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As of April 27, 2024, there are 5078 open recommendations that still need to be addressed. 418 of these are priority recommendations, those that we believe warrant priority attention. Learn more about our priority designation on our Recommendations page.

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101 - 120 of 5078 Recommendations, including 418 Priority Recommendations

Bureau of Indian Education: Improved Oversight of Schools' COVID-19 Spending is Needed

GAO-24-105451
Melissa Emrey-Arras
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Bureau of Indian Education The Director of BIE should update its strategic workforce plan to build its capacity to conduct all annual fiscal reviews of schools that are designated as high risk, as required by its policy. (Recommendation 3)
Open

BIE agreed with this recommendation and identified actions it has begun taking to address it. For example, BIE is undertaking efforts to research, draft and implement a comprehensive Strategic Workforce Plan that will include its fiscal workforce review. They expect to complete the Plan by September 2025. We will monitor BIE's actions to complete this effort.
Bureau of Indian Education The Director of BIE should work with BIA to establish controls to ensure that BIE staff responsible for monitoring purchase card activity at BIE-operated schools consistently use Interior's required monitoring tool and procedures. (Recommendation 4)
Open

BIE agreed with this recommendation and stated that BIA's Office of the Chief Financial Officer, with BIE staff input, is implementing significant revisions to the Purchase Card Program Policies. The revised policies require an online monthly statement review and approval process. The on-line system provides reports for monitoring and oversight of purchase card activity. As BIA improves these policies, BIE will ensure its continued compliance with Interior and BIA policies. We will monitor BIE's efforts to address this recommendation.

Veterans Health Care: Improvements Needed in Patient Tracking for Non-Biological Implantable Medical Devices

GAO-24-106621
Sharon M. Silas
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Veterans Health Administration The Under Secretary of Health should ensure VHA includes requirements in its policies that non-biological orthopedic implantable medical devices be effectively tracked to the patient level and ensure that VHA national-level offices have access to the information from the tracking systems for oversight. (Recommendation 1)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Veterans Health Administration The Under Secretary of Health should undertake an assessment across all clinical specialties to identify where other gaps exist in its ability to effectively track non-biological implantable medical devices to individual patients and take actions to address any identified gaps. Such actions should include ensuring appropriate policies are in place, requiring the use of data systems for tracking, and ensuring that VHA national-level officials have access to the information from the tracking systems for oversight. Actions may also include identifying one program office with ultimate responsibility for implantable medical device oversight at the national level, which could be one of the national offices such as NCPS or an interdisciplinary team such as VHA's Biological Implant Tracking Integrated Project Team. (Recommendation 2)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Military Readiness: Comprehensive Approach Needed to Address Service Member Fatigue and Manage Related Efforts

GAO-24-105917
Diana Maurer
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9 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness conducts an assessment of DOD's oversight structure for fatigue-related efforts. This assessment should identify and delegate authority to an office with sufficient authority, sufficient staffing and resources, and committed leadership to act as a focal point for and oversee all DOD-wide fatigue-related efforts. (Recommendation 1)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should assign leadership responsible for DOD component head responsibilities related to fatigue listed in DOD Instruction 1010.10. (Recommendation 2)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should assign leadership responsible for DOD component head responsibilities related to fatigue listed in DOD Instruction 1010.10. (Recommendation 3)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should assign Navy leadership responsible for DOD component head responsibilities related to fatigue listed in DOD Instruction 1010.10. (Recommendation 4)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should assign Marine Corps leadership responsible for DOD component head responsibilities related to fatigue listed in DOD Instruction 1010.10. (Recommendation 5)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the office identified above to oversee DOD-wide fatigue-related efforts creates and maintains a comprehensive list of all fatigue-related research projects. (Recommendation 6)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the office identified above to oversee DOD-wide fatigue-related efforts establishes a cross-domain working group dedicated to sharing and communicating fatigue research and related information department-wide. (Recommendation 8)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (1) establishes well-defined time frames for conducting follow-on actions, coordinating with all stakeholders, and identifying key officials responsible for implementing the recommendations of the 2021 DOD study on sleep deprivation and readiness; or (2) documents the reasons that implementing the study's recommendations is not appropriate. (Recommendation 9)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the office identified above to oversee DOD-wide fatigue-related efforts uses the comprehensive list of all fatigue-related research projects to compare fatigue-related research to reduce fragmentation among the initiatives. (Recommendation 7)
Open

We will update the status of this recommendation when DOD provides its 180-day letter (expected in fall 2024).

