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: "Equal employment opportunity"
GAO-20-564, Sep 30, 2020
Phone: (202) 512-7215
Agency: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
GAO-20-477, Jun 23, 2020
Phone: (202) 512-6881
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.
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.
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.
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-20-387, Jun 15, 2020
Phone: (202) 512-7215
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 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 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 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 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 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 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-20-384, Jun 11, 2020
Phone: (202) 512-6806
Agency: Office of Personnel Management
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 Justice
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 Justice
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Social Security Administration
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
GAO-20-414R, Apr 9, 2020
Phone: (202) 512-6888
Agency: Smithsonian Institution
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Smithsonian Institution
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Smithsonian Institution
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
GAO-20-125, Feb 12, 2020
Phone: (202) 512-8777
Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Transportation Security Administration: Office of Law Enforcement - Federal Air Marshal Service
Status: Open
Comments: DHS concurred with this recommendation and in January 2020, DHS officials stated that FAMS is evaluating case management software to track this information and plans to pursue funding for this effort in fiscal year 2021.This action, if fully implemented, should address the intent of the recommendation. When we confirm what actions DHS has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Transportation Security Administration: Office of Law Enforcement - Federal Air Marshal Service
Status: Open
Comments: DHS concurred with this recommendation and in January 2020, DHS officials stated that FAMS had established a team to develop a plan for assessing workforce health and wellness issues. Adopting and implementing a plan that assesses the health and fitness of the FAMS workforce as a whole, should address the intent of the recommendation. When we confirm what actions DHS has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Transportation Security Administration: Office of Law Enforcement - Federal Air Marshal Service
Status: Open
Comments: DHS concurred with this recommendation and in January 2020, DHS officials stated that FAMS will begin tracking air marshals' actual hours and examine the extent to which air marshals' actual and scheduled hours vary. This information could be helpful, for example, in assessing air marshals' schedule predictability. However, to address the intent of this recommendation, FAMS would need to monitor the extent that air marshals' actual work and rest hours are consistent with FAMS's scheduling guidelines. When we confirm what actions DHS has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Transportation Security Administration: Office of Law Enforcement - Federal Air Marshal Service
Status: Open
Comments: DHS concurred with this recommendation and in January 2020, DHS officials stated that FAMS plans to review the goals of its 2012 action plan and develop steps to strengthen efforts to prevent discrimination. These actions, if fully implemented, should address the intent of the recommendation. When we confirm what actions DHS has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
GAO-20-237, Jan 27, 2020
Phone: (202)512-6881
Agency: Department of State
Status: Open
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
GAO-19-573, Jul 24, 2019
Phone: (202) 512-6806
Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open
Comments: On August 18, 2020, DHS informed us that the work it is undertaking to respond to this recommendation is ongoing.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open
Comments: On May 11, 2020, DHS provided GAO with copies of standard operating procedures for addressing EEO program deficiencies for seven out of eight operational components as well as DHS headquarters. Each of the components' standard operating procedures require that action plans are in place to address any outstanding EEO program deficiencies.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open
Comments: On August 18, 2020, DHS informed us that the work it is undertaking to respond to this recommendation is ongoing.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open
Comments: On August 18, 2020, DHS informed us that the work it is undertaking to respond to this recommendation is ongoing.
Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open
Comments: On August 18, 2020, DHS informed us that the work it is undertaking to respond to this recommendation is ongoing.
GAO-18-69, Nov 16, 2017
Phone: (202) 512-7215
Agency: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Status: Open
Comments: As part of an effort to overhaul its IMS data system, EEOC has begun developing an Employer Master List that will provide a source of employer information, including industry codes, but EEOC told us that it has not yet completed this effort. It anticipates this system will be more fully developed by spring 2020. It is important for EEOC to collect sufficient information through its Employer Master List and use it to analyze charge data by industry.
