Government Accountability Integrity Reliability Office Collection
Excerpt: The intelligence agencies, DOD, State, and USAID are implementing various efforts to identify, monitor, and counter the support and funding of the global propagation of Islamic extremism. The intelligence agencies and DOD are carrying out identification and monitoring efforts, primarily in counterintelligence and force protection. State and USAID are carrying out efforts to counter the global propagation of Islamic extremism, with State?s efforts focused primari...
Excerpt: The work assigned to Army maintenance depots has declined by 36 percent, although the cost of the Army?s total maintenance program has increased since fiscal year 1987. Except for fiscal year 2003, projections for future work in the depots through fiscal 2008 show further decline. Depot work also changed from predominately overhauling Army end items to the increased repair of components. In addition, work from non-Army customers has increased from 6 to 26 percen...
Excerpt: HUD?s Section 202 program provides a valuable housing resource for very low income elderly households. Although they represent a small share of all elderly households, very low income elderly renters have acute housing affordability problems because of their limited income and the need for supportive services. The Section 202 program, which offers about 260,000 rental units nationwide and ensures that residents receive rental assistance and access to services th...
Excerpt: Our analysis of contracts covering ONDCP?s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign from fiscal years 2002 through 2004 revealed that four contractors provided many of the services required to execute the campaign. These four prime contractors provided an array of services that fell within three broad categories: (1) advertising, (2) public communications and outreach, and (3) evaluation services to gauge the campaign?s effectiveness. The prime contractors also a...
Excerpt: In fiscal year 1999, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paid about $21 billion in compensation and pension benefits to more than 3 million disabled veterans and their dependents and survivors. Under the direction of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), 58 regional offices receive and process veterans? compensation and pension disability claims. For many years, VBA?s disability claims processing has been the subject of concern and numerous studies-par...
Excerpt: EPA moved the national ombudsman from the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, whose decisions the ombudsman was responsible for investigating, to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). In the OIG, the ombudsman reports to a newly created Assistant Inspector General for Congressional and Public Liaison, unlike in other federal agencies where the ombudsmen report to the highest levels of the agency. Moreover, the Assistant Inspector General and not the o...
Excerpt: Scientists generally agree that sulfate aerosols have a cooling effect on climate, while ozone in the lower atmosphere has a warming effect. Black carbon tends to warm the atmosphere but cool the earth?s surface. Sulfate aerosols also affect how much and where it rains. Considerable uncertainty remains about the size of these effects.
Excerpt: This report responds to your request concerning the privatization-in-place of select Department of Defense industrial facilities that were closed as a result of base realignment and closure decisions made in 1993 and 1995. Privatization-in-place is a concept in which a private sector entity takes over the operations of a facility that was once operated by the government. To date, privatization-in-place has been associated with the base closure process and used b...
Excerpt: At the time of our review, eight DOD and FFRDC facilities that received funding from DOD were involved in microelectronics research prototyping or production. Three of these facilities focused solely on research; three primarily focused on research but had limited production capabilities; and two focused solely on production. The research conducted ranged from exploring potential applications of new materials in microelectronic devices to developing a process to...
Excerpt: Since September 11, 2001, State has expanded its public diplomacy efforts in Muslim-majority countries considered to be of strategic importance in the war on terrorism. It significantly increased resources in South Asia and the Near East and launched new initiatives targeting broader, younger audiences-particularly in predominantly Muslim countries. These initiatives are consistent with the 9/11 Commission?s recommendation that the United States rebuild its scho...
Excerpt: On June 21, 2005, we testified at the Subcommittee?s oversight hearing on the judiciary?s ability to pay for current and future space needs. This report responds to your June 23, 2005, request in which you asked additional questions about the Federal Buildings Fund (FBF) and the judiciary?s efforts to manage its space needs. To respond to these questions, we primarily relied on our previous work and knowledge of these areas. We prepared this response during June...
Excerpt: GAO?s visits to eight training ranges, along with DOD?s own assessments show that ranges are deteriorating and lack modernization. This adversely affects training activities and jeopardizes the safety of military personnel. To ensure readiness, servicemembers must have access to capable ranges-a key DOD transformation goal-that enables them to develop and maintain skills for wartime missions. However, GAO observed various degraded conditions at each training ran...
Excerpt: To identify potential illegal textile transshipments, CBP uses a targeting process that relies on analyzing available trade data to focus limited inspection and enforcement resources on the most high-risk activity. In 2002, CBP targeted about 2,500 textile shipments out of more than 3 million processed, or less than 0.01 percent.
Excerpt: SBA took prompt action with a comprehensive review of its financial records and systems to identify the deficiencies related to accounting for its disaster loans and loan sale program. SBA?s review found (1) the cash flow model used to estimate the cost of the disaster loan program was unreliable and underestimated the cost, (2) the model used to determine whether sales were beneficial had errors and incorrectly indicated that loans were sold at gains, (3) incor...
Excerpt: After the response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, industry and government took steps to improve the safety and security of hazardous material rail transportation. The railroad and chemical industries assessed their facilities? exposure to attack and developed a security plan to address their risks. The Department of Homeland Security?s Transportation Security Administration has begun to address nonaviation security by starting development of an ov...
Excerpt: The formal analysis of requirements for U.S. littoral combat operations- conducted after the Navy established the LCS program-examined a number of options, such as the extent to which existing fleet assets or joint capabilities could be used. While the Navy concluded that the LCS remained the best option, it focused on LCS requirements for combating small boats. The Navy did not conduct an analysis of the impact of larger surface threats LCS may face. Such threa...
Excerpt: Congressman Hostettler acknowledges the importance of the work the Commercial Activities panel is doing. He states that there are some good aspects to the A-76 process, but focuses on one particular drawback. He believes the A-76 process very often unduly removes the judgment and expertise of those most close to the question, that is, the local activity.
Excerpt: Overall, dispute resolution activity was generally low relative to the number of students with disabilities. About 5 due process hearings were held per 10,000 students with disabilities. National studies also reported no more than an estimated 7 mediations per 10,000 students and about 10 state complaints per 10,000 students. States GAO visited emphasized mediation in resolving disputes and made it more available than federal law required. Some locations had dev...
Excerpt: This report addresses the major performance and accountability challenges facing the Department of Justice (Justice) as it seeks to enforce laws in the public interest and protect the public from violence and criminal activity. It includes a summary of actions that Justice has taken and that are under way to address these challenges. It also outlines further actions that GAO believes are needed. This analysis should help the new Congress and administration carry...
Excerpt: There is a solid case for action to move numerous existing federal activities to the private sector. The reasons for this are many and complex, and include the need to make room for new challenges that can best be addressed by government, but for which the government does not now have the resources. This is not a simple undertaking, and given the potential for change over the next few years across all levels of government and between the public and private secto...