Audit of Selected Cooperative Agreements Supporting Department of State Refugee Resettlement Support Centers

Submitting OIG:

Department of State OIG

Date Issued:

Monday, September 18, 2023

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

Department of State

Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:

AUD-SI-23-28

Component, if applicable:

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

Location(s):

Kenya

Thailand

Turkey

Type of Report:

Audit

Questioned Costs:

$759,000

Funds for Better Use:

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

View Document:

Attachment	Size
AUD-SI-23-28.pdf	2.55 MB

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
1	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration review its refugee application quality control processes to identify gaps and develop and implement improvements to provide reasonable assurance that program objectives will be achieved.
2	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration review its standard operating procedures to consolidate and clarify guidance related to prescreening refugee applicants and ensuring data consistency between START and the physical case file.
3	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration collaborate with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to evaluate steps in the standard operating procedures related to prescreening refugees and update those procedures as appropriate.
5	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) determine whether the $426,527 in questioned costs related to International Rescue Committee’s cooperative agreement (SPRMCO22CA0007) for an office renovation contract and canvas bags, as detailed in Appendix B, are allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unallowable.
6	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) determine whether the $127,899 in unsupported costs related to International Rescue Committee’s cooperative agreement (SPRMCO22CA0007) for the purchase of equipment, the renting of meeting rooms, and professional services contracts, as detailed in Appendix B, are supported and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported.
7	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) determine whether the $42,884 in unsupported costs related to Church World Service’s cooperative agreement (SPRMCO22CA0005) for a security services contract, mechanical engineer consulting services contract, and lodging costs, as detailed in Appendix B, are supported and (b) recover all costs determined to be unsupported.
8	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) determine whether all other payments made in the first, second, and fourth quarters of FY 2022 related to Church World Service’s cooperative agreement (SPRMCO22CA0005) for a security services contract and a mechanical engineer consulting services contract are supported and (b) recover all additional costs determined to be unsupported.
9	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) determine whether the $39,094 in unsupported costs related to International Catholic Migration Commission’s cooperative agreement (SPRMCO22CA0002) for consulting services contracts, as detailed in Appendix B, are supported and (b) recover any costs determined to be unsupported.
10	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) determine whether the $122,596 in questioned costs related to International Catholic Migration Commission’s cooperative agreement (SPRMCO22CA0002) for a security contract, as detailed in Appendix B, are reasonable and (b) recover all costs determined to be unreasonable.
11	Open	No
OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) review all contracts executed by International Catholic Migration Commission under award SPRMCO22CA0002 not already covered under this audit report to determine whether the costs associated with those contracts comply with Code of Federal Regulations requirements and (b) recover all costs determined to be unallowable.

Recommendation Number

Recommendation Status

Significant Recommendation

Additional Details

Open

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration review its refugee application quality control processes to identify gaps and develop and implement improvements to provide reasonable assurance that program objectives will be achieved.

Open

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration review its standard operating procedures to consolidate and clarify guidance related to prescreening refugee applicants and ensuring data consistency between START and the physical case file.

Open

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration collaborate with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to evaluate steps in the standard operating procedures related to prescreening refugees and update those procedures as appropriate.

Open

OIG recommends that the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (a) determine whether the $426,527 in questioned costs related to International Rescue Committee’s cooperative agreement (SPRMCO22CA0007) for an office renovation contract and canvas bags, as detailed in Appendix B, are allowable and (b) recover any costs determined to be unallowable.