It is important to note that the need to support ad-hoc and potentially mobile arrangements of devices in ubiquitous environments does not fit well within the traditional client/server architecture. We believe peer-to-peer communication offers a preferable alternative due to its decentralised nature, removing dependence on individual nodes. However, this choice adds to the complexity of the developers task. In this paper, we describe a two-tiered approach to address this problem: A lower tier employing peer-to-peer interactions for managing the network infrastructure and an upper tier providing a mobile agent based programming framework. The result is a general purpose framework for developing ubiquitous applications and services, where the underlying complexity is hidden from the developer. This paper discusses our on-going work; presenting our design decisions, features supported by our framework, and some of the challenges still to be addressed in a complex programming environment
One of the most notable features of the last two general elections was the low level of turnout. Before 2001 turnout at general elections was always at least 70% (and often far higher). But in 2001 it fell to just 59% and, at 61%, the figure in 2005 was little better. Over 17 million people eligible to vote that year chose not to do so, seven million more than voted for the winning Labour party. Britain found itself almost at the bottom of the turnout league among established European democracies. The failure of large sections of the public to go to the polls has led to considerable concern about the health of Britainâs democracy and stimulated many a suggestion as to how the countryâs politicians might be able to reconnect with the electorate
New Zealand schools are increasingly diverse in terms of language and culture, and many immigrant school children are faced with the âlanguaculturalâ (Agar, 1994) challenge of learning not only a new language but a new culture of learning â to learn new classroom interaction skills (Barnard, 2005) as a route from Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills to Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (Cummins 1981, 2000). This paper explores the challenges by referring to four young Asian learners in an upper primary school classroom (Barnard 2002, 2003, 2007). Brief profiles of each of these children are given and then transcript data of their classroom interactions are presented and interpreted. In conclusion, questions are raised about the respective responsibilities of teachers and school and parents and students, to ensure that new immigrant learners swim rather than sink in the mainstrea
[Excerpt] It is a privilege to transmit this Semiannual Report to the Congress covering the period October 1, 2002, through March 31, 2003, summarizing the significant audit and investigative activities of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Moreover, I am pleased to introduce a new format for our report that makes use of advances in information technology and moves the OIG forward in the e-government environment. Readers will now receive a âHighlightsâ summary that emphasizes key audits and investigations conducted by the OIG. The Highlights contains information on how to visit our website and download the complete report. Our goal is to allow you to review snapshots of our work and quickly access those issues of most interest to you.
Of special note during this reporting period was the inclusion of statutory law enforcement authority for our investigators in the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296). This authority enhances our ability to investigate labor racketeering and fraud against pension plans, which has become increasingly important as other Federal law enforcement agencies redirect their resources toward homeland security activities.
Among our significant investigative accomplishments during this period was the indictment of 42 individuals including members and associates of the Genovese and Colombo La Cosa Nostra (LCN) organized crime families and Locals 14 and 15 of the Operating Engineers, for unlawful labor payments as well as other charges. Another investigation led to guilty pleas by associates of the Gambino LCN Family. In total, during this reporting period, our investigative work resulted in 337 indictments, 191 convictions, and over 55.6millioninmonetaryaccomplishments.Fromanauditperspective,weissuedaseriesofreportsduringthisperiodrelatedtotheWorkforceInvestmentAct(WIA)includingyouthtrainingprograms,individualtrainingaccounts,andtheamountofWIAfundingavailabletostates.WehopethesereportsandrecommendationswilloffervaluableinformationastheCongressconsidersWIAreauthorization.WealsoreportedtheresultsofourworkwithrespecttoFloridaâscloseoutofitsjobtraininggrants,whichidentifiedsignificantdiscrepanciesbetweentheState2Ë7sfinancialstatusreportsanditsofficialaccountingrecords.AlsosignificantthisperiodwasourfollowâupauditofoverchargesbytheInternalRevenueServicetotheUnemploymentTrustFundthattotaled174 million for fiscal years 1999â2002. This targeted work, as well as other audit work, identified nearly $184 million in questioned costs.
I am proud of the work of all OIG employees and their continued commitment to serving American workers and taxpayers. My staff and I look forward to continuing to work constructively with the Secretary and the DOL team to further our common goal of ensuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity of the programs that serve and protect the rights and benefits of American workers and retirees
[Excerpt] I am pleased to submit this Semiannual Report to the Department and the Congress, which highlights the most significant activities and accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the six-month period ending September 30, 2014. The OIG remains committed to promoting the integrity, effectiveness, and efficiency of DOLâs programs and operations.
In addition, our investigations continue to combat labor racketeering and organized crime in internal union affairs, employee benefit plans, and labor-management relations.
During this reporting period, the OIG issued 19 audit and other reports in which we recommended that 5.1millioninfundsbeputtobetteruse.Amongourmanysignificantfindings,wereportedthefollowing:TheEmployeeBenefitsSecurityAdministrationhasnotprovidedtheguidanceandoversightneededtoadequatelyprotectmorethan1 trillion of plan assets invested in complex trust arrangements and hard-to-value assets held and certified by custodians. The Mine Safety and Health Administration lacked a unified timeliness standard for its laboratories, covering the entire cycle time from collection of samples by mine inspectors to the reporting of results, for tests of underground mine air, gas, and dust samples that are critical to ensuring mine safety and health. Approximately 900,000ofJobCorpsfundsweremisusedorwastedbecausetheagencylackedbasicinternalcontrolsoverprepaiddebitcardsandcentrallybilledgovernmenttravelcardsusedtopaystudenttravelexpenses.TheDepartmentâsfinancialmanagementcontinuityplansdidnotincludeafullydevelopedplanforanacceptablerecoveryorreconstitutionoffinancialdataafteradisruptionorfailure.TheOIGâsinvestigativeworkalsoyieldedimpressiveresults,withatotalof253indictments,249convictions,and41.3 million in monetary accomplishments. Highlights include the following: Two Chicago-area women were sentenced to 6 years and 4 years in prison and ordered to pay more than 4.8millionand4.6 million, respectively, in restitution. This one of the largest fictitious employer UI fraud schemes ever prosecuted in the U.S. A Texas psychologist was sentenced to 3 years in prison and ordered to pay more than 1.8millioninrestitutiontotheOfficeofWorkersâCompensationProgramsfordefraudingtheFederalEmployeesâCompensationActprogram.Achiropractorandhiswifeweresentencedto8yearsand2yearsinprison,respectively,andorderedtopaymorethan1.4 million in restitution to the victims of a health care fraud scheme. The wife of a Colombo La Cosa Nostra Crime Family associate was sentenced to 4 yearsâ probation and ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to embezzling from a union benefit plan.
