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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: Communities

14 publications with a total of 60 open recommendations

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Climate Change: A Climate Migration Pilot Program Could Enhance the Nation's Resilience and Reduce Federal Fiscal Exposure
GAO-20-488, Jul 6, 2020

Director: Alfredo Gómez
Phone: (202) 512-3841

1 open recommendations

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National Flood Insurance Program: FEMA Can Improve Community Oversight and Data Sharing
GAO-20-396, May 5, 2020

Director: Alicia Puente Cackley
Phone: (202) 512-8678

4 open recommendations

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Recommendation: The Administrator of FEMA should assess different approaches, in addition to community assistance visits, for using existing resources to ensure communities' compliance with NFIP requirements. This should include analyzing alternatives to community assistance visits. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Administrator of FEMA should identify appropriate steps to ensure it has complete, up-to-date, and reliable records of community assistance visits, including information on why some visit records remain open for a significant period of time. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Administrator of FEMA should ensure that communities are consistently collecting data on their substantial damage assessments and that FEMA has a way to readily access those data to evaluate community compliance with NFIP requirements for rebuilding substantially damaged properties. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Administrator of FEMA should clarify with NFIP communities its policies on sharing data on NFIP claims and provide such information to those communities as needed. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security: Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Public Transportation: Enhanced Federal Information Sharing on Coordination Could Improve Rural Transit Services
GAO-20-205, Jan 7, 2020

Director: Susan Fleming
Phone: (202) 512-2834

1 open recommendations

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Drug Control: The Office of National Drug Control Policy Should Develop Key Planning Elements to Meet Statutory Requirements
GAO-20-124, Dec 18, 2019

Director: Triana McNeil
Phone: (202) 512-8777

4 open recommendations

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Recommendation: The Director of ONDCP should develop and document key planning elements to help the agency meet the SUPPORT Act requirements for the 2020 National Drug Control Strategy and future Strategy iterations. These planning elements should include descriptions of resource investments, time frames, and any processes, policies, roles, and responsibilities needed to address each requirement. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Executive Office of the President: Office of National Drug Control Policy
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Director of ONDCP should—after developing and documenting key planning elements to meet the SUPPORT Act requirements—routinely implement an approach, based on these planning elements, to meet the requirements for the 2020 National Drug Control Strategy and future Strategy iterations. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Executive Office of the President: Office of National Drug Control Policy
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Director of ONDCP should develop and document key planning elements to help the agency meet the SUPPORT Act requirements to establish a Drug Control Data Dashboard that would include descriptions of resource investments, time frames, and any processes, policies, or roles, and responsibilities needed to address this requirement. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Executive Office of the President: Office of National Drug Control Policy
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Director of ONDCP should—after developing and documenting key planning elements—implement an approach, based on these planning elements, to meet the SUPPORT Act requirements to establish a Drug Control Data Dashboard. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Executive Office of the President: Office of National Drug Control Policy
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Payments in Lieu of Taxes: Revisions to DOE Order Could Provide Better Assurance That Payments Meet Goals
GAO-20-122, Oct 29, 2019

Director: David Trimble
Phone: (202) 512-3841

3 open recommendations

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Recommendation: The Secretary of Energy should direct DOE's Office of the Chief Financial Officer to revise DOE's PILT order to require DOE to maintain documentation of key determinants of PILT payments for each community to help ensure that payments are consistent with the agreed-upon bases of PILT payments and PILT goals. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Energy
Status: Open

Comments: In May 2020, DOE officials told us that DOE convened a working group to identify high-level options for the PILT program and recommend appropriate changes to DOE leadership. According to DOE officials, the working group will consider GAO's findings and recommendations.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Energy should direct DOE's Office of the Chief Financial Officer to revise DOE's PILT order to require DOE site offices to review key determinants of PILT payments in communities' PILT invoices for accuracy and consistency with the agreed-upon bases of PILT payments and PILT goals and for DOE headquarters to document its review and validation of site office determinations. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Energy
Status: Open

Comments: In May 2020, DOE officials told us that DOE convened a working group to identify high-level options for the PILT program and recommend appropriate changes to DOE leadership. According to DOE officials, the working group will consider GAO's findings and recommendations.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Energy should direct DOE's Office of the Chief Financial Officer to revise DOE's PILT order to provide additional guidance on how communities should calculate their payment requests for their PILT invoices. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Energy
Status: Open

Comments: In May 2020, DOE officials told us that DOE convened a working group to identify high-level options for the PILT program and recommend appropriate changes to DOE leadership. According to DOE officials, the working group will consider GAO's findings and recommendations.

