Open Recommendations

The under secretary for benefits ensure all erroneous scenarios in the Veterans Benefits Management System for Rating special monthly compensation calculator identified in this review are corrected and certify the results to the VA Office of Inspector General.

Assess current challenges imposed on CHP recipients (such as hiring, retention, and the $125,000 officer funding cap), develop potential strategies to address those challenges, communicate this information to the Department and, in coordination with the Department, consider program changes that may be necessary, potentially including statutory changes, to address the viability and success level of the program.

Complete its analysis of 2022 and 2023 awards to determine the extent to which anomalous or inaccurate application data was not flagged for review; and to complete its review of data cleaning thresholds and adjust thresholds as necessary to improve the process for identifying outliers to strengthen and improve the accuracy of applicant-provided data.

Finalize and approve procedures and standards included in the Draft COVID EIDL Servicing Manual.

Publish and communicate written overall CESC performance goals for effective monitoring of its operations in coordination with SBA’s Office of Financial Program Operations.

Designate a dedicated entity to manage the process of assessing SNAP fraud risks, consistent with the leading practices in GAO’s Fraud Risk Management Framework. This entity should have clearly defined and documented responsibilities and authority, including managing fraud risk assessments and facilitating communication among stakeholders regarding SNAP fraud-related issues.

Comprehensively assess SNAP fraud risks in adherence with leading practices identified in GAO’s Fraud Risk Management Framework.

Document the fraud risk profile for SNAP, incorporating fraud risks determined from OIG Recommendation 2 activities, in adherence with applicable leading practices identified in GAO’s Fraud Risk Management Framework.

Design and implement an antifraud strategy for SNAP based on a fraud risk profile (see OIG Recommendation 3, above) consistent with leading practices as provided in GAO’s Fraud Risk Management Framework.

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 posts 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 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.

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 States (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.

Rec. 1.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) update the Integrated Personnel and Pay System"Army, in coordination with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Functional Management Division Director, to cumulatively track the amount of parental leave remaining per qualifying event.

Rec. 1.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) develop procedures to perform periodic reviews of, or coordinate with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Functional Management Division Director, to develop internal controls in the Integrated Personnel and Pay System"Army to ensure that Service members do not take unallowable parental leave increments or leave without an approved exception after the 1-year period following a qualifying event.

Rec. 2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief of Naval Personnel confirm whether a control exists in the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System to ensure that Service members do not take parental leave after the 1-year period following a qualifying event without an approved exception. If no control exists, the Chief of Naval Personnel should perform periodic reviews of, or coordinate with the Office of the Naval Chief Information Officer, to develop internal controls in the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System to ensure Service member compliance.

Rec. 3.a: The DoD OIG recommend that the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) update LeaveWeb or develop and implement an internal control in the replacement system, MyLeave, in coordination with the Deputy Assistant Secretary (Business Systems and Technology), Chief Information Office, to cumulatively track the amount of parental leave remaining per qualifying event.

Rec. 3.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) develop procedures to perform periodic reviews of, or coordinate with the Deputy Assistant Secretary (Business Systems and Technology), Chief Information Office, to develop internal controls in, LeaveWeb or the replacement system, MyLeave, to ensure that Service members do not take unallowable parental leave increments, leave exceeding the allotted amount, or leave after the 1-year period following a qualifying event without an approved exception.

Rec. 4.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy Commandant for Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs update Marine Online to cumulatively track the amount of parental leave remaining per qualifying event for use by commanders and Service members.

Rec 4.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy Commandant for Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affair develop procedures to perform periodic reviews of, or develop internal controls in, Marine Online to ensure that Service members do not take unallowable parental leave increments.

Rec. 5.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Space Force Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital coordinate with the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) to address Recommendation 3.a or develop Space Force"specific processes to cumulatively track the amount of parental leave remaining per qualifying event.

Rec. 5.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Space Force Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital coordinate with the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) to address Recommendation 3.b or develop Space Force"specific reviews or automated processes to ensure that Service members do not take unallowable parental leave increments, leave exceeding the allotted amount, or leave after the 1-year period following a qualifying event without an approved exception.

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 staff complete and document preventive maintenance for medical equipment.

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.

The Chief Privacy Officer should review the 1,334 individual taxpayer accounts and if warranted, take appropriate actions to place the data breach indicator on tax accounts and mail notification letters to additional taxpayers affected by the data breach.

The Chief Privacy Officer should continue working to identify all individual and business taxpayers impacted by the unauthorized disclosure. If warranted, take appropriate actions to place the data breach indicator on tax accounts and mail notification letters to additional taxpayers affected by the data breach.

Develop and implement uniform procedures for the FSM desk monitoring review, including a second level review for the FSM monitoring reviews and process for each inspection type.

Update the FSM monitoring plan and FSM qualitative monitoring database to: (a) clearly define the monitoring questions, (b) include a section for Q7 New Not Ready to Show (NRTS) properties, (c) define which routine inspection reports will be reviewed to conduct the routine inspection monitoring reviews and (d) develop a monitoring question to evaluate photo date stamps.

Ensure that program officials periodically provide all FSM CORs and staff involved in the monitoring process uniform property inspection training.

Update review procedures to ensure accurate responses to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) payment integrity data call prompts, compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, and that information is complete, accurate, and consistent before the final submission of the OMB payment integrity data call; and further refine reviews of published information on PaymentAccuracy.gov.

Maintain the Employment and Training Administration’s current focus on increasing technical assistance and funding to states to improve improper payment reduction strategies to reduce the improper payments estimate rate below the 10 percent threshold.

Update the Employment and Training Administration’s policies and procedures over the reporting of Federal Pandemic unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance information to include outlays after the expiration of the programs, until such time as the outlays are no longer greater than the statutory threshold.

The Readjustment Counseling Service Chief Officer considers developing written guidance for vet center closure and temporary relocation processes including oversight responsibilities.