Congress provided $5.5 billion for the Emergency Assistance to Nonpublic Schools (EANS) program. The purpose of the EANS programs, authorized under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and American Rescue Plan (ARP), is to provide services or assistance to eligible nonpublic schools to address educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 emergency. Our audit sought to determine whether the Tennessee Department of Education (Tennessee) designed and implemented (1) application processes that adequately assessed nonpublic schools’ eligibility for EANS...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 11/19/2024

2.1 - Open

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education require Tennessee, in consultation with the Governor of Tennessee, to review its policies and procedures for drawing down Department grant funds to pay for corresponding grant expenditures and determine whether any updates are necessary to ensure funds drawn down from one grant (for example, CRRSA EANS) are not being used to pay for expenditures under another grant (for example, ARP EANS).

2.2 - Open

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education require Tennessee, in consultation with the Governor of Tennessee, to ensure that Tennessee officials responsible for making, reviewing, and approving G5 drawdowns receive sufficient training on Federal rules and regulations and State policies and procedures related to drawing down funds from G5 and documenting the process correctly.

2.3 - Open

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education require Tennessee, in consultation with the Governor of Tennessee, to ensure full implementation of procedures that will identify, locate, and track assets purchased with EANS funds at nonpublic schools and verify that those assets were still being used for purposes related to COVID-19 or for allowable purposes under another Federal education program in which the nonpublic school participates. If assets purchased with EANS funds are no longer being used for purposes related to COVID-19 or for allowable purposes under another Federal education program in which the nonpublic school participates, retrieve them for use in other allowable activities or dispose of them in accordance with State laws and procedures. If assets purchased with EANS funds cannot be identified and located, determine any liabilities owed to the Department and return funds if required.

2.4 - Open

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education require Tennessee, in consultation with the Governor of Tennessee, to retroactively obtain prior written approval from the Department for the three equipment expenditures or return the approximately $123,000 expended for those equipment purchases and perform a review of the remaining equipment expenditures to determine whether there are additional purchases that require prior written approval. Tennessee should also incorporate into its grants management policies and procedures a step to determine for any Department grants whether it is required to obtain prior approval from the Department for certain expenditures, or whether Tennessee can provide prior approval for subrecipients.

Department of Labor OIG

FY 2024 Independent Auditors' Report on DOL's Consolidated Financial Statements

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 11/14/2024

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Management Took Actions to Address Erroneous Employee Retention Credit Claims; However, Some Questionable Claims Still Need to Be Addressed

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/30/2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD Grantees Need to Enhance Monitoring of ESG CARES Act Subrecipients

We audited HUD and its grantees’ monitoring of subrecipients and contractors in HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (ESG-CV) program to assess subrecipient monitoring in the program. ESG and ESG-CV grantees often rely on subrecipients and contractors to carry out ESG-CV-funded activities on behalf of the grantees, and are required to monitor subrecipients to ensure that the purpose of the grant funds awarded is achieved and funds are spent on only eligible applicants and activities. HUD is responsible for ensuring that grantees are performing...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/17/2024

Department of Labor OIG

ETA Did Not Ensure States Sufficiently Implemented Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation Program

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/11/2024

Election Assistance Commission OIG

Audit of the Administration of Help America Vote Act Grants Awarded to the State of Georgia

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audited Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grants administered by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office (GSoS), totaling $46.3 million. This included federal funds, state matching funds, and interest earned on the reissued Section 101, reissued Section 251, Election Security, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/16/2024

Election Assistance Commission OIG

Audit of the Administration of Help America Vote Act Grants Awarded to the State of New Jersey

The independent public accounting firm of Brown & Company CPAs and Management Consultants, PLLC, under contract with the Office of Inspector General, audited Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grants administered by the New Jersey Department of State, totaling $39.52 million. This included federal funds, state matching funds, and interest earned on the Election Security and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

The City and County of Honolulu Should Improve Its Fraud Risk Management Practices for Its ESG CARES Act Program

We audited the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Budget and Fiscal Services’ and Department of Community Services’ (City) fraud risk management practices for its Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (ESG CARES Act) program with the objective of assessing the maturity of the City’s fraud risk management framework that encompasses control activities to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud. Fraudulent activity in the ESG CARES Act program can lead to significant financial losses; reputational damage to the grantee and the U.S. Department of...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/06/2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Housing and Community Development Should Improve Its Fraud Risk Management Practices for Its ESG CARES Act Program

We audited the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with the objective of evaluating HCD’s fraud risk management practices for its Emergency Solutions Grants Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (ESG CARES Act) program and assessing the maturity of its efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud. Fraudulent activity in the ESG CARES Act program can lead to significant financial losses, reputational damage to the grantee and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), breach of fiduciary duty, and most importantly, loss of funding...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/02/2024

General Services Administration OIG

Audit of GSA’s Response to COVID-19: PBS Faces Challenges to Ensure Water Quality in GSA-Controlled Facilities

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/22/2024

1 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by defining roles and responsibilities for maintaining water quality in GSA-controlled facilities.

2 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by ensuring that: water quality is maintained through consistent policies and practices nationwide; deviations to PBS’s Drinking Water Quality Management policy and the PBS water safety guidance are approved by PBS’s Central Office; and any water safety policies or guidance developed by regional offices do not contradict policies and guidance issued at the national level.

3 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by ensuring that PBS’s water safety activities are incorporated into O&M contracts, recorded in PBS’s National Computerized Maintenance Management System, and overseen by PBS personnel.

4 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by incorporating PBS’s water safety oversight responsibilities into quality assurance surveillance plans for O&M contracts to ensure contractor compliance with water safety activities.

5 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by ensuring that PBS personnel and O&M contractors have access to tenant spaces so flushing can be performed.

6 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by amending O&M and other contracts to ensure that energy efficiency and water conservation requirements do not conflict with PBS’s Drinking Water Quality Management policy and the PBS water safety guidance.

7 - Closed

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by ensuring that water is tested in GSA’s child care centers as required by PBS’s Drinking Water Quality Management policy.

8 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by ensuring water quality test results—especially those above EPA action levels—are communicated timely to building tenants, GSA child care center operators, and parents and guardians of affected children.

9 - Open

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner provide appropriate oversight to ensure water is safe to occupants in its buildings by amending and implementing PBS’s Drinking Water Quality Management policy to: include reduced occupancy or decreased water usage as additional criteria for lead, copper, Legionella bacteria, and other contaminant testing; ensure requirements in PBS’s Drinking Water Quality Management policy, its companion Desk Guide for Drinking Water Quality Management, and the PBS water safety guidance are incorporated into the amended policy, unless there are safety reasons why such requirements cannot or should not be incorporated; and formalize its requirement to complete additional testing at child care centers that close for extended periods of time.

Small Business Administration OIG

Improvements Needed in SBA’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Post-Award Review Process

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this management advisory to bring attention to concerns regarding the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) post-award review process to monitor Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) award recipients’ eligibility, award calculation, and use of funds. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established on December 27, 2020, as part of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act (Economic Aid Act). The program was amended by the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021, which increased program...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/10/2024

U.S. Agency for International Development OIG

COVID-19: Audit of Costs Incurred by World Vision (WV) from March 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/10/2024

1 - Open

Determine the allowability of $3,098,895 in questioned direct labor costs on pages 6-7 of the audit report and recover any amount that is unallowable.

2 - Open

Require World Vision to develop and implement policies and procedures to periodically record and review time worked and any proportional allocation of the costs for greater accuracy.

3 - Open

Require World Vision to develop and implement policies and procedures to establish a requirement to document the basis of the allocation percentages.

4 - Open

Require World Vision to develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that management is verifying and documenting the percentage of labor hours that employees charged to awards.

5 - Open

Require World Vision to develop processes and establish controls to ensure each of World Vision offices are submitting the Value-Added-Tax reports by April 16 of the preceding year.

6 - Open

Require World Vision to establish controls to ensure each of its offices submit a separate annual report for each of its reporting responsibilities by the established deadline or obtain concurrence from USAID to utilize reports for multiple reporting requirements.

7 - Open

Determine the allowability of $144,372 in questioned direct costs on page 12 of the audit report and recover any amount that is unallowable.

8 - Open

Require World Vision to develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure adequate documentation (e.g., invoices, itemized receipts, and basis) is created and/or maintained to adequately support direct costs claimed.

9 - Open

Require World Vision to execute a record retention and audit response policy where documents are maintained and readily available in a timely manner to adequately support direct costs claimed, specifically considering the requirements of Code of Federal Regulations.

U.S. Agency for International Development OIG

COVID-19: Audit of Costs Incurred by International Rescue Committee from March 1, 2020, to March 31, 2022

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: ETA's Oversight of Short-Time Compensation Did Not Detect $126.9 Million in Questioned Costs

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/26/2024

U.S. Agency for International Development OIG

COVID-19: Audit of Costs Incurred by FHI-360 from March 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/13/2024

U.S. Agency for International Development OIG

COVID-19: Audit of Costs Incurred by Jhpiego Corporation from March 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/13/2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Servicers Followed the COVID-19 Foreclosure Moratorium Requirements but Could Have Better Communicated the Requirements to Borrowers

Servicers followed the COVID-19 pandemic foreclosure moratorium requirements. However, they could have better communicated the moratorium requirements to delinquent borrowers who were subject to foreclosure proceedings. This situation occurred because HUD did not require servicers to notify borrowers directly about the foreclosure moratorium and that occupancy would pause the foreclosure process. Borrowers who were not informed about the moratorium or impacts of vacancy could have abandoned their homes, not realizing that remaining in the home would have afforded them additional time to...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/24/2024

Department of Defense OIG

Audit of DoD Health Care Personnel Shortages During the Coronavirus Disease–2019 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/23/2024

D-2024-0086-D000AW-0001-0001.a - Open

Rec. 1.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Defense Health Agency Director, in consultation with the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service develop and implement a plan to ensure a more competitive pay rate for nursing and other hard to fill medical positions in all Defense Health Agency regions.

D-2024-0086-D000AW-0001-0001.c - Open

Rec. 1.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Defense Health Agency Director, in consultation with the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service develop and implement a plan to establish qualification requirements for nursing and other hard to fill medical positions if it is determined that it would enhance the DoD's efforts to help recruit and retain health care personnel.

D-2024-0086-D000AW-0001-0002.a - Open

Rec. 2.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the Defense Health Agency Director determine whether the DoD needs to extend waiving the authority to apply section 3326, title 5, United States Code, for appointments made to positions in medical or health profession with the DoD under the direct hire authority and, if so, provide the extension in a subsequent memo before the authority for covered positions expires on September 30, 2025.

