Resource Type

8(a) Program: The Importance of Effective Fraud Prevention Controls (open access)

8(a) Program: The Importance of Effective Fraud Prevention Controls

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the results of our prior investigation of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) Business Development Program. SBA's 8(a) program, named for a section of the Small Business Act, is a development program created to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market. To participate in the program, a firm must be certified as meeting several criteria, including: be a small business as defined by SBA; be unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who are of good character and citizens of the United States; and show potential for success. Upon certification, firms can obtain federal contracts without competing fully and openly for the work. For example, agencies are permitted to enter into sole-source contracts after soliciting and negotiating with only one 8(a) company. They also can participate in restricted competitions for federal contracts, known as set-asides, open to only 8(a) companies. In March 2010, GAO issued two companion reports on the 8(a) program, one focused on internal control procedures and processes that SBA has implemented to ensure that only eligible firms participate …
Date: March 3, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
401(k) Plans: Issues Involving Securities Lending in Plan Investments (open access)

401(k) Plans: Issues Involving Securities Lending in Plan Investments

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Securities lending can be a relatively straightforward way for plan sponsors and participants to increase their return on 401(k) investments. However, securities lending can also present a number of challenges to plan participants and plan sponsors. GAO was asked to explain how securities lending with cash collateral reinvestment works in relation to 401(k) plan investments, who bears the risks, and what are some of the challenges plan participants and plan sponsors face in understanding securities lending with cash collateral reinvestment. In this testimony, GAO discusses its recent work regarding securities lending with cash collateral reinvestment. GAO is making no new recommendations in this statement but continues to believe that the Department of Labor (Labor) can take action to help plan sponsors of 401(k) plans and plan participants to understand the role, risk, and benefits of securities lending with cash collateral reinvestment in relation to 401(k) plan investments. Specifically, GAO recommended that Labor provide more guidance to plan sponsors about fees and returns when plan assets are utilized in securities lending with cash collateral reinvestment, amend its participant disclosure regulation to include provisions specific to securities lending with cash …
Date: March 16, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
2010 Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Science Team Meeting Summary (open access)

2010 Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Science Team Meeting Summary

This document contains the summaries of papers presented in poster format at the March 2010 Atmospheric System Research Science Team Meeting held in Bethesda, Maryland. More than 260 posters were presented during the Science Team Meeting. Posters were sorted into the following subject areas: aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions, aerosol properties, atmospheric state and surface, cloud properties, field campaigns, infrastructure and outreach, instruments, modeling, and radiation. To put these posters in context, the status of ASR at the time of the meeting is provided here.
Date: May 4, 2011
Creator: Dupont, D. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
2010 Census: Preliminary Lessons Learned Highlight the Need for Fundamental Reforms (open access)

2010 Census: Preliminary Lessons Learned Highlight the Need for Fundamental Reforms

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO added the 2010 Census to its list of high-risk programs in 2008 in part because of (1) long-standing weaknesses in the Census Bureau's (Bureau) information technology (IT) acquisition and contract management function, (2) difficulties in developing reliable life-cycle cost estimates, and (3) key operations that were not tested under operational conditions. These issues jeopardized the Bureau's readiness for the count. Moreover, societal trends, such as concerns over privacy, have made a cost-effective census an increasingly difficult challenge. At about $13 billion, 2010 was the costliest U.S. Census in history. As requested, this testimony focuses on lessons learned from the 2010 Census, and initiatives that show promise for producing a more cost-effective population count in 2020. This testimony is based on completed and ongoing work, including an analysis of Bureau documents, interviews with Bureau officials, and field observations of census operations in urban and rural locations across the country."
Date: April 6, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
2011 Dynamics at Surfaces Gordon Research Conference (August 7-12, 2011, Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island) (open access)

2011 Dynamics at Surfaces Gordon Research Conference (August 7-12, 2011, Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island)

The 2011 Gordon Conference on Dynamics at Surfaces is the 32nd anniversary of a meeting held every two years that is attended by leading researchers in the area of experimental and theoretical dynamics at liquid and solid surfaces. The conference focuses on the dynamics of the interaction of molecules with either liquid or solid surfaces, the dynamics of the outermost layer of liquid and solid surfaces and the dynamics at the liquid-solid interface. Specific topics that are featured include state-to-state scattering dynamics, chemical reaction dynamics, non-adiabatic effects in reactive and inelastic scattering of molecules from surfaces, single molecule dynamics at surfaces, surface photochemistry, ultrafast dynamics at surfaces, and dynamics at water interfaces. The conference brings together investigators from a variety of scientific disciplines including chemistry, physics, materials science, geology, biophysics, and astronomy.
Date: August 12, 2011
Creator: Sitz, Greg
System: The UNT Digital Library
2011 Government Auditing Standards Listing of Technical Changes (open access)

