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.
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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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Recommendation: The Attorney General should direct the Bureau of Justice Assistance to enhance quality checks to ensure the accuracy of information in its 180-day reports about Public Safety Officers' Benefits claims related to public safety officers affected by 9/11. (Recommendation 1)
Agency: Department of Justice Status: Open
Comments: The Bureau of Justice Assistance agreed with this recommendation. The agency said it will develop and implement quality checks to confirm the accuracy of information reported in the 180-day reports related to PSOB 9/11 claims. We will consider closing this recommendation when this effort is completed.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)), in consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments, comprehensively evaluate the funding targets for Category A and B MWR programs and document any changes made to the targets and the methodology used. (Recommendation 1)
Agency: Department of Defense Status: Open
Comments: DOD concurred with our recommendation. As of September 2020, OSD officials stated that the Department is conducting a comprehensive review of the entire DOD MWR program that will encompass a review of the MWR funding targets. OSD officials stated that OSD, in conjunction with the Military Departments have been engaged over the last two years to complete this review. OSD officials said that once this review is complete, DOD Instruction 1015.10 and DOD Instruction 1015.15 will be updated with the new policy. OSD officials estimate completing this by 9/30/2022.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the USD(P&R), in consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments, develop measurable goals for its MWR programs' performance measures to determine the programs' cost-effectiveness. (Recommendation 2)
Agency: Department of Defense Status: Open
Comments: DOD concurred with our recommendation. OSD officials stated that the Department is conducting a comprehensive review of the entire DOD MWR program that will encompass a review of the MWR funding targets. OSD officials said that OSD, in conjunction with the Military Departments have been engaged over the last two years to complete this review. OSD officials said that once this review is complete, DOD Instruction 1015.10 and DOD Instruction 1015.15 will be updated with the new policy. OSD officials said that after agreement on the new funding targets is reached, work will begin to develop measurable performance goals. OSD officials estimate that this work will be completed by 9/30/2022.
Recommendation: The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services should direct the Office of Refugee Resettlement to develop a process to ensure all information collected through its existing post-release efforts are reliable and systematically collected so that they can be compiled in summary form and provide useful information to other entities internally and externally.
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services Status: Open
Comments: In March of 2016, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) created a new section in its unaccompanied children's policy guide that require ORR staff to make safety and well-being (SWB) follow-up calls to children and their sponsors after the child is release from ORR custody. In addition, in October of 2016, ORR added another section to its policy guide that included case reporting, records management, retention, and information sharing requirements for post-release service (PRS) providers. According to ORR officials, ORR collects and analyzes data from both its SWB calls and PRS providers. SWB call data include efforts made to contact both sponsor and child; participation rates; confirmation the child is currently residing with the sponsor; referrals made to the ORR National Call Center (NCC) for additional resources; any concerns regarding the child's safety and well-being; and whether any reports were made to the ORR Federal Field Specialist, child protective services, local law enforcement, and/or the ORR Sexual Abuse Hotline. PRS data include the reason for referral; level of services provided; services areas accessed by the child and/or sponsor; outcomes; any concerns regarding the child's safety and well-being; and when services were discontinued, according to ORR officials. According to ORR officials, because ORR is currently in the process of developing a new case management system, the majority of information from SWB calls and post-release efforts is collected manually, outside of ORR's current case management system. Information collected through ORR's SWB calls is aggregated quarterly and a fact sheet containing aggregate data is distributed internally to ORR leadership. ORR officials say the new case management system will include information on SWB calls and post-release efforts. ORR tentatively plans for the first phase of the system to be operational by November 2020 and to deploy a finished product with all planned enhancements in late 2021. GAO will close this recommendation once ORR completes this system and demonstrates that it can be used for the purpose of collecting reliable safety and well-being and post-release services data and disseminating it internally and externally, as appropriate.