Environmental Justice: Federal Efforts Need Better Planning, Coordination, and Methods to Assess Progress
GAO-19-543, Sep 16, 2019

Director: J. Alfredo Gómez
Phone: (202) 512-3841

24 open recommendations

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Recommendation: The Secretary of Commerce should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Commerce
Status: Open

Comments: The department did not provide comments on our report or recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Defense: Office of the Secretary of Defense: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, the department agreed with this recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, Education stated that we did not sufficiently account for the limitations on its legal authority to carry out environmental justice activities. Education also stated that it does not believe this is the most appropriate course of action for the department or an efficient use of resources. We believe that Education can develop a strategic plan within its existing authorities. We will continue to review the department's actions to implement the recommendation.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open

Comments: In comments on our report, the department agreed with this recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 5)

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: In comments on our report, the department neither agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Attorney General of the United States should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 6)

Agency: Department of Justice
Status: Open

Comments: In April 2020, the department agreed to review its environmental justice strategy and to revise it if needed. It also stated that as part of that review, it will consider any guidance issued by the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJ IWG) concerning what agencies should include in environmental justice strategic plans. The department stated that it anticipated receiving such guidance by the end of 2020. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Labor should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 7)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: In November 2019, the department stated that its role is tangential to achieving environmental justice goals, but it is committed to integrating environmental justice into its responsibilities to protect workers. It stated that it has no plans at this time to update its environmental strategic plan. We agree that Labor should develop an environmental plan that contains goals consistent with its mission and authorities. We will continue to review its actions to implement our recommendation.

Recommendation: The Administrator of the Small Business Administration should complete the agency's assessment of whether to participate in the 1994 Executive Order and the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding, and, if appropriate, develop an environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 8)

Agency: Small Business Administration
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, the agency agreed with our recommendation. We will continue to review the agency's actions to update its progress in implementing the recommendation.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should update the department's environmental justice strategic plan. (Recommendation 9)

Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs
Status: Open

Comments: In April 2020, the department committed to updating its environmental justice strategic plan. It said that it will update its strategic plan pending the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) guidance on what agencies should include in their plans. It also set a goal of completing the update within 6 months of EPA's issuance of guidance. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Agriculture should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 10)

Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open

Comments: In comments on our report, USDA agreed with our recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Commerce should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 11)

Agency: Department of Commerce
Status: Open

Comments: The department did not provide comments on our report or recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 12)

Agency: Department of Defense: Office of the Secretary of Defense: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, the Department of Defense (DOD) disagreed with this recommendation. First, DOD stated that it had achieved the intent of Executive Order 12898 by including environmental justice considerations in its decision-making processes, primarily by using the environmental review process. Second, the department stated that it is bound by its mission with limited opportunities to change where the department operates. DOD stated that these reasons make it a significant challenge for the department to meet our recommendation and therefore does not see a tangible benefit to additional reporting. As we stated in our report, DOD would be reporting on goals that it set within its mission and authorities. We will continue to review DOD's actions to carry out this recommendation.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Education should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 13)

Agency: Department of Education
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, Education stated that we did not sufficiently account for the limitations on its legal authority to carry out environmental justice activities. Education also stated that it does not believe this recommendation is the most appropriate course of action for the department or an efficient use of resources. We believe that Education can develop a strategic plan within its existing authorities, and then it should report its progress on these activities annually. We will continue to review the department's actions to implement the recommendation.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Health and Human Services should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 14)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Status: Open

Comments: In comments on our report, the department agreed with this recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and provide updated information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Energy should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 15)

Agency: Department of Energy
Status: Open

Comments: In January 2020, Department of Energy officials stated that they had issued progress reports for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and would issue progress reports annually after this point. We will review the department's reports in upcoming years to determine that it has carried out this recommendation.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should issue a progress report on its environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 16)

