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Open Recommendations

DHS Hiring: Additional Actions Needed to Enhance Vetting Processes Across the Department
GAO-24-106153
Jun 11, 2024
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Homeland Security The DHS Chief Human Capital Officer should clearly disclose data limitations and associated assumptions it made when compiling time-to-hire data from components when reporting to OPM. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Homeland Security The DHS Chief Security Officer should ensure that the IT vetting system that is under development includes enhanced capabilities, such as being able to track information for DHS priority positions and distinguish between different types of reciprocity. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Homeland Security The DHS Under Secretary for Management should ensure that component personnel tasked with implementing hiring and vetting are included in working groups and other applicable forums regarding human capital and personnel security so that practices that support faster entry on duty determinations can be regularly shared. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Homeland Security The DHS Under Secretary for Management should develop a candidate experience framework for personnel vetting that implements the DHS-wide customer experience strategy and is aligned with Trusted Workforce 2.0 objectives and other federal guidance. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Southwest Border: Additional Guidance and Monitoring Needed to Improve CBP's Handling of Personal Property
GAO-24-106540
May 23, 2024
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Customs and Border Protection The Chief of Border Patrol should issue clarifying guidance for the handling of personal property that defines key terms and concepts, including addressing the amount of property that sectors and facilities should collect and store, the types of property that may or may not be discarded, and steps for transferring and returning property. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Customs and Border Protection The Chief of Border Patrol should develop a mechanism to monitor how sectors and facilities implement guidance for the handling of personal property. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Customs and Border Protection The Commissioner of CBP should ensure that upon release from CBP custody, individuals are provided written instructions explaining how to retrieve any lost or left behind personal property, including information specific to the facilities in which they were held. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Southwest Border: CBP Could Take Additional Steps to Strengthen Its Response to Incidents Involving Its Personnel
GAO-24-106148
May 13, 2024
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Border Patrol The Chief of Border Patrol should develop and implement guidance that standardizes sector approaches to responding to noncritical incidents and documenting these response activities. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
U.S. Border Patrol The Chief of Border Patrol should regularly monitor sector noncritical incident response activities to ensure they adhere to the guidance. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Customs and Border Protection The Commissioner of CBP should ensure that OPR develops guidance for investigators on identifying potential impairments to their investigative independence and when and how to take action regarding any such impairments. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Customs and Border Protection The Commissioner of CBP should ensure that OPR trains investigators on how to apply the guidance on the independence standard, once developed, to their investigative work. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Coast Guard: Aircraft Fleet and Aviation Workforce Assessments Needed
GAO-24-106374
Apr 09, 2024
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5 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should establish procedures requiring the Coast Guard to uniformly collect and maintain air station readiness data. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In response to our report, it described steps Coast Guard is taking to implement this recommendation, such as updating its operational reporting manual. Coast Guard anticipates completing these steps by December 31, 2024.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should establish a process to regularly evaluate Coast Guard-wide air station readiness data. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In response to our report, it stated that Coast Guard created a risk dashboard that displays air station readiness data. Given that the Coast Guard is still in the process of establishing procedures to require the uniform collection of readiness data, we will continue to monitor Coast Guard's progress addressing this recommendation.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should assess the type of helicopters the Coast Guard requires to meet its mission demands, as part of an analysis of alternatives. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In response to our report, DHS noted that, based on a 2020 RAND study, the Coast Guard had found it should move towards greater medium range helicopter recovery capacity, as those aircraft provide favorable cost solutions and increased capability. However, as we note in our report, the RAND study also supported the Coast Guard maintaining a mix of helicopter types. Specifically, the study identified a benefit to the Coast Guard having a fleet composed primarily of MH-60T helicopters along with sufficient short-range helicopters to complete certain missions, such as drug interdiction. We maintain that Coast Guard can benefit from assessing different helicopter types to guide its acquisition approach and address capability shortfalls before the introduction of a successor helicopter. We will continue monitoring Coast Guard's efforts to address this recommendation.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should assess the number of helicopters the Coast Guard requires to meet its mission demands, as part of a fleet mix analysis. (Recommendation 4)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In response to our report, DHS noted that Coast Guard already determined that it requires a minimum of 127 helicopters. However, as noted in our report, the Coast Guard's determination is based on flight hours and did not consider, for example, how having a smaller fleet size would affect its ability to sustain surge operations. We maintain that Coast Guard can benefit from further analysis to determine the number of helicopters needed. We will continue monitoring Coast Guard's efforts to address this recommendation.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should assess and determine the aviation workforce levels it requires to meet its mission needs. (Recommendation 5)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In response to our report, DHS noted that Coast Guard will begin the process to determine the aviation workforce needed for all air stations in May 2024. We will continue monitoring Coast Guard's efforts to address this recommendation.
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