2011 Government Auditing Standards Listing of Technical Changes

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This document is a listing of technical changes related to the 2011 Government Auditing Standards."
Date: December 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
2011 Government Auditing Standards Summary of Major Changes (open access)

2011 Government Auditing Standards Summary of Major Changes

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This document summarizes major changes in the 2011 Government Auditing Standards."
Date: December 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
2011 Map Calendar (open access)

2011 Map Calendar

Calendar for 2011 containing historical maps of areas of importance in Texas. It features historical dates, as well as American holidays.
Date: 2011
Creator: Texas. General Land Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
2011 Photosynthesis Gordon Research Conference & Seminar (June 11-17, 2011, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina) (open access)

2011 Photosynthesis Gordon Research Conference & Seminar (June 11-17, 2011, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina)

Photosynthesis is the biological process that converts solar energy into chemical energy. Elucidation of the mechanisms of photosynthetic energy conversion at a molecular level is fundamentally important for understanding the biology of photosynthetic organisms, for optimizing biological solar fuels production, and for developing biologically inspired approaches to solar energy conversion. The 2011 Gordon Conference on Photosynthesis will present cutting-edge research focusing on the biochemical aspects of photosynthesis, including: (1) structure, assembly, and function of photosynthetic complexes; (2) the mechanism of water splitting by PSII; (3) light harvesting and quenching; (4) alternative electron transport pathways; (5) biosynthesis of pigments and cofactors; and (6) improvement of photosynthesis for bioenergy and food production. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of photosynthesis research, a diverse group of invited speakers will represent a variety of scientific approaches to investigate photosynthesis, such as biochemistry, molecular genetics, structural biology, systems biology, and spectroscopy. Highly interactive poster sessions provide opportunities for graduate students and postdocs to present their work and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. One of the highlights of the Conference is a session featuring short talks by junior investigators selected from the poster presentations. The collegial atmosphere of the Photosynthesis GRC, with programmed discussion sessions as …
Date: June 17, 2011
Creator: Niyogi, Prof. Krishna
System: The UNT Digital Library
2011 Report on Projects for Traffic from International Trade (open access)

2011 Report on Projects for Traffic from International Trade

Annual summary report by TxDOT on highways projects and ability of state highway system to handle traffic resulting from international trade primarily focused in the El Paso, Laredo, and Pharr Districts.
Date: 2011
Creator: Texas. Department of Transportation.
System: The Portal to Texas History
2011 Texas Sales and Use Tax Rates (open access)

2011 Texas Sales and Use Tax Rates

Guide to sales and use tax in Texas and listings of the rates for all the areas in Texas with special cases noted at the beginning.
Date: 2011
Creator: Texas. Comptroller's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
2011 Treasures of the Texas Coast Calendar (open access)

2011 Treasures of the Texas Coast Calendar

Calendar for 2011 containing children's art selected through a contest, featuring Texas beaches and the slogan "Trashing Texas beaches isn't cool." The calendar includes interesting facts about Texas marine wildlife and features major American holidays, as well as other important dates of historical note. It also denotes the days of new moons and full moons.
Date: 2011
Creator: Texas. General Land Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
36th Annual International Conference on Infrared Millimeter and Terahertz Waves (open access)

36th Annual International Conference on Infrared Millimeter and Terahertz Waves

The Major Topic List of the 2011 conference featured a category entitled “IR, millimeter-wave, and THz spectroscopy,” another entitled “Gyro- Oscillators and Amplifiers, Plasma Diagnostics,” and a third called “Free Electron Lasers and Synchrotron Radiation.” Topical areas of interest to meeting participants include millimeter-wave electronics, high-power sources, high-frequency communications systems, and terahertz sensing and imaging, all of which are prominent in the research portfolios of the DOE. The development and study of new materials, components, and systems for use in the IR, THz, and MMW regions of the spectrum are of significant interest as well. a series of technical sessions were organized on the following topics:  terahertz metamaterials and plasmonics;  imaging techniques and applications;  graphene spectroscopy;  waveguide concepts;  gyrotron science and technology;  ultrafast terahertz measurements; and  quantum cascade lasers.
Date: January 1, 2011
Creator: Mittleman, Daniel M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Abandoned Mines: Information on the Number of Hardrock Mines, Cost of Cleanup, and Value of Financial Assurances (open access)

Abandoned Mines: Information on the Number of Hardrock Mines, Cost of Cleanup, and Value of Financial Assurances

