Certain management problems are common among agencies, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency has said in a report prepared for a House hearing that in many ways mirrors GAO’s high-risk list. The top challenges as identified in individual reports IGs in various agencies are:
“safeguarding sensitive data and information systems, networks, and assets against cyber-attacks and insider threats; modernizing and managing federal IT systems; ensuring continuity of operations; and recruiting and retaining a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce;
“collecting and using performance-based metrics; overseeing private-sector corporations’ impact on human health, safety, and the economy; and aligning agency component operations to agency-wide goals;
“inadequate funding and staffing; recruiting, training, and retaining qualified staff; agency cultures that negatively impact the agency’s mission; and the impact of the lack of succession planning and high employee turnover;
“the need for agencies to improve their financial reporting and systems, and the significant amount of dollars federal agencies lose through improper payments;
“weaknesses with procurement planning, managing and overseeing contractor performance, and the training of personnel involved in the procurement function;
“the increased likelihood of mission failure and the higher overall cost of deferred maintenance;
“ensuring grant investments achieve intended results, overseeing the use of grant funds, and obtaining timely and accurate financial and performance information from grantees.”