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- Department of Labor OIG (20)
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- Department of the Treasury OIG (6)
- Department of Veterans Affairs OIG (23)
- Farm Credit Administration OIG (1)
- Federal Reserve Board & CFPB OIG (1)
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- National Science Foundation OIG (11)
- Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (1)
- Railroad Retirement Board OIG (4)
- Small Business Administration OIG (14)
- Tennessee Valley Authority OIG (1)
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State (State and Local Reports)
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- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (1)
- Department of Agriculture (2)
- Department of Defense (13)
- Department of Education (5)
- Department of Health & Human Services (5)
- Department of Homeland Security (19)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (1)
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- Department of Labor (20)
- Department of the Interior (1)
- Department of the Treasury (6)
- Department of Veterans Affairs (23)
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- Internal Revenue Service (9)
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- National Science Foundation (11)
- Railroad Retirement Board (4)
- Small Business Administration (14)
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- U.S. Postal Service (10)
Other Associated Agencies
Management Challenges
- Agency Operations (25)
- Data Transparency and Completeness (2)
- Federal Workforce Safety (11)
- Financial Management of Relief Funding (9)
- Grants and Guaranteed Loan Management (33)
- Informing and Protecting the Public from Pandemic-Related Fraud (2)
- IT Management and Security (4)
- Preventing and Detecting Fraud against Government Programs (6)
- Protecting the Health and Safety of the Public (24)
Any Recommendations
Any Open Recommendations
Reports
Audit of the Reimbursement for Department of Defense Mission Assignments for Coronavirus Disease–2019 Pandemic Response in the U.S. Northern Command Area of Responsibility
Rec. 1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy Comptroller (Program/Budget), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer, DoD, in coordination with DoD Component comptrollers, initiate a review of all COVID-19 pandemic response mission assignments to ensure reimbursement requests for costs incurred are submitted in accordance with DoD policy.
Rec. 2.a: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Army Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller), immediately require tasked units to review costs incurred for mission assignments 4480DR-NY-DOD-10, 4480DR-NY-DOD-11, 4480DR-NY-DOD-12, and 4481DR-WA-DOD-02 as of July 31, 2020, for completeness and accuracy, and submit reimbursement requests for those costs with required documentation to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in accordance with DoD policy.
Rec. 2.b: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Director of the Office of Budget Fiscal Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), immediately require tasked units to review costs incurred for mission assignments 4482DR-CA-DOD-01, 4482DR-CA-DOD-02, and 4488DR-NJ-DOD-04 as of July 31, 2020, for completeness and accuracy, and submit reimbursement requests for those costs with required documentation to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in accordance with DoD policy.
Rec. 2.c: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller), immediately require tasked units to review costs incurred for mission assignment 4480DR-NY-DOD-10 as of July 31, 2020, for completeness and accuracy, and submit reimbursement requests for those costs with required documentation to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in accordance with DoD policy.
Rec. 2.d: The DoD OIG recommended that the Comptroller of the United States Marine Corps immediately require tasked units to review costs incurred for 4482DR-CA-DOD-01, 4482DR-CA-DOD-02, and 4488DR-NJ-DOD-04 as of July 31, 2020, for completeness and accuracy, and submit reimbursement requests for those costs with required documentation to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in accordance with DoD policy.
Rec. 2.e: The DoD OIG recommended that the Comptroller of the National Guard Bureau immediately require tasked units to review costs incurred for mission assignments 4480DR-NY-DOD-05, 4481DR-WA-DOD-05, 4482DR-CA-DOD-07, and 4491DR-MD-DOD-01 as of July 31, 2020, for completeness and accuracy, as well as any additional costs incurred and identified after July 31, 2020, and submit reimbursement requests for those costs with required documentation to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in accordance with DoD policy.
Rec. 3.a.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Army Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller), in coordination with the Financial Management Augmentation Team, develop and provide to tasked units, an Army-specific desk manual for mission assignments that includes, at a minimum, step-by-step procedures for initial set-up, real-time cost input, cost tracking, cost reporting, and submitting partial and final billings to ensure compliance with DoD policy.
Rec. 3.a.2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Director, Army Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) train tasked-unit personnel on how to navigate the Army-specific desk manual and apply the procedures appropriately.
Rec. 3.b.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Director of the Office of Budget Fiscal Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), in coordination with the Financial Management Augmentation Team, develop and provide to tasked units, a Navy-specific desk manual for mission assignments that includes, at a minimum, step-by-step procedures for initial set-up, real-time cost input, cost tracking, cost reporting, and submitting partial and final billings to ensure compliance with DoD policy.
Rec. 3.b.2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Assistant Director of the Office of Budget Fiscal Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) train tasked-unit personnel on how to navigate the Navy-specific desk manual and apply the procedures appropriately.
