Search Results

open access

Budget Issues: FEMA Needs Adequate Data, Plans, and Systems to Effectively Manage Resources for Day-to-Day Operations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Much of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) funding is provided in supplemental appropriations when a disaster is declared, but funds to staff, manage, and operate other FEMA programs and underlying support functions--what GAO refers to as its day-to-day operations--compete with other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal priorities for limited resources. In this environment, FE… more
Date: January 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Airport Finance: Observations on Planned Airport Development Costs and Funding Levels and the Administration's Proposed Changes in the Airport Improvement Program

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To address the strain on the aviation system, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed transitioning to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). To fund this system and to make its costs to users more equitable, the Administration has proposed fundamental changes in the way that FAA is funded. As part of the reauthorization, the Administration proposes major changes in the … more
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Interstate Compacts: An Overview of the Structure and Governance of Environment and Natural Resource Compacts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Interstate compacts are legal agreements between states that are designed to resolve concerns that transcend state lines, such as allocating interstate waters. While some compacts assign their administration to existing state agencies, compacts requiring greater coordination among states may establish an interstate agency, typically called a commission, to administer their provisions. Congress must give… more
Date: April 3, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Nursing Homes: Federal Actions Needed to Improve Targeting and Evaluation of Assistance by Quality Improvement Organizations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2002, CMS contracted with Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO) to help nursing homes address quality problems such as pressure ulcers, a deficiency frequently identified during routine inspections conducted by state survey agencies. CMS awarded $117 million over a 3-year period to the QIOs to assist all homes and to work intensively with a subset of homes in each state. Homes' participation was vo… more
Date: May 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Nuclear Waste: Plans for Addressing Most Buried Transuranic Wastes Are Not Final, and Preliminary Cost Estimates Will Likely Increase

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since the 1940s, the development of nuclear weapons technologies has generated transuranic wastes--materials contaminated by certain man-made radioactive elements. These wastes can remain dangerous for thousands of years. Until 1970, the Department of Energy's (DOE) predecessors buried these wastes in shallow pits and trenches. Today, state officials and communities near DOE's major disposal sites have … more
Date: June 22, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Financial Management: Long-standing Financial Systems Weaknesses Present a Formidable Challenge

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996 (FFMIA) requires the 24 Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act agencies to implement and maintain financial management systems that comply substantially with (1) federal financial management systems requirements, (2) federal accounting standards, and (3) the U.S. Government Standard General Ledger (SGL). FFMIA also requires GAO to report annually on t… more
Date: August 3, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Financial Audit: Independent and Special Counsel Expenditures for the Six Months Ended September 30, 2006

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report presents the results of our audits of expenditures reported by one office of independent counsel and one office of special counsel for the 6 months ended September 30, 2006. The Department of Justice and the independent counsels are required under 28 U.S.C. 594 (d)(2), (h) and 596 (c)(1) to report on a semiannual basis the expenditures from a permanent, indefinite appropriation established w… more
Date: March 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Cost Estimates Have Increased and Are Likely to Continue to Evolve

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round is the biggest, most complex, and costliest ever. DOD viewed this round as a unique opportunity to reshape its installations, realign forces to meet its needs for the next 20 years, and achieve savings. To realize savings, DOD must first invest billions of dollars in facility construction, renovation, and other up-front expenses to implement the BRAC re… more
Date: December 11, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

DOD Schools: Additional Reporting Could Improve Accountability for Academic Achievement of Students with Dyslexia

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Many of our nation's military and civilian personnel depend on Department of Defense (DOD) schools to meet their children's educational needs. These schools provide a range of educational services including programs for students with disabilities and those who struggle to read, some of whom may have a condition referred to as dyslexia. To determine how DOD supports students with dyslexia and how it used… more
Date: December 6, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Medical Devices: FDA's Approval of Four Temporomandibular Joint Implants

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "It is estimated that over 10 million people in the United States suffer from jaw joint and muscle disorders. Artificial temporomandibular joint (TMJ) implants have been used to replace the jaw joint in some patients in an effort to decrease pain and increase jaw function. The safety and effectiveness of these implants, like other medical devices, is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an… more
Date: September 17, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Bureau of Justice Statistics: Quality Guidelines Generally Followed for Police-Public Contact Surveys, but Opportunities Exist to Help Assure Agency Independence

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), a statistical agency of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, produces a recurring national Police-Public Contact Survey documenting contacts between the police and the public, including instances involving the use or threat of force by police. BJS issues public reports and sometimes press releases from survey results. For reports and a press rel… more
Date: March 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

DOD Travel Improper Payments: Fiscal Year 2006 Reporting Was Incomplete and Planned Improvement Efforts Face Challenges

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Fiscal year 2006 was the first year that the Department of Defense (DOD) reported improper payment information for its travel program under the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA). For fiscal year 2006, DOD reported obligations of approximately $8.5 billion for travel. Congress mandated that GAO assess the reasons why DOD is not fully in compliance with IPIA related to travel expenditures. … more
Date: December 14, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Highway and Transit Investments: Flexible Funding Supports State and Local Transportation Priorities and Multimodal Planning

