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Open Recommendations

Democracy Assistance: State Should Require Plans to Mitigate Effects of Reported Antidemocratic Actions Overseas
GAO-26-108754
Mar 09, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the head of any entity responsible for democracy assistance programs requires implementing partners to develop, during award design, a plan for mitigating the risk of having to shift, pause, or cease democracy assistance award activities that involve interacting with host-country government entities and to adjust this plan as needed throughout award implementation. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the head of any entity responsible for democracy assistance programs requires award managers to review, during award design, plans for mitigating the risk of having to shift, pause, or cease democracy assistance award activities that involve interacting with host-country government entities and to monitor adherence to these plans throughout award implementation. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Excess Defense Articles: DOD Needs to Better Assess the Program
GAO-26-107627
Dec 16, 2025
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Director of DSCA takes steps to improve information recorded in SCIP-EUM on EDA items, such as by systematically identifying EDA in the database, recording disposition information in routine EUM observation forms, and noting changes in end use in routine EUM item lists. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOD partially agreed with this recommendation. DSCA agreed with the need to record the disposition of EDA items subject to routine EUM and stated it will direct SCOs to document when EDA items have been expended, disposed, lost, or transferred in the comment fields of SCIP-EUM's routine summary reports. However, DSCA stated that systematically identifying EDA in SCIP-EUM would require software modifications that are not cost-effective. While EDA are subject to routine or enhanced EUM, SCIP-EUM does not identify items that were transferred under the EDA program. We maintain that it is important that DSCA takes steps to improve information on EDA in SCIP-EUM, such as by using existing features to identify items as EDA. We will continue to monitor DOD's progress on implementing this recommendation.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Director of DSCA, in consultation with the Department of State, develop and implement a process to manage the EDA program's performance that includes establishing performance goals, routinely and systematically collecting performance information, and using that information to regularly assess results. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DOD agreed with this recommendation. DSCA stated it will implement a performance management process that includes measurable goals, systematic data collection, and regular assessments by April 2026. We will continue to monitor DOD's progress on implementing this recommendation.

Ukraine: State Should Take Additional Actions to Improve Planning for Any Future Recovery Assistance
GAO-25-107043
Nov 19, 2025
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of State The Secretary of State should, after completion of the foreign assistance review, ensure that the Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance for Europe and Eurasia (EUR/ACE) finalizes strategy-level indicators to allow for assessment of progress in achieving the strategic goals identified in any revised Ukraine Assistance Strategy. (Recommendation 1)
Open
The State Department agreed with our recommendation, noting that once State's foreign assistance review concluded, it would ensure that strategy-level indicators for its Ukraine programming are crafted and reviewed.
Department of State The Secretary of State should, for any ongoing and future recovery assistance to Ukraine, ensure that EUR/ACE determines the estimated costs to achieve each of State's strategic goals outlined in any revised Ukraine Assistance Strategy, basing them on different scenarios that account for changing conditions in the war and other donors' contributions. (Recommendation 2)
Open
The State Department agreed with our recommendation, noting that cost estimates can be valuable tools for budget planning and execution. State noted it would work to incorporate cost estimates for achieving individual goals and objectives into any future strategic planning for Ukraine's recovery, while also noting that a variety of challenges, such as the ongoing adjustment of its Ukraine recovery programming to align with the administration's approach, may affect its ability to act on the recommendation in the near term.

U.S. Arms Transfers: State Department Should Improve Investigations and Reporting of Foreign Partners’ End-Use Violations
GAO-25-107622
Sep 16, 2025
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of PM/RSAT, in consultation with DOD, provides guidance to officials at DSCA and relevant embassies defining the types of incidents that qualify as potential violations of arms transfer agreements and establishing timelines for informing PM/RSAT about potential violations. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of PM/RSAT, in consultation with DOD, develops guidance establishing required actions and timeframes for investigating potential violations of arms transfer agreements. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of PM/RSAT updates the Foreign Affairs Manual to ensure that responsibility for investigating potential violations of arms transfer agreements is assigned as appropriate and documented in policy. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of PM/RSAT documents the status and findings of its investigations related to potential violations of arms transfer agreements. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of PM/RSAT consistently communicates to DSCA, SCOs, and other agency stakeholders the status and findings of its investigations, including determinations of whether reported incidents constituted violations of arms transfer agreements. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Director of PM/RSAT develops guidance establishing procedures for determining whether, in accordance with AECA sections 3(c) and 3(e), State should report an incident to Congress and for documenting these determinations. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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