders in the facility management system that have been addressed.

We recommend the Bureau of Indian Education, in coordination with Indian Affairs, ensure that every school has staff trained on managing work orders in the facility management system, including procedures for properly classifying, updating, and closing work orders.

We recommend that OPM's Contracting Officer require the PBM and Carrier to return $12,484,472 to the FEHBP for its portion of retail pharmacy pricing discounts not received from the PBM for CYs 2016 through 2021.

We recommend that OPM's Contracting Officer require the PBM and Carrier to return the FEHBP's portion of the PBM's "non-specific drug discounts" going back to the start of the Carrier's transparent agreement with the PBM, specifically for the period of CYs 2012 through 2015. The PBM has already identified an additional $1,397,520 in drug inventory purchasing discounts for CY 2015 that should be returned to the FEHBP as overcharges.