U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Catalyst for Improving the Environment 

 Evaluation Report 

Need Continues for a 

Strategic Plan to Protect 

Children’s Health 

 Report No. 10-P-0095 

 April 5, 2010 
 

Report Contributors: Laurie Adams 

 Daniel Carroll 

Ganesa Curley 

 Jerri Dorsey

 Jeffrey Harris 

Abbreviations 

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

GPRA Government Performance Results Act 

MATS Management Audit Tracking System 

OCHP Office of Children’s Health Protection 

OCHPEE Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education 

OIG Office of Inspector General 

Cover photos: Photos courtesy EPA. 
 

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 10-P-0095 

April 5, 2010 Office of Inspector General 

At a Glance 

Catalyst for Improving the Environment 

Why We Did This Review 

We initiated this review to Children’s Health 

evaluate the status of corrective 

actions taken by the U.S. 

Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) in response to 

an Office of Inspector General 

report on the EPA’s Office of 

Children’s Health Protection 

(OCHP) issued in 2004. 

Background 

OCHP was established in 1997 

to formalize and integrate 

EPA’s efforts on behalf of 

children. OCHP’s role is to 

coordinate those efforts with 

other government agencies, and 

to carry out Executive Order 

13045 and the National Agenda 

to Protect Children’s Health 

from Environmental Threats. 

For further information, contact 

our Office of Congressional, 

Public Affairs and Management 

at (202) 566-2391. 

To view the full report, 

click on the following link: 

www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2010/ 

20100405-10-P-0095.pdf 

Need Continues for a Strategic Plan to Protect 

 What We Found 

Five years after providing OCHP with recommendations related to the strategic 

and annual planning processes, agreed-to corrective actions have not been 

completed. According to OCHP, which is now the Office of Children’s Health 

Protection and Environmental Education (OCHPEE), corrective actions have 

not been implemented due to constant turnover in office directors, one of whom 

claimed that the corrective actions were completed prior to closing the 

recommendations. If these corrective actions were implemented, OCHPEE 

would be able to demonstrate, on an annual basis, its impact on the protection 

of children’s health. However, OCHPEE’s lack of strategic planning, 

identified goals, adequate measures, and quantifiable accomplishments result in 

its inability to demonstrate its role and value added to the protection of 

children’s health. 

We believe that the unimplemented and agreed-to recommendations are still 

valid. The Agency’s new five-point agenda for protecting children’s health 

requires a reevaluation of the role of OCHPEE, as well as a redefinition of its 

function and areas of responsibility within the Agency. If OCHPEE is unable 

to demonstrate its impact on children’s health protection, the Agency 

leadership should evaluate whether these resources could be better used by 

other program offices that target children’s environmental health challenges. 

What We Recommend 

We recommend that the EPA Deputy Administrator implement agreed-to 

corrective actions, which include developing a strategic plan, improving annual 

planning, establishing measures, and reporting its results and outcomes toward 

meeting the Agency’s National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from 

Environmental Threats; or devolve to other program offices the functions and 

resources of OCHPEE. 

We also recommend that the Deputy Administrator verify that the current audit 

follow-up process is in compliance with EPA Manual 2750. 

The Agency agreed with the recommendation. The Agency agreed to 

implement the agreed-to corrective actions upon completion of the 

reorganization of OCHPEE. The Agency also stated that the verification of the 

follow-up process has been completed. 
 

 

 Assistant Inspector General for Program Evaluation 

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

April 5, 2010 

MEMORANDUM 

SUBJECT:	 Need Continues for a Strategic Plan to Protect Children’s Health 

 Report No. 10-P-0095 

FROM:	 Wade T. Najjum 

TO: Bob Perciasepe 

 Deputy Administrator 

 Peter Grevatt 

Director, Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental 

Education 

This is our report on the subject evaluation conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) 

of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report contains findings that describe 

the problems the OIG has identified and corrective actions the OIG recommends. This report 

represents the opinion of the OIG and does not necessarily represent the final EPA position. 

Final determinations on matters in this report will be made by EPA managers in accordance with 

established resolution procedures. 

The estimated cost of this report – calculated by multiplying the project’s staff days by the 

applicable daily full cost billing rates in effect at the time – is $201,257. 

Action Required 

In accordance with EPA Manual 2750, you are required to provide a written response to this 

report within 90 days. You should include a corrective actions plan for agreed-upon actions, 

including milestone dates. We have no objections to the further release of this report to the 

public. This report will be available at http://www.epa.gov/oig. 