Agency: Department of Labor: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Status: Open
Comments: In June 2019, OFCCP officials reported that OFCCP's procedures outlined in the Active Case Enforcement Directive (DIR 2011-01) caused delays in case closures, but OFCCP did not indicate that this conclusion resulted from the recommended analysis of internal process data from closed evaluations. OFCCP officials reported that the agency's aged case rate-defined as a case which is open for more than 730 days and has not been referred for further enforcement-has dropped from 27.7 percent in fiscal year 2017 to 20.9 percent in fiscal year 2019. However, it did not report on changes in case outcomes. In September 2019, OFCCP officials told us they continue to look for ways to address delays with effective policies that make the agency more efficient. We maintain that OFCCP should determine the root causes of delays based on data analysis of actual evaluations to demonstrate that its policy changes are accurately targeting the causes of these delays.
Agency: Department of Labor: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Status: Open
Comments: In its agency response to our November 2017 report, OFCCP officials reported that the agency was exploring the use of U.S. Census Bureau and administrative data to refine its selection process to focus on industries with a greater likelihood of noncompliance. In January 2019, DOL officials reported that DOL had revised its scheduling methodology to include industries with the highest rates of violations. OFCCP published the scheduling list in March 2019 and its field offices started scheduling cases in May 2019. OFCCP stated it will continue to monitor results from this revised scheduling methodology to determine its effectiveness. It will be important for OFCCP to refine these methods based on its experiences with them. This new process is a step toward focusing efforts on industries at greater risk of potential noncompliance with nondiscrimination or affirmative action requirements. We will consider closing this recommendation when these efforts are complete.
Agency: Department of Labor: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Status: Open
Comments: In fiscal year 2019, OFCCP evaluated its current approach for identifying subcontractors for review. OFCCP stated that the current approach does not reliably include subcontractors in the pool from which contractors are scheduled because there is no government or public database that captures the complete universe of subcontractors and other important data. In June 2019, OFCCP submitted revisions to its process to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. We will consider closing this recommendation when these efforts are complete.
Agency: Department of Labor: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Status: Open
Comments: OFCCP has taken steps to encourage contractors to use the FAAP program without fully evaluating it as an alternative to the establishment-based program. Evaluating the FAAP could help OFCCP improve its ability to achieve its objectives and may provide broader insight for OFCCP's overall enforcement approach. We will consider closing this recommendation when these efforts are complete.
GAO-17-110, Nov 28, 2016
Phone: (202) 512-2717
Agency: Merit Systems Protection Board
Status: Open
Comments: MSPB is finalizing finalized expanded guidance and procedures on coding whistleblower data. MSPB is committed to ensuring that procedures are in place for identifying and using appropriate whistleblower codes; however, MSPB is limited by its various legacy applications with regard to the improvements related to data entry that can be implemented at this time. MSPB currently is in the process of designing new core business applications that will incorporate appropriate data quality, integrity, and accountability measures to further improve its data management practices. Until the new case management system is in production in FY 2020 or early FY 2021, MSPB remains committed to utilizing the resources necessary to ensure the accuracy of its reported data. To achieve this objective, experienced attorneys reviewed, validated, and, where necessary, corrected agency whistleblowing data prior to public release in FY 2016, FY 2017, and FY 2018. MSPB is committed to this extra layer of review for FY 2019, and will continue to evaluate how to achieve this objective given other workload and available resources. According to MSPB it expects additional progress on its efforts by July 2020.
Agency: Merit Systems Protection Board
Status: Open
Comments: MSPB stated that it completed drafting the data integrity study mentioned in our previous response, looking at the current processes and integrity of case-related data as a whole throughout the agency. As explained above and highlighted in MSPB's FY 2018 Annual Report, MSPB's initiative to design and configure new core business applications currently is underway, and the findings in the study are integral to incorporating the appropriate data integrity processes, including quality checks and controls, into these new applications. According to MSPB it expects additional progress on its efforts by July 2020.
