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As of May 9, 2024, there are 5108 open recommendations that still need to be addressed. 412 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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201 - 220 of 5108 Recommendations, including 412 Priority Recommendations

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

GAO-24-106248
Dawn Locke
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
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.
Department of Labor The Secretary of Labor should ensure that the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training Service coordinates with DOD through the Transition Assistance Program interagency partnership to identify criteria and standards for ENPP to determine whether and how to scale the piloted approach into the overall warm handover process. (Recommendation 8)
Open

DOL agreed with this recommendation. The agency emphasized its commitment to leveraging its resources and services along with its interagency partners, including DOD, that are available for transitioning service members. We will monitor the agency's efforts to implement this recommendation.

Nuclear Terrorism Prevention: DHS Has Strengthened the Securing the Cities Program, but Actions Are Needed to Address Key Remaining Challenges

GAO-24-106922
Allison Bawden
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5 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office The Assistant Secretary of CWMD should ensure that the performance sections of regions' implementation plans align with the revised set of performance measures and outcomes. (Recommendation 1)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office The Assistant Secretary of CWMD should clearly communicate performance expectations to the STC regions for how they will be assessed. (Recommendation 2)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office The Assistant Secretary of CWMD should regularly communicate the results of its assessments to the regions and outside entities, such as Congress. (Recommendation 3)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office The Assistant Secretary of CWMD should ensure that the STC regions are reporting timely, consistent, complete, and accurate information in their quarterly performance reports. (Recommendation 4)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office The Assistant Secretary of CWMD should formally track and document information on regions' progress toward achieving program phases and goals. (Recommendation 5)
Open

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

Army Modernization: Production Challenges for Stryker Upgrade Reinforce Need to Follow Acquisition Leading Practices in Future Efforts [Reissued with revisions on Apr. 3, 2024]

GAO-24-106590
Mona Sehgal
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should ensure that Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems applies acquisition leading practices to manage and address production risk to inform future Stryker upgrade efforts. (Recommendation 1)
Open

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

Spectrum IT Modernization: Incorporating Leading Practices Could Improve Planning Effort

GAO-24-106634
Andrew Von Ah
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
National Telecommunications and Information Administration The Office of Spectrum Management should develop a high-quality reliable cost estimate that aligns with cost estimating best practices as defined in GAO's Cost Guide and Agile Guide for the IT modernization project. (Recommendation 1)
Open

NTIA concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, NTIA stated that it is in the process of completing a cost estimate in accordance with GAO cost estimating best practices and developing performance measures for the IT modernization project.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration The Office of Spectrum Management should develop a reliable integrated master schedule that aligns with scheduling best practices as defined in GAO's Schedule Assessment Guide and Agile Guide for the IT modernization project. (Recommendation 2)
Open

NTIA concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, NTIA stated that it had developed an overall plan for the project and would establish an integrated master schedule after it awards a contract for the IT modernization project.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration The Office of Spectrum Management should finalize its stakeholder management plan. The plan should document a regular meeting schedule for the IT modernization project to ensure covered agencies have the ability to request information and communicate on NTIA's IT modernization project. (Recommendation 3)
Open

NTIA concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, NTIA provided a stakeholder management plan that, according to officials, addresses this recommendation. We are assessing the plan to determine whether it implements this recommendation.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration The Office of Spectrum Management should develop performance measures for the IT modernization project that clearly link with the project's established goals and have specified targets and time frames. (Recommendation 4)
Open

NTIA concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, NTIA stated that it is in the process of completing a cost estimate in accordance with GAO cost estimating best practices and developing performance measures for the IT modernization project.

Information Technology: IRS Needs to Complete Planning and Improve Reporting for Its Modernization Programs

GAO-24-106566
David (Dave) Hinchman
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Internal Revenue Service The Commissioner of the IRS should complete the enterprise roadmap and ensure it addresses the strategic operating plan's technology objective. (Recommendation 1)
Open

In its March 2024 letter responding to our draft report, IRS noted plans to address this recommendation to complete its enterprise roadmap and stated that the work to complete the roadmap was well underway. However, the agency did not provide a time frame for when it plans to complete the roadmap. GAO will continue to monitor IRS actions to implement this recommendation.
Internal Revenue Service The Commissioner of the IRS should complete plans for its modernization programs that include (1) milestones to complete the modernization, (2) a description of the work necessary to complete the modernization, and (3) details regarding the disposition of the legacy system, if applicable. (Recommendation 2)
Open

IRS agreed with this recommendation. In its March 2024 letter responding to our draft report, IRS stated that, for each program, it will document the milestones to complete the modernization, describe the work necessary to develop the new system or to modernize the legacy system, and detail the disposition of the legacy system, if applicable. GAO will continue to monitor IRS actions to implement this recommendation.
Internal Revenue Service The Commissioner of the IRS should include information including a history of programs' cost and schedule goals and showing how the quarterly cost and schedule performance aligns with fiscal year and overall goals for the programs in its quarterly reports to Congress. (Recommendation 3)
Open

IRS agreed with this recommendation. In its March 2024 letter responding to our draft report, IRS stated that the performance history of cost and schedule goals is readily available upon request. However, in our report, we do not state that IRS does not have this information. Rather, GAO is recommending that IRS proactively include this information in its quarterly reports to Congress. This would provide additional background and clarity on IRS's efforts to modernize the agency's information technology.

Aviation Safety: Federal Efforts to Address Unauthorized Drone Flights Near Airports

GAO-24-107195
Heather Krause
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Congress To help ensure the safety and security of the national airspace system, Congress should act to amend pertinent statutory authorities that exist for federal and non-federal entities, as it deems appropriate, with respect to drone detection and counter-drone operations at airports. (Matter for Congressional Consideration 1)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Aviation Administration As part of ongoing efforts to develop an overarching strategy for drone integration, the Administrator of FAA should ensure that the strategy reflects plans for assessing how drone detection and mitigation technology will affect technologies aimed at allowing increased and routine drone traffic, particularly at airports. (Recommendation 1)
Open

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

Intellectual Property: Stronger Fraud Risk Management Could Improve the Integrity of the Trademark System

GAO-24-106533
Candice N. Wright
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
Patent and Trademark Office Recommendation 1: The Commissioner for Trademarks should plan and conduct regular fraud risk assessments of the trademark register to determine a fraud risk profile that aligns with leading practices in the Fraud Risk Framework. Specifically, this process should include (1) identifying inherent fraud risks to the trademark register, (2) assessing the likelihood and impact of inherent fraud risks, (3) determining fraud risk tolerance, (4) examining the suitability of existing fraud controls, and (5) documenting the fraud risk profile.
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Patent and Trademark Office Recommendation 2: The Commissioner for Trademarks should identify and implement improvements to current data systems to strengthen trademark data analytics for stronger fraud risk management.
Open

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

Central America: USAID Should Strengthen Staffing and Fraud Risk Management for Initiative Addressing Migration to the U.S.

GAO-24-106232
Latesha Love-Grayer
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The Administrator of USAID should work with the Secretary of State to institute long-term human capital solutions to address FSN staffing shortages in carrying out Centroamérica Local. (Recommendation 1)
Open

When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Note: the list of open recommendations for the last report may continue on the next page.

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For questions about a specific recommendation, contact the person or office listed with the recommendation. For general information about recommendations, contact GAO's Audit Policy and Quality Assurance office at (202) 512-6100 or apqa@gao.gov.