If you or your staff have any questions, please contact me at 202-566-0827 or 

najjum.wade@epa.gov, or Jeffrey Harris at 202-566-0831 or harris.jeffrey@epa.gov. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Need Continues for a Strategic Plan 10-P-0095 

to Protect Children’s Health 

Table of Contents 

Chapters 

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 

Purpose ....................................................................................................... 1 

Background ................................................................................................. 1 

Scope and Methodology.............................................................................. 3 

Prior Audit Coverage ................................................................................... 4 

2 Corrective Actions Not Implemented .............................................................. 5 

OCHPEE Lacks a Strategic Plan................................................................. 5 

Annual Planning Process Has Not Improved .............................................. 5 

Corrective Actions Incorrectly Entered into MATS as Completed ............... 6 

Conclusion................................................................................................... 7 

 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 7 

Agency Comments and OIG Evaluation ..................................................... 8 

Status of Recommendations and Potential Monetary Benefits.............................. 9 

Appendices 

A Status of Agreed-to Corrective Actions ........................................................... 10 

B Agency Comments on Draft Report ................................................................ 11 

C Distribution ........................................................................................................ 13 
 

 

 10-P-0095 

Chapter 1

Introduction 

Purpose 

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the status of corrective actions taken 

by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to an Office of 

Inspector General (OIG) report issued in 2004.1 Specifically, we sought to 

determine whether: 

•	 EPA has developed a coordinated strategy to meet the National 

Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from Environmental Threats and 

defined the role and function of the Office of Children’s Health 

Protection and Environmental Education (OCHPEE) within the 

Agency. 

•	 OCHPEE has made improvements to its annual planning process and 

performed an annual internal review of results or outcomes versus 

planned activities. 

Background 

Children face significant and unique threats from environmental hazards and 

industrial chemicals. These hazards range from air pollution and lead-based paint 

in older homes to treatment-resistant microbes in drinking water. The Agency 

announced the National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from Environmental 

Threats (National Agenda) in September 1996. On April 21, 1997, Presidential 

Executive Order 13045, “Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks 

and Safety Risks,” directed federal agencies to place a high priority on protecting 

children from environmental and safety risks, and ensure that their policies, 

programs, activities, and standards address disproportionate risks to children. The 

Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP) was established in 1997 to 

formalize and integrate EPA’s efforts on behalf of children. OCHP’s role was to 

coordinate Agency efforts with other government agencies and to carry out 

1

 EPA OIG, The Effectiveness of the Office of Children’s Health Protection Cannot Yet Be Determined 

Quantitatively, Report No. 2004-P-00016, May 17, 2004. The status of agreed-to recommendations is in 

Appendix A. 

1 
 

 

 

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Executive Order 13045 and the National Agenda. Key Agency actions regarding 

children’s health are illustrated in Table 1-1. 

Table 1-1: Key Actions Taken by EPA Regarding Children’s Health 

1995: EPA issued Agency-wide policy to ensure that EPA consistently 

and explicitly evaluates environmental health risks of infants and children. 

1996: EPA announced National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health 

from Environmental Threats, in which the Agency called for a national 

commitment to ensure a healthy future for children. 

1997: EPA established Office of Children’s Health Protection to 

formalize and integrate the Agency’s efforts on behalf of children. 

1998: Office of Research and Development initiated Children’s Health 

Research Program to conduct research and provide methods to reduce 

uncertainties in EPA risk assessments for children. 

2002: OCHP named lead for Agency’s Aging Initiative, making the 

protection of the health of older persons a new priority of the Agency and 

OCHP. 

2006: Environmental Education Division added under the direction of 

OCHP. OCHP becomes OCHPEE. 

2009: OCHPEE in process of being reorganized. The Aging function 

and the Environmental Education Division will be moved to the Office of 

Public Affairs. According to the Director of the Office of Executive 

Services, the formal process is underway and is expected to be finalized in 

2010. Once completed, OCHPEE’s sole goal will be to protect children’s 

environmental health. 

Source: OIG. 

The scope of OCHP’s mission expanded when the environmental education 

function was added in FY 2006. OCHPEE’s current mission is “to make the 

health protection of children and the aging a fundamental goal of public health 

and environmental protection in the United States and around the world.” 

