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Warfighter Support: DOD Should Have a More Comprehensive Approach for Addressing Urgent Warfighter Needs (open access)

Warfighter Support: DOD Should Have a More Comprehensive Approach for Addressing Urgent Warfighter Needs

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the challenges that the Department of Defense (DOD) faces in fulfilling urgent operational needs identified by our warfighters. Over the course of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces have encountered changing adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures, which challenged DOD to quickly develop and provide new equipment and new capabilities to address evolving threats. Further, U.S. troops faced shortages of critical items, including body armor, tires, and batteries. DOD's goal is to provide solutions as quickly as possible to meet urgent warfighter needs to prevent mission failure or loss of life. To meet its urgent needs, DOD had to look beyond traditional acquisition procedures, expand the use of existing processes, and develop new processes and entities designed to be as responsive as possible to urgent warfighter requests. In addition to requests for equipment from DOD's existing stocks, warfighters have requested new capabilities, such as: technology to counter improvised explosive devices (IED); technology related to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to provide increased situational awareness; and equipment related to command and control to enhance operations on the battlefield. In meeting urgent needs, it is important …
Date: March 1, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: OMB Has Made Improvements to Its Dashboard, but Further Work Is Needed by Agencies and OMB to Ensure Data Accuracy (open access)

Information Technology: OMB Has Made Improvements to Its Dashboard, but Further Work Is Needed by Agencies and OMB to Ensure Data Accuracy

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each year the federal government spends billions of dollars on information technology (IT) investments. Given the importance of oversight, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) established a public Web site, referred to as the IT Dashboard, that provides detailed information on about 800 federal IT investments, including assessments of actual performance against cost and schedule targets (referred to as ratings). In the second of a series of Dashboard reviews, GAO was asked to (1) determine OMB's efforts to improve the Dashboard and how it is using data from the Dashboard, and (2) examine the accuracy of the Dashboard's cost and schedule performance ratings. To do so, GAO analyzed documentation on OMB oversight efforts and Dashboard improvement plans, compared the performance of 10 major investments from five agencies with large IT budgets against the ratings on the Dashboard, and interviewed OMB and agency officials."
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Labor: Further Management Improvements Needed to Address Information Technology and Financial Controls (open access)

Department of Labor: Further Management Improvements Needed to Address Information Technology and Financial Controls

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Labor (Labor) plays a vital role in promoting the welfare of American workers through administering and enforcing more than 180 federal laws that cover some 10 million employers and 125 million workers. Since the recent economic downturn, Labor's role has become even more critical as its programs provide additional employment and training supports. As such, GAO was asked to determine how well Labor is currently adhering to best management practices departmentwide to ensure that its programs are operating effectively. Specifically, this report assesses Labor's (1) strategic workforce management, (2) management controls to manage and modernize its information technology, and (3) accountability over its discretionary grants. To do this, GAO collected and reviewed Labor documents related to workforce and information technology planning, as well as grants management information, and conducted interviews with Labor's national and regional staff."
Date: March 16, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOE Nuclear Waste: Better Information Needed on Waste Storage at DOE Sites as a Result of Yucca Mountain Shutdown (open access)

DOE Nuclear Waste: Better Information Needed on Waste Storage at DOE Sites as a Result of Yucca Mountain Shutdown

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) is responsible for storing and managing a total of about 13,000 metric tons of nuclear waste--spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste--at five DOE sites in Colorado, Idaho, New York, South Carolina, and Washington. Also, a joint DOE-Navy program stores spent nuclear fuel from warships at DOE's Idaho site. DOE and the Navy intended to permanently dispose of this nuclear waste at a repository planned for Yucca Mountain in Nevada. However, that plan is now in question because of actions taken to terminate the site. This report assesses (1) agreements DOE and the Navy have with states at the five sites and the effects a termination of the Yucca Mountain repository would have on their ability to fulfill these agreements; (2) the effects a termination would have on DOE's and the Navy's operations and costs for storing the waste; and (3) DOE's and the Navy's plans to mitigate these potential effects. GAO reviewed state agreements and DOE plans, visited waste facilities, and interviewed federal and state officials."
Date: March 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: Better Informed Decision Making Needed on Navy's Next Generation Enterprise Network Acquisition (open access)

Information Technology: Better Informed Decision Making Needed on Navy's Next Generation Enterprise Network Acquisition

