GAO cited unauthorized charges on a government purchase card as an example of abuse. Image: Creative Lab/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffGAO has recommended steps against abuse in federal programs including “helping employees understand” agency-specific rules and “what abuse looks like in its programs.”
Variation in agency policies is one reason abuse can be hard to identify, GAO said in the latest in a series on fraud, waste and abuse in programs. Other reasons include differences in levels of monitoring, and different environments that present the potential for different levels of risk of abuse.
GAO cited unauthorized charges on a government purchase card as an example of abuse. However it can involve federal funds as well as goods and services not directly financial in nature, according to report GAO-24-106458.
Considerations for what GAO called “better identifying and determining abuse of federal resources” included (in its words):
* “Providing specific examples of what abuse could look like may help administrators better identify abuse and employ internal controls to prevent it. Tailoring such information to specific resources could help combat abuse in federal agencies.
* “Commonly abused resources may require officials to closely monitor activity and mitigate the abuse. However, officials should consider the risk of abuse of all federal resources and take steps to mitigate it. Continual program monitoring, such as conducting periodic risk assessments and data analysis, allows program managers to promptly identify abuse and take corrective action.
* “Although determining abuse may be difficult due to the varying circumstances in each case, consistent application of terminology and standards can help clarify what abuse means within the context of a specific program. This consistency allows program and oversight officials to better evaluate the circumstances, behaviors, and whether abuse occurred.”
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