D-2024-0086-D000AW-0001-0003.a - Open

Rec. 3.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Defense Health Agency Director revise Defense Health Agency Administrative Instruction 5136.03 to establish approval authority for any civilian personnel extensions outside the continental United States beyond a period of 7 years.

D-2024-0086-D000AW-0001-0003.b - Open

Rec. 3.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Defense Health Agency Director establish maximum time frames to approve civilian personnel extensions outside of the continental United States and require monitoring of extension approval timelines.

D-2024-0086-D000AW-0001-0003.d - Open

Rec. 3.d: The DoD OIG recommended that the Defense Health Agency Director develop and implement a plan to apply strategies and incentives used by other Federal agencies to hire entry-level registered nurses if it is determined the strategies and incentives would enhance the DoD's recruitment efforts.

Department of Transportation OIG

FTA’s Oversight of Its Region 9 Recipients Is Insufficient To Confirm Compliance With CARES Act Funding Requirements

What We Looked At Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) received $25 billion to help the Nation’s public transit agencies mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. FTA obligated over $4.4 billion of this funding to recipients within FTA’s Region 9, which contains the 4th, 10th, and 11th highest FTA CARES Act fund recipients nationwide. Although the Agency expanded its oversight of COVID-19 relief funding recipients, we previously found risks associated with these activities and FTA’s oversight of contract and grant expenditures...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/21/2024

Department of Education OIG

Illinois’ Oversight of Local Educational Agency ARP ESSER Plans and Spending

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Illinois State Board of Education (Illinois) had an adequate oversight process in place to ensure that (1) local educational agencies’ (LEA) American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) plans met applicable requirements and (2) LEAs use ARP ESSER funds in accordance with applicable requirements and their approved LEA ARP ESSER plans.We found that Illinois generally had adequate processes to ensure that LEA ARP ESSER plans met applicable requirements. However, it did not communicate accurate...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/27/2024

Small Business Administration OIG

SBA’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund Program Award Practices

This SBA OIG pandemic oversight report reviewed the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund application review and approval process. The objective of this review was to determine whether the controls SBA implemented to award RRF program funds in accordance with the Act and other applicable guidance were effective. SBA developed an implementation plan including a risk framework that was intended to reduce the risk of making improper payments and awarding Restaurant Revitalization Funds (RRF) to ineligible recipients. However, the plan did not include all program...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/26/2024

Department of Transportation OIG

FAA Did Not Fully Follow Its Processes When Awarding and Administering CARES Act-Funded Airport Development Grants and Contracts

What We Looked At The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with $10 billion in funding, including about $525 million for airport development expenses. FAA distributed these funds through its Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which requires grant recipients to comply with various Federal procurement requirements, including Buy American Preferences. Previous Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits identified weaknesses in FAA’s processes for awarding and administering AIP grants and its oversight of CARES Act funds. Given...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 2/21/2024

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Kentucky Experienced Challenges in Meeting Federal and State Foster Care Program Requirements During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 11/14/2023

Election Assistance Commission OIG

Audit of the Help America Vote Act Grants Awarded to the Territory of Guam

EAC OIG, through the independent public accounting firm of McBride, Lock & Associates, LLC, audited $1.8 million in funds received by the territory of Guam under the Help America Vote Act. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Guam Election Commission: 1) used funds for authorized purposes in accordance with Section 101 and Section 251 of HAVA and other applicable requirements; 2) properly accounted for and controlled property purchased with HAVA payments; and 3) used the funds in a manner consistent with the informational plans provided to EAC. The audit also determined if...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 11/03/2023

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Charged Some Unallowable Costs to Its CDC COVID-19 Award

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/26/2023

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

CDC's Internal Control Weaknesses Led to Its Initial COVID-19 Test Kit Failure, but CDC Ultimately Created a Working Test Kit

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/24/2023

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: MSHA Did Not Complete or Accurately Report Mandatory Inspections

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/17/2023

1 - Closed

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health report transparently each year on the number of idle mine visits (E28) and attempted inspections (E27) used to eliminate mandatory inspections each fiscal year.

10 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health revise business rules used in MSHA reports for the mandatory inspections program to align with the Mine Act and MSHA policy, or update MSHA policy accordingly and consider raising the number of E28 idle mine visits and E27 denial of entry attempts used in MSHA reports to eliminate an inspection requirement.

11 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health improve the design and execution of MSHA’s internal control system for the mandatory inspections program to align with the GAO Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, specifically by identifying key risks through a programmatic risk assessment and collecting MSHA workforce concerns to verify or improve the integrity of the program.

2 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health update MSHA policies to: (1) define a schedule for verifying mine statuses; (2) specify when visual verifications (e.g., E28 idle mine visits) are necessary; (3) limit deviations from the mine status criteria to defined exceptional situations; (4) define how “primary mine type” changes apply during calculation of inspection requirements; (5) define timeliness metrics for certification of E01 inspections; (6) require mandatory inspections start and end in the same fiscal year; and (7) define how to calculate the mandatory inspection completion rate annually.

3 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health redesign monitoring processes to check Part 50 data reporting for mines on a quarterly basis, and verify timely certification of mandatory inspections and accuracy of activity codes and inspection dates.

4 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health update supporting tools based on revisions to the mine status criteria.

5 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health develop a process to verify if: (1) mines in “temporarily idle” status for extended periods need a change to “abandoned” status and (2) mines with underground openings are being timely sealed when their “primary mine type” is not listed as “underground.”

6 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health verify all underground coal mines in abandoned status for more than 90 days are either sealed (and its status updated in MSHA’s system), in the process of sealing and are issued a violation for non-compliance with the regulation, or has a remark in MSHA’s system indicating why it will not be sealed. This may include verifying the mine was identified for future reclamation in the Abandoned Mine Lands program inventory.

7 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health communicate to staff on: (1) the current version of mine status criteria, (2) MSHA reports and tools available for the mandatory inspection program, and (3) leadership’s expectations on districts correcting activity codes and when Part 50 data should be available to districts (including follow-up and violations for operators not reporting timely).

8 - Closed

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Add a system control to verify the “primary mine type” field is populated.

9 - Open

We recommend the Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health update policy or procedures to: (1) clearly define when an inspection starts and ends and (2) ensure the inspection dates for an E01 mandatory inspection include any inspection work done on other events (e.g., E16 spot inspection) to make the E01 inspection an “entire mine” inspection adhering to requirements in the Mine Act.

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

The Strategic National Stockpile Was Not Positioned To Respond Effectively to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/16/2023

Department of Education OIG

Kentucky’s Oversight of Local Educational Agency ARP ESSER Plans and Spending

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Kentucky Department of Education (Kentucky) had an adequate oversight process in place to ensure that (1) local educational agencies’ (LEA) American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) plans met applicable requirements and (2) LEAs use ARP ESSER funds in accordance with applicable requirements and their approved LEA ARP ESSER plans. Overall, we found that Kentucky had adequate processes to ensure that LEA ARP ESSER plans met applicable requirements. We also determined that the ARP ESSER plans for...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/12/2023

Small Business Administration OIG

Ending Active Collections on Delinquent COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans

The Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this management advisory to bring attention to concerns regarding SBA’s decision to end active collections on delinquent COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) with an outstanding balance of $100,000 or less.First, SBA’s decision to cease collections risks violating the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, which prohibits ending collections on fraudulent, false, or misrepresented claims, because SBA OIG and other oversight agencies are continuing to work on identifying COVID-19 EIDL fraud that...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/29/2023

1 - Open

To address concerns in the COVID-19 EIDL program, we recommend the Administrator direct the Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access to perform a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, consistent with federal regulations, to include periodic comparisons of costs incurred and amounts collected on the portfolio of COVID-19 EIDLs of $100,000 or less to assess whether collection costs exceed recovery amounts.

2 - Open

To address concerns in the COVID-19 EIDL program, we recommend the Administrator direct the Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access to reevaluate and amend as appropriate the April 27, 2022 decision to end active collections contingent on the outcome of the more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis.

3 - Open

To address concerns in the COVID-19 EIDL program, we recommend the Administrator direct the Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access to ensure SBA does not end active collections pursuant to the April 27, 2022 decision on any COVID-19 EIDL of $100,000 or less made to borrowers who received multiple COVID-19 EIDLs that, when combined, exceed $100,000.

4 - Open

To address concerns in the COVID-19 EIDL program, we recommend the Administrator direct the Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access to ensure SBA does not end active collections on any COVID-19 EIDL that appears to be fraudulent, false, or misrepresented, including loans identified as such by OIG or other federal oversight entities, without 1) reviewing the loan application for fraud and 2) attempting active collection, at a minimum, regardless of the outcome of a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis.

5 - Open

To maximize the return to taxpayers, we recommend the Administrator direct the Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access to evaluate the COVID-19 EIDL portfolio, in collaboration with Treasury, to determine if selling the portfolio, including delinquent loans of $100,000 or less, is in the best interest of the government.

Small Business Administration OIG

SBA’s Oversight of Restaurant Revitalization Fund Recipients

We reviewed the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) oversight of Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) recipients. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 authorized SBA to administer the RRF and provided $28.6 billion to assist eligible small businesses adversely affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.We determined program officials developed a plan for monitoring RRF award recipients use of funds and recovering unused or improperly awarded funds. However, program implementation was not executed in accordance with the plan.We made six recommendations for SBA to...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/29/2023

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: ETA Needs a Plan to Reconcile and Return to the U.S. Treasury Nearly $5 Billion Unused by States for a Temporary Unemployment Insurance Program

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/28/2023

1 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training work with Oregon, Louisiana, Delaware, and Mississippi to ensure the appropriate return of approximately $105.1 million in TFFF reimbursements for first-week regular UI compensation paid that were associated with ineligible weeks.

2 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training establish a deadline by which states are required to perform a timely review of past drawdowns and provide evidence that drawdowns were for reimbursement of eligible first-week regular UI compensation paid by the state for claim weeks that fell within the TFFF program period.

3 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training reassess the eligibility of all states with waiting week provisions according to their state laws to ensure that the waiting week was not in effect when states accessed TFFF funds prior to December 31, 2020.

4 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training ensure that any state drawdowns of the remaining almost $5 billion ($4,948,811,006) in TFFF funds are only for the reimbursement of first-week regular UI compensation paid by the state that fall within the TFFF program period (March 27, 2020, through September 6, 2021).

5 - Closed

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training establish a deadline for states to reconcile and close out TFFF accounts so ETA can facilitate deobligation of the funding.

6 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training establish written procedures and deadlines for the timely return of funding for TFFF and future similar programs and consult with OMB and Treasury officials to execute the proper return of unused funds that remain within states’ accounts.

7 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training capture lessons learned from the TFFF program and use the information to develop effective internal control procedures to ensure states meet program requirements, including eligibility, and have sufficient infrastructure in place to pay claimants’ UI benefits without delay for similar temporary emergency UI programs that may be established in the future.