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of the Navy (DON), a major component of the Department of Defense (DOD), has launched its Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) program to replace the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) program. NGEN capabilities, such as secure transport of voice and data, data storage, and e-mail, are to be incrementally acquired through multiple providers. As planned, the first increment is expected to provide comparable NMCI capabilities, additional information assurance, and greater DON network control, at a cost of about $50 billion through fiscal year 2025. Given the size, importance, and complexity of NGEN, GAO was asked to determine whether DON has sufficiently analyzed alternative acquisition approaches and has a reliable schedule for executing the program, and whether program acquisition decisions have been performance- and risk-based. To do this, GAO reviewed the NGEN analysis of alternatives, integrated master schedule, and key milestone decisions."
Date: March 11, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
401(K) Plans: Certain Investment Options and Practices That May Restrict Withdrawals Not Widely Understood (open access)

401(K) Plans: Certain Investment Options and Practices That May Restrict Withdrawals Not Widely Understood

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "401(k) plan sponsors are responsible for offering an array of appropriate investment options, and participants are responsible for directing their investments among those options. While participants expect to be able to switch investment options or withdraw money from their accounts, during the recent economic downturn, some 401(k) plan sponsors and participants found that they were restricted from doing so. GAO was asked to (1) identify some of the specific investments and practices that prevented plan sponsors and participants from accessing their 401(k) plan assets and (2) determine any changes the Department of Labor (Labor) could make to assist sponsors in understanding the challenges posed by the investments and practices that restricted withdrawals. To do this, GAO reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations and consulted with experts, federal officials, service providers, and plan sponsors."
Date: March 10, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Education of Military Dependent Students: Better Information Needed to Assess Student Performance (open access)

Education of Military Dependent Students: Better Information Needed to Assess Student Performance

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since the early 1990s, Congress has supplemented the Department of Education's (Education) Impact Aid program by providing funds for the Department of Defense's (DOD) Impact Aid program to compensate school districts with a high number of military dependent students. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 required GAO to review the use of these funds. GAO reviewed (1) what is known about the utilization and effectiveness of DOD Impact Aid funds, (2) the challenges faced by school districts in serving military dependent students, and (3) how DOD and Education have collaborated on their assistance. To address these issues, GAO conducted a Web-based survey of all 154 school districts that received DOD Impact Aid in any year from 2001 to 2009, with a response rate of 77 percent. GAO also interviewed officials from DOD and Education and seven school districts in five states, ranging in school district size, location, and percentage of military dependent students. The findings from these visits cannot be projected nationwide, but illustrate valuable perspectives."
Date: March 1, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Security: IRS Needs to Enhance Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Taxpayer Data (open access)

Information Security: IRS Needs to Enhance Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Taxpayer Data

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a demanding responsibility in collecting taxes, processing tax returns, and enforcing the nation's tax laws. It relies extensively on computerized systems to support its financial and mission-related operations and on information security controls to protect financial and sensitive taxpayer information that resides on those systems. As part of its audit of IRS's fiscal years 2010 and 2009 financial statements, GAO assessed whether controls over key financial and tax processing systems are effective in ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of financial and sensitive taxpayer information. To do this, GAO examined IRS information security policies, plans, and procedures; tested controls over key financial applications; and interviewed key agency officials at four sites."
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
End-Stage Renal Disease: CMS Should Assess Adequacy of Payment When Certain Oral Drugs Are Included and Ensure Availability of Quality Monitoring Data (open access)

End-Stage Renal Disease: CMS Should Assess Adequacy of Payment When Certain Oral Drugs Are Included and Ensure Availability of Quality Monitoring Data

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For most individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), Medicare purchases a bundle of dialysis-related services using a single payment. In 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to include in this bundled payment "oral-only" ESRD drugs used to treat mineral and bone disorder. Currently, Medicare generally pays for these drugs only if the beneficiary has Part D prescription drug coverage. This report (1) describes the rationales for including oral-only ESRD drugs in the bundled payment, (2) examines dialysis organizations' recent experience providing oral-only ESRD drugs and their future ability to provide these drugs, (3) examines the data sources that CMS could use to account for oral-only ESRD drugs in the bundled payment, and (4) examines CMS's ability to monitor treatment of mineral and bone disorder. GAO interviewed CMS officials, experts in mineral and bone disorder, and representatives of 4 large and 16 small dialysis organizations. GAO also reviewed ESRD payment regulations, related reports, clinical guidelines, and state pharmacy licensure requirements in 10 selected states."
Date: March 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Status of Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Improper Payments Reporting (open access)

Status of Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Improper Payments Reporting

