Reports

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 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.

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 Homeland Security OIG

A Review of FEMA Funding for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Response and Relie

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided approximately $49.3 million of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic relief funds to Springfield, MA; Coeur D’Alene, ID; Sheridan County, NE; Marion County, GA; White Earth Nation in Minnesota; and Jicarilla Apache Nation in New Mexico.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Department of Veterans Affairs OIG

Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Summary Report: Evaluation of Medication Management in Veterans Health Administration Facilities, Fiscal Year 2021

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report highlights the results of a focused evaluation of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities’ medication management related to remdesivir use. The report describes medication management-related findings from healthcare inspections performed at 34 VHA medical facilities during fiscal year 2021. Each inspection involved interviews with key staff and reviews of clinical and administrative processes.The OIG found that VHA met many elements of expected performance, including the availability of...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Review | 9/01/2022

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Folkston ICE Processing Center and Folkston Annex

The objective was to conduct an unannounced inspection of Folkston Processing Center and Folkston Annex to monitor compliance with select ICE detention standards.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Inspection / Evaluation | 7/05/2022

1 - Closed

Ensure the Folkston facility conditions we identified as deficient are corrected and in compliance with 2011 PBNDS requirements.

10 - Closed

Provide ICE visitation schedules, including the time, duration, and location for housing unit visits, to ensure Folkston detainees are aware of their regular access to assigned ICE ERO deportation officers.

11 - Closed

Ensure ICE provides copies of ICE request forms and secure drop boxes in all Folkston housing units.

12 - Closed

Ensure Folkston maintains staffing levels outlined in the ICE contract.

13 - Closed

Ensure Folkston properly secures and stores detainee personal property.

2 - Closed

Establish coordination of medical care for detainees moved between Folkston IPC and Folkston Annex and ensure timely access to specialty care.

3 - Closed

Address medical staffing issues at Folkston IPC to ensure adequate mental health care for detainees.

4 - Closed

Require Folkston staff to complete daily medical monitoring of detainees in administrative segregation.

5 - Closed

Provide detainees in segregation at Folkston IPC access to recreation, legal calls, laundry services for bedding and clothing, mail, legal materials, law library, and commissary.

6 - Closed

Ensure Folkston segregation practices related to handcuffing comply with 2011 PBNDS requirements.

7 - Closed

Establish a grievance and facility request tracking system to ensure timely and complete responses to all detainee requests filed at Folkston.

8 - Closed

Ensure Folkston meets ICE’s COVID-19 requirements for wearing masks and social distancing.

9 - Closed

Establish a requests tracking system to ensure timely and complete responses to all detainee requests filed at Folkston.

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

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Lessons Learned from DHS' Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Initiative

Our objective was to evaluate how DHS determined employee status for placement into vaccine distribution priority groups; determine how DHS, in conjunction with VHA, planned to triage and distribute available vaccine inventory and vaccinate frontline, mission-critical DHS staff; and evaluate how DHS executed its plan.

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Review | 5/13/2022

Department of Veterans Affairs OIG

The Veterans Health Administration Needs to Do More to Promote Emotional Well-Being Supports Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Emergency Management issued the initial COVID-19 Response Plan on March 23, 2020, and then an updated version on August 7, 2020. The National Center for Organization Development created a COVID-19 rapid response consultation process for VHA leaders in a supervisory role. The Organizational Health Council developed a team that coordinated with multiple VHA program offices to create a COVID-19 Employee Support Toolkit and other resources. Additionally, several program offices independently created and disseminated employee well-being resources...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Review | 5/10/2022

Department of Veterans Affairs OIG

Purchases of Smartphones and Tablets for Veterans’ Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated efforts by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to expand veteran access to telehealth. Accordingly, VHA’s Connected Care Office created a new digital divide consult to issue iPhones to veterans experiencing homelessness who were enrolled in the Department of Housing and Urban Development VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. VHA was already loaning iPads to other veterans who lacked telehealth capable devices through the digital divide consult process. The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiated this review to evaluate whether purchases of...

Full Details: Oversight.gov Report Page

Review | 5/04/2022

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Management Challenges

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Reports

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

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

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

A Review of FEMA Funding for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Response and Relie

Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Summary Report: Evaluation of Medication Management in Veterans Health Administration Facilities, Fiscal Year 2021

Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Folkston ICE Processing Center and Folkston Annex

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

Lessons Learned from DHS' Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Initiative

The Veterans Health Administration Needs to Do More to Promote Emotional Well-Being Supports Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purchases of Smartphones and Tablets for Veterans’ Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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