8 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training capture lessons learned from the TFFF program and use the information to develop and implement controls to ensure the methodology and procedures are documented and maintained for estimating allotments and subsequent adjustments for similar temporary emergency UI programs that may be established in the future.

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: The Employment and Training Administration Needs to Improve Oversight of Grants Awarded in New Jersey

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/28/2023

1 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Develop and implement risk tolerance for the amount of participants being served under the WIOA Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Workers program.

2 - Closed

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Regularly monitor Bergen Community College’s performance and provide the necessary assistance to ensure $7.2 million in remaining funds are used as intended by the completion of the one-year extension period

3 - Closed

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Develop and implement guidance to specifically identify the high risk associated with low enrollment levels in combination with the high burn rate of grant funds .

4 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Resolve the $265,040 in questioned costs associated with ineligible participants and ineligible payments

5 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Establish and implement a plan to improve monitoring activities to ensure grantees and sub-recipients are properly documenting eligibility.

6 - Closed

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Establish and implement a plan to increase the level of technical assistance and monitoring for grantees and sub-recipients to ensure they properly administer contracts and reimburse on the job training costs.

7 - Open

We recommend the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training: Resolve the $6.9 million in questioned costs associated with unaccounted expenditures and assist the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development in expediting the closure of corrective action related to its accounting system.

Department of Labor OIG

OSHA Needs to Do More to Address High Injury Rates of Warehouse Workers

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/27/2023

1 - Open

We recommend the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health update the criteria for the number of establishments to be included in the Site-Specific Targeting programs’ universes to better reflect industry growth and the number of eligible establishments nationwide.

2 - Open

We recommend the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health to develop specific, measurable inspection goals for the Site Specific Targeting program, including a baseline for the number of inspections in each Site-Specific Targeting category, and periodically monitor progress toward those goals.

3 - Open

We recommend the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health develop a more effective enforcement strategy to improve employer Form 300A compliance.

4 - Open

We recommend the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health assess Form 300A data categories and gather more specific supporting information about injuries to better identify the count and type of injuries reported, such as musculoskeletal disorders.

5 - Open

We recommend the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health develop improved Form 300A data analyses to better identify trends among industries and establishments.

6 - Open

We recommend the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health develop specific measurable inspection goals for the warehousing National Emphasis Program, including a baseline for the number of inspections to complete and periodically monitor progress toward those goals. Ensure the goals contain metrics that demonstrate the outcomes of the program.

7 - Closed

We recommend the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health issue specific training to address the training components of the warehouse National Emphasis Program.

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance For Non-Traditional Claimants Weakened By Billions In Overpayments, Including Fraud

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/27/2023

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Home Health Agencies Rarely Furnished Services Via Telehealth Early in the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Four States Reviewed Received Increased Medicaid COVID-19 Funding Even Though They Terminated Some Enrollees' Coverage for Unallowable or Potentially Unallowable Reasons

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/22/2023

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19 - ETA Can Improve its Oversight to Ensure Integrity over CARES Act UI Programs

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/22/2023

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: Unemployment Relief For Governmental Entities And Nonprofit Organizations Should Have Been Better Managed

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/21/2023

Department of Education OIG

Washington’s Oversight of Local Educational Agency ARP ESSER Plans and Spending

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (Washington) had an adequate oversight process in place to ensure that (1) local educational agencies’ (LEA) American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) plans met applicable requirements and (2) LEAs use ARP ESSER funds in accordance with applicable requirements and their approved LEA ARP ESSER plans. We found that Washington did not have an adequate review and approval process to ensure that LEA ARP ESSER plans met all applicable...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/20/2023

Social Security Administration OIG

Controls over the Social Security Administration’s National 800-number Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To determine whether the Social Security Administration had and used management controls over the service its 800 number employees provided callers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/29/2023

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Ineffective Controls Over COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Leave the Program Susceptible to Waste and Abuse

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not always implement effective internal controls to provide oversight of COVID-19 Funeral Assistance. FEMA’s funeral assistance program greatly expanded the universe of reimbursable expenses for deaths related to COVID-19, even beyond those specifically identified as ineligible under established FEMA policy, without establishing guardrails to ensure relief was limited to necessary expenses and serious needs as required by statute.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 8/24/2023

1 - Open

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator resolve questioned costs totaling an estimated $24,438,662 for expenses deemed ineligible by FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide and determine the amount of any debts owed by recipients for erroneous payments.

2 - Closed

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator resolve other questioned costs included in our report and determine the amount of any debts owed by recipients for erroneous payments. Other questioned costs requiring resolution include: a) $1,348,546 for awards issued to multiple applicants for the same decedents; b) $554,653 for awards issued for applications that exceeded the $9,000 per decedent award limit; and c) $591,805 for 93 applications for which FEMA did not adequately review eligibility criteria of the applications.

3 - Open

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator ensure that future iterations of the Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide and supporting procedures (a) provide consistent guidance on eligibility of funeral expenses for all future disaster declarations; and (b) allow for reimbursement of only necessary expenses and serious needs, consistent with the law.

4 - Closed

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator strengthen and monitor improvement of FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance training practices with particular focus on: a) distinguishing legitimate sources of potential duplication such as decedent’s name and social security number from potential duplications that arise due to FEMA using a repurposed Individual Assistance processing system, with a data field such as damaged dwelling address; b) preventing FEMA from reimbursing expenses exceeding the maximum $9,000 per decedent; and c) deducting financial assistance received from outside sources such as pre-need funeral arrangements, burial insurance, and assistance from other voluntary or government agencies.

5 - Open

We recommend that the FEMA Administrator ensure that FEMA provides its COVID-19 Funeral Assistance call center contractor the guidance and training necessary to meet the quality control and production monitoring metrics as prescribed by its agreement with the contractor.

Department of Labor OIG

ETA Did Not Provide Adequate Oversight of Emergency Administrative Grants

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/27/2023

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Although IHS Allocated COVID-19 Testing Funds To Meet Community Needs, It Did Not Ensure That the Funds Were Always Used in Accordance With Federal Requirements

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/20/2023

23-A-07-091.01 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service correct Purpose Statute violations totaling $19,912 relating to funds not used on COVID-19 testing and other testing-related activities from the Pine Ridge Service Unit (an IHS Direct program), and, if IHS is unable to correct those violations, report any Antideficiency Act violations.

23-A-07-091.02 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service identify and correct any other Purpose Statute violations relating to funds not used on COVID-19 testing and other testing-related activities from the Families First Act and Paycheck Protection Act funds allocated to the IHS Direct programs within the GPAO, and, if IHS is unable to correct those violations, report any Antideficiency Act violations.

23-A-07-091.03 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service recover $460,525 in funds not used on COVID-19 testing and other testing-related activities from the applicable sampled Tribal and UIO programs.

23-A-07-091.04 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service identify and recover amounts not used for COVID-19 testing or other testing-related activities that we did not sample from remaining Tribal and UIO programs within the GPAO.

23-A-07-091.05 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service develop and implement procedures to identify and deobligate any unused Families First Act funds that expired on September 30, 2022, from all locations within the GPAO.

23-A-07-091.06 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service develop and provide adequate guidance to programs within the GPAO on the proper use of Paycheck Protection Act funds in accordance with Federal requirements.

23-A-07-091.07 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service strengthen its review process to ensure that modifications to ISDEAA agreements and IHCIA/FAR contracts contain complete and accurate information, including the funding source, amount awarded, and applicable language required under the funding source.

23-A-07-091.08 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service provide adequate guidance to the programs on how to track and account for funds allocated and used under the Paycheck Protection Act.

23-A-07-091.09 - Open

We recommend that the Indian Health Service work with Tribal and UIO programs within the GPAO that we did not sample to ensure that they have properly tracked and accounted for funds used under the Paycheck Protection Act.

Department of Homeland Security OIG

FEMA Did Not Effectively Manage the Distribution of COVID-19 Medical Supplies and Equipment

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked with its strategic partners to deliver critical medical supplies and equipment in response to COVID-19, FEMA did not effectively manage the distribution process. Specifically, FEMA did not use the Logistics Supply Chain Management System (LSCMS), its system of record for managing the distribution process, to track about 30 percent of the critical medical resources shipped, as required.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/20/2023

1 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator clarify existing guidance and ensure FEMA personnel use the Logistics Supply Chain Management System or an alternative integrated solution as the system of record during disaster response operations to manage the distribution of FEMA-owned commodities, supplies, and equipment as well as those sourced by FEMA from partners across the Federal Government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to fulfill state, local, tribal, and territorial requests.

2 - Open

We recommend the FEMA Administrator take action to develop and improve the Logistics Management Directorate’s internal controls, guidance, and system integration to obtain more accurate information that enhances logistics decision making regarding the fulfillment of commodity requests during disaster response operations. At a minimum, FEMA should: a. develop internal controls to ensure appropriate information related to facility types, intermediate locations, and transportation-only orders is accurately reported in the Logistics Supply Chain Management System or an alternative integrated solution; b. update guidance and deliver training to ensure there is a clear audit trail when aggregating distribution data on FEMA-owned commodities, supplies, and equipment as well as those sourced by FEMA from partners across the Federal Government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to fulfill state, local, tribal, and territorial requests; and c. improve integration between the Logistics Supply Chain Management System and the Web Emergency Operations Center Crisis Management System to ensure the systems are, to the extent practicable, compatible and share information as required by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.

3 - Open

We recommend the FEMA Administrator issue guidance and ensure a standardized process for collecting and maintaining documentation to confirm delivery and receipt of FEMA-owned commodities, supplies, and equipment, as well as those sourced by FEMA from partners across the Federal Government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to fulfill state, local, tribal, and territorial requests. At a minimum, the guidance and standardized process should: a. identify the required types of documentation to confirm delivery and receipt such as signed bills of lading, packing slips, and other forms; b. include controls to ensure the shipment documentation includes item descriptions and the specific quantity of items delivered and received; c. clarify the procedures for executing and documenting the delivery of commodities, supplies, and equipment to locations where no FEMA personnel are present to receive shipments; and d. establish appropriate repositories for delivery and receipt documentation.