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The General Mining Act of 1872 helped foster the development of the West by giving individuals exclusive rights to mine gold, silver, copper, and other hardrock minerals on federal land. However, miners often abandoned mines, leaving behind structures, safety hazards, and contaminated land and water. Four federal agencies--the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM), the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)--fund the cleanup of some of these hardrock mine sites. From 2005 through 2009, GAO issued a number of reports and testimonies on various issues related to abandoned and current hardrock mining operations. This testimony summarizes some of the key findings of these reports and testimonies focusing on the (1) number of abandoned hardrock mines, (2) availability of information collected by federal agencies on general mining activities, (3) amount of funding spent by federal agencies on cleanup of abandoned mines, and (4) value of financial assurances for mining operations on federal land managed by BLM. In 2005, GAO recommended that BLM strengthen the management of its financial assurances, which BLM generally …
Date: July 14, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Accelerating Innovation: How Nuclear Physics Benefits Us All (open access)

Accelerating Innovation: How Nuclear Physics Benefits Us All

From fighting cancer to assuring food is safe to protecting our borders, nuclear physics impacts the lives of people around the globe every day. In learning about the nucleus of the atom and the forces that govern it, scientists develop a depth of knowledge, techniques and remarkable research tools that can be used to develop a variety of often unexpected, practical applications. These applications include devices and technologies for medical diagnostics and therapy, energy production and exploration, safety and national security, and for the analysis of materials and environmental contaminants. This brochure by the Office of Nuclear Physics of the USDOE Office of Science discusses nuclear physics and ways in which its applications fuel our economic vitality, and make the world and our lives safer and healthier.
Date: January 1, 2011
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Accountability for U.S. Equipment Provided to Pakistani Security Forces in the Western Frontier Needs to Be Improved (open access)

Accountability for U.S. Equipment Provided to Pakistani Security Forces in the Western Frontier Needs to Be Improved

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other extremists have used safe havens along Pakistan's Western Frontier (border) region to attack Pakistani, Afghan, U.S., and coalition troops; plan and train for attacks against U.S. interests and the U.S. homeland; destabilize Pakistan, a nuclear-armed U.S. ally; and spread radical Islamic ideologies that threaten U.S. interests. A key U.S. national security objective is to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its violent extremist affiliates in Pakistan and to deny them a safe haven. Since 2002, the United States has provided over $18 billion in assistance and reimbursement to Pakistan including (1) reimbursements to the Pakistani government for costs incurred in direct support of U.S. counterterrorism operations; (2) security assistance such as grants to Pakistan for the acquisition of military equipment; and (3) development, economic, and humanitarian assistance. Since 2006, this assistance has included $1.5 billion to improve the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency capabilities of Pakistani security forces operating along the country's border with Afghanistan, including $400 million for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund (PCF) and $700 million for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capabilities Fund (PCCF). The President has requested an additional $1.2 billion for …
Date: February 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Acquisition Workforce: DOD's Efforts to Rebuild Capacity Have Shown Some Progress (open access)

Acquisition Workforce: DOD's Efforts to Rebuild Capacity Have Shown Some Progress

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) is the government's largest buying entity and has recognized that rebuilding the acquisition workforce is a strategic priority. The federal government's current budget and long-term fiscal pressures underscore the importance of a capable and well-functioning workforce. GAO and others have long recognized that the size and capabilities of the workforce across the government warrant the attention of the Congress. This statement discusses (1) DOD's progress in addressing challenges faced in rebuilding the capacity of the acquisition workforce, and (2) insights into the efforts by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to rebuild its contract oversight capacity. This statement is drawn from our broad body of work on DOD contract management and acquisition workforce as well as a report issued earlier this month on DCMA's efforts to rebuild capacity. We also obtained updated information from DOD with regard to its acquisition workforce competency assessments and workforce hiring.."
Date: November 16, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
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.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan's Donor Dependence (open access)

Afghanistan's Donor Dependence

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States has allocated over $72 billion to secure, stabilize, and rebuild Afghanistan since 2002, and the President requested over $18 billion for these purposes for fiscal year 2012. GAO has on numerous occasions raised doubts about the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's (GIRoA) ability to fund its public expenditures--funds spent to provide public services to the Afghan population, such as security, infrastructure projects, and government salaries. In 2005, we reported that Afghanistan had limited resources and recommended that the Secretaries of State and Defense develop plans for funding the Afghan national security forces (ANSF).1 In 2007 and 2008, we reported that it was essential to develop future funding requirements for the ANSF and a strategy for transitioning these responsibilities to GIRoA.2 In 2008, Congress also mandated that the Department of Defense provide a long-term plan for sustaining the ANSF, including future funding requirements. The Department of Defense, however, has yet to provide the Congress an estimate of the cost to sustain the Afghanistan National Security Forces.3 In 2011, we again recommended that the U.S. and international partners develop estimates of the future funding needed …
Date: September 20, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Airport and Airway Trust Fund: Declining Balance Raises Concerns over Ability to Meet Future Demands (open access)

