The Bureau of Administration, Office of the Procurement Executive, should amend the Department of State Acquisition Regulation to require contracting officers to include a provision requiring contracting officers to insert a clause in all current and future contracts stating:“(a) This contract incorporates by reference 1 FAM 053.2-5, which mandates the contractor’s and/or any subcontractor’s duty to cooperate fully with Office of Inspector General personnel.(b) Cooperation includes:(1) Complete, prompt, and free access to all files (in any format), documents, premises, and employees, except as limited by law, including access to records, premises, and employees;(2) Statements, both oral and written, including statements under oath or affirmation;(3) Technical consultation, examination, and assistance regarding information or evidence being collected or developed;(4) Such other information and assistance as may be requested in order to complete the OIG activity.”
Recommendations
Department of State
444
134
416
U.S. Agency for Global Media
0
36
0
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs should ensure that the Cultural Property Advisory Committee complies with all reporting requirements under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and issues, at least annually, a report with a summary of activities that provides the public with information regarding the committee’s closed meetings.
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number2Closed Implemented
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number3Closed Implemented Significant
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number4Closed Implemented
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number5Closed Implemented Significant
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs should institute a formal, periodic process to measure program and policy performance against strategic goals.
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Recommendation Number2Closed Implemented
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs should conduct a second, more comprehensive review of its staffing and skills inventory to achieve a balance among meeting mission needs, delivering efficient service, and managing employees effectively.
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Recommendation Number3Closed Implemented
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs should implement a bureau-wide process to track foreign assistance that fully obligates foreign assistance appropriations and identifies and reclassifies foreign assistance funds before the funds cancel.
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Recommendation Number4Closed Implemented
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs should complete and file monitoring reports, Grants Officer Representative designation letters, and Grants Officer Representative evaluation reports for its non-public diplomacy grants.
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Recommendation Number5Closed Implemented
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs should measure all its project objectives with indicators that meet Department guidelines and use those indicators in required reports.
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Recommendation Number6Closed Implemented
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs should require all Government Technical Monitors to complete mandatory training.
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Recommendation Number7Closed Implemented
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs should complete the nine remaining Civil Service performance appraisals for the 2016 rating cycle.
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented Significant
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs fill the permanent Contracting Officer’s Representative vacancies in Kabul, Afghanistan, to ensure adequate oversight of its Afghanistan contracts.
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Recommendation Number2Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs develop and implement invoice review training for its oversight staff with a focus on its Afghanistan contracts to ensure that newly assigned Contracting Officer’s Representatives charged with reviewing invoices are fully prepared and familiar with the specific features of these contracts.
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Recommendation Number3Closed Implemented Significant
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs develop and implement procedures to verify that the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan inspection reports for its Afghanistan contracts are completed in accordance with Department requirements, including specifying the period covered by the report and identifying the actions taken by the contractor to correct previously identified deficiencies to afford the Contracting Officer and succeeding Contracting Officer’s Representatives a complete history of contract implementation.
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Recommendation Number4Closed Implemented Significant
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs include, in the Kabul-specific Standard Operating Procedures it is developing, clarification of the role of contract assistants in contributing to the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan inspections reports for its Afghanistan contracts and procedures for the Contracting Officer’s Representatives to review, verify, and document the inspection reports.
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Recommendation Number5Closed Implemented Significant
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs implement procedures requiring Contracting Officer’s Representatives for its Afghanistan contracts to formally document their review and acceptance of contractor progress and status reports in compliance with the Foreign Affairs Handbook and INL’s Standard Operating Policy/Procedures for Contracting Officer’s Representative Working File Maintenance.
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Recommendation Number6Closed Implemented Significant
OIG recommends that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs incorporate, in the Kabul-specific Standard Operating Procedures it is developing, control steps (a) for the Contracting Officer’s Representatives to maintain quality assurance records in accordance with Department requirements and (b) verify that Contracting Officer’s Representatives follow INL’s Standard Operating Policy/Procedures for Contracting Officer’s Representative Working File Maintenance.
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors develop and implement annual training for allotment holders emphasizing their responsibility to monitor and deobligate invalid unliquidated obligations, as prescribed in the Broadcasting Administrative Manual.
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Recommendation Number2Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors approve, issue, and implement its “Unliquidated Obligations Review Standard Operating Procedures.“
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Recommendation Number3Closed Implemented $34,202
OIG recommends that the Broadcasting Board of Governors review the three invalid unliquidated obligations identified during the FY 2016 financial statements audit (obligation numbers 240625PCAS, T0121300012, and I812304646) and either deobligate the $34,202 so that these funds can be used for other authorized purposes or provide documentation to justify the validity of the three unliquidated obligations.
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs issue immediately, and annually thereafter, a directive to all designated Grants Officers and Grants Officer Representatives reminding them of their specific oversight responsibilities and requirements to provide appropriate oversight of cooperative agreements and grants in which they are entrusted.