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Our work over the past several years has highlighted long-standing, widespread, and significant problems with improper payments in the federal government. Fiscal year 2010 marked the seventh year of implementation of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA), which requires executive branch agencies to annually review all programs and activities to identify those that are susceptible to significant improper payments, estimate the annual amount of improper payment for such programs and activities, report these estimates, and report on actions taken to reduce any improper payment estimates that exceed $10 million. On July 22, 2010, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA) was enacted. IPERA amended IPIA by expanding on the previous requirements for identifying, estimating, and reporting on programs and activities susceptible to significant improper payments and to expand requirements for recovering overpayments across a broad range of federal programs. IPERA provisions related to identifying, estimating, and reporting on improper payments generally become effective in fiscal year 2011. For fiscal year 2010, federal agencies reported an estimated $125.4 billion in improper payments, an increase of about $16 billion over the fiscal year 2009 estimate …
Date: March 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD and VA Health Care: Federal Recovery Coordination Program Continues to Expand but Faces Significant Challenges (open access)

DOD and VA Health Care: Federal Recovery Coordination Program Continues to Expand but Faces Significant Challenges

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2007, following reports of poor case management for outpatients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) jointly developed the Federal Recovery Coordination Program (FRCP) to coordinate the clinical and nonclinical services needed by severely wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and veterans. The FRCP, which continues to expand, is administered by VA, and the care coordinators, called Federal Recovery Coordinators (FRC), are VA employees. This report examines (1) whether servicemembers and veterans who need FRCP services are being identified and enrolled in the program, (2) staffing challenges confronting the FRCP, and (3) challenges facing the FRCP in its efforts to coordinate care for enrollees. GAO reviewed FRCP policies and procedures and conducted over 170 interviews of FRCP officials, FRCs, headquarters officials and staff of DOD and VA case management programs, and staff at medical facilities where FRCs are located."
Date: March 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Warfighter Support: DOD's Urgent Needs Processes Need a More Comprehensive Approach and Evaluation for Potential Consolidation (open access)

Warfighter Support: DOD's Urgent Needs Processes Need a More Comprehensive Approach and Evaluation for Potential Consolidation

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced significant risks of mission failure and loss of life due to rapidly changing enemy threats. In response, the Department of Defense (DOD) established urgent operational needs processes to rapidly develop, modify, and field new capabilities, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technology, and counter-improvised explosive devices (IED) systems. However, GAO, the Defense Science Board, and others have raised concerns about the effectiveness, efficiency, and oversight of DOD's various urgent needs processes. GAO conducted this review to determine (1) what various entities exist within DOD for responding to urgent operational needs, and the extent to which there is fragmentation, overlap, or duplication; (2) the extent to which DOD has a comprehensive approach for managing and overseeing its urgent needs activities; and (3) the extent to which DOD has evaluated the potential for consolidations. To conduct this review, GAO examined DOD's urgent needs processes and collected and analyzed data from urgent needs entities."
Date: March 1, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Key Events Leading to the Termination of the Delphi Defined Benefit Plans (open access)

Key Events Leading to the Termination of the Delphi Defined Benefit Plans

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Delphi Corporation was a global supplier of mobile electronics and transportation systems that began as part of the General Motors Corporation (GM) and was spun off as an independent company in 1999. Following bankruptcy in 2005, Delphi's six qualified defined benefit (DB) plans were terminated and trusteed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) in July 2009. These terminations culminated from a complex series of events involving Delphi, GM, various unions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), as well as PBGC. Congress asked us to examine a range of issues related to PBGC's termination of Delphi's DB plans, such as the decision to terminate, the efforts to secure plan assets, the treatment of collective bargaining agreements, and Treasury's role throughout the process. As discussed with Congressional staff members in December 2010, this report includes a timeline of key events leading to the termination of Delphi's plans. The timeline focuses, in particular, on events related to the reasons for GM providing retirement benefit supplements to certain Delphi employees, but not to others, and Treasury's role in those events. We will compare PBGC's process for terminating Delphi's pension …
Date: March 30, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electronic Tax Return Filing: Improvements Can Be Made before Mandate Becomes Fully Implemented (open access)

Electronic Tax Return Filing: Improvements Can Be Made before Mandate Becomes Fully Implemented