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: In comments on our report, the department agreed with this recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of the Interior should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 17)

Agency: Department of the Interior
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, the department agreed with our recommendation. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Labor should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 18)

Agency: Department of Labor
Status: Open

Comments: In November 2019, the department stated that its role is tangential to achieving environmental justice goals and therefore it has no real chance to update its progress reports. We agree that Labor should develop an environmental strategic plan containing goals consistent with its mission and authorities. It can develop progress reports annually related to these goals. We will continue to review its actions to implement our recommendation and update this information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Transportation should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 19)

Agency: Department of Transportation
Status: Open

Comments: In February 2020, the department stated that it partially agreed with this recommendation. It stated that it would update its progress reports as needed. As we stated in our report, leading practices for performance management indicate that annual performance reporting helps an agency to keep track of and achieve its goals. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should issue a progress report on the department's environmental justice efforts each year. (Recommendation 20)

Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs
Status: Open

Comments: In April 2020, the department committed to issuing annual progress reports. The department also stated that it will use EPA or Interagency Working Group (IWG) guidance on methods agencies could use to assess progress towards their environmental justice goals. It stated that it would begin issuing progress reports following issuance of such guidance and per reporting schedule established by the Environmental Justice IWG. We will continue to review the department's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Administrator of EPA, as chair of the working group, should develop guidance for agencies on what they should include in their environmental justice strategic plans. (Recommendation 21)

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, EPA agreed with this recommendation. We will continue to review the agency's actions and update this information.

Recommendation: The Administrator of EPA, as chair of the working group, should develop guidance or create a committee of the working group to develop guidance on methods the agencies could use to assess progress toward their environmental justice goals. (Recommendation 22)

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, EPA agreed with this recommendation. We will continue to review the agency's actions to update its progress in implementing this recommendation.

Recommendation: The Administrator of EPA, as chair of the working group, and in consultation with the working group, should clearly establish, in its organizational documents, strategic goals for the federal government's efforts to carry out the 1994 Executive Order. (Recommendation 23)

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, EPA disagreed with this recommendation, but also stated that it would lead efforts to update the working group's fiscal year 2016-2018 Framework for Collaboration to include guidance for strategic plans, tracking progress toward goals, and defining alignment with the executive order. We believe that if the agency carries out these actions, it will meet the intent of the recommendation. We will continue to review the agency's actions to update its progress in implementing the recommendation.

Recommendation: The Administrator of EPA, as chair of the working group, and in consultation with the other working group members, should update the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding and renew the agencies' commitments to participate in the interagency collaborative effort and the working group. (Recommendation 24)

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments on our report, EPA disagreed with this recommendation and stated that it should be combined with the recommendation to update the Environmental Justice working group's strategic documents. We believe the agency misunderstood the recommendation. As we stated in the report, we believe that the MOU needs to be updated to address the matter of participation by the members who signed it but do not participate. We will continue to review the agency's actions to update its progress in implementing this recommendation.

Small Community Air Service Development: Process for Awarding Grants Could Be Improved
GAO-19-172, Mar 26, 2019

Director: Heather Krause
Phone: (202) 512-2834

1 open recommendations

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Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: Opportunities Exist to Enhance Federal Agency Needs Assessment and Coordination on Tribal Projects
GAO-18-309, May 15, 2018

Director: Fennell, Anne-marie Lasowski
Phone: (202) 512-3841

11 open recommendations

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Recommendation: The Director of IHS should implement a targeted, resource-efficient method to identify additional eligible Indian homes that may have existing deficiencies to include in IHS's Home Inventory Tracking System (HITS). (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Public Health Service: Indian Health Service
Status: Open

Comments: In August 2018, IHS's Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction issued a memo to its Area Directors directing them to identify additional eligible Indian homes that may have existing deficiencies to include in HITS. The memo directed Area Offices to use existing staffing resources to leverage their annual efforts to gather sanitation needs data, in collaboration with tribes, to identify any additional homes. In December 2019, IHS officials stated that, as a result of implementing the 2018 memo, Area Directors had increased the number of eligible homes that they identified in 2019. We will continue to monitor the results of IHS's actions.

