Open Recommendations

Embassy Ottawa should submit its hotel and restaurant reports to the Bureau of Administration’s Office of Allowances, in accordance with Department standards.

Embassy Ottawa, in coordination with the Bureaus of Western Hemisphere Affairs and the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, should reprogram additional Diplomatic Engagement-funded Information Management positions to International Cooperative Administrative Support Services-funded positions, in accordance with Department standards, so funds of up to $243,993 over 3 years per position can be put to better use.

Embassy Ottawa should submit its education allowance surveys in accordance with Department standards.

Embassy Ottawa should bring the network cabling at Consulates General Halifax and Toronto into compliance with Department standards.

Embassy Ottawa should limit access to the Consulate General Montreal’s Information Systems Center in accordance with Department standards.

Embassy Ottawa should relocate the telecommunications demarcation point outside the limited access main telephone frame room at Consulate General Toronto.

Embassy Ottawa should implement a records management program that complies with Department standards.

Conduct an analysis of the technologies employed within the NCUA operational environment and document a plan to reduce the wide variety of differing technologies requiring support and vulnerability remediation, as feasible.

Implement a solution that resolves the privileged access management vulnerability.

The Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network directors and facility senior leaders, makes certain that facility surgical work groups meet monthly and core members consistently attend meetings.

We recommend that the California Department of Health Care Services review capitation payments that fell outside of our audit period and refund any unallowable payments.

We recommend that the California Department of Health Care Services ensure that the algorithm used to create its revised Beneficiary Name and DOB Match Reports is effective at detecting individuals with multiple records.

We recommend that the California Department of Health Care Services require county staff to review training materials on the prevention of issuing multiple CINs.

We recommend that the California Department of Health Care Services enhance its controls to ensure that no beneficiary is issued multiple CINs.

The Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network directors and facility senior leaders, makes certain that medical center directors ensure staff complete all required prevention and management of disruptive behavior training based on the risk level assigned to their work area.

OIG recommends that the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Senior Coordinating Official, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Unit, the National Visa Center, and data scientists, revise the Standard Operating Procedures for Quarterly Congressional Reports to include specific steps and procedures for calculating and reporting average processing times for Department of State-controlled stages of the Afghan SIV application process so that reported data reflect the actual average processing times.

OIG recommends the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Senior Coordinating Official, in coordination with the National Visa Center and the Afghan SIV Unit, design and implement control activities in accordance with the Government Accountability Office’s Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government to monitor, verify, and validate the accuracy and completeness of the Department of State-controlled data used to generate the average processing time reported in the Afghan SIV quarterly reports.

OIG recommends the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Senior Coordinating Official, in coordination with the Bureau of Consular Affairs, design and implement control activities in accordance with the Government Accountability Office’s Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government to verify and validate the accuracy and completeness of the information obtained from the entities involved with processing Afghan SIV applications.

OIG recommends the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Senior Coordinating Official (SCO) develop and implement a policy and procedures to establish ongoing interagency coordination with all designated SCOs until the Afghan SIV program concludes.

OIG recommends the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Senior Coordinating Official (SCO) develop and implement an updated staffing plan to adjust resources for all Department of State offices involved with the Afghan SIV program to reduce the current Afghan SIV application backlog.

OIG recommends the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Senior Coordinating Official develop a process and procedures to monitor the implementation, effectiveness, and efficiency of the staffing plan for all Department offices involved in the Afghan SIV program to reduce the current Afghan SIV application backlog.

OIG recommends that the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Senior Coordinating Official (SCO), in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD) SCO, establish a memorandum of understanding between the Department of State (Department) SCO and the DoD SCO defining the roles and responsibilities of the Department and DoD for efficiently and accurately collecting employment documentation of Afghan SIV applicants who worked for DoD contractors. The Department and DoD SCOs should also meet regularly to address efficient employment verification until the Department resolves the backlog of Afghan SIV applications.

Rec. A.1.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office review all FedMall transactions from FY 2019 through FY 2021 and determine whether any vendors violated the terms of their contracts by adding items or increasing prices without approval. If so, contracting officials should determine whether any actions against the vendor, such as catalog removal or recoupment of excess costs, are appropriate, and carry out these actions. The Director should provide the results of the review to the DoD OIG.

Rec. A.1.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office initiate action to recover the $367,081 in questioned costs from five FedMall vendors that violated contract terms by increasing prices without approval.

EEOC should develop a customer service plan to include establishing goals and objectives, developing performance metrics that target the goals, and measuring performance against the goals. This plan must include goals and metrics for the IIG.