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) goal is to receive 80 percent of all major types of tax returns electronically by 2012. Legislation passed in November 2009 supports the 80 percent goal for individual income tax returns by requiring tax return preparers who file more than 10 individual returns per year to file them electronically, or e-file. In 2009, IRS electronically processed nearly 95.5 million individual tax returns, or roughly two-thirds of all individual tax returns filed. IRS estimated that it saved $3.10 for each e-filed return that it did not have to process on paper. If the remaining paper returns had been e-filed, IRS could have saved about $148 million in processing costs for 2009 alone. In addition to reducing costs, e-filing provides higher accuracy rates, improved convenience, and faster processing and refunds for taxpayers. Furthermore, IRS officials said that having increased information available electronically could improve the effectiveness of IRS's compliance programs and bring in additional enforcement revenue. Congress asked us to review IRS's implementation of the e-file mandate. In response to this request, this report assesses IRS's initial implementation of the mandate. It also …
Date: March 7, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Management Report: Improvements Needed in SEC's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures (open access)

Management Report: Improvements Needed in SEC's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "On November 15, 2010, we issued our opinion on the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) fiscal years 2010 and 2009 financial statements. We also issued our opinion on the effectiveness of SEC's internal controls over financial reporting as of September 30, 2010, and our evaluation of SEC's compliance with selected provisions of laws and regulations during fiscal year 2010. In that report we identified material weaknesses in SEC's controls. The purpose of this report is to present (1) more detailed information and our recommendations related to the material weaknesses we reported and discussed in our opinion report; (2) less significant internal control issues we identified during our fiscal year 2010 audit of SEC's internal controls and accounting procedures, along with our related recommended corrective actions; (3) summary information on the status of the recommendations reported as open in our March 31, 2010, management report, and (4) the status of the security weaknesses in information systems controls at SEC that we identified in public and "Limited Official Use Only" reports issued in 2005 through 2009, that were unresolved at the time of our March 31, 2010, management …
Date: March 29, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Additional Cost Transparency and Design Criteria Needed for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Projects (open access)

Additional Cost Transparency and Design Criteria Needed for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Projects

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO published its third annual assessment of selected large-scale NASA projects. During this assessment we identified several issues that merit NASA's management attention. The federal government faces real fiscal limitations and will have to make difficult choices about upcoming priorities. This reality makes it more important than ever that NASA manage its programs and projects as efficiently and effectively as possible and within a budget that over recent years has remained relatively constant. It will also require that NASA make tough decisions about which projects to fund among core missions in science, aeronautics, and human space flight and exploration. Our work over the past three years has shown that NASA's major projects are frequently approved without evidence of a sound business case--ensuring a match between requirements and resources--and, therefore, cost more and take longer to develop than planned. Our March 2011 assessment found that 13 NASA projects that established baselines prior to fiscal year 2009 had experienced an average cost growth of almost 55 percent, with a combined increase in development costs of almost $2.5 billion from their baselines established at their Confirmation Review. While NASA has taken …
Date: March 3, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
NASA: Assessments of Selected Large-Scale Projects (open access)

NASA: Assessments of Selected Large-Scale Projects

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's work has shown that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) large-scale projects, while producing groundbreaking research and advancing our understanding of the universe, tend to cost more and take longer to develop than planned, and are often approved without evidence of a sound business case. Although space development is complex and diffi cult by nature, GAO has found that inherent risks are compounded by the need for better management and oversight practices. GAO has designated NASA's acquisition management a high risk area. This report provides a snapshot of how well NASA is planning and executing its acquisition of selected large-scale projects. It also provides observations about the performance of NASA's major projects and project management, outlines steps NASA is taking to improve its acquisitions, identifi es challenges that contribute to cost and schedule growth, and assesses 21 NASA projects, each with an estimated life-cycle cost of over $250 million."
Date: March 3, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Missile Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Transparency and Accountability (open access)

Missile Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Transparency and Accountability

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2002, Congress has directed GAO to assess the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) annual fiscal year cost, schedule, testing, and performance progress in developing the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). This year's report specifically assesses MDA's progress in (1) delivering missile defense assets as scheduled (2) improving accountability and transparency over the past year (3) implementing the European Phased Adaptive Approach (4) implementing changes to the Ground-based Midcourse Defense program (5) implementing the targets revised acquisition strategy identified in 2009, and (6) testing the BMDS and developing its modeling and simulations to assess performance. To accomplish this, GAO reviewed MDA's progress reports to the Congress, pertinent Department of Defense (DOD) policies and reports including a DOD assessment and plan related to the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system."
Date: March 24, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elder Justice: Stronger Federal Leadership Could Enhance National Response to Elder Abuse [Reissued on March 22, 2011] (open access)

Elder Justice: Stronger Federal Leadership Could Enhance National Response to Elder Abuse [Reissued on March 22, 2011]

