What are recommendations?
We conduct independent audits and evaluations to detect and deter fraud, waste, and abuse and provide actionable recommendations to improve the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of DoD programs and operations. Through the recommendation follow-up process, we track the DoD’s actions on our recommendations to determine whether it is making sufficient progress to meet their intent. Recommendations remain open until an agency or component has completed sufficient action to meet the intent of the recommendation and provided us with supporting documentation.
Open recommendations
A recommendation is considered open if an agency or component has not yet completed action sufficient to meet the recommendation's intent. Recommendations can be categorized further as resolved or unresolved.
- Recommendations are considered open and resolved when an agency or component has agreed to take corrective action but has not completed it.
- Open and unresolved describes recommendations for which an agency or component has not agreed to take sufficient action to meet the recommendations' intent.
Closed recommendations
If a recommendation is closed, then the agency or component has completed action sufficient to meet its intent and provided us with supporting documentation. The Open Recommendations Tracker does not include data on recommendations that are closed. To see all open and closed recommendations associated with a particular report, visit the Reports page.
Other helpful terms
Potential Monetary Benefits (PMB)
Potential Monetary Benefits are dollar amounts that can be associated with specific recommendations, which fall into two categories: Questions Costs and Funds Put to Better Use.
Questioned Costs
Questioned costs are identified from an alleged violation of a law, regulation, contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other agreements or documents governing the expenditures of funds or reimbursement of costs. Questioned costs may also be costs that DoD Components did not support with adequate documentation at the time of the DoD OIG review or unnecessary or unreasonable expenditure of funds for an intended purpose.
Funds Put to Better Use
Funds put to better use are funds that could be used more efficiently if management takes action to implement and complete the recommendations in the report, such as reducing expenditures, de-obligating funds from programs or operations, implementing improvements to operations, or taking actions that will result in avoiding costs.
DoD Issue Areas
Acquisition Programs: The formulation and oversight of contracting strategies that support the procurement of defense acquisition programs, automated information systems, and special interest projects for the DoD. This area includes issues such as support for the procurement of weapon systems and automated information systems; fair and reasonable contract pricing; and contracting practices that support compliance with the Berry Amendment and Buy American Act.
Construction and Installation Support: The management and oversight of military installations worldwide. This functional area includes the construction, alteration, conversion, or extension of military installations. It includes issues such as controls over the requirements development process for military construction projects; health, safety and fire protection deficiencies in DoD facilities and military housing inspections; and the management of relocatable buildings.
Contractor Oversight: The oversight and integration of contractor personnel and associated equipment providing support to DoD operations. This functional area includes efforts to ensure that supplies and services are delivered in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. It includes issues such as assessment of contractor performance through performance assessment reports; management of energy savings performance contracts; cost-reimbursement contract issuance; and management and identification of defective spare parts.
Environment: The management of environmental resources or programs that may affect the planning and execution of military operations. This functional area includes the protection of natural resources on military installations; the operation, maintenance, and structural stability of DoD dams; development and implementation of integrated natural resource management plans on DoD installations; and the award and administration of the Army Utility Energy Services Contracts.
Finance and Accounting: The process of reporting on and oversight of the DoD’s financial transactions resulting from its operations. This functional area includes the distribution and control of DoD funds; tracking of costs and obligations; management of purchase and travel cards; and support of essential accounting systems. It includes issues such as management of DoD suspense accounts; transactions that support financial statements and budget submissions; management of travel card programs; and DoD financial management and accounting systems.
Health Care and Morale: The measures to improve or maintain the mental and physical well-being of DoD personnel and their families to enable a healthy and fit force, prevent injury and illness, and protect individuals from health hazards. This functional area includes healthcare, and morale, welfare, and recreation support services that meet the needs and improve quality of life of DoD personnel and their dependents. It includes issues such as health care costs, DoD Suicide Event Report data quality assessment; the Rights of Conscience protection for Service members and chaplains; retirement home inspections; and delinquent medical service claims.
Information Technology Resources: The use of any equipment or system for storing, retrieving, controlling, and sending information. This functional area includes protection of the information transmitted and related resources, such as personnel, equipment, funds, and any system or subsystem. It includes issues such as physical access and general application controls of DoD information technology systems; cybersecurity and protection against cyberattacks on critical infrastructure; DoD use of cloud computing services; and the consolidation of DoD components’ data centers.
Intelligence: The intelligence products resulting from the collection, processing, evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of available information concerning national security issues, foreign nations, hostile or potentially hostile forces or elements, or military operations. This area includes issues such as over classification of national security information; U.S. intelligence sharing with coalition partners; protection and evacuation of U.S. embassies and U.S. citizens; and DoD personnel security clearance processing.
Logistics: The planning and carrying out of the movement and maintenance of military forces. This functional area includes plans or military operations involving the design, development, acquisition, storage, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of material; transportation of personnel; acquisition or construction, maintenance, operation, and disposition of facilities; acquisition or furnishing of services; and medical and health support. It includes issues such as management of (distribution, storage, and disposal) excess materiel and spare parts; maintenance and sustainment of military systems; U.S. and coalition plans and efforts to train, advise, assist, and equip partner forces; and transportation and housing of military personnel.
Other: Contains recommendations that do not fall into any of the previously discussed functional areas. This area includes issues such as recovery of and accounting for Service Members who became Prisoners of War/Missing in Action; identification and prioritization of critical assets; the DoD Combating Trafficking in Persons Program; and the Freedom of Information Act.
Compendium of open recommendations: infographics
From FY 2017 through FY 2024, the DoD OIG issued an annual Compendium of Open Office of Inspector General Recommendations to the Department of Defense.” In FY 2025 the DoD OIG began using the Compendium quarterly, to promote enhanced transparency and meet the growing demand for current data. The Compendiums convey high-level information including the status of recommendations, potential monetary benefits, the responsible office for each recommendation, and the age of the recommendations.
FY 2025 Quarterly Compendiums
Previous Compendiums
FY24 Compendium
FY23 Compendium
FY22 Compendium
FY21 Compendium
FY20 Compendium
FY19 Compendium
FY18 Compendium
FY17 Compendium