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Open Recommendations

Disaster Recovery: HUD Should Develop Data Collection Guidance to Support Analysis of Block Grant Fraud Risks
GAO-23-104382
Aug 17, 2023
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should develop guidance for CDBG-DR grantees and subrecipients on collecting complete and consistent data to better support applicant eligibility determinations and fraud risk management. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should update the Monitoring Handbook for Disaster Recovery Community Development Block Grant monitoring activities to provide additional guidance in the selection of contracts for review. This should include factors such as contractors that present increased risk to the CDBG-DR environment, including those where allegations of fraud, waste, or abuse have been made. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should identify ways to collect and combine contractor and subcontractor data across grantees and subrecipients to facilitate risk analyses, such as by expanding the Disaster Recovery Data Portal, Disaster Recovery Grant Reporting System, or other appropriate systems. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should develop and implement guidance for CDBG-DR grantees and subrecipients to collect contractor and subcontractor data to facilitate identification of contractor and cross-cutting fraud risks through approaches such as network analysis. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should develop guidance on data elements to be collected by grantees and subrecipients, to determine if a contractor has been suspended, debarred, or excluded from working on government contracts. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Housing and Urban Development The Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development should ensure that grantees and subrecipients have attended fraud-related training as required. This could include requesting and reviewing attendance documentation from the OIG and grantees. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Community Redevelopment: Significant Improvements in Policies and Procedures Are Needed at NeighborWorks America
GAO-23-105944
Jun 14, 2023
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10 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Other NeighborWorks America's President and Chief Executive Officer should ensure that the Chief Financial Officer develops and implements formal training for Procurement staff and staff in the business units who work on procurement about its procurement policies and procedures (including on writing the scope of work) and the regulatory requirements to which the organization adheres. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In May 2023, NeighborWorks America's management reported that they have developed an action plan for their Board of Directors that outlines their approach and timeline to address this recommendation. They anticipate Board approval of the plan by the end of fiscal year 2023. Management will then report quarterly to the Board on their progress towards completing the plan. GAO will continue to monitor NeighborWorks' implementation of procurement training.
Other NeighborWorks America's President and Chief Executive Officer should ensure that the Chief Financial Officer develops and implements a formalized process to communicate procurement policy changes to Procurement staff and staff who work on procurements across the organization before implementing changes. (Recommendation 2)
Open
In May 2023, NeighborWorks America's management reported that they have developed an action plan for their Board of Directors that outlines their approach and timeline to address this recommendation. They anticipate Board approval of the plan by the end of fiscal year 2023. Management will then report quarterly to the Board on their progress towards completing the plan. GAO will continue to monitor NeighborWorks' implementation of a formal communication process.
Other NeighborWorks America's President and Chief Executive Officer should ensure that the Chief Financial Officer finalizes and implements a plan to regularly review micropurchase transactions, including in the aggregate, for adherence to policy thresholds. (Recommendation 3)
Open
In May 2023, NeighborWorks America's management reported that they have developed an action plan for their Board of Directors that outlines their approach and timeline to address this recommendation. They anticipate Board approval of the plan by the end of fiscal year 2023. Management will then report quarterly to the Board on their progress towards completing the plan. GAO will continue to monitor NeighborWorks' plan to review micropurchase transactions.
Other NeighborWorks America's President and Chief Executive Officer should direct that the Chief Financial Officer takes steps to ensure that the PRISM system includes controls for completion, review, and approval of all required documentation, such as by periodically auditing the effectiveness of the controls. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In May 2023, NeighborWorks America's management reported that they have developed an action plan for their Board of Directors that outlines their approach and timeline to address this recommendation. They anticipate Board approval of the plan by the end of fiscal year 2023. Management will then report quarterly to the Board on their progress towards completing the plan. GAO will continue to monitor NeighborWorks' implementation of the system.
Other NeighborWorks America's President and Chief Executive Officer should ensure the Ethics Officer develops and implements procedures for documenting potential conflicts of interest and their final determinations. (Recommendation 5)
Open
In May 2023, NeighborWorks America's management reported that they have developed an action plan for their Board of Directors that outlines their approach and timeline to address this recommendation. They anticipate Board approval of the plan by the end of fiscal year 2023. Management will then report quarterly to the Board on their progress towards completing the plan. GAO will continue to monitor NeighborWorks' implementation of documentation procedures for conflicts of interest.
Other NeighborWorks America's President and Chief Executive Officer should ensure that the Ethics Officer in collaboration with the Board of Directors develops and implements written procedures for steps staff should take when receiving a whistleblower complaint and for conducting objective and independent investigations. This could include exploring entering into an agreement with an appropriate Inspector General's Office to receive and investigate NeighborWorks whistleblower complaints. (Recommendation 6)
Open
In May 2023, NeighborWorks America's management reported that they have developed an action plan for their Board of Directors that outlines their approach and timeline to address this recommendation. They anticipate Board approval of the plan by the end of fiscal year 2023. Management will then report quarterly to the Board on their progress towards completing the plan. GAO will continue to monitor NeighborWorks' implementation of procedures for receiving and investigating whistleblower complaints.

Tribal Economic Development: Action is Needed to Better Understand the Extent of Federal Support
GAO-22-105215
Aug 30, 2022
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5 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Commerce The Secretary of Commerce should establish an organizational structure and assign responsibilities for the Office of Native American Business Development. (Recommendation 1)
Open
The Department of Commerce agreed with this recommendation. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Commerce The Director of Commerce's Office of Native American Business Development, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies and entities, should create, maintain, and share a repository of information on economic development programs across federal agencies that tribal entities can access, and should assist tribal entities in identifying programs best suited to their needs. (Recommendation 2)
Open
The Department of Commerce agreed with this recommendation. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Commerce The Director of Commerce's Office of Native American Business Development, in coordination with tribes, should establish a plan for periodically publicly reporting the amount of economic development assistance provided by Commerce to tribal entities and using that information to identify opportunities to improve assistance to tribal entities. (Recommendation 3)
Open
The Department of Commerce agreed with this recommendation. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Director of USDA's Office of Tribal Relations, in coordination with tribes, should establish a plan for periodically analyzing and publicly reporting the amount of economic development assistance provided to tribal entities by USDA and using that analysis to identify opportunities to improve assistance to tribal entities. This could include leveraging methods already used by specific USDA program offices such as Rural Development (Recommendation 4)
Open
USDA agreed with this recommendation. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Small Business Administration The Assistant Administrator of SBA's Office of Native American Affairs, in coordination with tribes, should establish a plan for periodically analyzing and publicly reporting the amount of economic development assistance provided by SBA to tribal entities and using that analysis to identify opportunities to improve assistance to tribal entities. (Recommendation 5)
Open
SBA agreed with this recommendation. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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