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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.

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Subject Term: Assault

3 publications with a total of 8 open recommendations including 1 priority recommendation
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Religious-Based Hate Crimes: DOJ Needs to Improve Support to Colleges Given Increasing Reports on Campuses [Reissued with revisions on Oct. 31, 2019.]
GAO-20-6, Oct 25, 2019
Director: Melissa Emrey-Arras
Phone: (617) 788-0534

2 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The Attorney General should ensure that relevant DOJ offices update information about religious-based hate crimes on college campuses, practices to address them, and available DOJ resources to help colleges, campus law enforcement, and other stakeholders monitor and address these crimes. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Justice
Status: Open

Comments: DOJ has taken a number of steps to address this recommendation, including creating a campus-specific brochure that highlights the Community Relations Service's (CRS) hate crimes prevention and response resources for campus stakeholders. CRS is also in the process of developing a comprehensive guide with best practices for and tools to aid in the planning and implementation of Campus SPIRIT programs and a "spotlight" article for the Department's hate crimes website. DOJ noted that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is developing hate crimes-specific training curriculum to provide technical assistance to law enforcement agencies, including those on campus. These are important steps to implement this recommendation, but because these resources are currently under development, this recommendation remains open.
Recommendation: The Attorney General should ensure that relevant DOJ offices share more information about available DOJ resources with colleges, campus law enforcement, and other stakeholders to help them monitor and address religious-based hate crimes on college campuses. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Justice
Status: Open

Comments: DOJ outlined steps it will take to work with campus-based law enforcement organizations such as the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, the International Association of Chiefs of Police's University and College Police Section, and the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals. This includes participating in a conference in June 2020 and contacting the groups to increase awareness of its hate crimes website. GAO has requested documentation to demonstrate this outreach has occurred.
Federal Land Management Agencies: Additional Actions Needed to Address Facility Security Assessment Requirements
GAO-19-643, Sep 25, 2019
Director: Anne-Marie Fennell
Phone: (202) 512-3841

5 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The Director of BLM should develop a plan to conduct all required facility security assessments agency-wide, taking into consideration the agency's organizational structure, available resources, and training needs. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Land Management
Status: Open

Comments: BLM agreed with our recommendation and stated it intends to revise its policy and develop a plan to complete required facility security assessments. As of November 2019, BLM had not yet completed its plan.
Recommendation: The Director of the Park Service should develop a plan to conduct all required facility security assessments agency-wide, taking into consideration the agency's organizational structure, available resources, and training needs. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of the Interior: National Park Service
Status: Open

Comments: Park Service agreed with our recommendation and cited its efforts to develop a plan that includes training and tools so that park unit staff can conduct the required assessments. As of November 2019, Park Service had not yet completed its plan.
Recommendation: The Director of the Park Service should update the agency's facility security assessment methodology to comply with requirements in the ISC Standard, including a step to consider the consequence of each undesirable event. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of the Interior: National Park Service
Status: Open

Comments: Park Service agreed with our recommendation to update its facility security assessment methodology to comply with requirements in the ISC Standard. As of November 2019, Park Service had not yet updated its methodology.
Recommendation: The Director of BLM should develop a facility security assessment methodology that complies with requirements in the ISC Standard to assess all undesirable events and consider all three factors of risk for each undesirable event. (Recommendation 5)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Land Management
Status: Open

Comments: BLM agreed with our recommendation and said it would revise its policy and develop a facility security assessment methodology that complies with requirements in the ISC Standard. As of November 2019, BLM had not yet developed its methodology.
Recommendation: The Director of FWS should develop a facility security assessment methodology that complies with requirements in the ISC Standard to assess all undesirable events and consider all three factors of risk for each undesirable event. (Recommendation 6)

Agency: Department of the Interior: United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Status: Open

Comments: FWS agreed with our recommendation and cited its efforts to develop a facility security assessment methodology that complies with requirements in the ISC Standard. As of November 2019, FWS had not yet developed its methodology.
Sexual Violence Data: Actions Needed to Improve Clarity and Address Differences Across Federal Data Collection Efforts
GAO-16-546, Jul 19, 2016
Director: Gretta L. Goodwin
Phone: (202) 512-8777

1 open recommendations
including 1 priority recommendation
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Recommendation: To help lessen confusion among the public and policy makers regarding federal data on sexual violence, the Director of OMB should establish a federal interagency forum on sexual violence statistics. The forum should consider the broad range of differences across the data collection efforts to assess which differences enhance or hinder the overall understanding of sexual violence in the United States.

Agency: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: At the time of our report, OMB neither agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation but stated that it did not believe convening a forum was the most strategic use of resources because agencies were not far enough along with their data collection efforts. We disagree with OMB's assertion because 7 of the 10 data collection efforts have been in place for more than 10 years, and several have been in place for multiple decades. As of December 2019, OMB has not provided information on any new efforts to establish a federal interagency forum on sexual violence statistics.