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As of March 28, 2024, there are 5131 open recommendations that still need to be addressed. 469 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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1 - 20 of 469 Recommendations

Blockchain in Finance: Legislative and Regulatory Actions Are Needed to Ensure Comprehensive Oversight of Crypto Assets

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4 Open Recommendations
4 Priority
Agency Recommendation Status
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Priority Rec.
The Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation should jointly establish or adapt an existing formal coordination mechanism with CFPB, CFTC, the Federal Reserve, NCUA, OCC, and SEC for collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating a timely regulatory response. To facilitate these objectives, this mechanism could include formal planning documents that establish the frequency of meetings and processes for identifying risks and responding to them within agreed-upon time frames. (Recommendation 3)
Open

FDIC neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation. In addition, FDIC noted it has coordinated through venues including the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the President's Working Group, and some international organizations. However, the regulators' coordination efforts have not always addressed risks posed by crypto assets in a timely manner. We maintain that a formal coordination mechanism focused on collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating timely regulatory responses could improve protections for consumers and investors

Federal Reserve System
Priority Rec.
The Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System should jointly establish or adapt an existing formal coordination mechanism with CFPB, CFTC, FDIC, NCUA, OCC, and SEC for collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating a timely regulatory response. To facilitate these objectives, this mechanism could include formal planning documents that establish the frequency of meetings and processes for identifying risks and responding to them within agreed-upon time frames. (Recommendation 4)
Open

The Federal Reserve neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation. In its agency comment letter, the Federal Reserve said it routinely engages with the other federal financial regulators on emerging risks posed by blockchain-related products and services. However, the regulators' coordination efforts have not always addressed risks posed by crypto assets in a timely manner. We maintain that a formal coordination mechanism focused on collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating timely regulatory responses could improve protections for

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Priority Rec.
The Comptroller of the Currency should jointly establish or adapt an existing formal coordination mechanism with CFPB, CFTC, FDIC, the Federal Reserve, NCUA, and SEC for collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating a timely regulatory response. To facilitate these objectives, this mechanism could include formal planning documents that establish the frequency of meetings and processes for identifying risks and responding to them within agreed-upon time frames. (Recommendation 6)
Open

OCC neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation. In its agency comment letter, OCC said it continues to monitor, separately and in collaboration with the other federal financial regulators on emerging risks posed by blockchain-related products and services. However, the regulators' coordination efforts have not always addressed risks posed by crypto assets in a timely manner. We maintain that a formal coordination mechanism focused on collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating timely regulatory responses could improve protections

United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Priority Rec.
The Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission should jointly establish or adapt an existing formal coordination mechanism with CFPB, CFTC, FDIC, the Federal Reserve, NCUA, and OCC for collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating a timely regulatory response. To facilitate these objectives, this mechanism could include formal planning documents that establish the frequency of meetings and processes for identifying risks and responding to them within agreed-upon time frames. (Recommendation 7)
Open

SEC neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation. SEC noted that it has already coordinated through venues including the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the President's Working Group, and some international organizations to identify risks related to crypto assets. However, the regulators' coordination efforts have not always addressed risks posed by crypto assets in a timely manner. We maintain that a formal coordination mechanism focused on collectively identifying risks posed by blockchain-related products and services and formulating timely regulatory responses could improve

Nuclear Security: DOE Should Take Actions to Fully Implement Insider Threat Program

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2 Open Recommendations
2 Priority
Agency Recommendation Status
Department of Energy
Priority Rec.
The Insider Threat Program senior official should establish a process to better integrate insider threat responsibilities, ensuring that the senior official can centrally manage all aspects of the Insider Threat Program. (Recommendation 3)
Open

As of December 2023, the Insider Threat Program senior official is leading a strategic review to identify any additional needed process changes.

Department of Energy
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Insider Threat Program achieves a single, department-wide approach to managing insider risk. (Recommendation 4)
Open

As of December 2023, the Insider Threat Program senior official is conducting an assessment of current strategies focused on reviewing the multidisciplinary governance group's composition to better address insider threat concerns.

Electronic Health Records: VA Needs to Address Management Challenges with New System

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10 Open Recommendations
10 Priority
Agency Recommendation Status
Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should ensure that VA documents a VA-specific change management strategy to formalize its approach to drive user adoption. (Recommendation 1)
Open