Recommendation: The Director of IHS should implement a mechanism to indicate in HITS whether each home with a deficiency level of 0 has been assessed. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Public Health Service: Indian Health Service
Status: Open

Comments: As of December 2019, IHS had developed a mechanism in HITS to indicate whether a home currently classified as deficiency level (DL) 0 had been assessed. IHS stated that it has eliminated the category of DL 0 from HITS; in its place, it created a new category of "Pending Assessment" for those homes that are in HITS but that have not been assessed. IHS also came up with a way to prioritize the homes in the Pending Assessment category based on their eligibility to receive assistance from IHS. Homes currently in HITS that have a DL 0 and received service through the Sanitation Facilities Construction Program from 2015 through today will be reassigned a DL 1 to indicate the deficiencies are only associated with routine operations and maintenance. IHS stated that the changes to HITS have been implemented and shared a proposal of how it will distribute the former DL 0 homes across the new categories. We will evaluate IHS's actions after they are complete.

Recommendation: The Director of IHS should reassess the point distribution across the Sanitation Deficiency System scoring factors as part of its program guidelines update, in light of trade-offs between funding projects that address the most severe sanitation deficiencies and projects that meet other needs. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Public Health Service: Indian Health Service
Status: Open

Comments: As part of its reassessment of the point distribution across the scoring factors, in 2018 and 2019 IHS consulted with tribes and analyzed various options for changing the point distribution. We have asked IHS to provide additional information about its reassessment efforts. We will evaluate IHS's actions after we receive the additional information.

Recommendation: The Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development should implement a scoring factor that awards points for proposed Native American program grant projects that address health risks from a lack of access to safe drinking water and wastewater disposal, as it does with the Colonias grant program. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open

Comments: As of January 2020, USDA stated it would prefer to use its discretionary points under its existing regulations to implement this scoring factor instead of making a regulation change to do so. USDA stated that using existing flexibility in the regulations could meet the intent of the recommendation more quickly than by permanently changing the regulation. USDA stated that it has established policy guidance to states that addresses scoring for projects with health and sanitation risks. We will monitor the actions that USDA has taken in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.

Recommendation: The Director of IHS, in cooperation with other members of the tribal infrastructure task force, should review the 2011 task force report and identify and implement additional actions to help increase the task force's collaboration at the national level. (Recommendation 7)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Public Health Service: Indian Health Service
Status: Open

Comments: As of December 2019, IHS had reviewed the 2011 task force report and summarized actions taken and challenges associated with implementing the remaining recommendations. IHS stated that it anticipated discussing its summary with the other members at a future tribal infrastructure task force meeting. We will evaluate IHS's actions when they are complete.

Recommendation: The Administrator of EPA, in cooperation with other members of the tribal infrastructure task force, should review the 2011 task force report and identify and implement additional actions to help increase the task force's collaboration at the national level. (Recommendation 8)

Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Status: Open

Comments: As of June 2020, EPA had discussed the 2011 task force report with the other member agencies to identify and implement additional actions to increase collaboration at the national level. EPA published a summary matrix of relevant funding sources on the task force website and compiled a draft document summarizing actions the task force member agencies have taken to implement recommendations from the 2011 report. We will continue to monitor EPA's actions in response to this recommendation.

Recommendation: The Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, in cooperation with other members of the tribal infrastructure task force, should review the 2011 task force report and identify and implement additional actions to help increase the task force's collaboration at the national level. (Recommendation 9)

Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open

Comments: In July 2019, the task force member agencies met to discuss the status of the recommendations in the 2011 task force report. The agencies each agreed to compile information about the actions they had taken and consider new actions in 2020. USDA stated in December 2018 that the task force agencies had made progress in developing efficiencies in environmental review processes and with online tribal resources and training, in addition to other areas. We will evaluate USDA's actions after the task force has compiled all actions taken in response to the 2011 report and evaluated what further actions or responses should be conducted.

