Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced today the release of the DOJ Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) annual report identifying the top management and performance challenges facing the DOJ. This year’s report identifies nine areas that the OIG believes represent the most pressing concerns for the DOJ.
- Advancing National Security, Protecting Sensitive Information, and Safeguarding Civil Liberties
- Enhancing Cybersecurity with Emerging Technology and Collaboration
- Managing an Overcrowded Federal Prison System in an Era of Declining Resources
- Building Productive Relationships and Trust Between Law Enforcement and Communities
- Coordinating within the Department and Across Government to Fulfill the Department’s Mission to Combat Crime
- Administering and Overseeing Contracts and Grants
- Effectively Applying Performance-Based Management to Inform Decision Making and Improve Outcomes
- Filling Mission Critical Positions Despite Department Challenges and Delays in the Onboarding Process
- Ensuring Adherence to Established Department Policies and Procedures
The first eight challenges identified in today’s report represent areas of concern that the OIG also identified in last year’s report. The list includes a new challenge this year, Ensuring Adherence to Established Department Policies and Procedures.
The report, which was transmitted to the DOJ last month and released pursuant to statute as part of the DOJ’s Agency Financial Report, is intended to help the Department in its efforts to improve program performance and exercise careful oversight to ensure the effectiveness of its operations.
The challenges are identified based on the OIG’s oversight work, research, and judgment. The OIG has prepared similar reports since 1998.
Report: The report released today is available on the OIG’s website under “Recent Reports” and at the following link: https://oig.justice.gov/challenges/2018.pdf.
Related reports: Top Challenges reports from previous years can be found here.