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During fiscal year 1997, the BLM corrected the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System material weakness. The Bureau was also successful in completing scheduled FY 1997 corrective actions on the remaining two material weaknesses: inadequate range monitoring, and oil and gas production accountability.
Through BLM's Management Control Review Program, three new material weaknesses were identified: the administration and oversight of the BLM Nevada land exchange appraisal process, needed upgrades for the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program Data Base, and administration and oversight of the Wild Horse and Burro Herd Management Program.
The results of management control reviews conducted during FY 1997 indicate that BLM's systems of management, administrative, and financial controls provide reasonable assurance that the objectives of the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act have been achieved.
A new approach to conducting evaluations has been developed by the Bureau. It is based on the concept that preventing problems is better than detecting them after the fact. Two interlocking components are involved: local self-assessment and national validation. An Implementation Team made up of both field office and headquarters members has embarked on the Phase 2 goal of building efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability into all of the Bureau's processes.
The components of our strategy to implement the redesigned evaluation process focus on the following areas:
The BLM successfully piloted some of the components of its redesigned evaluation process through an evaluation conducted in February 1997 that focused on the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company's Employee Concerns Program and Joint Pipeline Office oversight. This evaluation resulted in a restructuring of Alyeska's Employee Concerns Program and acceptance of the report by Alyeska's management, employees, customers, and stakeholders.
The Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, require government officials and employees to be accountable for managing public programs. This requirement for accountability has increased the demand for more information about government programs and services.
During fiscal year 1997, BLM's Acting Director, Deputy Director, and Assistant Directors met with the Inspector General and her staff to discuss ways to improve communications between the two agencies; work collaboratively to prevent waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement; and promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in BLM operations.
Internal Audits (Table 1) are audits of BLM program, operational, performance, or management activities at headquarters or field offices. Such audits may be conducted by Office of Inspector General (OIG) headquarters or regional staffs.
Contract and Single Audits (Table 2) are audits of records and performance of organizations outside the BLM but receiving dollars from the Bureau, such as contractors, grantees, subcontractors, and consultants under contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. These audits may be conducted by the OIG State audit groups or by other agencies under the cognizance of the OIG.
Audits requiring significant corrective action (Table 3) were all in the internal audits category. For reports still pending, corrective actions are currently underway.
Most OIG audits conducted during fiscal years 1996 and 1997 contain recommendations. The status of unresolved and resolved recommendations pending management decisions is shown in Table 4