Recommendation: The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Native American Programs, in cooperation with other members of the tribal infrastructure task force, should review the 2011 task force report and identify and implement additional actions to help increase the task force's collaboration at the national level. (Recommendation 10)

Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Status: Open

Comments: As of December 2019, the task force members had agreed to jointly consider the actions they have taken from the 2011 report and to discuss additional actions they could take to increase collaboration at the national level. We will evaluate HUD's actions once they are complete.

Recommendation: The Commissioner of Reclamation, in cooperation with other members of the tribal infrastructure task force, should review the 2011 task force report and identify and implement additional actions to help increase the task force's collaboration at the national level. (Recommendation 11)

Agency: Department of the Interior: Bureau of Reclamation
Status: Open

Comments: In April 2018, Reclamation met with other members of the task force and the agencies reviewed and discussed the 2011 task force report recommendations. As of December 2019, the task force members had agreed to jointly consider the actions they have taken from the 2011 report and to discuss additional actions they could take to increase collaboration at the national level. We will evaluate the agency's actions once they are complete.

Recommendation: The Director of IHS, in cooperation with other members of the tribal infrastructure task force, should direct IHS area offices to identify and pursue additional mechanisms to increase their collaboration. (Recommendation 12)

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services: Public Health Service: Indian Health Service
Status: Open

Comments: As of December 2019, IHS headquarters hosted a meeting that included staff from IHS Areas, EPA headquarters, and EPA regions to discuss additional mechanisms to increase collaboration, including best practices for identifying projects for joint funding collaborations. In addition, IHS and the other tribal infrastructure task force members agreed to jointly draft a memo for distribution to their field offices that would include contact information for other member agencies and encourage interagency coordination. We will evaluate IHS's remaining actions to satisfy this recommendation when they are complete.

Recommendation: The Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, in cooperation with other members of the tribal infrastructure task force, should direct USDA state offices to identify and pursue additional mechanisms to increase their collaboration. (Recommendation 13)

Agency: Department of Agriculture
Status: Open

Comments: In December 2018, USDA stated that it would send a memo to its state directors and program directors encouraging them to coordinate with tribal governments, IHS, EPA, and other members of the tribal infrastructure task force on funding infrastructure projects. As of December 2019, task force members had drafted a joint memo to distribute to their field offices encouraging additional coordination. We will evaluate USDA's actions in response to this recommendation once they are complete.

Military Bases: DOD Should Address Challenges with Communication and Mission Changes to Improve Future Base Realignment and Closure Rounds
GAO-18-231, Mar 30, 2018

Director: Brian Lepore
Phone: (202) 512-4523

1 open recommendations

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Countering Violent Extremism: Actions Needed to Define Strategy and Assess Progress of Federal Efforts
GAO-17-300, Apr 6, 2017

Director: Maurer, Diana C
Phone: (202) 512-8777

4 open recommendations

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Recommendation: To help identify what domestic CVE efforts are to achieve and the extent to which investments in CVE result in measureable success, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General--as heads of the two lead agencies responsible for coordinating CVE efforts--should direct the CVE Task Force to develop a cohesive strategy that includes measurable outcomes for CVE activities.

Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open

Comments: In April 2019, DHS provided the National Counterterrorism Strategy as evidence that the department is including terrorism prevention as a necessary tool to meet its missions. While the strategy discusses terrorism prevention, it does not include specific activities or efforts, identify the agencies that will lead these efforts, or describe measurable outcomes for these efforts. In June 2019, DHS indicated that CVE-style prevention work would fall under a newly formed Office for Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention under which it will be part of a broad counterterrorism strategy that DHS plans to have ready by this fall. We will continue to monitor DHS's progress in this area as it develops its plan.

Recommendation: To help identify what domestic CVE efforts are to achieve and the extent to which investments in CVE result in measureable success, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General--as heads of the two lead agencies responsible for coordinating CVE efforts--should direct the CVE Task Force to develop a cohesive strategy that includes measurable outcomes for CVE activities.

Agency: Department of Justice
Status: Open

Comments: As of August 2019, DOJ has not provided a response to our recommendation. In June 2019, DHS indicated that CVE-style prevention work would fall under a newly formed Office for Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention under which it will be part of a broad counterterrorism strategy that DHS plans to have ready by this fall. We will continue to monitor DOJ's involvement in these efforts as DHS it develops its plan.