Rec. 3.c.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller), in coordination with the Financial Management Augmentation Team, develop and provide to tasked units, an Air Force-specific desk manual for mission assignments that includes, at a minimum, step-by-step procedures for initial set-up, real-time cost input, cost tracking, cost reporting, and submitting partial and final billings to ensure compliance with DoD policy.
Rec. 3.c.2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Deputy for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller) train tasked-unit personnel on how to navigate the Air Force-specific desk manual and apply the procedures appropriately.
Rec. 3.d.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Comptroller of the United States Marine Corps, in coordination with the Financial Management Augmentation Team, develop and provide to tasked units, a Marine Corps-specific desk manual for mission assignments that includes, at a minimum, step-by-step procedures for initial set-up, real-time cost input, cost tracking, cost reporting, and submitting partial and final billings to ensure compliance with DoD policy.
Rec. 3.d.2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Comptroller of the United States Marine Corps train tasked-unit personnel on how to navigate the Marine Corps-specific desk manual and apply the procedures appropriately.
Rec. 3.e.1: The DoD OIG recommended that the Comptroller of the National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Financial Management Augmentation Team, develop and provide to tasked units a National Guard-specific desk manual for mission assignments that includes, at a minimum, step-by-step procedures for initial set-up, real-time cost input, cost tracking, cost reporting, and submitting partial and final billing to ensure compliance with DoD policy.
Rec. 3.e.2: The DoD OIG recommended that the Comptroller of the National Guard Bureau train tasked-unit personnel on how to navigate the National Guard-specific desk manuals and apply the procedures appropriately.
Survey of Farm Credit Administration Employees on COVID-19
The Office of Inspector General recommends the Office of the Chief Operating Officer distribute further communications to employees to explain:
• when it is necessary to be physically present during telework operating statuses;
• how mask-wearing and other required workplace safety measures differ in Farm Credit Administration space and non-Farm Credit Administration space;
• trends used in considering the Agency’s operating status;
• future remote work arrangements and expectations;
• specific procedures for when and whom to contact regarding a suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnoses that affects the workplace;
• specific procedures for official travel decisions and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines after personal travel;
• symptom monitoring procedures; and
• specific procedures for quarantine and self-isolation after a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis or close contact.
Assessment of Processes to Verify Tentative Carryback Refund Eligibility
The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that tentative refund applications associated with taxpayers whose tax accounts have an identity theft indicator are sent to an identity theft liaison for review as required.
The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that tentative refund applications associated with taxpayers whose tax accounts showed that there was *****************2****************** are identified and sent to an identity theft liaison for review as required.
COVID-19: States Struggled to Implement Cares Act Unemployment Insurance Programs
We recommend the following to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training conduct a study to assess the technological needs of the UI programs to determine the capabilities that need to be upgraded or replaced; the features necessary to effectively respond to rapid changes in the volume of claims in times of emergency or high unemployment; the capabilities needed to ensure effective and equitable delivery of benefits; and the capabilities to minimize fraudulent activities.
Continue to work with states to develop, operate, and maintain a modular set of technological capabilities to modernize the delivery of UI benefits that is sufficient to manage and process sudden spikes in claims volume during emergencies or high unemployment.
Assist states with claims, overpayment, and fraud reporting to create clear and accurate information. Then use the overpayment and fraud reporting to prioritize and assist states with fraud detection and recovery.
Develop standards for providing clear and reasonable timeframes to implement temporary programs to establish expectations for prompt benefit payments to claimants.
Performance Audit of the Implementation of OMB COVID-19 Flexibilities – University of Central Florida
Direct UCF to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $134 in questioned fringe benefit costs for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Direct UCF to notify its Federal sponsors that its personnel have not yet certified their effort for the Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020, and Fall 2020 semesters.
Direct UCF to require its employees to certify their effort for the Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020, and Fall 2020 semesters and then process any cost transfers needed to ensure that UCF charged NSF for salary costs that were consistent with the effort certified.
Direct UCF to review all salary earned during June 2020 to verify that its accounting system appropriately applied fringe benefits at the correct rate and, if the accounting system did not apply fringe benefits at the correct rate, process any adjustments necessary.
Direct UCF to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $160 of questioned participant support costs for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Direct UCF to establish policies and procedures to ensure that it obtains and documents proper approval for insurance costs before charging the costs to NSF awards.
Direct UCF to establish policies and procedures to ensure that it does not apply fringe benefit rates to participant support costs that it processes through its payroll subledger.
Performance Audit of the Implementation of OMB COVID-19 Flexibilities – California Institute of Technology
Resolve the $16,351 in questioned salary expenses for which Caltech has not agreed to reimburse NSF and direct Caltech to repay or otherwise remove the sustained questioned costs from its NSF awards.