VA concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, VA had worked with its contractor to update the contractor's change management plan to be more VA specific and stated that the Electronic Health Record Modernization program office and Veterans Health Administration Office of Health Informatics are collaborating to develop an enterprise change management strategy that is targeted for completion in September 2024. We will continue to monitor the department's progress towards implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should ensure that the department's planned improvements to communication of system changes meet users' needs for the frequency of the updates provided. (Recommendation 2)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department had taken steps to improve communications of system changes to end users and established a rapid process improvement workstream to gather feedback and update processes to ensure that communications of system changes are distributed consistent with users' needs. Because VA has temporarily paused further system deployments, we will continue to monitor the department's progress towards implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should take steps to improve change readiness scores prior to future system deployments. (Recommendation 3)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department established a target for improving change readiness questionnaire scores. However, because VA has temporarily paused further system deployments, VA has yet to collect new change readiness scores. After system deployments resume, we will revisit the department's actions in response to this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should ensure steps taken by the EHRM program and Oracle Cerner to increase workforce skills and competencies through improved training and related change management activities have been effective. (Recommendation 4)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department had taken steps to increase workforce skills and competencies through learning labs, updates to system training, and building informatics staff expertise. When VA continues its deployments of the new EHR system, we will revisit the department's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should address users' barriers to change, by ensuring planned completion of all actions identified in the Secretary's Strategic Review. (Recommendation 5)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department was continuing to address 10 of 69 strategic review recommendations. We will continue to monitor the department's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should develop a plan, including a timeline, for establishing (1) targets for measuring the adoption of changes and (2) metrics and targets to measure the resulting outcomes of the change. (Recommendation 6)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department had identified metrics and targets for change management activities but was continuing to refine the functional and technical quality standards to monitor program performance during system implementation and post go-live. VA plans to complete these activities in May 2025. We will continue to monitor the department's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should measure and report on outcomes of the change and take actions to support users' ability to use the system to reinforce and sustain the change. (Recommendation 7)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department had identified metrics and targets for change management activities but had not yet reported on outcomes relative to the targets. VA plans to complete these activities in May 2025. We will continue to monitor the department's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should establish user satisfaction targets (i.e., goals) and ensure that the program demonstrates improvement toward meeting those targets prior to future system deployments. (Recommendation 8)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department had taken steps intended to improve user satisfaction with the system but had not yet established targets satisfaction targets. We will continue to monitor the department's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should make certain that future system trouble tickets are resolved within established timeliness goals. (Recommendation 9)
Open

VA stated that it concurred with this recommendation. As of March 2024, the department had taken steps to resolve trouble tickets within established timeliness goals. These steps included ongoing activities such as establishing a workstream to reduce the number of old tickets, improving strategies to better categorize tickets for efficient resolution, and reducing the misdirection of incoming trouble tickets between the VA enterprise service desk and the system contractor's help desk. We will continue to monitor the department's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of VA should reinstitute plans to conduct an independent operational assessment to evaluate the suitability and effectiveness of the new EHR system for users in the operational environment. (Recommendation 10)
Open

VA concurred with this recommendation and stated that it would reinstate plans to conduct an independent operational assessment. However, the department had not established a target date for completing the assessment. We will continue to monitor the department's progress toward implementing this recommendation.

Financial Audit: Bureau of the Fiscal Service's FY 2022 Schedules of the General Fund

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4 Open Recommendations
4 Priority
Agency Recommendation Status
Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Priority Rec.
The Commissioner of Fiscal Service should develop (1) reporting criteria for CIHO and funds held outside of Treasury and (2) a methodology for full-CARS reporters to report CIHO to CARS. (Recommendation 1)
Open – Partially Addressed

As of February 2024, Fiscal Service concluded that the nature of transactions defined as cash and other investments held outside of Treasury (CIHO) is the same as the nature of transactions defined as funds held outside of Treasury (FHOT) and therefore determined that CIHO should be accounted for and reported in the same manner as FHOT in the Schedules of the General Fund. Fiscal Service further noted that federal entities, including full-CARS reporters, should use the Treasury Financial Manual, Part 2, Chapter 3400 to account for these transactions. Fiscal Service is still in the process of

Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Priority Rec.
The Commissioner of Fiscal Service should design and implement controls to identify and close TASs established during the annual fiscal year-end rollover process that do not subsequently have corresponding appropriations supporting the period of availability. (Recommendation 2)
Open – Partially Addressed

As of February 2024, Fiscal Service developed a report to identify rolled over TASs that have no activity in subsequent years (i.e., potentially lack appropriations for the rolled forward period of availability). Fiscal Service is still developing procedures to follow-up on the TASs identified in the report in order to determine which ones lack appropriations to support the rolled forward period of availability .

Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Priority Rec.
The Commissioner of Fiscal Service should develop and implement a mechanism to reasonably assure that postpayment voucher transactions recorded in the Schedules of the General Fund general ledgers are readily traceable to the cancellation schedules and the returned or canceled payments that are credited to federal entities. (Recommendation 3)
Open – Partially Addressed

As of February 2024, Fiscal Service traced various postpayment vouchers to the cancellation schedules to plan for a potential reconciliation process. Fiscal Service anticipates the corrective actions to continue through fiscal year 2024.

Bureau of the Fiscal Service
Priority Rec.
The Commissioner of Fiscal Service should enhance the methodology for classifying cash activity, sufficient to support accurate reporting of line items on the Schedules of the General Fund, to include all transaction types as well as adequate review procedures. (Recommendation 4)
Open – Partially Addressed

As of February 2024, Fiscal Service continued to evaluate the current classification of cash activity to identify any transactions that should be classified to the other cash line item for proper reporting. Fiscal Service anticipates resolution of this recommendation in fiscal year 2026.

Note: the list of open recommendations for the last report may continue on the next page.

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