Open Recommendations

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education require MDE to update its policiesand procedures to reflect that all changes to Mississippi’s approved State plan should be submitted to the Departmentand approved by the Department before implementing changes to the accountability system.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education require MDE to provide CSI to thefour public schools that should have been identified for CSI in the fall of 2022.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education require MDE to submit anamendment explaining that it will apply double weighting to the numerator for students who took and passed certainaccelerated courses and describing how it will calculate the college and career readiness indicator score if a studenttakes both the assessment designed to measure skills that are important for success in postsecondary education andthe assessment designed to measure foundational skills required for success in the workplace.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education require MDE to provide records tothe Department showing that it corrected the coding in the MSIS to ensure that the system uses unadjusted compositescores to identify nontraditional public high schools for CSI.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education require MDE to provide records tothe Department showing that it ensured that all Title I, Part A-funded schools with 3 years of accountability data areincluded on the list that MDE uses for identifying public schools that are eligible for CSI.

As expeditiously as possible, Treasury's Office of the Assistant General Counsel for General Law, Ethics and Regulation (GLER) should develop and implement standard operating procedures, including monitoring, to ensure ethics officials fully utilize the Ethics Tracker database to track requests, substantive advice and counsel provided, as well as documentation of final resolution of issues.

As expeditiously as possible, Treasury's Office of the Assistant General Counsel for General Law, Ethics and Regulation (GLER) should consider completing a cost-benefit analysis to determine if a fully integrated and automated tracking system would benefit GLER with its ethics responsibilities.

Ensure that the OHC conducts a comprehensive annual review of the control activities for administering the agency’s vision and dental programs to ensure that they are operating effectively.

Develop and periodically provide tailored training for employees who administer the agency’s vision and dental programs.

Ensure the Ohio AG revises its financial policies and procedures to help ensure adequate administration of federal award funds and that all relevant personnel are aware of these policies. In particular, the financial policies and procedures should cover, at a minimum: (1) completing appropriate Subgrant Award Report (SAR) submissions; (2) drawdown-related reconciliation procedures, which ensure that funds are spent or returned to DOJ within 10 days of being drawn down; and (3) matching cost reporting on Federal Financial Reports (FFR) to help ensure the information reported is reconciled to supporting data, reviewed by appropriate personnel, and that data supporting the…

Ensure the Ohio AG develops a mechanism to complete subrecipient monitoring timely and in accordance with its policy.

Require the Ohio AG to develop a plan to conduct a site visit and/or desk review of those subrecipients that did not receive a review in the past 24 months, as required, with priority given to those subrecipients that did not receive a site visit and/or desk review within our audit scope.

Evaluate and consider enhanced solutions to store backup data, as described inthe report, and update the Storage Systems Backup Data Protection StandardOperating Procedures, as appropriate.

Conduct an analysis to identify viable alternatives for testing restoration of ActiveDirectory from backups, or have senior management formally accept the risk ofnot testing these backups.

(U) Rec. A.1.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness update and implement retained organ policy to align with current policy and practice related to retained organs and specimens.

(U) Rec. A.1.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness continue to honor, to the extent practicable and consistent with section 1471, title 10, United States Code and current policy, proactive and timely requests from next of kin for religious accommodations related to forensic pathology investigations and disposition of remains. This includes updating and implementing the policy that retained organs and specimens are to be treated in the same manner as remains, when honoring religious accommodation.

(U) Rec. A.2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Health Agency, after the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness updates and implements policy, develop and implement Armed Forces Medical Examiner System policy, processes, and procedures related to retained organs or specimens.

(U) Rec. B.1.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Health Agency consider the impact of separate disposition for organs because different specialty consultations were needed, versus disposition of decedent's retained organs together, and develop and implement policy and procedures accordingly.

(U) Rec. B.1.d: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Health Agency update and implement system capabilities to allow Armed Forces Medical Examiner System officials to effectively and efficiently track the progression of retained organ (specimens) from collection through disposition.

We recommend that the Office of Acquisition and Assistance take the following actions: Review the approval process of administrative guidance to implementers and make appropriate changes to streamline it for use in crisis scenarios, for example, by clarifying the role of each reviewer.

We recommend that the Bureau for Asia, in coordination for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, take the following actions: Document and disseminate to staff with enterprise risk management (ERM) equities, the bureau's ERM governance structure, the roles and responsibilities of each member within the structure, and the bureau's review and assessment process for its assessable units.

Direct Agency’s program offices that have operational interests in telework activities to coordinate, develop, and implement detailed standard operating procedures to expand on Directive 645.19C.

Implement an automated process, which notifies all relevant IT system owners of pending separations and reassignments.

Determine whether individuals who departed NARA since April 27, 2020 still have access to related IT systems. Ensure IT system access for these individuals has been terminated.

Evaluate the process and/or definition for reassignments as defined in NARA 215 to ensure it meets the business needs of National Personnel Records Center’s Core environment.

Revise NARA 215 requirements for outstanding debt obligations for separating individuals.

Update and implement NARA 215 requirements to establish clear reporting lines among those units with off-boarding and property management duties.

