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By: FEDweek StaffGAO has credited OMB with taking actions that resulted in resolving seven of its 44 high priority recommendations for that agency over the last year but meanwhile added seven new ones.
GAO cited OMB’s actions in that time including: issuing a plan to test and implement a federal program inventory; guidance implementing the Payment Integrity Information Act; coordinating meetings that engaged agencies on cybersecurity-related topics; developing reporting guidance on agency use of Defense Production Act authorities for COVID-19 purposes; and updating its category management guidance.
GAO said that the remaining priority recommendations fall into the general categories of:
Improving government performance, including “fully and effectively implementing a federal program inventory, broadening the scope of programs that OMB typically considers in assessing federal agency performance.”
* Increasing availability and transparency of government data, including by helping agencies develop and maintain comprehensive data inventories, and make their data open by default.
* Improving acquisition management and reducing costs, including by helping agencies “improve the manner in which they procure, track, and manage” the goods and services they buy.
* Reducing government-wide improper payments, including “developing and implementing monitoring mechanisms to evaluate agency use of the Do Not Pay working system.”
* Strengthening cybersecurity, including working with DHS on a government-wide cybersecurity workforce plan, collecting data on agencies’ use of cloud services, and improving coordination between federal and state governments.
* Establishing controls for disaster relief, including guidance for agencies to use in designing internal control plans for disaster relief funding.
* Improving real property asset management including updating and developing a clearinghouse of information on asset management practices and successful agency experiences.
* Improving information management, including updating policies on electronic record-keeping systems.
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See also,
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