Audit of Radio Free Asia Expenditures

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors define its grant monitoring structure, formally document the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the grant monitoring process, and revise its Grantee Handbook accordingly.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors develop and implement a comprehensive grant oversight program and revise its Grantee Handbook to document the specific procedures for the grant oversight program.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) develop and implement a training plan for all employees involved in grant oversight as determined in response to Recommendation 1. This training plan should cover both Government-wide requirements for grant oversight and also BBG's internal grants policies and procedures. BBG should revise its Grantee Handbook to include the training plan.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) formally designate a grants analyst to monitor Radio Free Asia. As part of the designation, BBG should ensure that the grants analyst's responsibilities are clearly defined and communicated to that employee.

OIG recommends that the Board of Governors formally designate a high level Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) official, such as the Chief Executive Officer, as the official responsible for approving initiatives to improve BBG's grant oversight process.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) ensure that the Board of Governors immediately receives training and guidance on its responsibilities as a Board. This training and guidance should include, but not be limited to, information on Federal requirements for overseeing grantees and BBG's internal grant oversight policies and procedures. The training should also address the Board's responsibilities for ensuring that BBG complies with Federal grants regulations. In addition, BBG should develop a plan to provide refresher training to the Board on its responsibilities annually.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) develop a formal framework describing how Radio Free Asia should use Internet anti-circumvention funds. This framework should describe BBG's priorities for the use of the funds.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) revise the grant agreement with Radio Free Asia (RFA) to provide guidance to RFA on the newly developed framework describing BBG's priorities for the use of the Internet anti-circumvention funds, as determined in response to Recommendation 7.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors require Radio Free Asia to develop and implement supplemental procurement policies and procedures for Open Technology Fund procurements that comply with Federal procurement requirements for grantees.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors require Radio Free Asia (RFA) to develop and implement a training plan that ensures that RFA employees involved in the Open Technology Fund procurement process understand the supplemental procurement policies developed in response to Recommendation 9.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors require Radio Free Asia (RFA) to implement a process to monitor the Open Technology Fund procurement process to ensure compliance with RFA's procurement procedures.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors direct Radio Free Asia (RFA) to ensure that employees and Advisory Council members comply with RFA's conflict-of-interest requirements.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) develop and implement a process to select Open Technology Fund projects that Radio Free Asia (RFA) will fund. Both BBG and RFA officials should be involved in the selection process.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors require Radio Free Asia to revise its processes to include an assessment of the continued need for funds that are either unexpended or committed and to take action to deobligate funds that are no longer needed.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors require Radio Free Asia to annually report on the amount of unused funds.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors develop and implement a process to oversee Radio Free Asia's unused funds.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors direct Radio Free Asia (RFA) to make and verify that RFA has made the necessary journal entries to correct the funding used for $15,292 in travel costs OIG identified as allowable but where incorrect funds were used.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) make a determination as to whether promotional items, in general, are an appropriate cost for Radio Free Asia (RFA). If BBG does not believe that promotional items are an appropriate RFA cost, BBG should inform RFA that promotional items should not be purchased using grant funds.

OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) work collaboratively with Radio Free Asia (RFA) to perform a comparability study of RFA salaries and benefits and determine whether the salaries and benefits offered by RFA violate the requirements of the grant agreement. If they do, BBG should direct RFA to bring salaries and benefits into compliance with the grant agreement.