Recommendation: To help identify what domestic CVE efforts are to achieve and the extent to which investments in CVE result in measureable success, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General--as heads of the two lead agencies responsible for coordinating CVE efforts--should direct the CVE Task Force to establish and implement a process to assess overall progress in CVE, including its effectiveness.

Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open

Comments: In April 2019, DHS provided a commissioned review of CVE programs and activities that was expected to help identify ways to measure their effectiveness. The report provides a broad assessment of past activities and suggestions for measures and metrics going forward, but does not establish a process for agencies to measure the success of their activities or overall progress of CVE efforts. In June 2019, DHS indicated that CVE-style prevention work would fall under a newly formed Office for Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention under which it will be part of a broad counterterrorism strategy that DHS plans to have ready by this fall. We will continue to monitor DHS's progress in this area as it develops its plan.

Recommendation: To help identify what domestic CVE efforts are to achieve and the extent to which investments in CVE result in measureable success, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General--as heads of the two lead agencies responsible for coordinating CVE efforts--should direct the CVE Task Force to establish and implement a process to assess overall progress in CVE, including its effectiveness.

Agency: Department of Justice
Status: Open

Comments: As of August 2019, DOJ has not provided a response to our recommendation. In June 2019, DHS indicated that CVE-style prevention work would fall under a newly formed Office for Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention under which it will be part of a broad counterterrorism strategy that DHS plans to have ready by this fall. We will continue to monitor DOJ's involvement in these efforts as DHS develops its plan.

Community Development Block Grants: Reporting on Compliance with Limit on Funds Used for Administration Can Be Improved
GAO-13-247, Mar 21, 2013

Director: Shear, William B
Phone: (202) 512-8678

1 open recommendations

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Motorcycle Safety: Increasing Federal Funding Flexibility and Identifying Research Priorities Would Help Support States' Safety Efforts
GAO-13-42, Nov 14, 2012

Director: Fleming, Susan A
Phone: (202)512-4431

1 open recommendations

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Airport Noise Grants: FAA Needs to Better Ensure Project Eligibility and Improve Strategic Goal and Performance Measures
GAO-12-890, Sep 12, 2012

Director: Dillingham, Gerald L
Phone: (202) 512-2834

2 open recommendations

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Recommendation: To better ensure that federal investments effectively address the remaining airport noise problem and to more fully demonstrate the results of AIP noise grants, the Secretary of Transportation should direct FAA to establish a strategic noise reduction goal that aligns with the nature and extent of airport noise and targets the agency's noise grant program.

Agency: Department of Transportation
Status: Open

Comments: In August 2019, FAA officials stated that the FAA's overall noise reduction goal is fundamentally separate from noise mitigation. At the same time, FAA indicated that airport noise is a growing concern and highlighted multiple aspects of the agency's noise-related activities, including providing community workshops associated with changes to air traffic procedures and continued support for noise compatibility planning by airports. The noise grant program continues to be FAA's largest noise-related activity. Until FAA aligns its strategic noise goal with the noise grant program, it is difficult to see how this program's results contribute to the achieving agency objectives.

Recommendation: To better ensure that federal investments effectively address the remaining airport noise problem and to more fully demonstrate the results of AIP noise grants, the Secretary of Transportation should direct FAA to establish performance measures to assess progress toward this goal that better demonstrate the results of the program and provide Congress and FAA's program managers with information to gauge progress and make programmatic decisions.

Agency: Department of Transportation
Status: Open

Comments: In August 2019, FAA officials stated that the FAA's overall noise reduction goal is fundamentally separate from noise mitigation. Absent FAA actions to align this goal with the noise grant program, FAA cannot develop measurements of noise grant program results that gauge progress towards such a goal. Without this information, Congress and FAA program managers cannot make fully informed decisions about what the noise grant program can reasonably be expected to address in the future and the extent to which noise exposure remains a constraint on airport growth.

Entrepreneurial Assistance: Opportunities Exist to Improve Programs' Collaboration, Data-Tracking, and Performance Management
GAO-12-819, Aug 23, 2012

Director: Shear, William B
Phone: (202)512-4325

2 open recommendations

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