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each day, news reports cite instances of older adults across the United States being abused, denied needed care, or financially exploited, often by those they depend on. This report contains information on (1) existing estimates of the extent of elder abuse and their quality, (2) factors associated with elder abuse and its impact on victims, (3) characteristics and challenges of state Adult Protective Services (APS) responsible for addressing elder abuse, and (4) federal support and leadership in this area. To obtain this information, GAO reviewed relevant research; visited six states and surveyed state APS programs; analyzed budgetary and other federal documents; reviewed federal laws and regulations; and interviewed federal officials, researchers, and elder abuse experts."
Date: March 2, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Troubled Asset Relief Program: Treasury Continues to Face Implementation Challenges and Data Weaknesses in Its Making Home Affordable Program (open access)

Troubled Asset Relief Program: Treasury Continues to Face Implementation Challenges and Data Weaknesses in Its Making Home Affordable Program

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Two years after the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) first made available up to $50 billion for the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program, foreclosure rates remain at historically high levels. Treasury recently introduced several new programs intended to further help homeowners. This report examines (1) the status of three of these new programs, (2) characteristics of homeowners with first-lien modifications from the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), and (3) the outcomes for borrowers who were denied or fell out of first-lien modifications. To address these questions, GAO analyzed data from Treasury and six large MHA servicers."
Date: March 17, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Education Benefits: Increased Oversight of Tuition Assistance Program Is Needed (open access)

DOD Education Benefits: Increased Oversight of Tuition Assistance Program Is Needed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2009, the Department of Defense's (DOD) Military Tuition Assistance (TA) Program provided $517 million in tuition assistance to approximately 377,000 service members. GAO was asked to report on (1) DOD's oversight of schools receiving TA funds, and (2) the extent to which DOD coordinates with accrediting agencies and the U.S. Department of Education (Education) in its oversight activities. GAO conducted site visits to selected military education centers and interviewed officials from DOD, its contractors, Education, accrediting agencies and their association, and postsecondary institutions."
Date: March 1, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rural Housing Service: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Farm Labor Housing Program Management and Oversight (open access)

Rural Housing Service: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Farm Labor Housing Program Management and Oversight

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress created the Farm Labor Housing (FLH) Loan and Grant Program in the early 1960s to support the development of affordable housing for farm workers. In 2010, Congress appropriated $19.7 million for this program, which is administered by the Rural Housing Service (RHS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). GAO was asked to examine (1) demand for the FLH program; (2) RHS's processes for ensuring that the program is providing decent housing for eligible farmworkers; and (3) the financial status and financial management of FLH properties. To do this work, GAO analyzed agency data, regulations, and FLH program documentation; convened a group of experts with assistance of The National Academies; selected and inspected 20 properties in five states; and interviewed RHS staff and various stakeholders."
Date: March 30, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Reserve Banks: Areas for Improvement in Information Systems Controls (open access)

Federal Reserve Banks: Areas for Improvement in Information Systems Controls

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In connection with fulfilling our requirement to audit the financial statements of the U.S. government, we audited and reported on the Schedules of Federal Debt Managed by the Bureau of the Public Debt (BPD) for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010 and 2009. As part of these audits, we performed a review of information systems controls over key financial systems maintained and operated by the Federal Reserve Banks (FRB) on behalf of the Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) BPD relevant to the Schedule of Federal Debt. As we reported in connection with our audit of the Schedules of Federal Debt for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010 and 2009, we concluded that BPD maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting relevant to the Schedule of Federal Debt as of September 30, 2010, that provided reasonable assurance that misstatements, losses, or noncompliance material in relation to the Schedule of Federal Debt would be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis. However, we identified information systems deficiencies affecting internal control over financial reporting, which, while we do not consider them to be …
Date: March 31, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Application of Lessons Learned and Best Practices in the Presidential Helicopter Program (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Application of Lessons Learned and Best Practices in the Presidential Helicopter Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In June 2009, following the expenditure of close to $3 billion and a critical Nunn-McCurdy breach of the cost growth threshold, the Department of Defense (DOD) terminated the Navy's VH-71 presidential helicopter acquisition program and contract because of cost growth, schedule delays, and projected system performance. The Presidential Helicopter VXX program is a successor Navy program to the terminated VH-71 program acquisition and has been initiated to develop aircraft to replace the current, aging presidential helicopter fleet. The Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (the Act) directed GAO to review and report annually to the congressional defense committees on the VXX program through 2013. This is the first of the required GAO reports. It discusses (1) major lessons learned from the terminated VH-71 program that should be applied to the follow-on VXX program and (2) the current acquisition approach of the VXX program and sufficiency of the underlying acquisition plans and related documentation."
Date: March 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library