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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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Results:

Subject Term: Narcotics

4 publications with a total of 7 open recommendations
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Counternarcotics: Treasury Reports Some Results from Designating Drug Kingpins, but Should Improve Information on Agencies' Expenditures
GAO-20-112, Dec 16, 2019
Director: Chelsa Kenney Gurkin
Phone: (202) 512-2964

2 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The Secretary of the Treasury should ensure that the Office of Foreign Assets Control provides its partner agencies more specific guidance regarding Kingpin Act–related expenditure data to improve the consistency of data submitted by these agencies. This could include, for example, how agencies account for expenditures that support Kingpin Act investigations when they are not the lead and for what types of activities resource expenditure data are required. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Office of the Secretary
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of the Treasury should ensure that the Office of Foreign Assets Control discloses information about limitations in the consistency and reliability of the agency expenditure data in its annual reports to Congress. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Office of the Secretary
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Security Assistance: U.S. Agencies Should Establish a Mechanism to Assess Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Progress
GAO-19-201, Feb 27, 2019
Director: Jennifer Grover
Phone: (202) 512-7141

2 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The Secretary of State should, in consultation with USAID and other stakeholders as appropriate, create an initiative-wide planning and reporting mechanism for CBSI that includes the ability to monitor, evaluate, and report the results of their collaborative efforts (Recommendation 1).

Agency: Department of State
Status: Open

Comments: In their formal response to the report, State agreed with the recommendation and noted that they plan to develop an updated Results Framework for CBSI that will provide the basis for initiative-wide planning and reporting. As of November 2019, State indicated that they are developing this updated CBSI Results Framework.
Recommendation: The Secretary of State should ensure that INLs Office of Western Hemisphere Programs develops and implements a data management system for centrally collecting reliable program monitoring data for all INL-funded CBSI activities through its current program monitoring contract or by some other means (Recommendation 2).

Agency: Department of State
Status: Open

Comments: State agreed with the recommendation, noting that INL's Office of Western Hemisphere Programs is working through its existing monitoring and evaluation contract to improve centralized data collection and is developing plans for an enhanced data management system that will facilitate the collection and management of both strategic and implementer-reported data. In addition, State reported that INL is developing complementary bureau-wide monitoring and evaluation guidance and procedures to ensure the consistency and reliability of collected data across INL programs, which include CBSI activities. As of November 2019, State has not yet completed these efforts.
Colombia: U.S. Counternarcotics Assistance Achieved Some Positive Results but State Needs to Review the Overall U.S. Approach
GAO-19-106, Dec 12, 2018
Director: Jennifer A. Grover
Phone: (202) 512-7141

2 open recommendations
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Recommendation: The Secretary of State should, in consultation with other U.S. agencies involved in counternarcotics efforts in Colombia, conduct an evaluation of the long-term effectiveness of eradication and interdiction in reducing the cocaine supply. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of State
Status: Open

Comments: State generally agreed with our recommendation. As of February 2020, State reported that, working with the Department of Defense, it had signed a contract with RAND for an evaluation of counternarcotics efforts in Colombia. The evaluation will, among other things, asses the effectiveness of U.S. government-funded counternarcotics assistance programs in Colombia from 2000 through 2018. RAND plans to complete the evaluation within 16 months of the contract's execution. We will continue to monitor progress on the evaluation and State's efforts to implement our recommendation.
Recommendation: The Secretary of State should, in consultation with other U.S. agencies involved in counternarcotics efforts in Colombia, undertake a comprehensive review of the U.S. counternarcotics approach in Colombia and identify what changes, if any, should be made to the types and combination of U.S. activities, taking into consideration how the relative benefits and limitations between eradication, interdiction, and alternative development may impact the effectiveness of these efforts. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of State
Status: Open

Comments: State generally agreed with our recommendation. As of February 2020, State reported that, working with the Department of Defense, it had signed a contract with RAND for an evaluation of counternarcotics efforts in Colombia. The evaluation will include, among other things, a comprehensive review of the U.S. counternarcotics approach in Colombia that considers the relative benefits and limitations between eradication, interdiction, and alternative development efforts. RAND plans to complete the evaluation within 16 months of the contract's execution. We will continue to monitor progress on the evaluation and State's efforts to implement our recommendation.
Drug Control: Additional Performance Information Is Needed to Oversee the National Guard's State Counterdrug Program
GAO-16-133, Oct 21, 2015
Director: John Pendleton
Phone: (202) 512-3489

1 open recommendations
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Recommendation: To ensure that resources are being efficiently applied to meet the National Guard counterdrug program's objectives, the Secretary of Defense should direct the National Guard Bureau in consultation with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Global Threats to subsequently collect and use performance information to help inform funding distribution decisions to state programs and to conduct oversight of the training offered by the counterdrug schools.

Agency: Department of Defense
Status: Open

Comments: DOD concurred with our recommendation and stated that it would collect and use performance information to evaluate the effectiveness of each state program to provide support and to meet its objectives. DOD also stated that it would take steps to assist states with any needed corrective-action plans. While the National Guard counterdrug program has begun collecting performance information in its annual assessments of state programs and counterdrug schools, it has not yet incorporated the information into its funding distribution decisions. In January 2020, DOD officials indicated that responsibility for implementing this recommendation was assigned to the Counterdrug Advisory Counsel and Threat Based Resourcing Model Target Team for action. They estimated a completion date of December 2020.