OCHPEE’s goal is that: 

Every individual, government agency, corporation, 

community, and organization will: 1) understand the link 

between children’s health and the environment; and 2) take 

positive action to improve children’s environmental 

health. 

To meet its mission and goal, OCHPEE supports and facilitates EPA’s efforts to 

protect children from environmental health threats. The Agency’s funding for 

children and other sensitive populations for Fiscal Years 2004 through 2009 is 

illustrated in Figure 1-1. 

2 
 

 

 

 

 10-P-0095 

Figure 1-1: Agency Budget for Children & Other Sensitive Populations, 

Fiscal Years 2004-2009 

$5,200,000 

$5,400,000 

$5,600,000 

$5,800,000 

$6,000,000 

$6,200,000 

$6,400,000 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 

Fiscal Year 

Source: OIG. 

Scope and Methodology 

We conducted this performance evaluation in accordance with generally accepted 

government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform 

the evaluation to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable 

basis for our findings and conclusions based on our objectives. We believe that 

the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and 

conclusions based upon our objectives. We performed our follow-up evaluation 

from August 2009 through February 2010. 

We reviewed the status of the implementation of agreed-to corrective actions 

from our previously issued report. Our review focused on the four 

recommendations related to improving OCHPEE’s role and presence within the 

Agency, as well as its annual and strategic planning processes. Specifically, the 

scope of our review included a review of recommendations 2-1, 2-2, 3-1, and 3-2. 

To complete our review, we met with OCHPEE’s director and staff and analyzed 

support documents to determine the status of implementation of the report’s 

recommendations. We also spoke with other internal and external stakeholders, 

including the Director of the Office of Executive Services. We reviewed EPA’s 

Audit Management Process Manual 2750 and discussed the report’s final action 

data with the Audit Follow-up Coordinator. 

3 
 

 

 10-P-0095 

Prior Audit Coverage 

The OIG initiated a series of reviews in 2002 to determine how the EPA planned, 

prioritized, coordinated, implemented, and evaluated activities related to 

children’s health protection and the environment. During this review, we sought 

to determine: 

• EPA’s agenda for fostering children’s health and how OCHP ensures its 

achievement 

• The impediments to OCHP ensuring the achievement of the Agency’s 

National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from Environmental Threats 

• How well OCHP planned and coordinated children’s health activities 

within the Agency 

While OCHP was responsible for implementing the National Agenda, it was not 

directly responsible for many of the goals outlined in the National Agenda. 

OCHP’s mission was not a task that could have been undertaken in isolation; a 

full and active partnership with stakeholders was needed. However, we found 

that there was no overall, coordinated strategy integrating children’s 

environmental health efforts into the Agency as a whole and no active 

communication process in place among the program offices and OCHP. Further, 

at the time of our report issuance in 2004, OCHP had been without a permanent 

director since April 2002. We recognized that the lack of a permanent director 

could have a negative impact on OCHP’s ability to collaborate and partner with 

stakeholders, which was necessary to implement the National Agenda. 

We found that OCHP had no formal mechanism in place to ensure performance 

results or assess the relationships between program costs, activities, and results. 

OCHP had a strategic planning process that included an annual office planning 

meeting followed by a mid-year meeting to assess the status of the current year’s 

plan and to begin consideration of potential focus areas for the following year. 

However, there was no formal tracking to ensure that goals set at these meetings 

were met. More specifically, data and information systems were not available to 

measure, analyze, and demonstrate overall performance specific to the National 

Agenda on a continuing basis. 

We issued several recommendations to the then-Acting Deputy Administrator to 

improve OCHP’s role and presence within the Agency, as well as OCHP’s annual 

and strategic planning processes. The Agency concurred with our 

recommendations that OCHP develop a strategic plan and improve its annual 

planning process. 

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 10-P-0095 

Chapter 2

Corrective Actions Not Implemented 

OCHPEE did not implement the agreed-to corrective actions from the previous 

OIG report. OCHPEE prepared a draft strategic plan; however, it was never 

completed. Additionally, OCHPEE has neither made substantial changes in the 

annual planning process, nor incorporated measures to track outputs or outcomes, 

as recommended. The Office of the Administrator’s audit management follow-up 

process did not follow the prescribed policy, which contributed to the corrective 

actions not being completed. Five years later, most of these agreed-to corrective 

actions have not been implemented, though they continue to be both relevant and 

valid to OCHPEE. 