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

HRSA Made COVID-19 Uninsured Program Payments to Providers on Behalf of Individuals Who Had Health Insurance Coverage and for Services Unrelated to COVID-19

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/13/2023

Department of Defense OIG

Audit of the Reliability of the DoD Coronavirus Disease–2019 Patient Health Data

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/07/2023

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0001 - Open

(U) Rec. 1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Health Agency work with the Program Executive Officer of the Program Executive Office, Defense Healthcare Management Systems to document and implement the process for identifying and collecting patient health data of DoD patients in the Military Health System in current and future registries within their purview in a written document, such as a standard operating procedure. The procedure should identify, at a minimum, the internal controls throughout the process, the relevant data sources, data fields, and diagnostic codes used in the computer scripts, and should be reviewed and approved when updates occur.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0002.1 - Closed

(U) Rec. 2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Senior Contracting Official of the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity and the Chief of the Joint Trauma System work with the Joint Trauma System contracting officer's representative to revise the quality assurance surveillance plan. The plan should include an appropriate sampling methodology for selecting patient health records from the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Registry to verify that the contractor is achieving the contract-required accuracy rate for entering patient data, and submit the revised quality assurance surveillance plan to the contracting officer.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0002.2 - Closed

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0003 - Closed

(U) Rec. 3.a: If the contractor did not meet the 90 percent accuracy requirement, the DoD OIG recommended that the Chief of the Joint Trauma System work with the Senior Contracting Official of the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to update the contractor's rating in the contractor's performance assessment reports for contract W81XWH-22-C-0151 and contract W81XWH-20-P-0197, when feasible.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0003.a - Closed

(U) Rec. 3.b: If the contractor did not meet the 90 percent accuracy requirement, the DoD OIG recommended that the Chief of the Joint Trauma System work with the Senior Contracting Official of the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to recoup any of the $3.9 million in questioned costs paid for services that did not comply with the terms of contract W81XWH-20-P-0197, if feasible.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0003.b - Closed

(U) Rec. 3.c: If the contractor did not meet the 90 percent accuracy requirement, the DoD OIG recommended that the Chief of the Joint Trauma System work with the Senior Contracting Official of the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to recoup any of the $2.3 million in questioned costs paid for services that did not comply with the terms of contract W81XWH-22-C-0151.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0003.c - Closed

(U) Rec. 3.d: If the contractor did not meet the 90 percent accuracy requirement, the DoD OIG recommended that the Chief of the Joint Trauma System work with the Senior Contracting Official of the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to consider all available contract remedies for contract W81XWH-22-C-0151, including modifying and, if necessary, terminating and re-competing the contract, and take action to ensure that the Department receives full value for the funds it expends for contract W81XWH-22-C-0151.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0003.d - Closed

(U) Rec. 3.e: If the contractor did not meet the 90 percent accuracy requirement, the DoD OIG recommended that the Chief of the Joint Trauma System work with the Senior Contracting Official of the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to delegate an official to review the concerns identified in this report, including the actions of the contracting officials, and take administrative actions, as necessary. The review should include a determination on whether the contractor's performance assessment reports were accurate and make updates as necessary.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0003.e - Closed

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0004.a - Open

(U) Rec. 4.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Health Agency work with the Chief of the Joint Trauma System establish and implement a process for selecting Coronavirus Disease-2019 events for entry into the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Registry to limit selection bias.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0004.b - Closed

(U) Rec. 4.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Health Agency work with the Chief of the Joint Trauma System to include a bias disclosure notice on all reports generated from the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Registry until the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Registry data represent the population of DoD patients who had a Coronavirus Disease-2019 event.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0005.a - Open

(U) Rec. 5.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) establish and implement a policy for developing and populating patient registries that aligns with the Department of Health and Human Services best practices, "Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes: A User's Guide," current edition.

D-2023-0093-D000CT-0001-0005.b - Open

(U) Rec. 5.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) conduct a review of all patient registries in the Military Health System to verify the reliability of data in each registry and implement corrective actions, as necessary.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

American Rescue Plan Act: Continued Review of Premium Tax Credit Provisions

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/14/2023

1 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, and the Commissioner, Small Business/Self-Employed Division, should consider expanding the use of soft notices to address potentially erroneous PTC claims. These notices should provide individuals with information specific to the eligibility or reporting requirements related to the potential error the IRS identified and suggest the filing of an amended return, if an error has occurred.

2 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should notify the 317,418 taxpayers we identified, who potentially received less PTC than they were entitled or repaid more APTC than required, that they may qualify for additional PTC or overpaid APTC and encourage them to file an amended Tax Year 2021 return, if applicable.

2 - Open

3 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop processes, such as the use of courtesy letters to notify individuals of their potential eligibility, to proactively assist taxpayers who, based on available tax return and Exchange data, potentially claimed less PTC than entitled or paid more APTC than required.

3 - Closed

4 - Closed

On October 26, 2022, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, of our concerns regarding taxpayers who are potentially eligible for additional PTC based on their unemployment status during Tax Year 2021. We recommended that the Director, Submission Processing, notify these taxpayers that they may qualify for additional PTC or be able to reduce the amount of excess APTC they must repay and encourage them to file an amended Tax Year 2021 return, if they qualify.

5 - Closed

On October 25, 2022, we notified the Director, Submission Processing, of our concerns with the draft Tax Year 2022 Form 8962 instructions. We recommended that the IRS revise the instructions to inform taxpayers that they have an option to set a domestic violence indicator on their tax return.

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Nationstar Generally Did Not Meet HUD Requirements When Providing Loss Mitigation to Borrowers of Delinquent FHA-Insured Loans

We audited Nationstar Mortgage, LLC’s (doing business as Mr. Cooper (Nationstar)) compliance with the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) requirements for providing loss mitigation assistance to borrowers after their COVID-19 forbearance ended. We concurrently conducted a nationwide audit of servicers’ compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) COVID-19 loss mitigation requirements (HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report 2023-KC-0005). This audit complements that audit by examining how a single provider, Nationstar, provided loss mitigation for...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Servicers Generally Did Not Meet HUD Requirements When Providing Loss Mitigation Assistance to Borrowers With Delinquent FHA-Insured Loans

We performed an audit of loan servicers’ compliance with the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) requirements for providing loss mitigation assistance to borrowers after their COVID-19 forbearance ended. We initiated the audit based on the large number of borrowers exiting forbearance, because the loss mitigation programs available to these borrowers were new and created a risk for both borrowers and the FHA insurance fund when servicers do not properly provide loss mitigation. Our audit objective was to determine whether servicers provided borrowers of FHA-insured loans proper loss...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/13/2023

Department of the Treasury OIG

CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 PANDEMIC RELIEF PROGRAMS: Audit of Air Carrier Worker Support Certifications - Ground Services International, Inc. (Redacted)

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Improvements Are Needed To Ensure That Public Housing Properties Are Inspected in a Timely Manner

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Real Estate Assessment Center’s inspection process. The audit objectives were to determine whether the Center (1) ensured that public housing properties were inspected within required timeframes before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; (2) could improve its Big Inspection Plan for inspecting high-priority non-National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) demonstration public housing properties; and (3) had experienced delays in inspecting the physical condition of public housing...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/23/2023

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Recurring Identification Is Needed to Ensure That Employers Full Pay the Deferred Social Security Tax

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/22/2023

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Seventeen of Thirty Selected Health Centers Did Not Use or May Not Have Used Their HRSA COVID-19 Supplemental Grant Funding in Accordance With Federal Requirements

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/18/2023

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Montana Generally Complied With Requirements for Telehealth Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/17/2023

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

HUD Can Improve Oversight of Its Temporary Endorsement Policy for Loans in COVID-19 Forbearance

We audited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) temporary policy for endorsement of loans with COVID-19 forbearance activity because an analysis of data in HUD’s systems showed that there may have been loans that did not comply with the policy’s requirements. The policy was one aspect of HUD’s broader emergency response to COVID-19, which also included an eviction moratorium and loan forbearance for borrowers experiencing financial hardship. The objectives of the audit were to determine (1) whether HUD’s temporary endorsement policy related to COVID-19 forbearance...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/15/2023

2023-NY-0002-001-A - Open

Require lenders to execute indemnification agreements covering a period of at least 5 years for each of the 20 loans for which the lenders did not comply with the temporary endorsement policy and related instructions, including loans for which the lenders did not execute an agreement when required or that were otherwise ineligible for insurance, and properly store the agreements and record the agreement data to put up to $1,811,238 to better use by avoiding potential losses.

2023-NY-0002-001-B - Open

Obtain guidance from the Office of General Counsel regarding the implications of allowing lenders to retroactively apply forbearance in cases in which the borrower requests forbearance after the lender submits the loan for endorsement to ensure that it consistently handles such cases.

2023-NY-0002-001-C - Open

Request and analyze data from lenders for the 3,024 loans at risk of noncompliance to identify loans that should have been subject to the temporary endorsement policy or were otherwise ineligible for insurance. The data requested should include but not be limited to the dates when the borrower requested forbearance, the loan became subject to forbearance, and the loan was submitted for endorsement.

2023-NY-0002-001-D - Open

For any of the 3,024 loans found to be subject to the temporary policy or otherwise ineligible for insurance, require the lenders to execute indemnification agreements covering a period of at least 5 years or reimburse HUD for any claims to put up to $26,840,071 to better use by protecting HUD against potential losses. For any indemnification agreements executed, HUD should properly store the agreements and record the agreement data.

2023-NY-0002-001-G - Open

Record indemnification agreement data in its system for the 34 loans for which the lender properly executed an indemnification agreement before endorsement and HUD had not recorded the agreement in its system to put up to $3,493,636 to better use by avoiding potential losses.

2023-NY-0002-001-H - Open

Review and correct indemnification agreement data in HUD's computer systems as needed for all agreements currently classified as having 2-year terms and all agreements related to 2-year agreements contained on its SharePoint site to ensure that its systems contain accurate data for monitoring and enforcement of agreements. This recommendation includes but is not limited to reviewing the agreement number, agreement term, billing lender, expiration date, refinance indicator, and source indicator.

2023-NY-0002-001-I - Open

Update indemnification agreements or obtain updated indemnification agreements for the 30 loans for which the indemnification agreements had incorrect or missing information or were not signed by HUD and upload them to its SharePoint site so that such agreements are properly executed and can be traced to HUD's computer systems for future use.

2023-NY-0002-001-J - Open

Consider evaluating whether and how a similar policy for disasters or emergencies or a permanent version of the policy could be used to manage risk to the insurance fund while increasing lender participation. This should include further studying lenders' use of the policy and the long-term performance of loans endorsed under it. It could also include reviewing the compliance, guidance, and process issues identified during this audit and through the resolution of the other recommendations to refine any future endorsement policies related to forbearance.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Additional Actions Are Needed to Reduce Accounts Management Function Inventories to Below Pre‑Pandemic Levels

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/10/2023

1 - Closed

Ensure that all sites understand and begin immediately stamping the ICT received date after correspondence screening is completed, and that individual and business documents are screened with equal importance.

10 - Open

Coordinate with the Information Technology organization to explore adding Taxpayer Relations inventories into the CII, so that all Accounts Management inventory is located in the same inventory management system.

11 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should establish time frames for and a process to measure correspondence screening timeliness at each site.

