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Open Recommendations (84 total)

IT Modernization: USDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area

GAO-21-512
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of monitoring the agency's progress in addressing competency and staffing gaps. (Recommendation 10)
Open
In August 2023, agency officials noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Workforce Steering Committee had updated the technical competencies for its IT workforce. Subsequently the FPAC Human Resources group used the updated competencies to develop a competency assessment process. However, agency officials stated that that the assessment process was put on hold. FPAC officials noted that in August 2023 they began the process of restarting the competency assessments. We will continue to review FPAC's progress in this area.

Meat and Poultry Worker Safety: OSHA Should Determine How to Address Persistent Hazards Exacerbated by COVID-19

GAO-23-105104
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture should ensure that the Food Safety and Inspection Service meets regularly with DOL's OSHA through their interagency workgroup to resolve longstanding collaboration challenges and incorporate leading collaboration practices. In incorporating these practices, the agencies should clearly define short and long-term outcomes, track and monitor progress towards these outcomes, and publicly report collaborative outcomes. (Recommendation 2)
Open
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) agreed with this recommendation and noted its commitment to partnering with OSHA and to doing a better job collaborating to resolve challenges. Specifically, FSIS stated that it is committed to clearly defining short- and long-term outcomes, tracking and monitoring progress, and publicly reporting collaborative outcomes related to meat and poultry worker safety. We laud these plans and, as FSIS and OSHA develop additional outcomes through their workgroup, we encourage them to clearly link these outcomes to the leading collaboration practices and to the challenges we identified in this report. In August 2023, DOL stated that OSHA plans to work with FSIS to employ the leading collaborative practices that are already in use to identify and track specific short- and long-term outcomes. As of April 2024, USDA had not provided additional updates on its efforts to implement the recommendation. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of FSIS's collaboration with OSHA as they implement this recommendation.

Broadband: USDA Should Set Performance Goals and Improve Fraud Risk Management for Funding Program

GAO-23-105265
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should direct ReConnect program officials to establish program specific performance goals and use them to manage the program. (Recommendation 1)
Open
Previously, USDA said it will develop performance goals for ReConnect. In January 2024, USDA officials said they expect to complete this work by the end of June 2024. GAO will continue to monitor the agency's progress in implementing this recommendation.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Office of the Chief Risk Officer conducts and documents a fraud risk assessment for the ReConnect program that aligns with the leading practices outlined in our Fraud Risk Framework. (Recommendation 3)
Open
Previously, USDA said it plans to conduct and document a series of activities that will culminate in the production of the ReConnect program's fraud risk profile. In October 2023, USDA officials said they expect to complete this work in June 2024. GAO will continue to monitor the agency's progress in implementing this recommendation.

Artificial Intelligence: Agencies Have Begun Implementation but Need to Complete Key Requirements

GAO-24-105980
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the department (a) reviews the department's authorities related to applications of AI, and (b) develops and submits to OMB plans to achieve consistency with the Regulation of AI Applications memorandum (M-21-06). (Recommendation 8)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Rural Housing Service: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Farm Labor Housing Program Management and Oversight

GAO-11-329
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture To better ensure that requirements for tenant eligibility are met across the FLH portfolio, the Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Administrator of RHS to require its loan servicers to use the Systematic Alien Verification and Entitlements (SAVE) program administered by the Department of Homeland Security to verify tenant's residency status during supervisory reviews.
Open
As of February 2024, USDA was taking steps to implement the use of electronic third-party verifications systems to establish tenant legal residency and income documentation. Officials reported that the draft rule incorporating the usage of Systematic Alien Verification and Entitlements (SAVE) program for verifying tenant residency is under departmental clearance review and they expect the rule to be finalized in late 2024. Officials reported they will not make any changes to its guidance to loans servicers on verifying tenants' residency until the rule is finalized. In addition, officials reported USDA is implementing a Computer Matching Agreement and System of Record Notice for verifying tenant income, which they anticipate will be finalized in 2024. We will continue to monitor USDA's progress in implementing our recommendation.

Agency Relocations: Following Leading Practices Will Better Position USDA to Mitigate the Ongoing Impacts on Its Workforce

GAO-23-104709
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Research, Education, and Economics Under Secretary should require NIFA to more fully follow leading practices for training and development, such as planning for, designing, implementing, and evaluating training and development programs and efforts. (Recommendation 6)
Open
As of February 2024, GAO is assessing the actions reported by the agency.

Oil and Gas Pipelines: Agencies Should Improve Oversight of Decommissioning

GAO-24-106444
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Chief of the Forest Service should further specify when gathering lines should be decommissioned following the termination or revocation of rights-of-way. (Recommendation 8)
Open
The Forest Service agreed with this recommendation. We will update the status of the recommendation when we have more information.

IT Modernization: USDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area

GAO-21-512
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of reporting to agency leadership on progress in addressing competency and staffing gaps. (Recommendation 11)
Open
In August 2023, agency officials noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Workforce Steering Committee had updated the technical competencies for its IT workforce. Subsequently the FPAC Human Resources group used the updated competencies to develop a competency assessment process. However, agency officials stated that that the assessment process was put on hold. FPAC officials noted that in August 2023 they began the process of restarting the competency assessments. We will continue to review FPAC's progress in this area.

School Meals: USDA Should Address Challenges in Its “Foods in Schools” Program

GAO-23-105697
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should develop a mechanism to routinely and systematically identify and address challenges to operating the USDA Foods in Schools program. For example, the agency could add relevant questions to the annual School Meals Operations Study, and create and implement a plan to address findings. (Recommendation 1)
Open
USDA agreed with this recommendation and said it has made significant efforts to identify and address challenges in the USDA Foods in Schools program. For example, the agency said it has conducted listening sessions with stakeholders and initiated actions based on the feedback. USDA also said it has used surveys and other formal research to inform the agency's priorities regarding the USDA Foods in Schools program. USDA said it will continue to engage with partner organizations to identify areas of concern and solutions. By September 30, 2024, USDA said it will identify and document additional opportunities to routinely and systematically collect information on challenges pertaining to USDA Foods in Schools, whether through existing data collections or new opportunities. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
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