U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General FY 2011 Management Challenges

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) works to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity in the programs and operations of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). Through our audits, inspections, investigations, and other reviews, we continue to identify areas of concern within the Department’s programs and operations and recommend actions the Department should take to address theseweaknesses. The Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 requires OIG to identify and summarize the most significant management challenges facing the Department each year. Last year, we reported three management challenges: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act); student financial assistance (SFA) programs, with a focus on the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of2008; and information security and management. All three have been updated as challenges for fiscal year (FY) 2011, and Data Quality and Reporting, previously a sub-area, is presented as a separate challenge.