12 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should rescind the requirement that only the TEs and the CSRs perform correspondencescreening and encourage all sites to use mail clerks, after providing them with adequate training.

13 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure prompt completion of the ICT review to determine if additional scanners will be purchased.

2 - Closed

Discontinue correspondence screening via telework and ensure at all sites that screening must be conducted in the same IRS facility where documents are being scanned by the ICT.

3 - Closed

Identify and address the cause of Accounts Management function employees incorrectly routing cases to other IRS functions and work with other IRS functions to update their Internal Revenue Manuals to make it clear that incorrectly routed documents should be returned to the originating employee.

4 - Closed

We recommended that management take steps to hire as many mail clerks as possible.

5 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should establish goals for each of the Accounts Management function’s inventory types and develop a plan for addressing those goals to ensure a timely return to pre-pandemic inventory levels.

6 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment, should prioritize funding and implementation of automated processing of Forms 1040-X to increase efficiencies and reduce taxpayer burden.

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should implement temporary solutions for the processing of Forms 1040-X to reduce the backlogs, reduce taxpayer burden, and save IRS resources until an automated solution is implemented.

8 - Open

Coordinate with the Information Technology organization to prevent generating transcripts for manual refunds less than $100 and adjust the frequency that some transcripts are generated to help management get through the inventory more efficiently.

9 - Closed

Temporarily relieve employees in the Accounts Management function from having to complete paperwork for barred statutes, so they can focus on eliminating the backlogged inventory and prevent future barred statutes.

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Medicare Improperly Paid Providers for Some Psychotherapy Services, Including Those Provided via Telehealth, During the First Year of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/02/2023

23-A-09-068.01 - Open

We recommend that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services work with the MACs to recover $35,560 in improper payments made to providers for the 128 sampled enrollee days that did not meet Medicare requirements.

23-A-09-068.02 - Closed

We recommend that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services work with the MACs to based upon the results of this audit, notify appropriate providers (i.e., those for whom CMS determines this audit constitutes credible information of potential overpayments) so that the providers can exercise reasonable diligence to identify, report, and return any overpayments in accordance with the 60-day rule and identify any of those returned overpayments as having been made in accordance with this recommendation.

23-A-09-068.03 - Open

Now that CMS has reinstituted most program integrity measures, we also recommend that CMS take the following steps, which if in effect during the audit period could have saved Medicare an estimated $579,667,510 during that period: Conduct medical reviews of psychotherapy services, including services provided via telehealth, to verify that the services are documented and billed in accordance with Medicare requirements.

23-A-09-068.04 - Open

Now that CMS has reinstituted most program integrity measures, we also recommend that CMS take the following steps, which if in effect during the audit period could have saved Medicare an estimated $579,667,510 during that period: Implement system edits for psychotherapy services, including services provided via telehealth, to prevent payments for services that were billed incorrectly.

23-A-09-068.05 - Open

Now that CMS has reinstituted most program integrity measures, we also recommend that CMS take the following steps, which if in effect during the audit period could have saved Medicare an estimated $579,667,510 during that period: Strengthen educational efforts to make providers aware of educational materials on how to meet Medicare requirements and guidance for psychotherapy services, including services provided via telehealth.

23-A-09-068.06 - Open

Now that CMS has reinstituted most program integrity measures, we also recommend that CMS work with the MACs to take the following steps, which if in effect during the audit period could have saved Medicare an estimated $579,667,510 during that period: Review MAC jurisdictions' LCD requirements for psychotherapy services to identify which provisions effectively promote program integrity, and consider additional steps that CMS could undertake to ensure appropriate coverage and payment for psychotherapy services across all jurisdictions.

Department of Defense OIG

Audit of DoD Actions Taken to Implement Cybersecurity Protections Over Remote Access Software in the Coronavirus Disease–2019 Telework Environment

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/24/2023

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0001.A1 - Closed

(U) Rec. A.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the U.S. Southern Command - Joint Interagency Task Force South Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber and Intelligence direct its network administrators to scan the VMware Horizon main virtual desktop for malware in accordance with the McAfee Endpoint Security Technical Implementation Guide, develop compensating controls, or formally accept the risk of not scanning the main virtual desktop.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0002.A2a - Closed

(U) Rec. A.2.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief Information Officer of the Department of the Air Force revise its policy to align with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide requirement for disabling inactive user accounts after no more than 35 days.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0002.A2b - Closed

(U) Rec. A.2.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief Information Officer of the Department of the Air Force direct network and system administrators to disable inactive user accounts after no more than 35 days of inactivity in accordance with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide, develop compensating controls, or formally accept the risk of not disabling the inactive user accounts.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0003.A3 - Closed

(U) Rec. A.3: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief Information Officer of the Naval Surface Warfare Center - Panama City Division direct network and system administrators to disable inactive user accounts after no more than 35 days of inactivity in accordance with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide, develop compensating controls, or formally accept the risk of not disabling the inactive user accounts.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0004.A4a - Closed

(U) Rec. A.4.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief Information Officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency revise its policy to align with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide requirement for disabling inactive users after no more than 35 days.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0004.A4b - Closed

(U) Rec. A.4.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief Information Officer of the Defense Intelligence Agency direct network and system administrators to disable inactive user accounts after no more than 35 days of inactivity in accordance with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide, develop compensating controls, or formally accept the risk of not disabling the inactive user accounts.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0005.A5a - Closed

(U) Rec. A.5.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Marine Corps Information Command, Control, Communications, and Computers revise the organization's policy to align with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide requirement for disabling inactive users after no more than 35 days.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0005.A5b - Closed

(U) Rec. A.5.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Marine Corps Information Command, Control, Communications, and Computers direct network and system administrators to disable inactive user accounts after no more than 35 days of inactivity in accordance with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide, develop compensating controls, or formally accept the risk of not disabling the inactive user accounts.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0001-0006.A6 - Closed

(U) Rec. A.6: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency Joint Service Provider direct network and system administrators to disable inactive user accounts after no more than 35 days of inactivity in accordance with the Windows 10 Security Technical Implementation Guide, develop compensating controls, or formally accept the risk of not disabling the inactive user accounts.

D-2023-0057-D000CR-0002-0001.B1 - Closed

(U) Rec. B.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency Joint Service Provider direct network and system administrators to revise the vulnerability management program to include mitigation timeframes for all vulnerabilities and develop plans of actions and milestones for all vulnerabilities that cannot be mitigated in a timely manner.

Department of the Interior OIG

The Omaha Tribe Did Not Account for CARES Act Funds Appropriately

We determined that the Omaha Tribe did not follow applicable requirements in an agreement with the BIA.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 12/29/2022

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

Illinois Generally Complied With Requirements for Claiming Medicaid Reimbursement for Telehealth Payments During COVID-19

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 12/21/2022

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: OSHA's Enforcement Activities Did Not Sufficiently Protect Workers From Pandemic Health Hazards

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/31/2022

Department of Transportation OIG

FTA Can Enhance Its Controls To Mitigate COVID-19 Relief Funding Risks

What We Looked AtSince March 2020, Congress has provided $69.5 billion in supplemental funding to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to help transit systems in the United States mitigate the impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As of August 1, 2022, FTA had obligated over $63 billion and expended over $46 billion. In addition to increased funding, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA), and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Acts permitted changes in how recipients use FTA funds...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/12/2022

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: ETA and States Did Not Protect Pandemic-Related UI Funds from Improper Payments Including Fraud or from Payment Delays

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/30/2022

Social Security Administration OIG

The Social Security Administration’s Enumeration Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To determine whether the Social Security Administration (SSA) complied with its enumeration policies and procedures and had adequate controls over managing evidentiary documents submitted to support Social Security number (SSN) card applications during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/30/2022

1 - Closed

Develop and periodically conduct comprehensive refresher training on topics including but not limited to: - processing original Social Security Number (SSN) cards for individuals aged 12 or older and emphasize requirements and documentation of the in-person interview;- acceptable forms of evidentiary documents, and- processing new (different) and replacement SSN cards when adoption

10 - Open

Complete the privacy assessments for the WorkTrack application.

2 - Open

Update quality control reviews to include comparison of SSNAP inputs to an applicant-submitted Form SS-5 and evidentiary documents, and provide feedback to the technicians who made input errors (such as race and ethnicity) or did not use the appropriate evidentiary documents.

3 - Open

Revise enumeration policy to include clear instructions for when Form SSA-5002 is required and how to properly document the form.

4 - Closed

Update Program Operations Manual System (POMS) to provide current instructions for enumeration notices and archive outdated policy.

5 - Open

Retain enumeration notices in the Online Retrieval System for individuals with assigned SSNs.

6 - Open

Create and implement automated tools to assist staff in navigating through enumeration evidentiary document requirements.

7 - Closed

Take corrective action on all keying errors and cross-referencing errors we identified.

8 - Closed

Require managers to verify that incident reports are submitted through the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Loss Reporting Tool before they approve reimbursement to customers for replacing lost original documents.

9 - Closed

Update the National Mail Handling Business Process to include standard Agency-wide mitigation steps for misdirected mail including original documents.

Department of Homeland Security OIG

FEMA’s Management of Mission Assignments to Other Federal Agencies Needs Improvement

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) processed and obligated funds timely to other Federal agencies (OFA), it did not provide sufficient oversight to ensure OFAs used pandemic funding as required. Specifically, FEMA did not develop detailed cost estimates when initially establishing MAs, validate unliquidated and open obligations throughout the MA lifecycle, and verify cost eligibility against Public Assistance guidance before closing the MA.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/30/2022

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Fraud Risk Inventory for the Tenant- and Project-Based Rental Assistance, HOME, and Operating Fund Programs’ CARES and ARP Act Funds

In coordination with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, we conducted an audit to identify potential fraud schemes that could affect HUD’s pandemic funds. We reviewed the funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), HOME Investment Partnerships, and Public Housing Operating Fund programs to identify the fraud risks and potential fraud schemes that they face while delivering services to the public.Our objective was to...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/29/2022

Department of the Interior OIG

The Three Affiliated Tribes Did Not Account for CARES Act Funds Appropriately

We determined that the Three Affiliated Tribes did not follow applicable requirements in an agreement with the BIA.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/28/2022

Department of Homeland Security OIG

More than $2.6 Million in Potentially Fraudulent LWA Payments Were Linked to DHS Employees’ Identities

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not implement controls to prevent state workforce agencies (SWA) from paying more than $2.6 million in Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) for potentially fraudulent claims made by Department of Homeland Security employees, or claimants who fraudulently used the identities of DHS employees to obtain LWA benefits.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/28/2022

1 - Closed

: We recommend the FEMA Administrator develop and implement a standard risk assessment process before initiating new Federal grant programs. This risk assessment should focus on identifying and evaluating program risks that may affect FEMA’s ability to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in its programs and mitigating those external risks to the extent practical.