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Recommendation Number2Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs verify that the performance standards for all designated Grants Officer Representatives contain appropriate work commitments and performance metrics to enhance transparency, managerial responsibility, and proper oversight of cooperative agreements, as outlined in Department Notice Number 2016-12-142, dated December 28, 2016. Performance standards of any designated Grants Officer Representatives that do not contain the appropriate work commitments should be revised accordingly.
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Recommendation Number3Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs issue immediately, and annually thereafter, a directive reminding all designated Grants Officers and Grants Officer Representatives to review and verify that the cost-sharing expenses for the cooperative agreements they are assigned are appropriate, documented, and supported in accordance with Federal regulations.
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Recommendation Number4Closed Acceptable Alternative $14,829,120 Significant
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the unsupported cost-sharing contributions of $14,829,120 for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-14-CA-1017 (October 1, 2013, through September 30, 2016) are supported and (b) reduce, for any cost-sharing contribution determined to be unsupported, the Department of State’s funding for the agreement accordingly, as stipulated in the agreement.
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Recommendation Number5Closed Implemented $993,554
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the unsupported cost-sharing contributions of $993,554 for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-14-CA-1032 (October 1, 2013, through September 30, 2016) are supported and (b) reduce, for any cost-sharing contribution determined to be unsupported, the Department of State’s funding for the cooperative agreement accordingly, as stipulated in the agreement.
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Recommendation Number6Closed Acceptable Alternative $19,153,955 Significant
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the unsupported cost-sharing contributions of $19,153,955 for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-15-CA-1015 (December 11, 2014, through September 30, 2016) are supported and (b) reduce, for any cost-sharing contribution determined to be unsupported, the Department of State’s funding for the cooperative agreement accordingly, as stipulated in the agreement.
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Recommendation Number7Closed Implemented $1,024,262
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the unsupported cost-sharing contributions of $1,024,262 for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-15-CA-1016 (December 11, 2014, through September 30, 2016) are supported and (b) reduce, for any cost-sharing contribution determined to be unsupported, the Department of State’s funding for the cooperative agreement accordingly, as stipulated in the agreement.
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Recommendation Number8Closed Acceptable Alternative
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs develop and implement internal controls to monitor and verify that the designated Grants Officer and the Grants Officer Representative review and test expenses periodically, at least quarterly, to validate that claimed expenses for cooperative agreements are supported, allocable, and allowable in accordance with Federal regulations and Department policy.
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Recommendation Number9Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs verify that the Institute of International Education’s accounting system is adequate for tracking and supporting expenses and cost-sharing contributions, is capable of providing an audit trail in accordance with Federal regulations, and takes necessary action to remedy any deficiencies found.
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Recommendation Number10Closed Implemented $1,000,000
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the questioned costs of $1,000,000 for unsupported contractual expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-14-CA-1017 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number11Closed Implemented $1,572,775
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $1,572,775 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-15-CA-1015 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number12Closed Implemented $825,902
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $825,902 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-16-CA-1004 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number13Closed Implemented $29,394
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $29,394 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-14-CA-1032 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number14Closed Implemented $1,957
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $1,957 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-15-CA-1016 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number15Closed Implemented $34,496
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $34,496 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-16-CA-1003 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number16Closed Implemented $2,015
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $2,015 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-14–CA-1037 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number17Closed Implemented $3,045
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $3,045 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-16-CA-1014 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number18Closed Implemented $1,145
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $1,145 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-14-CA-1021 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number19Closed Implemented $43,000
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $43,000 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-15-CA-1011 are supported and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported.
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Recommendation Number20Closed Implemented $986
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (a) determine whether the identified questioned costs of $986 for unsupported contractual expenses, salary expenses, and travel expenses for cooperative agreement S-ECAGD-16-CA-1006 are supported and allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported or unallowable.
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Administration, Office of Logistics Management, Office of Acquisitions Management, develop and implement a process to collect and report in a timely manner all relevant information pertaining to purchase and integrated card violations, as required by Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-13-21. The process should include a review by OIG of the report before it is submitted to Office of Management and Budget because the statute and OMB guidance call for a joint report from the agency head and the inspector general.
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented Significant
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number2Closed Implemented Significant
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number3Closed Implemented
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number1Closed Implemented
Sensitive Information Redacted
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Recommendation Number2Closed Acceptable Alternative
Sensitive Information Redacted
Last Updated:
Note: The information includes all open recommendations from reports that were issued October 1, 2014. Potential Monetary Benefits values are as stated in reports—subsequent Department and USAGM management decisions and actions may result in different values.
- Includes unclassified recommendations in unclassified reports; also includes unclassified recommendations in SBU reports that are publicly available.
- Includes SBU recommendations in SBU reports; also includes unclassified recommendations in SBU reports that are not publicly available.
- Includes classified recommendations in classified reports; also includes unclassified recommendations in classified reports.