GAO-16-750, Sep 22, 2016
Phone: (202) 512-7215
including 1 priority recommendation
Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open
Comments: In 2018, in consultation with technical experts, DOL revised its scheduling list methodology to address this recommendation. The agency's new scheduling approach aims to strike an appropriate balance for addressing recidivism and noncompliance. The new scheduling list methodology, deployed in FY 2019, examined closed cases for FY 2014 through 2018 and grouped them by industries using the 2-digit NAICS code. Within each year, OFCCP identified cases that closed with discrimination findings and included a conciliation agreement to make the victims whole. The percentage of cases with discrimination findings over the total number of cases closed for that year was computed for each industry. This process was repeated for each of the five fiscal years and identified Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Wholesale Trade as three industries with the highest rate of discrimination violations. One-third of 3,500 establishments on the fiscal 2019 scheduling list were selected from these three industries; the remainder of the list included establishments from other industries. Field offices began scheduling from this list in May 2019 and continue to do so. OFCCP will evaluate the efficacy of this methodology once all establishments on the list are scheduled and resulting cases are closed. The agency has made significant effort to revise its scheduling list methodology to reflect potential risk of noncompliance. However, the methodology relies on the results of prior scheduling lists that were nonrandom and did not produce a generalize sample of contractors. Consequently, the results of those scheduling lists do not allow OFCCP to draw accurate conclusions about noncompliance risk. While DOL has made considerable efforts to implement this recommendation, the process described does not necessarily identify those contractors with the greatest risk of not following equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements.
Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open
Priority recommendation
Comments: Since 2018, OFCCP issued Directive 2018-07, AAP Verification Initiative, publicly committing to a comprehensive program to verify that federal contractors are complying with AAP obligations on a yearly basis. The program included development of an online portal whereby contractors would certify on a yearly basis compliance with AAP requirements; inclusion of a criterion in the neutral scheduling methodology increasing the likelihood of compliance reviews for contractors that have not certified compliance with the AAP requirements; compliance checks to verify contractor compliance with AAP requirements; requesting proffer of the AAP by contractors when requesting extensions of time to provide support data in response to a scheduling letter; and development of information technology to collect and facilitate review of AAPs provided by federal contractors. OFCCP senior leadership initiated a public campaign by emphasizing AAP certification as an agency priority in meetings with contractors and other external stakeholders. In addition, OFCCP also changed its criteria for granting extensions of time for the submission of support data in response to a scheduling letter and made it contingent upon timely submission of an AAP, within 30 days of receiving the scheduling letter. OFCCP reflected this change in an FAQ on its website. The Task Order to develop the portal expired on September 30, 2019 without fully completing the project. A new contract was awarded in September 2019 to continue this work and delivery of the completed portal is anticipated in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020. Concurrently, OFCCP anticipates obtaining approval from the Office of Management and Budget to collect annual certifications using this portal. When launched, the portal will allow all contractors to certify annually that they have developed and maintain compliant AAPs for each of their establishments or functional/business units. Those contractors who fail to certify, or who certify that they do not have compliant AAPs for each of their establishments or business/functional units, will be more likely to be scheduled for compliance evaluations. Further, OFCCP anticipates having contractors that are scheduled for compliance evaluations use the portal to submit their AAPs for review. While the agency has made considerable efforts to implement this recommendation, the processes described have not been fully implemented. Once implemented, GAO will close the recommendation.
GAO-16-168, Mar 15, 2016
Phone: (202) 512-3841
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: As of June 2020, GAO is working with the agency to determine what actions the agency has taken related to this recommendation.
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: As of June 2020, GAO is working with the agency to determine what actions the agency has taken related to this recommendation.
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: As of June 2020, GAO is working with the agency to determine what actions the agency has taken related to this recommendation.
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: As of June 2020, GAO is working with the agency to determine what actions the agency has taken related to this recommendation.
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: As of June 2020, GAO is working with the agency to determine what actions the agency has taken related to this recommendation.
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open
Comments: As of June 2020, GAO is working with the agency to determine what actions the agency has taken related to this recommendation.