Airport and Airway Trust Fund: Declining Balance Raises Concerns over Ability to Meet Future Demands

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the status of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (Trust Fund). Established in 1970, the Trust Fund helps finance the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) investments in the airport and airway system, such as construction and safety improvements at airports and technological upgrades to the air traffic control system, as well as FAA operations, such as providing air traffic control and conducting safety inspections. FAA, the Trust Fund, and the excise taxes that support the Trust Fund (which are discussed later in this statement) must all be periodically reauthorized. The most recent reauthorization expired at the end of fiscal year 2007. Proposed reauthorization legislation was considered but not enacted in the 110th and 111th Congresses, although several short-term measures were passed to extend the authorization of aviation programs, funding, and Trust Fund revenue collections. The latest of these extensions--the Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2010, Part IV--was enacted on December 22, 2010, extending FAA programs, expenditure authority, and aviation trust fund revenue collections through March 31, 2011. The financial health of the Trust Fund is important to ensure sustainable funding for a safe and efficient …
Date: February 3, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amchitka, Alaska Site Fact Sheet (open access)

Amchitka, Alaska Site Fact Sheet

Amchitka Island is near the western end of the Aleutian Island chain and is the largest island in the Rat Island Group that is located about 1,340 miles west-southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, and 870 miles east of the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. The island is 42 miles long and 1 to 4 miles wide, with an area of approximately 74,240 acres. Elevations range from sea level to more than 1,100 feet above sea level. The coastline is rugged; sea cliffs and grassy slopes surround nearly the entire island. Vegetation on the island is low-growing, meadow-like tundra grasses at lower elevations. No trees grow on Amchitka. The lowest elevations are on the eastern third of the island and are characterized by numerous shallow lakes and heavily vegetated drainages. The central portion of the island has higher elevations and fewer lakes. The westernmost 3 miles of the island contains a windswept rocky plateau with sparse vegetation.
Date: December 15, 2011
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
American Battle Monuments Commission: Improvements Needed in Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures - Fiscal Year 2010 (open access)

American Battle Monuments Commission: Improvements Needed in Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures - Fiscal Year 2010

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "On March 1, 2011, we issued our report expressing our opinion on the American Battle Monuments Commission's (the Commission) fiscal years 2010 and 2009 financial statements and our opinion on the Commission's internal control as of September 30, 2010. We also reported on the results of our tests of the Commission's compliance with selected provisions of laws and regulations during fiscal year 2010. During the fiscal year 2010 audit, we identified several internal control deficiencies that, while not material individually or in the aggregate to the Commission's financial statements, warrant management's attention. The purpose of this report is to present these deficiencies, provide recommendations to address these matters, and provide an update on the status of our prior years' recommendations."
Date: July 28, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
American Samoa And Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Employment, Earnings, and Status of Key Industries Since Minimum Wage Increases Began (open access)

American Samoa And Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Employment, Earnings, and Status of Key Industries Since Minimum Wage Increases Began

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2007, the United States enacted a law incrementally raising the minimum wages in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) until they equal the U.S. minimum wage. American Samoa's minimum wage increased by $.50 three times, and the CNMI's four times before legislation delayed the increases, providing for no increase in American Samoa in 2010 or 2011 and none in the CNMI in 2011. If further increases are implemented as scheduled, American Samoa's minimum wage will equal the current U.S. minimum wage of $7.25 in 2018, and the CNMI's will reach it in 2016. Recent economic declines in both areas reflect the closure of one of two tuna canneries in American Samoa and the departure of the garment industry in the CNMI. GAO is required to report in 2010, 2011, 2013, and biennially thereafter on the impact of the minimum wage increases. This testimony, requested by Congress, summarizes GAO's June 2011 report, which describes, since the increases began, (1) employment and earnings, and (2) the status of key industries. GAO reviewed federal and local information; collected data from employers through a questionnaire …
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Antidumping and Countervailing Duties: Options for Improving Collection (open access)

Antidumping and Countervailing Duties: Options for Improving Collection

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since fiscal year 2001, the federal government has been unable to collect over $1 billion in antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duties imposed to remedy injurious, unfair foreign trade practices. These include AD duties imposed on products exported to the United States at unfairly low prices (i.e., dumped) and CV duties on products exported to the United States that were subsidized by foreign governments. These uncollected duties show that the U.S. government has not fully remedied the unfair trade practices for U.S. industry and has lost out on a substantial amount of duty revenue to the U.S. Treasury. This statement summarizes key findings from prior GAO reports on (1) past initiatives to improve AD/CV duty collection and (2) additional options for improving AD/CV duty collection."
Date: May 25, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library