Drug-Free Communities Support Program: Stronger Internal Controls and Other Actions Needed to Better Manage the Grant-Making Process
GAO-08-57
Published: Jul 31, 2008. Publicly Released: Sep 02, 2008.
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Highlights
Twenty-five percent of American students ages 13-17 reported using illicit drugs in 2007. The Drug-Free Communities Support Program provides grants to community coalitions involved in reducing youth substance abuse. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) administers the program. ONDCP selected the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to operate the grant program in fiscal year 2005. In 2005, ONDCP did not award grants to some coalitions who had previously received grant funds (renewal grantees). GAO was asked to assess (1) the extent to which ONDCP and SAMHSA administered grant-related activities for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 consistent with federal internal control standards, statutory requirements, and other guidance and (2) the steps ONDCP has taken since 2006 regarding its administration of grant-related activities. GAO analyzed and compared program documents and grant activities to established guidance, such as federal internal control standards and statutory requirements, and interviewed key program management officials.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of National Drug Control Policy | To strengthen its administration, oversight, and internal controls for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy should develop and document its approach to monitoring and overseeing SAMHSA and the program as a whole. | The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is responsible for the administration of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. Fiscal year 2005 was the first year that the grant program was operated by ONDCP and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under an interagency agreement. In 2008, we found that ONDCP had not developed or documented its approach to monitoring SAMHSA's administration of the grant program and overseeing the grant program as a whole. For example, neither the fiscal year 2007 interagency agreement between ONDCP and SAMHSA nor other documentation associated with the grant-making process defined how ONDCP would oversee... SAMHSA in conducting its monitoring responsibilities. Without defined oversight activities for ensuring successful completion of the work across all activities, ONDCP lacked reasonable assurance that required tasks were being performed in accordance with its directives. As a result, we recommended that the Director of ONDCP develop and document its approach to monitoring and overseeing SAMHSA and the program as a whole. ONDCP and SAMHSA jointly signed an interagency agreement for fiscal year 2009 that outlined new oversight responsibilities. The agreement contained sections for general and specific ONDCP and SAMHSA roles and responsibilities, including those related to program oversight and the grant awards process. A current fiscal year 2012 interagency agreement references, and continues, the oversight outlined in the 2009 agreement. Further, ONDCP and SAMHSA jointly developed Standard Operating Procedures as the process guide for routine operations of the DFC program. These procedures include, among other things, ONDCP oversight roles and responsibilities; SAMHSA oversight roles and responsibilities; SAMHSA DFC program administration, monitoring, and technical assistance; and the grant award process. These revised documents are consistent with our recommendation.
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| Office of National Drug Control Policy | To strengthen its administration, oversight, and internal controls for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy should ensure that the coalitions receiving an initial grant or a renewal grant satisfy all of the statutory eligibility criteria for each fiscal year and that this is fully documented. | The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is responsible for the administration of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. Fiscal year 2005 was the first year that the grant program was operated by ONDCP and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under an interagency agreement. In 2008, we found that ONDCP did not screen renewal grant applicants for statutory eligibility in fiscal year 2007, nor did ONDCP require grantees to submit any supporting documentation to show that the statutory eligibility criteria had been met. Without screening for statutory eligibility, ONDCP increased its risk that the renewal grant applicants it awarded...
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| Office of National Drug Control Policy | To strengthen its administration, oversight, and internal controls for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy should fully define the roles and responsibilities of SAMHSA and ONDCP, including those of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Administrator, in the inter-agency agreement prepared for each fiscal year. | The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is responsible for the administration of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. Fiscal year 2005 was the first year that the grant program was operated by ONDCP and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under an interagency agreement. In 2008, we found that the two agencies had not developed policies and procedures to clarify certain services SAMHSA would provide related to awarding grants. For example, the fiscal year 2007 interagency agreement did not specify what the programmatic and budget review processes were, when they should be completed, and by which agency. Additionally, the fiscal...
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Topics
Community development programsDocumentationSubstance abuseDrug abuse preventionEligibility criteriaEligibility determinationsFederal grantsGrant administrationGrant monitoringGrants to local governmentsInteragency relationsInternal controlsLocally administered programsPerformance measuresProgram evaluationProgram managementStandardsSubstance abuse