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Military Health: DOD's Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network (open access)

Military Health: DOD's Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Members of the military have long been required to receive immunizations. The Department of Defense (DOD) estimates that over 2.2 million servicemembers receive at least one mandatory immunization annually. Immunizations are provided through the administration of vaccines, which contain "antigens" or parts of a specific virus or bacterium that are used to trigger an immune response to protect the body from disease. DOD's immunization requirements vary depending on several factors, such as a servicemember's branch of military service, location, age, and type of personnel, such as newly enlisted recruits, those conducting high-risk travel, and reserve forces. No immunization is completely safe. Like all individuals, servicemembers may experience side-effects as a result of their immunizations, known as adverse events. Most adverse events consist of relatively mild reactions, such as swelling near the site of the immunization. However, a small number of individuals may experience more severe reactions, such as some servicemembers who received the anthrax and smallpox vaccines. Some servicemembers who received these vaccines experienced severe reactions such as migraines, heart problems, and the onset of diseases including diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Since then, the adverse events associated with …
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Airport Finance: Observations on Planned Airport Development Costs and Funding Levels and the Administration's Proposed Changes in the Airport Improvement Program (open access)

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

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 way that grants through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) are funded and allocated to the 3,400 airports in the national airport system. In response, GAO was asked for an update on current funding levels for airport development and the sufficiency of those levels to meet planned development costs. This report comprises capital development estimates made by FAA and Airports Council International (ACI), a leading industry association; analyzes how much airports have received for capital development and if sustained, whether it can meet future planned development; and summarizes the effects of proposed changes in funding for airport development. Airport funding and planned development data are drawn from the best available sources and have been assessed for their reliability. The Department of Transportation agreed with the …
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nursing Homes: Federal Actions Needed to Improve Targeting and Evaluation of Assistance by Quality Improvement Organizations (open access)

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

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 voluntary. To evaluate QIO performance, CMS relied largely on changes in homes' quality measures (QM), data based on resident assessments routinely conducted by homes. GAO assessed QIO activities during the 3-year contract starting in 2002, focusing on (1) characteristics of homes assisted intensively, (2) types of assistance provided, and (3) effect of assistance on the quality of nursing home care. GAO conducted a Web-based survey of all 51 QIOs, visited QIOs and homes in five states, and interviewed experts on using QMs to evaluate QIOs."
Date: May 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Opportunities Remain to Improve Oversight and Management of Oil and Gas Activities on National Wildlife Refuges (open access)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Opportunities Remain to Improve Oversight and Management of Oil and Gas Activities on National Wildlife Refuges

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The mission of the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) includes administering a national network of refuges for the conservation, management, and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations. The refuges are unique in that they are the only federal lands managed primarily for the benefit of wildlife. The refuge system's 95 million acres, which represent more than 14 percent of all federal lands and are found in every state, include land that has always been federally owned and land that has been acquired from others. While the federal government owns almost all of the surface lands in the system, in many cases it does not own the subsurface mineral rights. Subject to some restrictions, owners of subsurface mineral rights have the legal authority to explore for mineral resources such as oil and gas and to extract resources that are found. In August 2003, we reported that oil and gas activities were occurring on many wildlife refuges and that little was known about the effects of those …
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Contracting: Improved Insight and Controls Needed over DOD's Time-and-Materials Contracts (open access)

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

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-materials contracts; analyze what DOD is buying under these contracts; assess why DOD is using them and whether actions are being taken to ensure that they are used only when no other contract type is suitable; evaluate DOD's monitoring of contractor performance; and determine the differences between the labor rates prime contractors bill DOD and the rates in their subcontracts. GAO reviewed 82 time-and-materials contracts, agreements, and orders and examined prime contract and subcontract labor rates on 12 additional contracts or agreements."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Disaster Relief: Prevention Is the Key to Minimizing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Recovery Efforts (open access)

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Disaster Relief: Prevention Is the Key to Minimizing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Recovery Efforts