These are some of the examples of the exceptional work done by our dedicated OIG staff. I would like to express my gratitude to them for their significant achievements during this reporting period.
We are currently working on several important audits for fiscal year 2015, including reviews of Job Corps center safety and the federal Black Lung program. For more details, I invite you to review our audit work plan, which can be accessed at www.oig.dol.gov/workplan/FY2015.pdf.
I look forward to continuing to work constructively with the Department and the Congress on our shared goals of identifying improvements to DOL programs and operations and protecting the rights and benefits of workers and retirees
[Excerpt] I am pleased to submit this Semiannual Report to Congress, which highlights the most significant activities and accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), for the six-month period ending September 30, 2009. During this reporting period, our investigative work led to 214 indictments, 221 convictions, and 123.1millioninmonetaryaccomplishments.Inaddition,weissued22auditandotherreports.OIGauditsandinvestigationscontinuetoassesstheeffectiveness,efficiency,economy,andintegrityofDOLâsprogramsandoperations.Wealsocontinuetoinvestigatelaborracketeeringand/ororganizedcrimeinfluenceagainstunions,employeebenefitplans,andworkers.Fromanauditperspective,theOIGishighlyengagedinensuringtheintegrityofDOLactivitiesrelatedtotheAmericanRecoveryandReinvestmentActof2009(RecoveryAct)funding.Duringthisreportingperiod,weissuedfivereportstothatend.AmongourfindingsarethatDOLimplementedproceduresfortheaccountingofRecoveryActfinancialactivity,actedquicklytoimplementthepremiumâassistanceprovisionsforworkerswhotemporarilymaintaintheirhealthinsuranceatgroupratesafterlosingtheirjobs,andeffectivelyimplementedthetemporaryprogramforadditionalunemploymentcompensationforeligiblerecipients.Wealsoidentifiedareasforimprovementrelatedtofinancialandperformancereportingandprogrammaticcoordinationwithstates.AnauditfoundshortcomingswithDOLâsnewiCertsystem,whichisdesignedtoidentifyinaccuraciesinHâ1Blaborconditionapplications(LCAs)forforeignworkers.Wefoundthat,becauseofmissingelectronicchecks,manualreviewsoftheLCAsbyanalystsarenecessary.However,increasesinthevolumeofapplicationsmayresultinanalystsnotbeingabletoperforma100percentreview.ThisincreasestheriskofLCAsbeingimproperlycertified.OurauditsalsocontinuetorevealthatsomeJobCorpscentersdonotcomplywithrequirementsforreportingperformanceforstudentattendanceandaccountability.Wealsofoundthat,atthreecenters,acontractorhadnotensuredcompliancewithprocedurestoaddressstudentmisconduct.AnauditofthehandlingofinjuredFederalemployeesâreemploymentstatusattwoFederalworkersâcompensationdistrictofficesfoundthattheDepartmentdidnotensurethatconsistentinterventionactionsweretakentowardremovingcasesfromtheperiodicroll.ThisincreasedtheriskofclaimantscontinuingtoreceivefullFederalEmployeeâsCompensationActbenefitsaftertheywereabletoreturntoworkoraftertheircompensationcouldhavebeenreduced.Ourinvestigationscontinuetocombatorganizedcrimeand/orlaborracketeeringinvolvingthemoniesinunionâsponsoredbenefitplans,internalunioncorruption,andlaborâmanagementrelations.AmajorOIGinvestigationdisclosedmorethan30yearsoforganizedcrimecontroloftheInternationalLongshoremenâsAssociationLocal1235,whichrepresentsportworkersinNewJersey.Inanotherinvestigation,thebusinessmanagerfortheElectricalWorkersLocalUnionNo.3,whowasaformerNewYorkStateassemblyman,wassentencedto10yearsâimprisonmentonracketeering,bankfraud,andfalsestatementchargesinvolvinganumberofschemescarriedoutforpersonalgain.OIGinvestigationsalsoidentifiedvulnerabilitiesandfraudinDOLprograms,suchastheforeignlaborcertification(FLC)program.OneOIGinvestigationledtotherecentsentencingofViktarKrusandhiscoâconspiratorstovariousperiodsofincarcerationforfraudulentlyobtainingvisasformorethan3,800foreignnationalsanddefraudingthegovernmentof7.4 million in payroll taxes. Because of our investigative expertise, the OIG is a member of the International Organized Crime (IOC) strategy headed by the U.S. Attorney General. The IOC is committed to combating crime by international organized groups.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to former DOL Inspector General Gordon S. Heddell, who is now serving as the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Defense. During his leadership of more than eight years, the DOL-OIG consistently achieved significant results similar to those presented in this report. As Acting Inspector General, I look forward to continuing to work with the Secretary of Labor and her management team in ensuring the effectiveness of DOL in delivering services and protecting the rights and benefits of American workers and retirees