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Open Recommendations (93 total)

IT Portfolio Management: OMB and Agencies Are Not Fully Addressing Selected Statutory Requirements

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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the department CIO to work with OMB to ensure that annual reviews of their IT portfolio are conducted in conjunction with the Federal CIO and the Chief Operating Officer or Deputy Secretary (or equivalent), as prescribed by FITARA. (Recommendation 11)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Charitable Food Assistance: USDA Can Enhance Guidance and Improve Program Performance Assessment

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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS develop and implement a program performance assessment system for TEFAP, beginning with setting measurable program performance goals and measures. In developing goals and measures, FNS should consider the types of data and information that could be useful for future evaluations. (Recommendation 4)
Open
USDA generally agreed with this recommendation. The agency noted that it may need additional funding to collect data to support performance goals and measures for these programs. We will monitor the agency's progress to address this recommendation.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS document and implement a process to provide and routinely update consolidated and user-friendly CSFP program guidance for states and local agencies on the FNS website. For example, this could be a program handbook or a consolidated list of pertinent program guidance. (Recommendation 2)
Open
USDA generally agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's progress in implementing it.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS, in coordination with the Agricultural Marketing Service, document and implement a plan with measurable goals and timeframes to streamline the process for resolving USDA Foods delivery issues and complaints. This could include streamlining the escalation process for delivery issues and proactively communicating complaint status updates with recipient agencies. (Recommendation 3)
Open
USDA generally agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's efforts to address it.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Food and Nutrition Service document and implement a process to provide and routinely update consolidated and user-friendly TEFAP program guidance for states and local agencies on the FNS website. For example, this could be a program handbook or a consolidated list of pertinent program guidance. (Recommendation 1)
Open
USDA generally agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's efforts to implement it.

Charitable Food Assistance: USDA Can Enhance Guidance and Improve Program Performance Assessment

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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS develop and implement a program performance assessment system for CSFP, beginning with setting measurable program performance goals and measures. In developing goals and measures, FNS should consider the types of data and information that could be useful for future evaluations. (Recommendation 5)
Open
USDA generally agreed with this recommendation. We will monitor the agency's efforts to address this recommendation.

Rural Development: Actions Needed to Improve Assistance to Southwest Border Communities Known as Colonias

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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Rural Housing Service Administrator uses data to track the extent to which Single Family Housing programs serve colonias and to inform its management of the programs. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Rural Housing Service Administrator develops and implements procedures for identifying and recording whether applications for Single Family Housing programs are for properties in colonias. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Cloud Computing: Agencies Need to Address Key OMB Procurement Requirements

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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the CIO of Agriculture finalizes its guidance to require that contracts affecting the agency's high value assets that are managed and operated in the cloud include language that provides the agency with continuous visibility of the asset. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Cloud Computing: Agencies Need to Address Key OMB Procurement Requirements

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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the CIO of Agriculture updates its existing contracts for high value assets that are managed and operated in the cloud to meet OMB's requirement once guidance from the CIO Council is available on language that provides the agency with continuous visibility of the asset. If modifying the existing contract is not practical, the agency should incorporate language into the contract that will meet OMB's requirement upon option exercise or issuance of a new award. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.