Open Recommendations

USAID/Pakistan determine the allowability of $479,381 in ineligible questioned costs detailed on pages 27 to 39 of the audit report and recover any amount that is unallowable.

USAID/Pakistan determine the allowability of $1,049,901 in ineligible questioned costs detailed on pages 50 to 57 of the audit report and recover any amount that is unallowable.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration develop and implement policies and procedures for aspects of the tender agreement process that do not have established requirements, such as promoting and expanding competition and negotiating rates, adding the required terms and conditions to tenders, evaluating whether bidding transportation service providers (TSP) have met all terms and conditions, and requesting to add or remove a TSP to or from a post's list of preferred TSPs for participation in the International Through Government Bill of Lading program.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration develop and implement policies and procedures for documenting justified exceptions to booking shipments using the preferred shipment method of International Through Government Bill of Lading, identifying key decision factors to select the appropriate shipment method, and evaluating shipments in line with those factors.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration update the tender of service template for shipping and storage services with all terms and conditions required by the Federal Management Regulation and disseminate the updated template to post personnel.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration develop and implement standardized training"for new and existing despatch agency personnel"that covers key decision factors and evaluation guidelines for determining the appropriate shipment method for personal effects.

OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management, in consultation with the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and other stakeholders as appropriate, evaluate the Department of State's (Department) workforce capacity and develop a strategic workforce plan for its reform efforts, including the realignment of U.S. Agency for International Development functions. The evaluation and strategic workforce plan should enable the Department to have "the right person with the right skills, in the right position at the right time as described by the Office of Personnel Management.

OIG recommends that the Secretary of State delegate responsibility for completion of U.S. Agency for International Development realignment efforts to the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources (D-MR). After the sunset of the Assistance Transition Working Group on July 1, 2025, in accordance with Government Accountability Office key practices, D-MR should ensure that Department of State bureaus, offices, and overseas posts with realignment responsibilities have the appropriate resources and capacity to manage implementation processes.

OIG recommends that, following implementation of Recommendation 1, the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, in coordination with the Assistance Transition Working Group or other Department of State (Department) entities or individuals as appropriate, complete the implementation plan for realigning U.S. Agency for International Development functions. The implementation plan should account for decisions that have already been made, actions required beyond July 1, 2025, and the concurrent Department reorganization announced on April 22, 2025.

Assess whether the Information Technology Profile and Information Technology Risk Examination work programs used by Reserve Bank examiners address emerging information technology and cybersecurity risks and, based on this assessment, provide supplemental guidance and customize the Information Technology Profile and Information Technology Risk Examination work programs for System-led examinations as needed.

Establish a process to periodically assess whether the Information Technology Profile and Information Technology Risk Examination work programs used by Reserve Bank examiners, including the Board’s customized guidance, address current material risks in the information technology and cybersecurity environment and update the Information Technology Profile and Information Technology Risk Examination work programs as needed.

Clarify accountability for defining systemwide community banking organization information technology and cybersecurity training requirements.

Develop information technology and cybersecurity training guidance that describes expectations for generalist examiners conducting community banking organization information technology examinations, including expectations for on-the-job training and expectations following the completion of the community banking organization Examiner Commissioning Program.

Clarify in guidance the expectations for updating and reaffirming responses in Information Technology Profiles and retaining Information Technology Profiles for each information technology examination in the appropriate system of record, and expectations for assessing ongoing compliance.

Ensure the program clarifies and defines requirements for pain management teams in the new Veterans Health Administration Directive 1151, Pain Management and Opioid Safety.

Establish means to periodically validate the status information of facilities pain management teams.

Require the program and the chief operating officer to assess and ensure corrective actions are taken to address each medical facilitys lack of progress in achieving compliance with the requirement to have a pain management team as mandated by the Jason Simcakoski Memorial and Promise Act.

Facility leaders ensure all veterans and visitors, including those who require mobility assistance, have safe and accessible pathways to clinical areas during elevator repairs.

Facility leaders ensure staff complete and document preventive maintenance for medical equipment.

Analyze and document potential cost savings attributable to in-person versus telephone sampling methods used to collect data for the In-Office Cost System.

Determine the allowability of $300,245 ($15,786 in questioned ineligible
costs and $284,459 in cost share contribution shortfall amounts) on pages 24 to 26 of the audit report and recover any amount that is unallowable.

Verify that Appleseeds Academy corrects the two instances of material
noncompliance detailed on pages 22 and 23 of the audit report.

We recommend that the OGP Associate Administrator strengthen the PMRD’s policies and procedures to: more clearly define the PMR scoring system and its relevance to the PMR report findings and recommendations; clearly identify the findings and recommendations in the PMR report, including whether corrective action is required to address each finding; and ensure all required corrective actions are included in a CAP and implemented.

We recommend that the OGP Associate Administrator perform training and oversight to ensure proper administration and closeout of CAPs.

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that non-tax paper forms requiring one or more signatures are digitally converted and integrated with e-Signature Services capability by the established time frames.