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed homes and displaced millions of individuals. While federal and state governments continue to respond to this disaster, GAO has identified significant control weaknesses--specifically in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) and in Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s purchase card program--resulting in significant fraud, waste, and abuse. In response to the numerous recommendations GAO made, DHS and FEMA have reported on numerous actions taken to address our recommendations. Lessons learned from GAO's prior work can serve as a framework for an effective fraud prevention system for federal and state governments as they consider spending billions more on disaster recovery. These lessons are particularly important because funding that is lost to fraud, waste, and abuse reduces the amount of money that could be delivered to victims in need. Today's testimony will (1) describe key findings from past GAO work and (2) use the results from that work and GAO's other experiences to discuss the importance of an effective fraud, waste and abuse prevention program."
Date: January 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Anthrax Detection: DHS Cannot Ensure That Sampling Activities Will Be Validated (open access)

Anthrax Detection: DHS Cannot Ensure That Sampling Activities Will Be Validated

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In September and October 2001, contaminated letters laced with Bacillus anthracis were sent through the mail to two U.S. senators and members of the media. Postal facilities in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere became heavily contaminated. The anthrax incidents highlighted major gaps in civilian preparedness to detect anthrax contamination in buildings. GAO was asked to describe and assess federal agencies' activities to detect anthrax in postal facilities, assess the results of agencies' testing, and assess whether agencies' detection activities were validated."
Date: March 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Private Pensions: Low Defined Contribution Plan Savings May Pose Challenges to Retirement Security, Especially for Many Low-Income Workers (open access)

Private Pensions: Low Defined Contribution Plan Savings May Pose Challenges to Retirement Security, Especially for Many Low-Income Workers

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the last 25 years, pension coverage has shifted primarily from "traditional" defined benefit (DB) plans, in which workers accrue benefits based on years of service and earnings, toward defined contribution (DC) plans, in which participants accumulate retirement balances in individual accounts. DC plans provide greater portability of benefits, but shift the responsibility of saving for retirement from employers to employees. This report addresses the following issues: (1) What percentage of workers participate in DC plans, and how much have they saved in them? (2) How much are workers likely to have saved in DC plans over their careers and to what degree do key individual decisions and plan features affect plan saving? (3) What options have been recently proposed to increase DC plan coverage, participation, and savings? GAO analyzed data from the Federal Reserve Board's 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the latest available, utilized a computer simulation model to project DC plan balances at retirement, reviewed academic studies, and interviewed experts."
Date: November 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit Manual: Volume Three, Exposure Draft, June 2007 (Superseded by GAO-07-1173G) (open access)

Financial Audit Manual: Volume Three, Exposure Draft, June 2007 (Superseded by GAO-07-1173G)

Guidance issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This publication has been superseded by GAO-07-1173G, Financial Audit Manual: Volume Three, August 2007. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) maintain the GAO/PCIE Financial Audit Manual (FAM). The FAM provides guidance for performing financial statement audits of federal entities. The FAM is a key tool for enhancing accountability over taxpayer-provided resources."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information on Port Security in the Caribbean Basin (open access)

Information on Port Security in the Caribbean Basin

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Referred to as our "third border," the Caribbean Basin has significant maritime links with the United States. Given these links and the region's proximity, the United States is particularly interested in ensuring that the ports in the Caribbean Basin--through which goods bound for this country's ports and cruise ships carrying its citizens must travel--are secure. Section 233 (c) of the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006 (SAFE Port Act) requires GAO to report on various security-related aspects of Caribbean Basin ports. Our specific objectives were to identify and describe the (1) threats and security concerns in the Caribbean Basin related to port security, (2) actions that foreign governments and local stakeholders have taken in the Caribbean Basin to implement international port security requirements and the challenges that remain, (3) activities reported to be under way by U.S. government agencies to enhance port security in the Caribbean Basin, and (4) potential economic impacts of port security and terrorist attacks in the Caribbean Basin. Between March 29 and April 13, 2007, we briefed Congress on the results of our work to address these objectives. This report summarizes …
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Base Closures: Projected Savings from Fleet Readiness Centers Likely Overstated and Actions Needed to Track Actual Savings and Overcome Certain Challenges (open access)

Military Base Closures: Projected Savings from Fleet Readiness Centers Likely Overstated and Actions Needed to Track Actual Savings and Overcome Certain Challenges