OCHPEE Lacks a Strategic Plan 

OCHPEE does not have a strategic plan, nor has it developed a coordinated 

strategy, to meet the National Agenda as we recommended in 2004. OCHPEE 

developed a draft strategic plan in early 2005 in direct response to our 

recommendation; however, it was never completed or finalized. The 2005 draft is 

now outdated and not reflective of the current environment of the office. For 

example, the addition of the Environmental Education Division in 2006 was not 

incorporated. Additionally, the 2005 draft does not reflect the new OCHPEE 

Director’s “Five Point Agenda for Children’s Environmental Health,” issued on 

July 28, 2009. 

Annual Planning Process Has Not Improved 

OCHPEE did not implement the recommendations to improve and enhance its 

annual planning process. The report contained these recommendations to 

improve and enhance the annual planning process: 

•	 Establishing measures for project completion 

•	 Identifying quantifiable goals and targets 

•	 Planning for potential resources use 

•	 Establishing a methodology for prioritizing resources to problems posing 

greatest risks to children 

•	 Performing an annual review of results or outcomes compared to planned 

activities 

The completion of these recommendations would have brought OCHPEE into 

compliance with the requirements of Government Performance Results Act of 

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 10-P-0095 

1993 (GPRA).2 GPRA Section 4 provides instructions for Annual Performance 

Plans and Reports. OCHPEE staff advised that their annual planning process has 

remained largely unchanged and the agreed-to corrective actions were not 

implemented. 

After the 2004 OIG report was issued, OCHPEE experienced several changes in 

leadership. Because of these changes, momentum for implementing the 

recommendations was lost. The current office director believes the 

recommendations are still valid and relevant. 

Corrective Actions Incorrectly Entered into MATS as Completed 

Contrary to EPA’s Audit Management Process Manual (EPA Manual 2750), the 

EPA Action Official and the Audit Follow-up Coordinator entered into the 

Management Audit Tracking System (MATS) that corrective actions were 

completed, though some remained open. EPA Manual 2750 specifies the 

documentation requirements and staff responsibilities regarding entering this 

report in MATS with a final action date.3 The principal objectives of EPA 

Manual 2750 are to detail the process by which: 

1.	 EPA officials4 respond to OIG reports 

2.	 OIG and EPA officials resolve findings and recommendations 

contained in reports 

3.	 EPA officials implement follow-up corrective actions 

The Action Official did not certify that the actions and milestone dates were 

achieved as required by EPA Manual 2750. The Action Official sent an e-mail 

authorizing the Audit Follow-up Coordinator to enter the final action date into 

MATS. In the e-mail, the Action Official stated, “ . . . I believe we don’t have 

any additional follow-up on this.” The Action Official also stated in the e-mail 

that the Inspector General was briefed on the strategic plan and how the plan 

responded to a number of the recommendations. A briefing, however, is 

insufficient to verify that corrective actions have been completed. Nonetheless, a 

final action date was entered into MATS in 2005. 

2

 GPRA requires federal agencies, including EPA, to prepare performance plans containing annual performance 

goals and measures to help move them toward managing for results. Performance measurement is the monitoring 

and reporting of program accomplishments, particularly progress toward pre-established goals. Performance 

measures may address the type of program activities conducted, the direct products and services delivered by a 

program (outputs), and the results of those products and services (outcomes). Effective performance measurement 

enables an agency to establish baselines; identify and prioritize problems; and evaluate, manage, and improve 

programs. 

3

 The final action date indicated the completion and documentation of all actions specified in the Management 

Decision. 

4

 The Action Official is responsible for implementing the corrective actions and meeting the milestone dates 

contained in the OIG-accepted Management Decision. The Action Official keeps documentation on the 

implementation of corrective actions. Chapter 2 of EPA Manual 2750 provides that the Audit Follow-up 

Coordinator’s duties are to maintain documentation from the Action Official confirming that corrective actions are 

complete and for maintaining the Action Official’s certification that corrective actions are complete. 

6 
 

 

 

 10-P-0095 

The Action Official did not certify in the e-mail that actions were complete. Not 

complying with the audit follow-up process requirements contributed to the 

corrective actions not being implemented but reported as complete. The Audit 

Follow-up Coordinator advised that the process changed within the last 2 years 

and the follow-up process is now in compliance with EPA Manual 2750. 

