Open Recommendations

OIG recommends that, following the implementation of Recommendations 1 and 2, the Under Secretary for Management, working in conjunction with the Executive Secretariat, develop and implement a process to (1) systematically review After Action Reviews developed in response to post evacuations and Lessons Learned Cables generated in compliance with 12 Foreign Affairs Handbook-1 H-235 and (2) make recommendations for action based on the results of these reviews, including identifying needed changes to Department policies, procedures, and guidance.

Developing a comprehensive risk-based critical spare parts program to include identifying the critical spare parts in inventory, establishing sparing levels and reorder points for those critical spare parts, and staging the critical spare parts at strateg

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education require the Iowa Department of Education (Iowa) to require Linn-Mar to determine whether the $228,510 that Linn-Mar charged to the ESSER grant without using a competitive procurement process or obtaining price or rate quotations from an adequate number of vendors was reasonable when compared to the costs of suitable alternatives, and if not, require appropriate corrective actions.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education require the Iowa Department of Education (Iowa) to require Linn-Mar to ensure that LEA officials responsible for making and documenting purchasing decisions receive sufficient training on Federal procurement requirements, including those covered under 2 C.F.R. sections 200.318(i) and 200.320 (methods of procurement to be followed).

CMS should take steps to confirm that all States cover required services from maternal health providers for Medicaid managed care enrollees.

CMS should clarify the requirement that States have a provider-specific OB/GYN network adequacy standard.

CMS should support States in tailoring their network adequacy standards to better address maternal health care needs.

We recommend the Office of Homeland Security Situational Awareness Director and the Intelligence and Analysis Under Secretary, with the support of the DHS Chief Information Officer, establish a recurring process to coordinate internally and with external partners to identify needed Homeland Security Information Network functionality improvements and provide the DHS Chief Information Officer with Homeland Security Information Network improvement recommendations.

We recommend the DHS Chief Information Officer create and implement a plan for outreach with external partners to increase awareness of Homeland Security Information Network capabilities, such as trainings and updates, and available resources, including stakeholder engagement specialists, to fusion centers.

We recommend the DHS Chief Information Officer conduct a cost benefit analysis to evaluate partners’ Homeland Security Information Network use versus cost to modernize and determine if modernization is the best solution for Homeland Security Information Network based on fiscal responsibility, mission objectives, and user feedback.

Establish processes to ensure that the company decides on and implements a program's management structure early enough to provide strong, continuous oversight for the entire life of a program.

Establish processes to ensure that program teams have sufficient staff before the company transitions a program from the Strategy and Planning department to the Capital Delivery department.

Ensure timely steps are taken to approve and implement a modernization strategy which covers SSA modernization efforts and comprehensively addresses legacy system risks for the upcoming years.

Ensure timely steps are taken to develop Enterprise Architecture planning documents that directly align with strategic objectives and performance goals noted in the Agency's strategic and Annual Performance Plans.

Review the Information Resource Management Strategic Plan annually and ensure it supports the goals of the Agency Strategic Plan, as required by the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010, OMB Circular A-130, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996.

Ensure legacy system modernization plans include a detailed description of the work needed for modernization, considerations for the disposition of the system, and tracking cost data that covers all aspects of the project.

Regularly perform risk assessments for legacy systems, as required by OMB Circular A-130, Section 5(a)(1)(b)(i) and (c)(ii). Performing assessments regularly will help management identify information systems and components that cannot be appropriately protected or secured. This will ensure that such systems that may be costly or difficult to maintain, are given high priority for upgrade, replacement, or retirement.

Continue to refine the Agency’s inventory of business applications to ensure data elements specifically related to changes, such as retiring or replacing applications, resulting from modernization efforts are tracked/flagged appropriately.

Implement cost monitoring mechanisms to help with the tracking and management costs related to modernization. Additionally, management should conduct cost analyses for modernization projects, considering cost from a risk perspective.

Regularly perform post-implementation reviews on all information technology investments.

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems are in place to reconcile the temporary and unknown repositories to verify that assets are assigned to an established group.

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems are in place to reconcile duplicate accounting of assets in the repository.

The Chief Information Officer should evaluate the temporary and unknown repositories to establish ownership of assets.

The Chief Information Officer should resolve configuration compliance settings in accordance with Federal and IRS policies.

