Open Recommendations

Rec No. 5: VISTA should specifically measure the effectiveness of the policy allowing VISTA members to take classes while serving in the VISTA program. CNCS VISTA should build performance measures into all policy/procedure changes as a means to evaluate overall effectiveness of the change and allow for continuous process improvement.

Ensures that the Commonwealth complies with the equipment and real property management requirements.

We recommend FTA recovers $30,641 from the Authority, if applicable.

Ensures that the State complies with the special tests and provisions requirements.

Recovers $24,080,771 from the City and County, if applicable.

Ensures that the City complies with reporting requirements.

Ensures that the City complies with subrecipient monitoring requirements.

Ensures that the Tribe complies with the cash management requirements.

Recovers $3,077,574 from the Tribe, if applicable.

Ensures that the Tribe complies with the activities allowed/allowable costs and cost principles requirements.

Recovers $22,691 from the Tribe, if applicable.

Ensures that the Tribe complies with the equipment and real property requirements.

Ensures that the Tribe complies with the period of performance requirements.

Ensures that the Tribe complies with the special tests and provisions requirements.

Through appropriate EPA offices, direct completion of an assessment to identify the data management requirements for using citizen science data and an action plan for addressing those requirements, includingthose on sharing and using data, data format/standards, and data testing/validation.

Build capacity for managing the use of citizen science, and expand awareness of citizen science resources, by:a. Finalizing the checklist on administrative and legal factors for Agency staff to consider when developing citizen science projects, as well as identifying and developing any procedures needed to ensure compliance with steps in the checklist.b. Conducting training and/or marketing on the EPA’s citizen science intranet site for program and regional staff in developing projects.c. Finalizing and distributing materials highlighting project successes and how the EPA has used results of its investment in citizen science.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of Logistics Management, Office of Acquisitions Management, develop and implement procedures to verify that Contracting Officers are monitoring Contracting Officer's Representatives files in accordance with Procurement Information Bulletin No. 2014-10.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of Logistics Management, Office of Acquisitions Management, develop and implement procedures to verify that Contracting Officers are developing quality assurance surveillance plans for all service contracts and monitoring Contracting Officers Representatives adherence to the quality assurance surveillance plans.

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs incorporate requirements for food services cost controls and a contractor cost control plan into the new worldwide support services contract and develop an acquisition plan that addresses their implementation and comprehensive oversight.

Develop and implement internal policies and procedures to ensure that approved underwriters are accurately maintained and kept current in the origination systems for the Section 184 program.

Develop a comprehensive plan to continue to seek indemnification statutory authority, including consideration to include indemnification authority language in draft regulations currently being considered. Until statutory authority is obtained, develop and implement internal policies and procedures for the voluntary indemnification process, to include a voluntary indemnification agreement, followup procedures, and resolution procedures. Procedures should be revised once statutory authority is obtained.

Support line item expenditures for the administrative contract expense fund for fiscal years 2015 to 2018. OLG should repay the U.S. Department of the Treasury for any expenditures that cannot be supported.

Develop and implement policies and procedures, coordinating with other program offices as needed, to track and make administrative contract expense fund expenditures readily available for review.