Conclusion 

Five years after providing OCHPEE with recommendations related to the strategic 

and annual planning processes, the corrective actions were not completed. If 

these corrective actions were implemented, OCHPEE would be able to 

demonstrate, on an annual basis, its impact on the protection of children’s health. 

The lack of strategic planning, identified goals, adequate measures, and 

quantifiable accomplishments result in OCHPEE’s inability to demonstrate its 

role and value added to the protection of children’s health. 

We believe that the unimplemented and agreed-to recommendations are still 

valid. The Agency’s new five-point agenda for protecting children’s health 

requires reevaluating the role of OCHPEE, as well as redefining its function and 

areas of responsibility within the Agency. If OCHPEE is unable to demonstrate 

its impact on improving children’s health protection, the Agency leadership 

should evaluate whether these resources could be better used by program offices 

that have activities that target children’s environmental health challenges. 

Recommendations 

We recommend that the EPA Deputy Administrator: 

2-1. Implement agreed-to corrective actions from Report No. 2004-P-00016, 

which include developing a strategic plan, improving annual planning, 

establishing measures, and reporting its results and outcomes toward 

meeting the Agency’s National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from 

Environmental Threats; or devolve to other program offices the functions 

and resources of the Office of Children’s Health Protection and 

Environmental Education. 

2-2. Verify the current audit follow-up process is in compliance with EPA 

Manual 2750 as follows: 

a. Action Officials ensure that corrective actions are documented, 

tracked, and implemented; and certify that corrective actions are 

complete. 

b.	 Audit Follow-up Coordinators maintain official files containing the 

record of management decisions and certifications of completed 

corrective actions. 

7 
 10-P-0095 

Agency Comments and OIG Evaluation 

EPA concurred with each of the recommendations. The Agency stated that upon 

completion of a reorganization of OCHPEE, it will implement recommendation 

2-1 which fully addresses the intent of the recommendation. The Agency also 

stated that the verification of the follow-up process called for in recommendation 

2-2 has been completed. We consider recommendation 2-2 closed. The Agency’s 

complete response is included in Appendix B. 

8 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 10-P-0095 

Status of Recommendations and 

Potential Monetary Benefits 

POTENTIAL MONETARY 

RECOMMENDATIONS BENEFITS (in $000s) 

Rec. 

No. 

Page 

No. Subject Status1 Action Official 

Planned 

Completion 

Date 

Claimed 

Amount 

Agreed To 

Amount 

2-1 7 Implement agreed-to corrective actions from 

Report No. 2004-P-00016, which include 

developing a strategic plan, improving annual 

planning, establishing measures, and reporting its 

results and outcomes toward meeting the Agency’s 

National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from 

Environmental Threats; or devolve to other 

program offices the functions and resources of the 

Office of Children’s Health Protection and 

Environmental Education. 

O Deputy Administrator 

2-2 7 Verify the current audit follow-up process is in 

compliance with EPA Manual 2750 as follows: 

a. Action Officials ensure that corrective actions 

are documented, tracked, and implemented; 

and certify that corrective actions are complete. 

b. Audit Follow-up Coordinators maintain official 

files containing the record of management 

decisions and certifications of completed 

corrective actions. 

C Deputy Administrator 3/5/10 

O = recommendation is open with agreed-to corrective actions pending 

C = recommendation is closed with all agreed-to actions completed 

U = recommendation is undecided with resolution efforts in progress 

9 

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 10-P-0095 

Appendix A 

Status of Agreed-to Corrective Actions 

Recommendation Agreed-to Corrective Action Status of Corrective Action 

2-1: Develop a coordinated strategy The Agency responded that it was Implementation incomplete. A 

that ties specific measures, milestones, working to refine OCHP’s strategic draft strategic plan was developed 

and targets toward meeting the plan and to develop strategic targets in 2005; however, it was not 

Agency’s National Agenda to Protect and performance measures that would finalized. Additionally, the draft 

Children’s Health from Environmental largely track with the National Agenda. plan does not incorporate the 

Threats. newly developed five-point agenda 

for the Agency regarding 

protecting children’s health and 

does not reflect the addition of the 

Environmental Education Division 

in 2006. 

2-2: Reevaluate the role of OCHP and EPA leadership agreed to reiterate the Initiated in the development of the 

redefine its function and areas of role of OCHP to EPA senior managers draft strategic plan. However, over 

responsibility within the Agency. so that OCHP can continue to be an 

effective participant in all of the 

Agency’s programs that affect children. 

the last 8 years, the responsibilities 

and areas of focus have changed 

three times. 

