Correspondence

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The Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform asked 24 Federal offices of inspector general, including our office, to examine agencies’ plans for returning employees to Federal offices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Accordingly, we assessed the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) “Framework for DOT’s Return to Normal Operations” to (1) determine the extent to which it is in accord with guidance for safe reopening from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management and incorporates advice from the Centers for Disease Control, General Services Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and (2) identify the initial actions DOT has taken to transition personnel safely back to their normal duty stations. While we are not making recommendations based on our assessment to the Department or its OAs, we identified five challenges the Department faces in safely transitioning personnel back to their duty stations. By focusing on these challenges, utilizing key internal controls, and providing detailed guidance, DOT can better support its employees and contractors in executing its mission as safely as possible.