Reports & Testimonies
Recommendations Database
GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.
Our recommendations help congressional and agency leaders prepare for appropriations and oversight activities, as well as help improve government operations. Moreover, when implemented, some of our priority recommendations can save large amounts of money, help Congress make decisions on major issues, and substantially improve or transform major government programs or agencies, among other benefits.
As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.
Browse or Search Open Recommendations
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Results:
Subject Term: "Assistance programs"
GAO-20-555, Jul 28, 2020
Phone: (202)512-3149
Agency: United States Agency for International Development
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
GAO-20-428, May 14, 2020
Phone: (202) 512-8678
Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
GAO-20-18, Nov 21, 2019
Phone: (202) 512-7215
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Community Living
Status: Open
Comments: HHS agreed with this recommendation, stating that ACL plans to work with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and other relevant HHS officials and agencies to document HHS's plans to emphasize the specific and varying nutritional needs of older adults in the 2025-2030 update. HHS also stated that ACL plans to acquire the services of a registered dietician with specialized expertise in older adults' nutritional needs. We will consider closing this recommendation when these efforts are completed.
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Community Living
Status: Open
Comments: HHS agreed with this recommendation. HHS stated that ACL's program and evaluation offices will collaborate on the development of plans to ensure state compliance with federal requirements.
Agency: Department of Agriculture: Office of the Secretary: Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services: Food and Nutrition Service
Status: Open
Comments: In May 2020, the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service told us that, in an effort to improve oversight of the CACFP meals provided in adult day care centers, it will place a special interest on lessons learned from onsite local reviews that are conducted by states where the adult portion of the CACFP is administered separately by the state department of aging and thus, adult day care institutions are always selected for local onsite reviews as part of their management evaluation. Further, Food and Nutrition Service told us it will commit to sharing this information with other state agencies that administer the CACFP. Food and Nutrition Service estimates completing this action by the end of calendar year 2020. We will review the status of this recommendation upon receipt of Food and Nutrition Service updates at the end of 2020.
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Community Living
Status: Open
Comments: HHS agreed with this recommendation. The agency stated that ACL will award a contract in fiscal year 2020 for a new National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging to, among other things, centralize information on promising approaches so nutrition services providers can access it easily. We will consider closing this recommendation when this effort is complete.
Agency: Department of Agriculture: Office of the Secretary: Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services: Food and Nutrition Service
Status: Open
Comments: In May 2020, the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service told us that it will take several actions over the next 12 months to address our recommendation. Food and Nutrition Service actions will include holding listening sessions specifically focused on the adult day care side of the program at two national CACFP conferences this year to understand the specific information providers are looking for the address the needs of older adults and identify promising strategies for accommodating those needs; review existing guidance for training opportunities and areas that could benefit from further clarifications; and updating the Adult Day Care Handbook to include promising practice examples to address specific information and concerns gathered from the listening sessions, GAO's report findings, and further clarifications from existing guidance. Food and Nutrition Service also told us it will use multiple channels to ensure the handbook is widely disseminated to state agencies and adult day care program operators. We will review the status of this recommendation upon receipt of additional updates from Food and Nutrition Service regarding the aforementioned actions to be taken over the next 12 months.
GAO-19-554, Aug 12, 2019
Phone: (202) 512-7141
Agency: Department of Defense
Status: Open
Comments: In December 2019, DOD agreed with the recommendation and stated that the Defense Security Cooperation Agency needs to establish reporting procedures with geographic combatant commands and is working to determine the feasibility and requirements to modify existing systems to enable tracking of mandated human rights training. As of July 2020, DSCA was considering options for such changes.
Agency: Department of Defense
Status: Open
Comments: In December 2019, DOD concurred with the recommendation and said it would monitor and evaluate human rights training as part of monitoring and evaluating its broader security assistance efforts. As of July 2020, DOD was considering how it would implement these changes.
Agency: Department of State
Status: Open
Comments: In December 2019, State wrote that it did not agree to separately conduct monitoring and evaluation of human rights training provided under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. GAO's recommendation does not call for a separate evaluation. State could meet the intent of the recommendation through evaluating the effectiveness of human rights training as part of its broader efforts to monitor and evaluate IMET. As of June 2020, State indicated they had no plans to evaluate the effectiveness of human rights training related to IMET.
GAO-18-219, Dec 29, 2017
Phone: (202) 512-9601
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: USDA concurred with our recommendation and said that they will implement it, but has not provided any update on their efforts to implement the recommendation as of August 2019.
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: USDA concurred with our recommendation and said that they will implement it, but has not provided any update on their efforts to implement the recommendation as of August 2019.