Today, Allison Lerner, Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) and Michael E. Horowitz, Chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) announced the joint release of two timely and wide-ranging assessments of the top management and performance challenges in federal agencies.
The CIGIE report, “Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing Multiple Federal Agencies,” serves as a resource for the new Administration and other stakeholders, identifying governmentwide challenges, including:
- Information Technology Security and Management
- Human Capital Management
- Financial Management
- Homeland Security, Disaster Preparedness, and COVID-19
- Procurement Management
- Grant Management, and
- Performance Management and Accountability.
“CIGIE’s report focuses on serious and persistent challenges across federal agencies, such as human capital and IT security. The PRAC report identifies specific challenges in implementation of pandemic response programs. I invite you to read these reports to better understand where OIGs are focusing oversight efforts in the coming weeks and months,” said Ms. Lerner.
The PRAC report, entitled “UPDATE: Top Challenges in Pandemic Relief and Response,” identifies common areas of concern among agencies specifically due to the COVID-19 crisis:
- Preventing and detecting fraud against government programs
- Informing and protecting the public against pandemic-related fraud
- Data transparency and completeness, and
- Federal workforce safety.
In keeping with the PRAC’s mission to coordinate oversight across the federal government, the report highlights management challenges endemic in multiple pandemic relief programs. The report contains individual summaries from more than 40 Offices of Inspector General summarizing the top pandemic-related challenges for the agencies they oversee.
“Inspectors General continue to conduct aggressive, independent oversight of the more than $3.5 trillion in emergency coronavirus response spending. As Congress considers new pandemic relief legislation, we hope they are informed by the numerous IG audits and investigations that highlight significant fraud and shortcomings in management of pandemic response funds. The PRAC is also providing this update on the Top Challenges facing agency leadership to help ensure proper spending and oversight of these emergency pandemic funds,” said Mr. Horowitz.
Report: Read the full PRAC report and CIGIE report.
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CIGIE is an independent Federal entity comprising 75 Federal IGs and 6 other Federal leaders. CIGIE’s mission is to address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that transcend individual Government agencies; and increase the professionalism and effectiveness of personnel by developing policies, standards, and approaches to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly skilled workforce in the offices of the Inspectors General.
The PRAC was established by the CARES Act to promote transparency and support independent oversight of the funds provided by the CARES Act and other related emergency spending bills. In addition to its coordination and oversight responsibilities, the PRAC is tasked with supporting efforts to “prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement [and] mitigate major risks that cut across program and agency boundaries.”
If you have additional questions, please contact Lisa Reijula at lisa.reijula@cigie.gov