The VA Tuscaloosa Healthcare System Director strengthens processes to ensure that providers provide patient education about applicable boxed warnings when prescribing psychiatric medication, and monitors compliance.

The VA Augusta Health Care System Director develops and implements processes to incorporate veteran input for process improvements.

The VA Augusta Health Care System Chief of Mental Health ensures a minimum of four hours of recovery-oriented, interdisciplinary programming on weekends on the inpatient mental health unit.

The VA Augusta Health Care System Director ensures alignment between involuntary commitment policies and practices, consistency with state laws, and implementation of monitoring processes.

Ensure that the Health Services Division (Central and/or Regional Office) reviews medication discontinuation practices at FCI Lewisburg and other holdover facilities, including the discontinuation of antidepressants without a clinical encounter, to determine whether such practices are consistent with BOP clinical guidance. If the Health Services Division determines that such practices are inconsistent with BOP clinical guidance, it should work collaboratively with FCI Lewisburg clinicians to identify practical solutions to increase the frequency with which clinicians conduct a clinical encounter with holdover inmates in advance of such decisions so that clinicians can collect complete information about an inmate's condition and the…

Establish written policies and procedures for the Special Agent Hiring panel to include defined roles and responsibilities for individuals serving on the panel and overseeing the panel.

Review its rehire policies and procedures to ensure that the DEA has clear and consistent practices when rehiring former employees for its four core series positions.

Implement controls to ensure that the polygraph Report of Investigation is being prepared accurately and properly reviewed by the Polygraph Unit.

Implement controls to ensure that the documents used to inform hiring panels are accurate, appropriately anonymized, and properly reviewed.

Implement controls and provide training to ISS Personnel Security Specialists to ensure polygraph Reports of Investigation are being appropriately reviewed.

Complete its review of SIUNet records to ensure that inaccurate and duplicate data is removed and/or corrected.

USAID/Afghanistan verify that AUAF corrects the three instances of material noncompliance detailed on pages 43 to 45 of the audit report.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education verify that ODE provided additionalsupport services to the regular, combined school with a youth correction education program that should have beenidentified for CSI in the fall of 2022 based on its assigned level rating for school year 2021–2022.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education verify that ODE provided additionalfunding and support services to the one LEA with three eligible schools identified as needing TSI that did not receiveadditional funding.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education verify that ODE designed andimplemented policies and procedures for calculating the amount of Title I set-aside funds to allocate to each eligible LEAwith schools identified as needing CSI or TSI.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education verify that ODE has recordsshowing how it is calculating the amount of Title I set-aside funds to allocate to each eligible LEA with schools identifiedas needing CSI or TSI.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education verify that ODE has recordsshowing that it is providing ongoing professional learning and networking, technical assistance, and coaching to LEAswith schools that it identifies as needing CSI or TSI.

Recommend that the Manager, Argonne Site Office, direct the CO, in consultation with the Cognizant Federal Agency Official if not the same individual, to require UChicago Argonne, LLC to implement changes to comply with CAS.

Recommend that the Manager, Argonne Site Office, direct the CO, in consultation with the Cognizant Federal Agency Official if not the same individual, to revise and submit a Disclosure Statement to adequately capture its actual cost accounting practices.

Recommend that the Manager, Argonne Site Office, direct the CO, in consultation with the Cognizant Federal Agency Official if not the same individual, to require UChicago Argonne, LLC to comply with the established consulting policies and procedures.

Recommend that the Manager, Argonne Site Office, direct the Contracting Officer, in consultation with the Cognizant Federal Agency Official if not the same individual, to ensure that UChicago Argonne, LLC complies with its contractual obligations to conduct an audit of the subcontractor’s costs or arrange for such an audit to be performed and make a final determination on the allowability of the unresolved subcontract costs upon completion of audits.

Develop IPT processes and procedures for overseeing contractors to include integration of key roles into the procurement oversight process according to the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan standards.

For IPT procurements including the Agile method, ensure IPT team members who participate in contractor oversight receive appropriate training on their roles and responsibilities.

Ensure CORs formally appoint technical monitors for overseeing the contractors and include in the appointment letter a detailed description of the monitoring responsibilities.

Ensure designated contracting officials document the acceptance of all deliverables in accordance with FAR, PBGC FARS, and/or contract requirements.

Improve controls to properly centralize, maintain and safeguard COR contract files, as required by the FAR and internal policies.