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Military Training: DOD Report on Training Ranges Does Not Fully Address Congressional Reporting Requirements

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Section 366 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 required the Secretary of Defense to develop a report outlining a comprehensive plan to address training constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, marine areas, and air space that are available in the United States and overseas for training. The foundation for that plan is an inventory identifying training resource… more
Date: June 4, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Student Mentoring Programs: Education's Monitoring and Information Sharing Could Be Improved

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As part of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001, the Congress authorized a 3-year, $17 million per year school-based mentoring grant program. For fiscal year 2004, Congress has increased funding to about $50 million to fund additional mentoring efforts. Congress requested that GAO provide information on the student mentoring program. To do this, GAO answered the following questions: (1) What are the ba… more
Date: June 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: Communication Protocols and Risk Communication Principles Can Assist in Refining the Advisory System

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Established in March 2002, the Homeland Security Advisory System was designed to disseminate information on the risk of terrorist acts to federal agencies, states, localities, and the public. However, these entities have raised questions about the threat information they receive from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the costs they incurred as a result of responding to heightened alerts. This repor… more
Date: June 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Geospatial Information: Better Coordination Needed to Identify and Reduce Duplicative Investments

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "From homeland security to tracking outbreaks of disease, to investigating the space shuttle disaster to responding to natural disasters, the collection, maintenance, and use of location-based (geospatial) information has become critical to many federal agencies' abilities to achieve their goals. Local governments and the private sector also rely on such data to support essential functions. GAO was asked to det… more
Date: June 23, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE's Effort to Close Russia's Plutonium Production Reactors Faces Challenges, and Final Shutdown Is Uncertain

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Russia's continued operation of three plutonium production reactors poses a serious proliferation threat. The Department of Energy's (DOE) Elimination of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Production program seeks to facilitate the reactors' closure by building or refurbishing replacement fossil fuel plants. This report (1) describes DOE's efforts to manage and implement the program, (2) assesses the challenges DOE faces… more
Date: June 4, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Health Insurance: Coverage of Key Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests is Common but Not Universal

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Its mortality can be reduced through early detection and treatment. Four key tests are used to detect the cancer--fecal occult blood test (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy, double-contrast barium enema (DCBE), and colonoscopy. Private health insurance plans generally cover these tests to diagnose cancer; however, the extent to wh… more
Date: June 17, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Rebuilding Iraq: Fiscal Year 2003 Contract Award Procedures and Management Challenges

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Congress has appropriated more than $20 billion since April 2003 to support rebuilding efforts in Iraq. This complex undertaking, which is occurring in an unstable security environment and under significant time constraints, is being carried out largely through contracts with private-sector companies. As of September 2003, agencies had obligated nearly $3.7 billion on 100 contracts or task orders under existin… more
Date: June 1, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Vendor Payments: Inadequate Management Oversight Hampers the Navy's Ability to Effectively Manage Its Telecommunication Program

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Problems with management oversight and control of DOD's purchase card program led to concerns that similar issues exist for DOD's vendor payments. As a result, this report focuses on the Navy's telecommunication program and whether (1) the Navy has the basic cost and inventory information needed to oversee and manage these purchases and (2) selected Navy sites have adequate control to provide reasonable assura… more
Date: June 14, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Waste: Absence of Key Management Reforms on Hanford's Cleanup Project Adds to Challenges of Achieving Cost and Schedule Goals

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site in Washington State houses DOE's largest and most complex nuclear cleanup project--treating and preparing for disposal 55 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste. In 2000, DOE awarded an 11-year, $4.3 billion contract to design, construct, and test treatment facilities at Hanford. GAO was asked to review (1) efforts to accelerate the project's completion, (… more
Date: June 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Technology: Training Can Be Enhanced by Greater Use of Leading Practices

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Effective training of information technology (IT) staff, as called for in the E-Government (E-Gov) Act of 2002, is essential to developing and retaining a qualified workforce. In an earlier report (GAO-03-390), we identified 22 leading practices, grouped into 5 key training management processes, used by private-sector companies to implement effective IT training. These practices suggest approaches that governm… more
Date: June 24, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration: Planning for Program Changes and Future Workforce Needs Is Incomplete

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the lead federal agency responsible for improving the quality and availability of prevention and treatment services for substance abuse and mental illness. The upcoming reauthorization review of SAMHSA will enable the Congress to examine the agency's management of its grant programs and plans for converting its block grants to performanc… more
Date: June 4, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DOD Civilian Personnel: Comprehensive Strategic Workforce Plans Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "During its downsizing in the early 1990s, the Department of Defense (DOD) did not focus on strategically reshaping its civilian workforce. GAO was asked to address DOD's efforts to strategically plan for its future civilian workforce at the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the military services' headquarters, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Specifically, GAO determined: (1) the extent to which… more
Date: June 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DOD Travel Cards: Control Weaknesses Resulted in Millions of Dollars of Improper Payments