2 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator conduct an after-action study of the Lost Wages Assistance program and update FEMA Individual Assistance programs based on the lessons learned from the study.

3 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator, when mandated to rely on eligibility determinations of non-FEMA programs, develop a process to assess the program controls and identify risk, where practical.

4 - Open

We recommend the Chief Human Capital Officer for DHS’ Management Directorate develop, implement, and communicate departmental policies and procedures for the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program to each component to ensure compliance with Federal requirements.

5 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator develop and implement a process to monitor whether grantees implement and use the controls attested to in FEMA-approved state administrative plans.

5 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator develop and implement a process to monitor whether grantees implement and use the controls attested to in FEMA-approved state administrative plans.

6 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator develop and implement a process to review state administrative plans for consistency and ensure they include fraud prevention and mitigation strategies.

7 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator de-obligate and recover any monies determined to have been obtained fraudulently or other improper payments through the Lost Wages Assistance program from the state workforce agencies.

Small Business Administration OIG

COVID-19 and Disaster Assistance Information Systems Security Controls

This report presents the results of our audit to determine whether the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) maintained effective management control activities and monitoring of the design and implementation of third-party operated SBA systems. SBA needed information technology systems from third-party service providers that could improve the system efficiency and productivity to process high transaction volumes, transmit data between other information systems, and safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of the personally identifiable information processed by the programs.We found the...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/27/2022

1 - Open

Ensure the existing SBA System Development Methodology is updated to include supply chain risk-management practices as required by OMB Circular A-130 and high-value asset system designation guidance. Also, ensure high-value asset system risks are incorporated into the enterprise risk management framework, as recommended by OMB M-19-03 and SBA SOP 90 47 6.

10 - Open

Implement an automated process to document and monitor system changes as recommended by NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5.

2 - Open

Communicate and enforce the SBA System Development Methodology in which a traceability matrix is used to ensure that system requirements can be tested and demonstrated in the operational system. Ensure all requirements are aligned with the contractual acceptance criteria.

3 - Open

Implement in updated agency guidance, the requirements of OMB Circular No. A-123 that stipulate a SOC 1 Type 2 report is needed for all new and existing financial systems. This guidance should also require confirmation at least annually that the controls are functioning as designed.

4 - Closed

Enforce the requirement to establish and implement internal controls to ensure appropriate program officials perform and document contract reviews to ensure that information security is appropriately addressed in the contracting language, as required by OMB Circular A-130 and SBA SOP 90 47 6.

5 - Open

In conjunction with the Enterprise Risk Management Board, implement enterprise-wide privacy risk mitigation practices that can be assimilated into new and existing system program designs.

6 - Open

Complete an initial assessment and authorization for each information system and all agency-designated common controls before operation.

7 - Open

Transition information systems and common controls to an ongoing authorization process (when eligible for such a process) with the formal approval of the respective authorizing officials or reauthorize information systems and common controls as needed, on a time or event-driven basis in accordance with agency risk tolerance, as required by OMB Circular No. A-130 and SOP 90 47 6.

8 - Open

Review and update POA&Ms at least quarterly as required by SOP 90 47 6.

9 - Closed

Ensure data-sharing agreements are reviewed annually as required by SBA SOP 90 47 6.

Department of Homeland Security OIG

FEMA Did Not Implement Controls to Prevent More than $3.7 Billion in Improper Payments from the Lost Wages Assistance Program

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not implement controls that may have prevented the 21 state workforce agencies (SWA) in our review from distributing more than $3.7 billion in improper payments through its Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/22/2022

1 - Open

We recommend the FEMA Administrator develop and implement a standard risk assessment process before initiating new Federal grant programs. This risk assessment should focus on identifying and evaluating program risks that may affect FEMA’s ability to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in its programs and mitigating those external risks to the extent practical.

2 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator, when mandated to rely on eligibility determinations of non-FEMA programs, develop a process to assess the program controls and identify risk to the extent practical.

3 - Open

We recommend the FEMA Administrator update the State Administrative Plan template to incorporate a requirement for grantees to include a description of the steps to prevent improper payments.

4 - Open

We recommend the FEMA Administrator develop and implement a process to monitor whether grantees implement and use the controls attested in FEMA-approved State Administrative Plans.

5 - Open

We recommend the FEMA Administrator work with state workforce agencies to evaluate the Lost Wages Assistance program payments and verify that all recipients who received payment have a self-certification on file, as required; to determine whether the claimant meets eligibility requirements if no self-certification is on file; and, if not, to recover the payment.

6 - Open

We recommend the FEMA Administrator conduct an after-action study of the Lost Wages Assistance program and update FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program based on the lessons learned from the study.

7 - Closed

We recommend the FEMA Administrator de-obligate and recover any monies determined to have been obtained fraudulently or other improper payments through Lost Wages Assistance from the state workforce agencies.

Department of Education OIG

Michigan’s Administration of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the State of Michigan (Michigan) designed and implemented awarding processes that ensured that the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER grant) was used to support local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) that were most significantly impacted by the coronavirus or LEAs, IHEs, or other education-related entities within the State that were deemed essential for carrying out emergency educational services; and monitoring processes to ensure that subgrantees used GEER grant funds in accordance with...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/14/2022

Small Business Administration OIG

COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Applications Submitted from Foreign IP Addresses

We evaluated the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) controls to flag or prevent potentially fraudulent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications submitted from foreign Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.Although the agency implemented several layers of controls to prevent or reduce fraud from foreign countries, individuals at foreign IP addresses were able to access the COVID-19 EIDL application system. SBA received millions of attempts to submit COVID-19 EIDL applications from foreign IP addresses and stopped most of them; however, the agency...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/12/2022

Department of Education OIG

Oklahoma’s Administration of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund Grant

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the State of Oklahoma (Oklahoma) designed and implemented awarding processes that ensured that the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER grant) was used to support local educational agencies (LEA) and institutions of higher education (IHE) that were most significantly impacted by the coronavirus or LEAs, IHEs, or other education-related entities within the State that were deemed essential for carrying out emergency educational services; and monitoring processes to ensure that subgrantees used GEER grant funds in accordance with...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 7/18/2022

1.1 - Open

Provide documentation, or a full and detailed written explanation, of the process Oklahoma used to determine the initiatives it supported with GEER grant funds and the entities it selected to administer the initiatives.

1.2 - Open

Develop and implement a process to ensure that it documents the criteria and decisions made for awarding future GEER grant funds in accordance with applicable requirements.

1.3 - Open

Develop and implement internal controls to ensure that it administers current and future GEER grants in accordance with applicable Federal laws and grant requirements, including ensuring that grant subrecipients are provided the proper award documentation; and that any entity that is awarded Federal funds retains records relating to those awards in accordance with Federal requirements.

1.4 - Open

Perform a 100 percent review, or review a statistical sample, of the Stay in School Fund microgrant recipients to confirm that all students were eligible to receive GEER grant funds.

1.5 - Open

Develop and implement written policies and procedures to describe the specific circumstances under which deviations from procurement rules are warranted, including procedures about required documentation of such decisions for procurements that do not use competitive bidding but use Federal education funds.

1.6 - Open

Take appropriate action if the documentation and other information provided by Oklahoma in response to the above recommendations does not support that the State followed applicable requirements.

2.1 - Open

Return $652,720 to the Department for the unallowable Bridge the Gap expenditures we identified or provide documentation to support that the expenditures were allowable or the items were purchased with personal funds.

2.2 - Open

Perform a 100-percent review, or review a statistical sample, of the $5,473,894 in Bridge the Gap expenditures that we did not review to determine whether the expenditures were allowable, and if applicable, return the funds for any unallowable expenditures to the Department.

2.3 - Open

Develop and implement additional internal controls for the Skills to Rebuild, Learn Anywhere Oklahoma, Bridge the Gap, and Stay in School Fund initiatives that include written monitoring procedures for those processes that are already in place, and for additional procedures that include a review of expenditures and supporting documentation, and a review of documentation that supports the information in initiatives’ weekly status reports.

2.4 - Open

Develop and implement internal controls to ensure that fiscal agents for Federal grant programs obtain an understanding of the rules and regulations surrounding the grant programs they are tasked with overseeing.

3.1 - Open

Develop and implement controls to ensure that Oklahoma’s State agencies that receive Federal funds have written cash management policies and procedures, including policies for the draw down and disbursement of grant funds in accordance with Federal requirements.

3.2 - Open

Return to the Department any unexpended GEER grant funds applicable to our audit scope that are being held by GEER grant subrecipients.

3.3 - Open

3.4 - Open

Require its fiscal agent or State program representative to work closely with the Department to ensure that other GEER grants are administered in compliance with cash management rules and with any actions the Department determines are needed, if warranted.

Railroad Retirement Board OIG

The RRB Did Not Have Detailed Project Plans to Expend Information Technology Modernization Funds

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/29/2022

National Security Agency OIG

Audit of the Implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Section 3610

The audit found the agency had significant issues implementing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The agency did not sufficiently review CARES invoices due to changing guidelines, reduced contract oversight staffing during the pandemic, overreliance on contractor-provided information, and the lack of clear and comprehensive Contracting Officer Representative (COR) oversight procedures for CARES invoices. As a result, the OIG questioned more than $16.4 million, or 40 percent of the sampled CARES invoice charges. As of June 8, 2021, NSA reported $917 million in CARES...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/26/2022

Department of Homeland Security OIG

ICE Did Not Follow Policies, Guidance, or Recommendations to Ensure Migrants Were Tested for COVID-19 before Transport on Domestic Commercial Flights

The objective was to determine the extent to which the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) mitigates safety risks by testing migrants for COVID-19 before transport on domestic commercial flights and whether a process is in place for escorting noncitizen unaccompanied children (UCs) during transport.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/23/2022

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Processing of Recovery Rebate Credit Claims During the 2021 Filing Season

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/19/2022

1 - Open

On June 15, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns with the systemic calculation of the allowable RRC amount. We recommended that IRS management review the returns we identified and provide us with any corrective actions they intended to take.

10 - Closed

Conduct analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns processed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional individuals who received an RRC for a qualifying child for which the IRS has already paid an EIP or an RRC to someone else and take the actions needed to recover RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

11 - Closed

Review the 7,022 individuals identified in which the IRS issued multiple RRCs for a qualifying child who was claimed on more than one tax return and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

12 - Closed

Conduct analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns processed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional individuals who received an RRC for a qualifying child who was claimed on more than one tax return and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

13 - Closed

Review the 75,594 tax returns identified in which the individual is potentially a nonresident alien and take the actions needed to recover the RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

14 - Closed

Perform analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns filed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional tax returns with the same characteristics as those the IRS determined were filed by a nonresident alien and take the actions needed to recover erroneous RRC payments.

