NCJ Number
249195
Date Published
September 2015
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This audit by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) determined whether components of the Department of Justice (DOJ) are complying with DOJ's conference planning policies following across-the-board cuts to Federal spending under a process known as "sequestration" and also to review actions the DOJ components took to implement the March 5, 2013 Deputy Attorney General's (DAG's) memorandum on conferences.
Abstract
This audit report presents findings on DOJ conference cost limits and approvals for the following DOJ components: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Office of Justice Programs, and the Office on Violence Against Women. Also reported are these agencies' efforts to reduce conference spending. The audit determined that between fiscal years 2010 and 2014, reported DOJ conference costs fell by about $72 million, from almost $923 million in FY 2010 to less than $20 million in FY 2014. Similarly, the number of events sponsored by DOJ components declined from 1,740 events in FY 2010 to 445 events in FY 2014. The recommendations suggest ways in which two of the DOJ components - the Office of Justice Programs and the Office for Violence Against Women - can improve their compliance with DOJ conference planning and expenditure requirements. One recommendation suggests how the Justice Management Division (JMD) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security can improve its reporting policy regarding justification for exceeding established conference cost thresholds and limits, as well as ensure that its oversight includes receiving actual cost reports after events. 11 tables and responses to the audit draft report from those agencies cited in the recommendations