Service Members Transitioning to Civilian Life: Agencies Can Improve Warm Handovers for Additional Assistance

GAO-24-106248
Dawn Locke
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should develop a written plan to analyze its available Transition Assistance Program data to identify reasons why transitioning service members who should receive a warm handover are not receiving one, and take appropriate action to collect additional warm handover data. Actions could include requiring Transition Assistance Program officials to provide an explanation when not providing a warm handover. (Recommendation 1)
Open

DOD agreed with this recommendation. The Department noted it plans to use TAP data to better understand when a warm handover is not provided by TAP officials. We will monitor their efforts to implement this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should develop a process to regularly request updated online contact information from receiving agencies, including VA and DOL, to help ensure that Transition Assistance Program officials can connect service members with agency programs through warm handovers. (Recommendation 2)
Open

DOD agreed with this recommendation. DOD stated that it has instituted support and data sharing agreements with receiving agencies, including VA and DOL. The agreements will be leveraged to facilitate regular updates to online contact information from warm handover partnering agencies. We will monitor efforts to implement this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should develop additional guidance to commanders and their designees on verifying warm handovers and on recording the verifications in the Transition Assistance Program database. (Recommendation 3)
Open

DOD agreed with this recommendation. The TAP Interagency Governance Structure is developing a course and written Commander's guide to better educate commanders on the importance of verifying warm handovers and recording the verifications in the TAP database. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with interagency partners, such as DOL and VA, should develop a plan to assess the helpfulness of warm handovers as a part of its overall assessment of the Transition Assistance Program. (Recommendation 4)
Open

DOD agreed with this recommendation. The Department leads the Transition Executive Committee, which oversees governance for transition and reintegration interagency coordination. As part of that Committee, a group assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of TAP aspects, including warm handovers. DOD said this effort aligns with its ongoing efforts to improve TAP, supported by insights from studies and reports from interagency partners. We will monitor the Department's efforts to implement this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should develop and implement a process to share information and findings on the helpfulness of warm handover from partner agencies with military service branches, including Transition Assistance Program counselors and other stakeholders. (Recommendation 5)
Open

DOD agreed with this recommendation. DOD noted that the TAP Interagency Governance structure ensures coordination and information sharing among interagency work groups and military departments. DOD believes this approach facilitates a seamless exchange of best practices, findings and updates on warm handovers, which enhances the support provided to transitioning service members in all service branches. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs coordinates with DOL and VA through the Transition Assistance Program interagency partnership to identify criteria and standards for the ENPP and TSMRC pilot projects to determine whether and how to scale the piloted approaches into the overall warm handover process. (Recommendation 6)
Open

DOD agreed with this recommendation. DOD's Transition Executive Committee (TEC) coordinates interagency efforts to identify criteria and standards for ENPP and TSMRC pilot projects to determine whether and how to scale the piloted approaches into the overall warm handover process. The TEC will coordinate interagency assessment of criteria and standards for the ENPP and TSMRC pilots. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Department of Veterans Affairs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should ensure the Undersecretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration coordinates with DOD through the Transition Assistance Program interagency partnership to identify criteria and standards for the TSMRC pilot, to determine whether and how to scale the piloted approach into the overall warm handover process. (Recommendation 7)
Open

VA agreed with this recommendation. The agency plans to use a DOD assessment to identify budget requirements and resources to fund its pilot at all military installations. We will monitor the agency's efforts to address this recommendation.
Note: the list of open recommendations for the last report may continue on the next page.

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