15 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should coordinate with the Territories to confirm and recover erroneous RRCs.

16 - Closed

Review the nearly 6.9 million potentially eligible individuals we provided to the IRS who had not filed a Tax Year 2020 tax return as of May 27, 2021, and send a letter to those individuals who still have not filed a Tax Year 2020 return to encourage them to file a return and claim the RRC if eligible.

17 - Closed

Review the 3.1 million eligible individuals we identified who filed a Tax Year 2020 return and proactively issue these taxpayers their credit.

18 - Closed

Conduct additional analysis to identify tax returns filed after May 27, 2021, in which an individual is eligible for the RRC based on their Tax Year 2020 tax return and did not claim the credit, and proactively issue the taxpayer their credit.

19 - Closed

If IRS management does not proactively issue the RRC to individuals who filed a return and did not claim the credit, the IRS should notify these individuals that they are eligible to claim the RRC and should file an amended tax return to claim the credit.

2 - Closed

On March 19, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns that an incorrect amount of advance payments was being used to calculate the RRC for some taxpayers. We recommended that IRS management review the returns we identified and provide us with any corrective actions they intended to take.

20 - Closed

Work with the BFS to ensure that individuals who were denied the RRC and have still not activated their EIP1 or EIP2 debit card as of December 31, 2021, have EIPs reversed in their tax account and are issued their RRC. These processes should include notifying Metabank that the debit cards in question are to be cancelled.

21 - Closed

Work with the BFS to obtain recurring data during Processing Year 2022 to identify individuals who have not activated their advance ARPA RRC debit card at the time a return is filed and implement processes to reverse the advance payment so these individuals can receive the RRC on their Tax Year 2021 tax return.

22 - Closed

We alerted the Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, of our concerns that the IRS was unnecessarily burdening taxpayers whose RRC claims were identified for manual ERS review. We recommended the IRS develop processes to systemically adjust RRC claims using the computer-generated RRC calculation.

3 - Closed

On April 6, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns regarding ERS tax examiners incorrectly computing the RRC (see management’s action in response to Recommendation 1). We recommended the IRS review the returns we identified and take the actions necessary to ensure that these taxpayers receive the amount of the RRC they are entitled to receive.

4 - Closed

On March 12, 2021, we alerted IRS management of our concerns that some tax returns were not being identified by fraud filters. We recommended IRS management review the returns we identified and associated fraud filters to identify why these returns were not selected and make programming changes as necessary to ensure proper identification of returns with potentially questionable claims.

5 - Closed

Conduct analysis to identify Tax Year 2020 RRC claims processed after May 27, 2021, to identify other returns in which ERS tax examiners incorrectly calculated the number of allowable dependents and returns that were not reprocessed per IRS guidance after programming was corrected, and ensure that these taxpayers receive the correct amount of the RRC.

6 - Closed

Review the 14,508 individuals identified in which the IRS issued an RRC to an individual who was claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return but did not check the dependent box and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

7 - Closed

Conduct analysis of Tax Year 2020 tax returns processed after May 27, 2021, to identify additional individuals who received an RRC and were also claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return but did not check the dependent box, and take the actions needed to recover the RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

8 - Closed

Review the 238,680 individuals under the age of 25 identified as potential dependents and take the actions needed to recover payments that are determined to be erroneous.

9 - Closed

Review the 15,741 individuals identified in which the individual incorrectly received an RRC and an EIP for the same qualifying child and take the actions needed to recover RRC payments that are determined to be erroneous.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

The Child Tax Credit Update Portal Was Successfully Deployed, but Security and Process Improvements Are Needed

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/18/2022

1 - Closed

Ensure that the ELC coaches comply with existing agency requirements related to the independent verification and validation of all ELC artifacts.

1 - Closed

Ensure that the ELC coaches comply with existing agency requirements related to the independent verification and validation of all ELC artifacts.

1 - Closed

Ensure that the ELC coaches comply with existing agency requirements related to the independent verification and validation of all ELC artifacts.

10 - Closed

Prioritize remediation efforts on the two noncompliant SADI system servers that have weighted noncompliance scores of less than 90 percent.

10 - Closed

Prioritize remediation efforts on the two noncompliant SADI system servers that have weighted noncompliance scores of less than 90 percent.

10 - Closed

Prioritize remediation efforts on the two noncompliant SADI system servers that have weighted noncompliance scores of less than 90 percent.

2 - Closed

Ensure that only authorized approving authorities provide status updates and grant final approval of ELC artifacts during required milestone reviews.

2 - Closed

Ensure that only authorized approving authorities provide status updates and grant final approval of ELC artifacts during required milestone reviews.

2 - Closed

Ensure that only authorized approving authorities provide status updates and grant final approval of ELC artifacts during required milestone reviews.

3 - Closed

Establish a formal process, which includes routine updates, to identify primary and proxy approvers for all ELC artifacts.

3 - Closed

Establish a formal process, which includes routine updates, to identify primary and proxy approvers for all ELC artifacts.

3 - Closed

Establish a formal process, which includes routine updates, to identify primary and proxy approvers for all ELC artifacts.

4 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems supported by the CSPs have an approved IRS ATO prior to a system’s deployment.

4 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems supported by the CSPs have an approved IRS ATO prior to a system’s deployment.

4 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that systems supported by the CSPs have an approved IRS ATO prior to a system’s deployment.

5 - Open

The Chief Privacy Officer should establish a process that complies with Office of Management and Budget requirements regarding the selection, implementation, assessment, and continuous monitoring of privacy controls.

6 - Closed

The Chief Privacy Officer should ensure that formal documentation is created that shows that all the privacy controls applicable to the SADI system are properly selected, implemented, and assessed.

6 - Closed

The Chief Privacy Officer should ensure that formal documentation is created that shows that all the privacy controls applicable to the SADI system are properly selected, implemented, and assessed.

6 - Closed

The Chief Privacy Officer should ensure that formal documentation is created that shows that all the privacy controls applicable to the SADI system are properly selected, implemented, and assessed.

7 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the Cybersecurity function validates that all required NIST physical and environmental protection and media protection controls are implemented.

7 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the Cybersecurity function validates that all required NIST physical and environmental protection and media protection controls are implemented.

7 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the Cybersecurity function validates that all required NIST physical and environmental protection and media protection controls are implemented.

8 - Closed

The Chief Information Officer should ensure that the IRS prioritizes completing the processes that will validate newly built servers being placed into the production environment meet minimum compliance requirements and initiate vulnerability scanning and remediation during the server build process.

8 - Closed

9 - Closed

Ensure that all CTC Update Portal and SADI system associated POA&Ms (listed in Appendix II) are completed timely based on IRS-defined timelines and processes.

Social Security Administration OIG

The Social Security Administration’s Mail Processing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To determine whether the Social Security Administration (SSA) had adequate controls over mail processing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 5/13/2022

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Management Alert - FEMA's COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Operating Procedures Are Inconsistent with Previous Interpretation of Long-Standing Regulations for Eligible Funeral Expenses

We are issuing this management alert to advise the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that its Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Funeral Assistance Program operating procedures contradict FEMA’s previous interpretation of long-standing regulations for ineligible funeral expenses established in FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG). This interpretation of regulations for ineligible funeral expenses remains unchanged in FEMA Policy 104-21-0001 (COVID-19-specific policy).

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: To Protect Mission Critical Workers, OSHA Could Leverage Inspection Collaboration Opportunities with External Federal Agencies

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/31/2022

Department of Defense OIG

Audit of Entitlements for Activated Army National Guard and Air National Guard Members Supporting the Coronavirus Disease–2019 Mission

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/30/2022

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0001.a - Closed

Rec. 1.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer, DoD, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, update the DoD Financial Management Regulation, volume 7A, "Military Pay Policy - Active Duty and Reserve Pay," chapter 27, "Family Separation Allowance" to clearly state that the permanent duty station of a Reserve Component member on temporary duty status is the member's primary residence for the purpose of determining Family Separation Allowance entitlement.

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0001.b - Closed

Rec. 1.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer, DoD, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, update the DoD Financial Management Regulation, volume 7A, "Military Pay Policy - Active Duty and Reserve Pay," chapter 27, "Family Separation Allowance" to clarify that Family Separation Allowance entitlement determination is based on the commuting distance between the member's primary residence and their temporary duty location.

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0002.a - Open

(U) Rec. 2.e: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Director of the Army National Guard and the Director of the Air National Guard, develop and implement policies and procedures to establish formal dissemination and communication procedures for National Guard Bureau policies related to entitlements provided to the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, including the policies in the preceding recommendations. The procedures should require: 1) creation of a central location where policies and procedures will be kept for easy access by all states, territories, and the District; and 2) confirmation of receipt from all of the states, territories, and the District when procedures are communicated or obtained.

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0002.b - Open

(U) Rec. 2.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Director of the Army National Guard and the Director of the Air National Guard, develop and implement policies and procedures to outline the process and frequency of recertification for Basic Allowance for Housing entitlement that Army National Guard and Air National Guard officials will use to verify and fully document the dependency status of members to provide clarification to the DoD Financial Management Regulation, volume 7A, chapter 26. These procedures should include: * how recertifications will be completed; * which members will complete a recertification; and * how Army National Guard and Air National Guard officials will provide oversight to ensure that information is complete and accurate.

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0002.c - Open

(U) Rec. 2.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Director of the Army National Guard and the Director of the Air National Guard, develop and implement policies and procedures to require Army National Guard and Air National Guard officials to review and document the status of a military member married to another military member regardless of which Military Service, Reserve or Active Component, or Army National Guard or Air National Guard unit the member's spouse belongs to, and identify which member will claim any applicable dependents.

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0002.d - Open

(U) Rec. 2.d: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Director of the Army National Guard and the Director of the Air National Guard, develop and implement policies and procedures to specify the methods for confirming eligibility and paying Family Separation Allowance for Army National Guard and Air National Guard members, in accordance with the DoD Financial Management Regulation, volume 7A, chapter 27, and include the: * timeliness of payments; * determination of Family Separation Allowance eligibility for back to back orders; * members assigned to their normal duty locations; and * requirement to track members to know when they return to their primary residence.

