In this evaluation, we found that the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is not ensuring that required background checks for individuals who work with children at Indian education facilities are complete and being reinvestigated on schedule, leaving children vulnerable to contact with persons who would be determined to be unfit based on a completed background check.
BIE leadership has not provided the necessary guidance and tools to ensure background checks are complete. First, the BIE requires initiation of local law enforcement checks, but not their completion. Second, BIE’s backlog of background reinvestigations is growing. Reinvestigations are required every 5 years, but the BIE follows an out-of-date process that cannot meet this requirement. Therefore, any crimes committed by an employee after being hired may go unidentified. Third, the BIE Budget and Finance office, whose grants specialists review background checks at tribally controlled schools, does not have clear guidelines regarding oversight roles and responsibilities. BIE leadership has not created long-term guidance, and, as a result, the BIE risks reverting to the previous inconsistent oversight process for ensuring the schools have complete background checks. Finally, the BIE Personnel Security office is unable to effectively conduct, track, and monitor background checks due to its outdated guidance and an inadequate information system. As a result, the BIE is not training schools on current background check processes, schools may not be complying with background check requirements, and BIE’s background check data are unreliable.
We made 11 recommendations to help the BIE improve its background check processes for both BIE-operated and tribally controlled schools. The BIE concurred with all recommendations. Based on its December 26, 2017 response to our draft report, we consider Recommendations 1 – 10 resolved and not implemented, and Recommendation 11 unresolved and not implemented.