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Ineffective management and oversight of the Department of Defense's (DOD) premium class travel and unused airline tickets led to concerns about DOD's overall management of the centrally billed accounts. GAO was asked to determine whether (1) DOD improperly reimbursed travelers for airline tickets DOD paid for using centrally billed accounts, (2) internal controls were effective in preventing issuance of unauth… more
Date: June 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Crop Insurance: USDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Insurance Companies and Develop a Policy to Address Any Future Insolvencies

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) administers the federal crop insurance program in partnership with insurance companies who share in the risk of loss or gain. In 2002, American Growers Insurance Company (American Growers), at the time, the largest participant in the program, was placed under regulatory control by the state of Nebraska. To ensure that policyholders were prote… more
Date: June 1, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Contract Management: Further Efforts Needed to Sustain VA's Progress in Purchasing Medical Products and Services

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides healthcare to millions of veterans at VA's medical centers and healthcare facilities across the country. To support veterans, VA manages a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program and a national contract program. Both use VA's sizeable buying power to provide VA and other federal agencies discounts on medical products and services. To cover its costs in running the… more
Date: June 22, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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TANF And Child Care Programs: HHS Lacks Adequate Information to Assess Risk and Assist States in Managing Improper Payments

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Minimizing improper payments is important given the dollar magnitude of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) programs--about $34 billion in federal and state funds expended annually. These block grants support millions of low-income families with cash assistance, child care, and other services aimed at reducing their dependence on the government. At the … more
Date: June 18, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Intellectual Property: Economic Arrangements Among Small Webcasters and Third Parties and Their Effect on Royalties

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The emergence of webcasting as a means of transmitting audio and video content over the Internet has led to concerns about copyright protection and the payment of royalties to those who own the recording copyrights. Arriving at an acceptable rate for calculating royalties has been particularly challenging. Under the Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002, small commercial webcasters reached an agreement with c… more
Date: June 1, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VHA Purchase Cards: Internal Controls Over the Purchase Card Program Need Improvement

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) has identified significant vulnerabilities in Veterans Affairs' (VA) use of government purchase cards. In its April 26, 2004 report, the OIG reported instances of fraudulent activity totaling $435,900, and numerous improper and questionable uses of the purchase cards totaling $1.1 million. Given that VHA comprised at least 90 percent of VA's … more
Date: June 7, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Rural Utilities Service: Opportunities to Better Target Assistance to Rural Areas and Avoid Unnecessary Financial Risk

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) makes loans and provides loan guarantees to improve electric service to rural areas. Beyond guaranteeing loans, under a yet-to-be-implemented provision of the 2002 Farm Bill, RUS is also to guarantee the bonds and notes that lenders use to raise funds for making loans for electric and telecommunications services. Fees on these latter guarantees are to … more
Date: June 18, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Budget: Agency Obligations by Budget Function and Object Classification for Fiscal Year 2003

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Members of the Congress and governmental experts have expressed repeated interest in examining the overlapping and fragmented functions and activities of the federal government. As a first-level look at potential overlap and fragmentation, the Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization, House Committee on Government Reform, asked GAO to present information on which federal agencies spend… more
Date: June 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Distribution of Benefits and Taxes Relative to Earnings Level

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Under the current Social Security benefit formula, retired workers receive benefits that equal about 50 percent of pre-retirement earnings for a low-wage worker but only about 30 percent for a relatively high-wage worker. Factors other than earnings also influence the distribution of benefits, including the program's provisions for disabled workers, spouses, children, and survivors. Changes in the program over… more
Date: June 15, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Human Capital: DHS Faces Challenges In Implementing Its New Personnel System

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "DHS was provided with significant flexibility to design a modern human capital management system. Its proposed system has both precedent-setting implications for the executive branch and farreaching implications on how the department is managed. GAO reported in September 2003 that the effort to design the system was collaborative and consistent with positive elements of transformation. In February, March, and … more
Date: June 18, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program: GAO Comments on Key Task Force Findings and Recommendations

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to a request by the Ranking Minority Member, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for an analysis of the findings and recommendations contained in the March 2004 report of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Task Force on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E). The mission of the VR&E program is to provide comprehensive services and assistance necessary to enable veterans wit… more
Date: June 15, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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National Nuclear Security Administration: Key Management Structure and Workforce Planning Issues Remain As NNSA Conducts Downsizing

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), is responsible for the management and security of the nation's nuclear weapons, nonproliferation, and naval reactor programs. NNSA oversees contractors that operate its facilities to ensure that activities are effective and in line with departmental policy. In December 2002, NNSA began impl… more
Date: June 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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