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation to establish fleet readiness centers was expected to yield more savings than any other of the 2005 BRAC recommendations. To achieve these savings the Navy plans to integrate civilian depot personnel to complete some repairs at intermediate maintenance departments to reduce aviation maintenance costs. This report, prepared under the Comptroller General authority to conduct evaluations on his own initiative, is one in a series of reports related to the 2005 BRAC recommendations. GAO's objectives were to (1) analyze the reasons for changes in costs and savings estimates since the recommendation was approved, and (2) identify challenges in implementing this BRAC recommendation. GAO analyzed Navy and BRAC Commission costs and savings estimates and interviewed officials at the Naval Air Systems Command and at three fleet readiness centers."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Emergency Management Assistance Compact: Enhancing EMAC's Collaborative and Administrative Capacity Should Improve National Disaster Response (open access)

Emergency Management Assistance Compact: Enhancing EMAC's Collaborative and Administrative Capacity Should Improve National Disaster Response

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a collaborative arrangement among member states that provides a legal framework for requesting resources. Working alongside federal players, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard Bureau, EMAC members deployed an unprecedented level of assistance in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Although EMAC played a critical role in our nation's response to these hurricanes, the magnitude of these events revealed limitations. GAO was asked to (1) examine how the use of EMAC has changed since its inception; (2) assess how well existing policies, procedures, and practices facilitate collaboration; and (3) evaluate the adequacy of the EMAC network's administrative capacity to achieve its mission. GAO examined documents and interviewed officials from 45 federal, state, and local agencies and offices."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Logistics: Efforts to Improve Distribution and Supply Support for Joint Military Operations Could Benefit from a Coordinated Management Approach (open access)

Defense Logistics: Efforts to Improve Distribution and Supply Support for Joint Military Operations Could Benefit from a Coordinated Management Approach

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Army and the Marine Corps experienced problems with the delivery of supplies to the warfighter. Such problems highlight long-standing weaknesses in the Department of Defense's (DOD) supply chain management. DOD has identified joint theater logistics as a key effort aimed at improving distribution and supply support. GAO was asked to examine DOD's efforts to develop and implement joint theater logistics. GAO assessed (1) the extent to which DOD's approach to managing joint theater logistics departmentwide encompasses sound management principles and (2) the progress DOD has made in implementing joint theater logistics initiatives. GAO reviewed DOD documents and interviewed officials from the Joint Staff, services, agencies, and geographic combatant commands."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Geographic Areas Used to Adjust Physician Payments for Variation in Practice Costs Should Be Revised (open access)

Medicare: Geographic Areas Used to Adjust Physician Payments for Variation in Practice Costs Should Be Revised

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adjusts Medicare physician fees for geographic differences in the costs of operating a medical practice. CMS uses 89 physician payment localities among which fees are adjusted. Concerns have been raised that the boundaries of some payment localities do not accurately address variations in physicians' costs. GAO was asked to examine how CMS has revised the localities; the extent to which they accurately reflect variations in physicians' costs; and alternative approaches to constructing the localities. To do so, GAO reviewed selected Federal Register documents; compared data on the costs physicians incur in different areas with the Medicare geographic adjustment; and used the physician cost data to construct and evaluate alternative approaches."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Compliance: Thousands of Organizations Exempt from Federal Income Tax Owe Nearly $1 Billion in Payroll and Other Taxes (open access)

Tax Compliance: Thousands of Organizations Exempt from Federal Income Tax Owe Nearly $1 Billion in Payroll and Other Taxes

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As of September 2006, nearly 1.8 million entities were recognized as tax exempt organizations by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As such, they do not have to pay federal income taxes. Exempt organizations are still required to remit amounts withheld from employees' wages for federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, as well as other taxes. Previous GAO work identified numerous government contractors, Medicare providers, and charities participating in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) with billions in unpaid federal taxes. To follow up on the CFC work, the subcommittee requested that GAO determine whether and to what extent (1) exempt organizations have unpaid federal taxes, including payroll taxes; (2) selected case study organizations and their executives are involved in abusive or potentially criminal activity; and (3) exempt organizations with unpaid federal taxes received direct grants from certain federal agencies. GAO reviewed unpaid taxes and exempt organization data from IRS and selected 25 case studies for audit and investigation. GAO also reviewed data from 3 major grant disbursement systems. GAO referred all 25 cases to IRS for collection activity and criminal investigation, if warranted. In its oral …
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Pay: Processes for Retaining Injured Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers on Active Duty Have Been Improved, but Some Challenges Remain (open access)

