CNCS presents a strong case for the value of independent oversight, as the examples in this report illustrate. Because of CNCS-OIG’s work, current agency leaders have acknowledged that grantees do not properly conduct the statutorily mandated criminal history checks necessary to exclude violent predators from national service programs. At our suggestion, CNCS has contracted with vendors to conduct the required checks quickly and reliably. The vendor solution will soon be available to all grantees, and CNCS-OIG urges them to take full advantage of it. We join with CNCS’s leadership in hoping that this measure will lighten the burden on grantees, substantially reduce the incidence of improper payments and, most importantly, safeguard the at-risk communities served by CNCS programs. We trust that this change will soon be supported by more effective enforcement against those grantees that flout these important safety responsibilities.