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 introduced two highway programs--the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ)--that may be used on both highway and transit projects and that are referred to as "flexible funding" for the purposes of this report. GAO was asked to examine (1) the degree to which STP and CMAQ funding has b… more
Date: July 26, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Leaking Underground Storage Tanks: EPA Should Take Steps to Better Ensure the Effective Use of Public Funding for Cleanups

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Underground storage tanks that leak hazardous substances can contaminate nearby groundwater and soil. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), tank owners and operators are primarily responsible for paying to clean up releases from their tanks. They can demonstrate their financial responsibility by using, among other options, publicly funded state financial assurance funds. Such funds fu… more
Date: February 8, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Hurricane Katrina: Agency Contracting Data Should Be More Complete Regarding Subcontracting Opportunities for Small Businesses

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In response to Hurricane Katrina, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DOD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) were responsible for 94 percent of the federal funds awarded for relief efforts via contracting as of May 2006. This report, which GAO conducted under the Comptroller General's Authority, describes (1) the amounts that sma… more
Date: March 1, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Defense Acquisitions: Success of Advanced SEAL Delivery System Hinges on Establishing a Sound Contracting Strategy and Performance Criteria

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) is a hybrid combatant submersible providing clandestine delivery and extraction of Navy SEALs and equipment in high-threat environments. The first ASDS has had significant performance issues and has cost, to date, over $885 million. In May 2006, Congress requested that GAO review ASDS. This report examines (1) how the Navy managed ASDS risks through its contracts… more
Date: May 24, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Defense Acquisitions: Analysis of Processes Used to Evaluate Active Protection Systems

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Active Protection Systems (APS) protect vehicles from attack by detecting and intercepting missiles or munitions. In 2005, the lead systems integrator for the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program sought proposals for an APS developer and design and to deliver APS prototypes on vehicles by fiscal year 2009. Raytheon was chosen the APS developer. At the same time, the Department of Defense's Office … more
Date: June 8, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Defense Contracting: Improved Insight and Controls Needed over DOD's Time-and-Materials Contracts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under time-and-materials contracts, payments to contractors are made based on the number of labor hours billed at hourly rates and, if applicable, other direct costs. Because of the risk they pose to the government, their use is supposed to be limited to cases where no other contract type is suitable. GAO was asked to identify trends in the Department of Defense's (DOD) obligations under time-and-materi… more
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Public Transportation: Future Demand Is Likely for New Starts and Small Starts Programs, but Improvements Needed to the Small Starts Application Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Through the New Starts program, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) identifies and recommends new fixed-guideway transit projects for funding. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) created a separate program, commonly called Small Starts, which is intended to offer a streamlined evaluation and rating process for smaller-scale transit p… more
Date: July 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Rail Safety: The Federal Railroad Administration Is Taking Steps to Better Target Its Oversight, but Assessment of Results Is Needed to Determine Impact

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1980, the train accident rate has improved significantly, but progress has leveled off over the past 10 years. Recent serious accidents--such as one in Graniteville, South Carolina, that led to 9 deaths and 292 injuries--elevated concerns. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) develops safety standards and inspects and enforces railroads' compliance with these standards. This report addresses … more
Date: January 26, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Information Technology: FBI Following a Number of Key Acquisition Practices on New Case Management System but Improvements Still Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Sentinel program is intended to replace and expand on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) failed Virtual Case File (VCF) project and thereby meet the bureau's pressing need for a modern, automated capability to support its field agents and intelligence analysts' investigative case management and information sharing requirements. Because of the FBI's experience with VCF and the importance of … more
Date: July 31, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Homeland Security: DHS Enterprise Architecture Continues to Evolve but Improvements Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO designated the transformation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as high risk in 2003, and it continues to do so today. One essential tool for facilitating organizational transformation is an enterprise architecture (EA)--a corporate blueprint that serves as an authoritative frame of reference for information technology investment decision making. The Congress required DHS to submit a repo… more
Date: May 9, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Military Base Closures: Opportunities Exist to Improve Environmental Cleanup Cost Reporting and to Expedite Transfer of Unneeded Property

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The cleanup of environmental contamination on unneeded property resulting from prior defense base realignment and closure (BRAC) rounds has been a key impediment to the transfer of these properties and could be an issue in the transfer and reuse of unneeded property resulting from the 2005 BRAC round. GAO's analysis of available data indicates that, when completed, the cleanup for the four prior BRAC ro… more
Date: January 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Information Technology: Census Bureau Needs to Improve Its Risk Management of Decennial Systems

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Automation and information technology (IT) are expected to play a critical role in the 2010 decennial census. The Census Bureau plans to spend about $3 billion on automation and technology that are to improve the accuracy and efficiency of census collection, processing, and dissemination. The Bureau is holding what it refers to as a Dress Rehearsal, during which it plans to conduct operational testing t… more
Date: October 5, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Back to Top of Screen