Military Pay: Processes for Retaining Injured Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers on Active Duty Have Been Improved, but Some Challenges Remain

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In February 2005, GAO reported that weaknesses in the Army's Active Duty Medical Extension (ADME) process caused injured and ill Army National Guard and Reserve (reserve component) soldiers to experience gaps in pay and benefits. During the course of GAO's previous work, the Army implemented the Medical Retention Processing (MRP) program in May 2004 and Community-Based Health Care Initiative (CBHCI) in March 2004. CBHCI allows reserve component soldiers on MRP orders to return home and receive medical care through a civilian health care provider. As directed by congressional mandate, GAO determined whether (1) MRP has resolved the pay issues previously identified with ADME and (2) the Army has the metrics it needs to determine whether it is effectively managing CBHCI program risks. GAO's scope did not include the medical, facilities, or disability ratings issues recently reported by the media at Walter Reed Army Medical Center."
Date: May 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Responses to Questions for the Record; Hearing on JPDO and the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Status and Issues (open access)

Responses to Questions for the Record; Hearing on JPDO and the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Status and Issues

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This letter responds to Congress's April 24, 2007, request that GAO address questions submitted for the record by Members of the Subcommittee related to the March 29, 2007, hearing entitled JPDO and the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Status and Issues."
Date: May 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Preliminary Information on Rebuilding Efforts in the Gulf Coast (open access)

Preliminary Information on Rebuilding Efforts in the Gulf Coast

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The size and scope of the devastation caused by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes presents the nation with unprecedented rebuilding challenges. These storms destroyed wide swaths of housing, infrastructure, and businesses and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Today, nearly two years since these hurricanes made landfall, rebuilding efforts are at a critical turning point. The Gulf Coast and the nation are facing the daunting challenges of rebuilding. Our recent work in southern Louisiana and New Orleans confirms that some communities are still without basic needs, such as schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure, while the doors of many businesses remain closed. Over the coming years, perhaps decades, many neighborhoods and communities will need to be rebuilt--some from the ground up. At the same time, major decisions will need to be made regarding a wide range of issues including coastal restoration, levee protection, infrastructure, land use, and economic recovery. Agreeing on what rebuilding will be done, where, how, and--particularly important--who will bear the costs will be key to moving forward with the rebuilding process. To assist Congress in its oversight responsibilities, GAO briefed Congress on several …
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Housing Administration: Modernization Proposals Would Have Program and Budget Implications and Require Continued Improvements in Risk Management (open access)

Federal Housing Administration: Modernization Proposals Would Have Program and Budget Implications and Require Continued Improvements in Risk Management

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In recent years, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has experienced a sharp decline in market share. Also, the agency has estimated that, absent program changes, its Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (Fund) would require appropriations in 2008. To adapt to market changes, FHA has implemented new procedures and proposed the following major legislative changes: raising FHA's loan limits, allowing risk-based pricing, and lowering down-payment requirements. GAO was asked to report on (1) the likely program and budget impacts of FHA's modernization efforts; (2) the tools, resources, and risk management practices important to FHA's implementation of the legislative proposals, if passed; and (3) other options that FHA and Congress could consider to help FHA adapt to market changes. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed FHA and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data and interviewed officials from FHA and other mortgage institutions."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Housing Administration: Decline in the Agency's Market Share Was Associated with Product and Process Developments of Other Mortgage Market Participants (open access)

Federal Housing Administration: Decline in the Agency's Market Share Was Associated with Product and Process Developments of Other Mortgage Market Participants