Direct Caltech to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $418 of questioned salary expenses for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Direct Caltech to strengthen its internal control processes and procedures surrounding the transfer of significant portions of NSF-funded research to other organizations. Updated processes could include: a. Establishing procedures to verify whether the scope of work for a proposed subcontract on an NSF award is programmatic in nature before issuing the subcontract. If the scope of work is programmatic in nature, Caltech should obtain the NSF Grants Officer’s approval before issuing the subcontract. Caltech could obtain this approval either as part of the initial NSF grant proposal/budget or through a formal request to transfer the research or effort, submitted through NSF’s FastLane system. b. Requiring periodic training for Caltech personnel that are permitted to subaward, issue, or subcontract out research under NSF awards, to ensure that they request the appropriate approvals. c. Establishing procedures to confirm that Caltech personnel perform pass-through entity risk assessments to identify the appropriate monitoring procedures when Caltech awards NSF research to a pass-through entity. d. Establishing periodic monitoring procedures to ensure that Caltech appropriately assesses indirect costs on the first $25,000 invoiced by each subawardee.
Direct Caltech to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $1,515 of questioned indirect costs for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Direct Caltech to strengthen its monitoring procedures and internal control processes for applying indirect costs to Federal awards. Updated procedures could include: a. Requiring that personnel review rental expenses charged to NSF awards to assess whether the expenses included indirect costs. Specifically, Caltech should ensure the general ledger account codes it establishes to account for equipment rental charges do not apply indirect costs. b. Requiring that personnel review capitalized expenses charged to an NSF award to ensure that the capitalized amount includes all applicable costs.
Direct Caltech to quantify the total indirect costs inappropriately applied to NSF awards as a result of its rental equipment account inappropriately applying indirect costs and to reimburse NSF for the appropriate amount.
Direct Caltech to strengthen its administrative and management controls and processes surrounding the charging of salary to Intergovernmental Personnel Act awards. Updated processes could include requiring departmental payroll personnel to perform additional procedures to ensure that Caltech appropriately established initial salary payments, including verifying that all payments are within the Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment dates.
Direct Caltech to update its current award set-up practices to require that, when setting up accounts established for NSF awards, personnel ensure that the accounts apply indirect costs using either the rates that were established in the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement in effect as of the date of the NSF grant award or the rates identified in the NSF award letters, as appropriate.
Performance Audit of the Implementation of OMB COVID-19 Flexibilities - University of Wisconsin - Madison
Direct UW-Madison to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $20,431 of questioned Award Cash Management $ervice drawdowns for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Direct UW-Madison to update its administrative and management processes and internal control procedures surrounding the Award Cash Management $ervice procedures for awards with expiring appropriations. Updated processes could include validating that UW-Madison adequately documents that any Award Cash Management $ervice draws in excess of its actual expenses support immediate cash needs.
Direct UW-Madison to strengthen its award set-up processes and procedures to ensure it cannot charge costs to an active award if the Federal appropriations for the award have expired.
Direct UW-Madison to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $1,593 in questioned costs for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Direct UW-Madison to update its current award set-up practices to require that, when setting up accounts established for NSF awards, personnel ensure that the accounts apply indirect costs using the rates that were established in the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement in effect as of the date of the NSF grant award, rather than using the rates included within the original grant proposal.
Direct UW-Madison to strengthen its Research Experience for Undergraduate award setup procedures to ensure that personnel select the appropriate indirect cost base.
Performance Audit of the Implementation of OMB COVID-19 Flexibilities - Florida State University
Direct FSU to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $4,808 of questioned Award Cash Management $ervice drawdowns for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Direct FSU to update its administrative and management processes and internal control procedures for awards with expiring appropriations. Updated processes could include: a. Validating that FSU adequately documents that any Award Cash Management $ervice draws in excess of its actual expenses support immediate cash needs. b. Ensuring that FSU’s system prohibits personnel from posting costs to an award after the award’s appropriation expires.
Direct FSU to establish clear guidance regarding the allowability of publication expenses, including the need to acknowledge NSF funding sources.
Direct FSU to strengthen its grant closeout procedures to ensure that it reimburses NSF for any expenses that it determines did not benefit the NSF award(s) charged. Additional procedures should ensure that FSU refunds the NSF award(s) for any materials and supplies that it was unable to use before the award’s period of performance expired.
Direct FSU to implement additional controls to prevent personnel from directly charging NSF awards for costs charged to accounts established to accumulate expenses that are not typically allowed on Federal awards, such as credit/debit fees, unless the personnel obtain specific prior approval.
Direct FSU to provide documentation supporting that it has repaid or otherwise credited the $567 of questioned indirect costs for which it has agreed to reimburse NSF.
Implementation of Economic Impact Payments
The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should initiate a multipronged public awareness campaign to inform the public about the availability of the Recovery Rebate Credit related to individuals deceased in Calendar Year 2020. This campaign should clarify information previously provided about the advance payments as well as actions that need to be taken to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for a Calendar Year 2020 decedent.
The Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, should ensure that prior to issuing future EIPs, processes are developed to cross-check return filings to identify and prevent payments to individuals who are not eligible based on applicable dependency requirements.