Inspector General Reports

The purpose of this report is to bring to your attention needed improvements that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified while reviewing Peace Corps’ response process for cybersecurity incidents and its adherence to Federal and agency requirements. We reviewed the agency’s actions taken during three separate cybersecurity incidents from June 2022 through July 2023.

This semiannual report informs Congress of the Peace Corps Office of Inspector General's work from April 1, 2023, through September 30, 2023.

The Office of Inspector General's annual plan outlines the work planned for the year ahead, including agency wide audits or evaluations, mandated reviews, and which posts may receive audits or evaluations.

As required by the Accountability of Tax Dollars Act of 2002, the Peace Corps prepared its financial statements and subjected them to audit in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-136, Financial Reporting Requirements. Peace Corps OIG contracted with Williams, Adley & Company-DC LLP, an independent certified public accounting firm, to audit the Peace Corps’ financial statements as of September 30, 2023.

The Peace Corps employs more than 3,400 staff who help execute the agency mission and serve on the front lines of the Volunteer experience. Approximately 92 percent of staff at overseas posts are personal services contractors (PSCs), who also make up 70 percent of all Peace Corps staff. A significant part of the agency’s success depends on how well it manages its human resources operations to hire, train, and retain quality PSC staff.

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) provides a comprehensive framework for establishing and ensuring the effectiveness of managerial, operational, and technical controls over information technology (IT) that supports Federal operations and assets and provides a mechanism for improved oversight of Federal agency information security programs. FISMA requires the head of each agency to implement policies and procedures to cost-effectively reduce IT security risks to an acceptable level.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a multi-year U.S. Government initiative to address the HIV pandemic. The PEPFAR program is managed and overseen by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (OGAC). Congress appropriates PEPFAR funds to the State Department, which OGAC allocates to the Peace Corps and other participating Federal agencies.

On March 18, 2022, the Peace Corps notified the United States Congress that Peace Corps/Morocco (hereafter referred to as “the post”) intended to resume operations in September 2022. The first intake of 51 Volunteers arrived in September 2022. On November 21, 2022, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced this review to assess the post’s compliance with specific agency policies and procedures related to Volunteer and trainee health and safety, and the re-entry process.