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) historically has been an important participant in the mortgage market, which includes loans that carry government insurance or guarantees (such as FHA-insured mortgages) and those that do not (conventional mortgages). The conventional market comprises prime loans for the most creditworthy borrowers and subprime loans for borrowers with impaired credit. Reduced demand for FHA-insured mortgages--which are used primarily by borrowers who would have difficulty obtaining conventional prime loans--has raised questions about the agency's role in and ability to adapt to the mortgage market. This report discusses (1) trends in FHA's share of the market for home purchase mortgages from 1996 through 2005, and how they compared with the trends for other market segments; and (2) factors associated with the trends in FHA's market share and the implications of these trends for homebuyers and FHA. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed FHA and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data and interviewed officials from FHA and other mortgage institutions."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Market Preparedness: Significant Progress Has Been Made, but Pandemic Planning and Other Challenges Remain (open access)

Financial Market Preparedness: Significant Progress Has Been Made, but Pandemic Planning and Other Challenges Remain

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This is GAO's third report since the September 11 terrorist attacks that assesses progress that market participants and regulators have made to ensure the security and resiliency of our securities markets. This report examined (1) actions taken to improve the markets' capabilities to prevent and recover from attacks; (2) actions taken to improve disaster response and increase telecommunications resiliency; and (3) financial regulators' efforts to ensure market resiliency. GAO inspected physical and electronic security measures and business continuity capabilities using regulatory, government, and industry-established criteria and discussed improvement efforts with broker dealers, banks, regulators, telecommunications carriers, and trade associations."
Date: March 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Corporate Shareholder Meetings: Issues Relating to Firms That Advise Institutional Investors on Proxy Voting (open access)

Corporate Shareholder Meetings: Issues Relating to Firms That Advise Institutional Investors on Proxy Voting

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "At annual meetings, shareholders of public corporations can vote on various issues (e.g., mergers and acquisitions) through a process called proxy voting. Institutional investors (e.g., mutual funds and pension funds) cast the majority of proxy votes due to their large stock holdings. In recent years, concerns have been raised about a group of about five firms that provide research and recommendations on proxy votes to their institutional investor clients. GAO was asked to report on (1) potential conflicts of interest that may exist with proxy advisory firms and the steps that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken to oversee these firms; (2) the factors that may impede or promote competition within the proxy advisory industry; and (3) institutional investors' use of the firms' services and the firms' potential influence on proxy vote outcomes. GAO reviewed SEC examinations of proxy advisory firms, spoke with industry professionals, and conducted structured interviews with 31 randomly selected institutional investors. GAO is not making any recommendations."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Higher Education: Challenges in Attracting International Students to the United States and Implications for Global Competitiveness (open access)

Higher Education: Challenges in Attracting International Students to the United States and Implications for Global Competitiveness

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "More international students obtain a higher education in the United States than in any other country, and they make valuable contributions while they are here. For those students returning home after their studies, such exchanges support federal public diplomacy efforts and can improve understanding among nations. International students have earned about one-third or more of all U.S. degrees at both the master's and doctoral levels in several of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Yet recent trends, including a drop in international student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities, and policy changes after September 11, 2001, have raised concerns about whether the United States will continue to attract talented international students to its universities. This testimony is based on ongoing and published GAO work. It includes themes from a September 2006 Comptroller General's forum on current trends in international student enrollment in the United States and abroad. Invitees to the forum included experts from the Congress, federal agencies, universities, research institutions, higher education organizations, and industry."
Date: June 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Improper Payments: Agencies' Efforts to Address Improper Payment and Recovery Auditing Requirements Continue (open access)

Improper Payments: Agencies' Efforts to Address Improper Payment and Recovery Auditing Requirements Continue

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government is accountable for how its agencies and grantees spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars and is responsible for safeguarding those funds against improper payments as well as for recouping those funds when improper payments occur. The Congress enacted the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA) and the Recovery Auditing Act to address these issues. Fiscal year 2006 marked the 3rd year that agencies were required to report improper payment and recovery audit information in their Performance and Accountability Reports. GAO was asked to testify on the progress agencies have made in these areas. Specifically, GAO focused on (1) trends in agencies' reporting under IPIA from fiscal years 2004 through 2006, (2) challenges in reporting improper payment information and improving internal control, and (3) agencies' reporting of recovery auditing efforts. This testimony is based on GAO's previous reports on agencies' efforts to implement IPIA requirements for fiscal years 2005 and 2004 and current review of available fiscal year 2006 improper payment and recovery auditing information. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provided technical comments that were incorporated as appropriate."
Date: March 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library