3-1: Make improvements to its annual 

planning process to include, at a 

minimum: 

a. More complete and measurable 

details on how planned activities are 

projected to be completed, 

identifying quantifiable attainable 

goals and targets; 

b. A plan of what potential resources, 

either internally within OCHP or 

externally within EPA or other 

The Agency agreed to continue to 

revise its strategic plan, which would 

be used to guide OCHP’s decisions and 

resource allocation. The Agency 

advised that OCHP would work with 

an expert consultant to develop 

quantitative measures for each strategic 

target. The results of both of these 

activities were to be used to inform 

decisions and priority setting on an 

annual basis. 

Not fully implemented. The 

strategic plan was not finalized. 

Strategic targets for many of the 

measures are still identified as “to 

be determined.” No changes or 

improvements were made to the 

annual planning process. 

stakeholders, are to be used; 

c. Projected allocations of these 

resources and what the end products 

will be; and 

d. A methodology to set priorities to 

ensure resources are being allocated 

to those problems that pose the 

greatest environmental risks to 

children, recognizing that OCHP has 

limited resources. 

3-2: Perform an annual internal review The Agency agreed to include a review Not implemented. No such 

of results or outcomes versus planned and analysis of the strategic targets and reviews were conducted. 

activities. projects in the annual planning process 

to determine whether the results and 

outcomes identified have been met, and 

if not, why and whether additional 

efforts are required to meet them; and 

lessons learned. The Agency also 

agreed to work with a consultant to 

develop measures for each target. 

Source: OIG. 

10 
 

 

 10-P-0095 

Appendix B 

Agency Comments on Draft Report 

The response from the Deputy Administrator was received on March 5, 2010. 

MEMORANDUM 

SUBJECT: Draft Evaluation Report: The Need Continues for a Strategic Plan to Protect 

Children’s Health 

FROM: Robert Perciasepe 

Deputy Administrator 

TO: Jeffrey Harris 

Office of the Inspector General 

Director for Program Evaluation, Cross Media Issues 

We appreciate the work of the Inspector General’s office (OIG) in preparing draft 

Evaluation Report No. 2009-947 “The Need Continues for a Strategic Plan to Protect Children’s 

Health”. The report is factually accurate in that the Office of Children’s Health Protection and 

Environmental Education currently lacks a strategic plan and additional enhancements to the 

annual planning process are necessary in order to be fully responsive to the recommendations in 

OIG’s 2004 report on children’s health at EPA. 

EPA concurs with the recommendations in the draft report: 

2-1. Implement agreed-to corrective actions from Report No. 2004-P-00016, which 

include developing a strategic plan, improving annual planning, establishing 

measures, and reporting its results and outcomes toward meeting the Agency’s 

National Agenda to Protect Children’s Health from Environmental Threats; or 

devolve to other program offices the functions and resources of the Office of 

Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education. 

2-2. Verify the current audit follow-up process is in compliance with EPA Manual 2750 

as follows: 

a. Action Officials ensure that corrective actions are documented, tracked, 

and implemented; and certify that corrective actions are complete. 

b. Audit Follow-up Coordinators maintain official files containing the 

record of management decisions and certifications of completed 

corrective actions. 

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 10-P-0095 

As indicated in the draft report, EPA is currently in the process or reorganizing the Office 

of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education. Upon completion of the 

reorganization, EPA will implement recommendation 2-1 in the draft report. 

EPA has verified that recommendation 2-2 has been completed. Action Officials in the 

Administrator’s Office ensure that corrective actions are documented, tracked, and implemented; 

and certify that corrective actions are complete. Audit Follow-up Coordinators in the 

Administrator’s office also maintain official files containing the record of management decisions 

and certifications of completed corrective actions. 

We look forward to receiving your final report. 

cc: Peter Grevatt, OCHPEE 

12 
 

 

 10-P-0095 

Appendix C 

Distribution 

Office of the Administrator 

Deputy Administrator 

Director, Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education 

Agency Follow-up Official (the CFO) 

Agency Follow-up Coordinator 

General Counsel 

Associate Administrator for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations 

Associate Administrator for Public Affairs 

Audit Follow-up Coordinator, Office of the Administrator 

Acting Inspector General 

13