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      Recent Reports
    Fraud Risk Management: 2018-2022 Data Show Federal Government Loses an Estimated $233 Billion to $521 Billion Annually to Fraud, Based on Various Risk EnvironmentsGAO-24-105833
      
	Published:  Apr 16, 2024


	Publicly Released: Apr 16, 2024
          2020 Census: The Bureau Adapted Approaches for Addressing Unexpected Results and Developing Annual Population EstimatesGAO-24-106594
      
	Published:  Apr 01, 2024


	Publicly Released: Apr 01, 2024
          2023 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations on Compliance with RequirementsGAO-24-106799
      
	Published:  Apr 01, 2024


	Publicly Released: Apr 01, 2024
          Freedom of Information Act: Additional Guidance and Reliable Data Can Help Address Agency Backlogs
    GAO-24-106535
      Published: Mar 07, 2024
      Publicly Released: Mar 13, 2024
          Federal Real Property: More Consistent Monitoring of Asbestos Could Improve OversightGAO-24-106324
      
	Published:  Mar 04, 2024


	Publicly Released: Mar 04, 2024
          Justice40: Use of Leading Practices Would Strengthen Efforts to Guide Environmental Justice InitiativeGAO-24-105869
      
	Published:  Jan 29, 2024


	Publicly Released: Feb 28, 2024
    
    

  
  View More ReportsOpen Recommendations
        Fraud Risk Management: 2018-2022 Data Show Federal Government Loses an Estimated $233 Billion to $521 Billion Annually to Fraud, Based on Various Risk EnvironmentsGAO-24-105833
      
						Apr 16, 2024
              Show
          3Open Recommendations

          Agency Affected
                                                  Recommendation
                                                  StatusOffice of Management and Budget
                                                                                        The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in collaboration with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, should develop guidance on the collection of Office of Inspector General (OIG) data to support fraud estimation. The guidance should (1) identify and establish consistent data elements and terminology for use across OIGs; (2) include a timeline for implementation and key milestones; and (3) leverage existing data systems and processes, as appropriate. (Recommendation 1)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.Office of Management and Budget
                                                                                        The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, with input from executive branch agencies, should develop guidance on the collection of executive agency data to support fraud estimation. The guidance should (1) identify and establish consistent data elements and terminology for use across agencies; (2) include a timeline for implementation and key milestones; and (3) leverage existing data systems and processes, as appropriate. (Recommendation 2)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.Department of the Treasury
                                                                                        The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, should establish an effort to evaluate and identify methods to expand government-wide fraud estimation to support fraud risk management. This effort should (1) initially prioritize program areas at increased risk of fraud; (2) be responsive to changes in the availability or quality of data; and (3) leverage data-analytics capabilities, such as within the Office of Payment Integrity, which includes the Do Not Pay program. (Recommendation 3)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
          Freedom of Information Act: Additional Guidance and Reliable Data Can Help Address Agency BacklogsGAO-24-106535
      
						Mar 13, 2024
              Show
          4Open Recommendations

          Agency Affected
                                                  Recommendation
                                                  StatusDepartment of Justice
                                                                                        The Attorney General should direct the Director of the Office of Information Policy to issue guidance advising agencies to include elements of effective action plans in their backlog reduction plans. Such elements include identifying and analyzing root causes of their backlog; identifying actions the agency will take to address those root causes; and establishing specific backlog reduction goals, performance measures, and milestones for tracking progress. (Recommendation 1)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.Department of Justice
                                                                                        The Attorney General should direct the Director of the Office of Information Policy to issue guidance advising agencies to identify actions in their backlog reduction plans to help ensure staff with the necessary skills are available to support reduction efforts. (Recommendation 2)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.Department of Justice
                                                                                        The Attorney General should direct the Director of the Office of Information Policy (OIP) to develop a process for OIP to more closely examine the data agencies report on component-level FOIA requests and average request processing times to help agencies ensure they report accurate average processing times. (Recommendation 3)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.Department of Justice
                                                                                        The Attorney General should direct the Director of the Office of Information Policy (OIP) to update the materials for OIP's training on annual FOIA reporting to highlight that agencies are required to report weighted average processing times for FOIA requests, and include instructions on how agencies should calculate their weighted average processing times. (Recommendation 4)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
          Federal Real Property: More Consistent Monitoring of Asbestos Could Improve OversightGAO-24-106324
      