Ensure communication of revised NARA 215 with NARA Clearance Officials.

Implement procedures to ensure consistent Office of Water oversight of the annual review process in all regions and states, including reviewing checklists and all program evaluation reports and tracking recommendations made by the regions.

WCF officials should amend the current DR to include instructions on the IAA process that explain the necessity and timing of having a binding agreement in place before the transfer of funds and provision of services. The amendment should also include instructions to elevate any non-compliance issues.

Work with SCPs' and WCF activity centers' officials to implement a records management process that will require records be maintained in such a manner that information and documents are complete and readily retrievable.

Rec. A.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness review the religious accommodation request process for vaccinations to identify efficiencies that could be achieved during periods of high-volume requests and issue guidance accordingly to decrease processing times.

Rec. B.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Defense Health Agency, in coordination with the Secretaries of the Military Departments, develop and implement a requirement for personnel to maintain supporting documentation for medical exemptions in Service members' medical records and administrative exemptions in Service members' personnel records.

Rec. C.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness: a) develop and issue guidance to require uniform discharge types for all Service members discharged for misconduct solely for vaccination refusal; and b) develop and issue guidance to assign uniform reentry codes for all Service members discharged for misconduct solely for vaccination refusal.

Evaluate cyber risks associated with HEC assets to determine oversight and monitoring requirements, establish risk appetite, and address controldeficiencies. Consider using NASA’s Splunk enterprise platform as a shared resource.

Implement an HEC classification/category designation within Risk Information Security Compliance System for identifying HEC assets.

Document data risk impact levels, classification, and export control categorization for all HEC jobs.

Identify and mitigate gaps in the foreign national accreditation access process.

(U) Rec. 1.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Commander of the U.S. Central Command develop minimum requirements for the U.S. Central Command End-Use Monitoring program manager's quarterly reviews of the Security Cooperation Information Portal to ensure the reviews include:Reviewing enhanced end-use monitoring inventory and physical security inspection documentation. Reviewing application of alternate procedures when in-person inventories and physical security inspections are not feasible. Identifying and resolving deficiencies related to enhanced end-use monitoring.

(U) Rec. 1.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Commander of the U.S. Central Command, in coordination with the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq, develop a plan that could include using contractors to assist with the End-Use Monitoring program, filling the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq End-Use Monitoring program manager position with a civilian, or expanding the authorities of the locally employed staff, to ensure continuity in the end-use monitoring program within the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq.

(U) Rec. 2.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq, in coordination with the U.S. Central Command, develop and implement a plan that could include using contractors to assist with the End-Use Monitoring program, filling the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq End-Use Monitoring program manager position with a civilian, or expanding the authorities of the locally employed staff, to ensure continuity in the End-Use Monitoring program within the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq.

We recommend that HUD require the City to reassess the eight infrastructure projects still in the design or planning phase to determine whether the City can complete the projects or how the remaining funds could be best used within the 6 years remaining for the grant period to ensure that the City is protected from future storm and rain events.

We recommend that HUD require the City to for the $14,683,335 originally budgeted for the Milneburg and Microgrid projects, work with HUD to (1) determine whether its planned action plan amendment would constitute the need to submit a substantial action plan amendment, (2) ensure that any modifications in its action plan amendment would lessen the susceptibility of rain and flood events within the Gentilly area, and (3) require that any activities pursued under the action plan amendment could reasonably be expected to be completed by the September 30, 2029, deadline.

We recommend that HUD require the City to review the number and type of positions for its National Disaster Resilience staff that are responsible for the oversight and completion of infrastructure projects and ensure that it has the appropriate staffing levels to complete adequate monitoring and oversight of the projects.

We recommend that HUD require the City to revise its risk assessment plan and process to ensure that monitoring is regularly conducted for its infrastructure projects through project completion, including establishing a monitoring schedule to ensure the progression and completion of the infrastructure projects.

We recommend that HUD require the City to develop and submit to HUD for approval an updated planning and administration budget and staffing plan, after reassessing the infrastructure projects in recommendation 1A, to complete the National Disaster Resilience projects with the funds and within the timeframe remaining.

We recommend that HUD require the City to analyze the method used to charge planning and administration costs to ensure that all costs are applied to the correct costs category and are valid charges to the National Disaster Resilience grant.

We recommend that HUD require the City to review misallocated planning and administration funds and reallocate any mistakenly allocated funds to the correct National Disaster Resilience project or grant activity. This measure could make available additional funds for program oversight.

We recommend that HUD require the City to develop a plan for how the City will continue to fulfill the required monitoring and oversight responsibilities of the National Disaster Resilience programs and projects if it runs out of planning and administration funds before it completes these programs and projects.

We recommend that HUD require the City to provide monitoring reports and supporting documentation to show that it conducted periodic monitoring of NORA' s performance and compliance with program rules and regulations and ensured that NORA promptly remedies any findings or concerns. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that NORA (1) provides adequate oversight of the contractors providing service under the program and (2) maintains documentation to support eligibility for program participants.