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0002.e - Open

D-2022-0074-D000RG-0001-0003 - Open

(U) Rec. 3: The DoD OIG recommended that the Chief, National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Director of the Army National Guard and the Director of the Air National Guard, develop and implement additional internal control procedures for the review of transactions manually submitted by the Army National Guard and Air National Guard to the payment system prior to payment to ensure the completeness and accuracy of transactions.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

Program and Organizational Changes Are Needed to Address the Continued Inadequate Tax Account Assistance Provided to Taxpayers

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/18/2022

1 - Closed

On September 20, 2021, we notified the Director, Accounts Management, that the Austin site was not requiring Accounts Management screeners to come into the office to perform their duties, resulting in a significant backlog and delays in inventory being routed to Accounts Management to be worked. We recommended that the IRS establish consistent guidance and clarification on when resources can be directed to the office to help with screening inventory, to ensure that sufficient staff is available to screen documents in a timely manner, and establish processes to monitor the progress,

10 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should update existing scanning software or obtain a new scanning software to address document capacity concerns.

11 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that programming is updated to systemically reject electronic submissions of Forms 2848 and 8821 when missing one of the five essential elements (name, address, signature, etc.) without manually mailing a rejection letter.

12 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that the rejection letter used for Forms 2848 and 8821 is updated to include language that a revised form can be submitted electronically via an IRS Tax Pro Account25 or through Taxpayer Digital Communication.

13 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop an action plan to prioritize the continued expansion of documents that can be sent in via electronic fax and converted into a Correspondence Imaging System (CIS) image.

13 - Closed

Develop an action plan to prioritize the continued expansion of documents that can be sent in via electronic fax and converted into a CIS image.

14 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should Identify priority work that needs to be expedited by the Image Control Team (ICT) and assess the feasibility of creating an electronic fax number to receive this inventory.

15 - Closed

On July 12, 2021, TiGTA notified the Director, Accounts Management, of concerns regarding inaccuracies as it related to the compiling and reporting of the Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR). TIGTA recommended that the IRS perform a reconciliation of each Accounts Management site’s AMIR to the source reports to identify inventory inconsistencies and reporting errors by site

16 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should complete the inventory reconciliations for the four remaining Accounts Management site’s to identify and correct inventory inaccuracies and inconsistencies and implement processes to provide oversight by periodically performing reconciliations for each site so that any future inconsistencies and errors are identified and corrected in a timely manner.

17 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop specific and detailed instructions for preparing the Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR), including how controlled and uncontrolled inventory should be captured

18 - Open

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop a process to systemically pull all controlled inventory for each Accounts Management site for the Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR) to ensure consistency, reduce human error, and increase efficiencies

19 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should modify Accounts Management inventory reporting to report unassigned controlled inventory separately on the nationwide Accounts Management Inventory Report (AMIR) and limit the site-specific AMIRs to only the inventory assigned to be worked in each site.

2 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should evaluate directing taxpayers to send tax account correspondence and replies intended for Accounts Management directly to Campus Support Sites for processing to reduce backlogs at Tax Processing Centers and improve services to taxpayers.

3 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should prioritize the development and implementation of tools that will enable taxpayers seeking assistance or responding to Accounts Management to correspond with the IRS electronically, including the ability to directly upload documents into Accounts Management’s inventory.

4 - Closed

The Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, in conjunction with the Director, IRS NEXT Office, should evaluate establishing two distinct IRS programs as part of the IRS reorganization under the Taxpayer First Act – one dedicated to answering toll-free telephone calls and one dedicated to working Accounts Management inventory – with adequate staffing to provide appropriate service to taxpayers using each channel.

5 - Closed

On June 9, 2021, we notified the Director, Customer Account Services, that Submission Processing requested resources from Accounts Management to assist with clearing the Image Control Team (ICT) backlog and was told by Campus Support management that no resources could be made available to assist with reducing the ICT backlog. We recommended that the IRS assess the availability of Campus Support’s ICT staffing or other resources that could be made available to assist with clearing the ICT backlogs at Tax Processing Centers.

6 - Closed

On September 3, 2021, we notified the Director, Accounts Management, of concerns relating to the newly stood-up Fresno Campus Support Site, including scanners not being used to the full extent possible. We recommended that IRS management provide us with it plans to address our concerns identified with the new Fresno Campus Support Site, including additional staffing to assist Image Control Team (ICT).

7 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should complete a strategic review of all 10 Image Control Team (ICT) sites to determine what contributes to the ICT’s inability to timely scan and validate documents. Based on the results of this review, initiate steps to address the concerns identified. This should include the development of an action plan to ensure that the high-capacity ICT scanners and staffing are realigned to the appropriate sites based on actual or expected inventory levels and that responsibility of the ICT operations are consolidated under the appropriate function.

8 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should cross-train additional mail clerks at Campus Support Sites to work Image Control Team (ICT) validations, freeing up additional resources in sites with higher inventories needing to be scanned, or consider shipping inventory to sites with less inventory to be scanned.

9 - Closed

The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should develop specific instructions and a common template for all 10 Image Control Team (ICT) sites to consistently capture ICT inventory information.

Railroad Retirement Board OIG

Railroad Retirement Board Did Not Implement Sufficient Internal Controls in the Mobile Phones Deployed as a Result of the Pandemic

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/17/2022

1 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should update their mobile phone policies to include and implement a National Archives and Records Administration-approved records schedule and transfer procedures for electronic records associated with mobile phones.

10 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should develop and implement a records management and retention system for electronic records.

11 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should research the capabilities of Railroad Retirement Board's Microsoft Azure Cloud's functionality to determine feasibility of incorporating the automated records management and retention capabilities to govern the mobile phones electronic records.

2 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should submit a yearly affidavit to confirm electronic records associated with mobile phones have been identified and retained until the full transition into Microsoft Azure Cloud.

3 - Open

The Railroad Retirement Board's Director of Administration should define and communicate 'personal usage' establishing Railroad Retirement Board's core hours of 5:00 am to 7:00 pm. Any usage outside of core hours would be considered personal usage excluding business management purposes.

4 - Open

The Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of Information Services should 1) continue efforts to update the Telecommuting and Mobile Security Computing Policy with current laws and regulations and 2) develop a periodic monitoring control to assess personal usage and address it according to agency guidance.

5 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should incorporate the mobile phones in an existing assessable unit and update their mobile phone policies to include documentation regarding the specific roles and responsibilities of each office overseeing the mobile phone program.

6 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should enforce and execute a review and approval process for application and software download and restrict access to specified applications found in their Railroad Retirement Board G-6 Rules of Behavior.

7 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should implement procedures to periodically track, log, and monitor iPhone usage and the completion of the G-6 Acknowledgement Statement.

8 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should periodically review the mobile phone inventory for completeness and accuracy to include a comparison with Railroad Retirement Board's personnel position index.

9 - Open

The Bureau of Information Services should implement the use of unique identifiers between disparate data sets (e.g., mobile phone inventory, personnel position index) to facilitate comparisons and reconcile inconsistent information.

Railroad Retirement Board OIG

Management Information Report - Railroad Retirement Board's Actions in Response to Pandemic Funding

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 3/16/2022

Environmental Protection Agency OIG

EPA Should Consistently Track Coronavirus Pandemic-Related Grant Flexibilities and Implement Plan for Electronic Grant File Storage

The EPA Office of Grants and Debarment does not know the full extent to which program offices and regions have implemented grant flexibilities and exceptions permitted by the Office of Management and Budget due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Office of Grants and Debarment tracked grants that received flexibilities through its issued class waivers and regulatory exceptions but did not track grants that received flexibilities and exceptions approved by program offices and regions. The lack of agencywide tracking of grant flexibilities and exceptions hindered the Agency’s ability to assess how...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 2/22/2022

Department of Homeland Security OIG

CISA Should Validate Priority Telecommunications Services Performance Data

The objective of this review was to determine whether DHS effectively supported operable and interoperable emergency communications for Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government officials and critical infrastructure operators during the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 1/12/2022

Environmental Protection Agency OIG

Authorized State Hazardous Waste Program Inspections and Operations Were Impacted During Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic impacted Resource Conservation and Recovery Act state program operations and resulted in fewer inspections.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 12/01/2021

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Continued Reliance on Manual Processing Slowed USCIS’ Benefits Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The objective was to determine the effectiveness of USCIS’ technology systems to provide timely and accurate electronic processing of immigration and naturalization benefit requests while field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers were closed or operating on a reduced workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 11/03/2021

Department of Transportation OIG

FTA Does Not Effectively Assess Security Controls or Remediate Cybersecurity Weaknesses To Ensure the Proper Safeguards Are in Place To Protect Its Financial Management Systems

What We Looked AtThe Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 set up appropriations to support executive agency operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has received nearly $70 billion in CARES Act and other COVID-19 relief appropriations. FTA uses several financial management systems to approve, process, and disperse this funding for the transit industry’s COVID-19 response and recovery. Given the size of this investment, we initiated this audit. Our audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of FTA’s financial management...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development OIG

Fraud Risk Inventory for the CDBG and ESG CARES Act Funds

We conducted this engagement in coordination with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to gain an understanding of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) fraud risk management practices and develop an inventory of fraud risks that HUD had not already identified for the funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs.We identified five overall risk factors that contribute to the risk of fraud for the CDBG and ESG CARES Act...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 10/12/2021

Department of Labor OIG

COVID-19: The Pandemic Highlighted the Need to Strengthen Wage and Hour Division's Enforcement Controls

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/30/2021

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Lessons Learned from FEMA’s Initial Response to COVID-19

The objective was to determine how effectively FEMA supported and coordinated Federal efforts to distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We determined that FEMA did not have reliable data to inform allocation decisions and ensure accurate adjudication of resource requests, it did not have a process to allocate the limited supply of PPE, and FEMA’s strategic documents did not clearly outline roles and responsibilities to lead the Federal response. We made three recommendations that FEMA improve the reliability of WebEOC, formally...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/23/2021

Department of Homeland Security OIG

DHS Needs to Enhance Its COVID-19 Response at the Southwest Border

The objective of this review was to determine to what extent the Department of Homeland Security has implemented COVID-19 measures for migrants at the southwest border. We reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not conduct COVID-19 testing for migrants who enter CBP custody and is not required to do so. Instead, CBP relies on local public health systems to test symptomatic individuals. According to CBP officials, as a frontline law enforcement agency, it does not have the necessary resources to conduct such testing. For migrants that are transferred or released from CBP...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 9/21/2021

Department of Health & Human Services OIG

CMS’s Controls Related to Hospital Preparedness for an Emerging Infectious Disease Were Well-Designed and Implemented but Its Authority Is Not Sufficient for It To Ensure Preparedness at Accredited Hospitals

Hospitals that cannot control the spread of emerging infectious diseases within their facilities risk spreading a disease such as COVID-19 to patients and staff. OIG therefore developed a plan to assess the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) controls related to hospital preparedness for emerging infectious diseases.The objective of this audit was to determine whether CMS designed and implemented effective internal controls related to hospital preparedness for emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Audit | 6/24/2021

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