						Mar 04, 2024
              Show
          1Open Recommendations

          Agency Affected
                                                  Recommendation
                                                  StatusGeneral Services Administration
                                                                                        The Administrator of GSA should either implement a plan to ensure that asbestos inspections are conducted in accordance with GSA's current asbestos management policy or revise the policy to incorporate a risk-based approach. Such a plan could include strategies to address funding gaps, a timeline for completing missing inspections or updating the asbestos management policy, and steps to update the IRIS database to allow GSA to better monitor compliance with the policy. (Recommendation 1)
                                                                                        Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
          Justice40: Use of Leading Practices Would Strengthen Efforts to Guide Environmental Justice InitiativeGAO-24-105869
      
						Feb 28, 2024
              Show
          15Open Recommendations

          Agency Affected
                                                  Recommendation
                                                  StatusCouncil on Environmental Quality
                                                                                        The Chair of CEQ, jointly with the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor of CPO and the Director of OMB, should work with the Interagency Council to clarify and document the roles and responsibilities of the Interagency Council in updating and developing new guidance and tools for implementing the Justice40 Initiative. (Recommendation 1)
                                                                                        Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, CEQ stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on leading practices. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agencies.Office of Management and Budget
                                                                                        The Director of OMB, jointly with the Chair of CEQ and the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor of CPO, should work with the Interagency Council to clarify and document the roles and responsibilities of the Interagency Council in updating and developing new guidance and tools for implementing the Justice40 Initiative. (Recommendation 2)
                                                                                        Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, CEQ stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on leading practices. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agencies.Office of Domestic Climate Policy
                                                                                        The Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor of CPO, jointly with the Chair of CEQ and the Director of OMB, should work with the Interagency Council to clarify and document the roles and responsibilities of the Interagency Council in updating and developing new guidance and tools for implementing the Justice40 Initiative. (Recommendation 3)
                                                                                        Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, CEQ stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on leading practices. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agencies.Council on Environmental Quality
                                                                                        The Chair of CEQ, jointly with the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor of CPO and the Director of OMB, should work with WHEJAC members and WHEJAC administrative officials to assess WHEJAC's communication needs with EOP, and then, as appropriate, develop methods for meeting those needs. (Recommendation 4)
                                                                                        Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, CEQ stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on leading practices. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agencies.Office of Management and Budget
                                                                                        The Director of OMB, jointly with the Chair of CEQ and the Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor of CPO, should work with WHEJAC members and WHEJAC administrative officials to assess WHEJAC's communication needs with EOP, and then, as appropriate, develop methods for meeting those needs. (Recommendation 5)
                                                                                        Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, CEQ stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on leading practices. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agencies.Office of Domestic Climate Policy
                                                                                        The Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor of CPO, jointly with the Chair of CEQ and the Director of OMB, should work with WHEJAC members and WHEJAC administrative officials to assess WHEJAC's communication needs with EOP, and then, as appropriate, develop methods for meeting those needs. (Recommendation 6)
                                                                                        Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, CEQ stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on leading practices. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agencies.
    
    

  
  View More RecommendationsRelated Pages
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            ayersj@gao.gov
      
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            daceyr@gao.gov
      
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        How Should Federal Agencies Acquire and Use Artificial Intelligence?
          Tuesday, December 12, 2023
          U.S. Comptroller General Testifies to U.S. Senate on 2023 Duplication and Cost Savings Report
      
        
        U.S. Comptroller General Testifies to U.S. Senate on 2023 Duplication and Cost Savings Report
          Friday, June 16, 2023Transcript
Podcasts
    
      Our First-Of-A-Kind Estimate of Fraud in the Federal Government
    Tuesday, April 16, 2024
      
            Transcript
          Federal Response to Cyber-based Attacks
    Monday, December 04, 2023
      
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          Underused Federal Office Spaces
    Thursday, July 13, 2023
      
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              INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: Tracking the Funds: Update on Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending
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              Federal Government Made $236 billion “Improper Payments” Last Fiscal Year
            Tuesday, March 26, 2024
      
            The federal government reported an estimated $236 billion in “improper payments” during the most...
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