Report Contents
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs conduct Data Quality Assessments in accordance with the seven-step methodology from the annual guidance provided by the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources to ensure that the data used in reporting results are as complete, accurate, consistent, and supportable as possible.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs formally designate qualified and trained contracting officer’s representatives or other monitoring and oversight personnel for all interagency agreements in accordance with the Department’s Procurement Information Bulletin 2013- 03 and the Department of State Acquisition Regulations, Part 642, or the Procurement Information Bulletin on nonacquisition interagency agreements when issued.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs request and review performance and financial supporting documentation, as advised by the Department’s Procurement Information Bulletin 2013-03, or the as-yet unissued Procurement Information Bulletin on nonacquisition interagency agreements when it is issued and the Federal Assistance Policy Handbook to substantiate the information contained in the required reports received from interagency acquisition agreement recipients and to maintain appropriate documentation of those reviews.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs formally issue Program and Policy Notice 2013-005 to ensure that reporting requirements are met by interagency acquisition agreement recipients and, if they are not, that appropriate steps are taken to address delinquent reporting.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs document the results of accounting for the $600,000 in Economic Support Funds transferred to the U.S. Agency for International Development and the determination regarding whether or not the funds should be returned to the Department of State.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs implement the guidance provided in the Department’s Procurement Information Bulletin 2013-03 and the Contracting Officer’s Handbook or the as-yet unissued Procurement Information Bulletin on nonacquisition interagency agreements when issued, and the Department’s Foreign Affairs Handbook, as appropriate, to develop evaluative factors to identify interagency agreements that may merit closer coordination and require interagency agreement monitoring personnel to perform site visits for each interagency agreement recipient at least once during the life of the agreement or more frequently depending on the assessment of evaluative factors.
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental Scientific Affairs update the language in its formal solicitation letters for interagency agreements, as well as the language in all formal interagency agreements, in accordance with the Department’s Procurement Information Bulletin 2013-03 or the Procurement Information Bulletin on nonacquisition interagency agreements when issued, to include, for purposes of substantiation, the requirement for all recipients to maintain supporting documentation for all financial expenditures, all project activities, and pertinent achievements as reported in the recipients’ performance and financial reports.
OIG recommends that the Procurement Executive develop and issue standardized policies and procedures for Department of State-wide use for the administration of nonacquisition interagency agreements in accordance with pertinent Federal regulations and revise and update the Foreign Affairs Manual and the Foreign Affairs Handbook to reflect these policies and procedures as appropriate.
OIG recommends that the Under Secretary for Management designate a Department entity with the authority and responsibility for providing oversight of nonacquisition interagency agreements. The responsibilities should include developing, issuing, revising, and updating standardized policies and procedures for inclusion in the Foreign Affairs Manual and the Foreign Affairs Handbook; approving bureau nonacquisition interagency agreements as appropriate; and monitoring and reviewing bureau compliance with these and other requirements.