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Drug Control: Challenges in Implementing Plan Colombia (open access)

Drug Control: Challenges in Implementing Plan Colombia

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The United States has been providing assistance to Colombia since the early 1970s to help the Colombian National Police and other law enforcement agencies, the military, and civilian agencies reduce illegal drug production and trafficking. Recognizing that illegal drug activities are a serious problem, the Colombian government announced a counternarcotics plan known as Plan Colombia. This testimony reviews the U.S. counternarcotics efforts in Colombia. Although U.S.-provided assistance has enhanced Colombian counternarcotics capabilities, its usefulness has sometimes been limited because of long-standing problems in planning and implementation. For example, little progress has been made in launching a plan to have Colombia's National Police assume a larger role in managing the aerial eradication program, which requires costly U.S. contractor assistance. The governments of the United States and Colombia face continuing and new financial and management challenges in implementing Plan Colombia. The costs and activities needed to implement the plan are unknown at this time, and it will take years before any significant reduction in the drug trade is seen. Colombia must resolve problems with its political and economic stability and improve its management of counternarcotics funding in order to successfully …
Date: October 12, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental Information: EPA Needs Better Information to Manage Risks and Measure Results (open access)

Environmental Information: EPA Needs Better Information to Manage Risks and Measure Results

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs comprehensive and accurate data to manage its programs more effectively. In reports going back to 1988, GAO has identified many long-standing problems in the agency's efforts to collect and use environmental data. This report summarizes GAO's findings on: (1) EPA's need to set risk-based priorities for its programs, and (2) develop outcome-oriented measures of its programs' results. EPA's ability to assess risks and establish risk-based priorities has been hampered by data quality problems, including critical data gaps, databases that do not operate compatibly with one another, and persistent concerns about the accuracy of the data in many of EPA's data systems. To ensure future success in developing outcome measures, however, EPA will need to make a long-term commitment to overcome major challenges to obtaining the data needed to show the results of environmental programs."
Date: October 3, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Aviation Infrastructure: Challenges Associated With Building and Maintaining Runways (open access)

Aviation Infrastructure: Challenges Associated With Building and Maintaining Runways

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses challenges associated with building new runways and with ensuring that existing runways are properly maintained. Recent flight delays and cancellations as well as significant media attention have heightened public concern about the need to increase the capacity of the National Airspace System. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 24 of the nation's 50 busiest commercial service airports have proposed, planned, or begun construction on new runways and runway extensions at an estimated cost of $6.5 billion. Airports and FAA face challenges in building new runways and in determining at what point runway pavement conditions warrant repair in order for existing runways to be maintained in the most cost-effective manner. The federal government and the aviation industry are involved in several efforts to balance airports' growth with environmental concerns and to address runway maintenance in a cost-effective way. Additional actions would help minimize some delays associated with adding capacity and problems with preserving existing capacity."
Date: October 5, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electronic Government: Opportunities and Challenges Facing the FirstGov Web Gateway (open access)

Electronic Government: Opportunities and Challenges Facing the FirstGov Web Gateway

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses what can be accomplished with FirstGov.gov and identifies challenges that should be addressed as it continues to be developed and refined. Under FirstGov, an important and previously unavailable capability--searching the entire government's web pages--was rapidly and successfully put into place. The FirstGov Board of Directors needs to address the following four issues: (1) improving site security, (2) assessing and acting upon information in the Fed-Search database that might facilitate malicious activity, (3) addressing issues regarding private sector sponsorship, and (4) developing plans for the future. An overall management plan for FirstGov.gov would be a useful vehicle for setting expectations about what general functions are likely to be achievable for FirstGov in the near term, how the site will be managed on an ongoing basis, and how progress toward the larger goals set forth in the President's December 1999 memorandum will be measured."
Date: October 2, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs: Goals and Monitoring Are Needed to Further Improve Customer Communications (open access)

Office of Workers' Compensation Programs: Goals and Monitoring Are Needed to Further Improve Customer Communications

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). GAO reviewed how OWCP communicates with injured federal workers, agencies who employ these persons, and medical and other service providers who treat them. To evaluate OWCP's system, GAO used criteria suggested by the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR). This report summarizes GAO's findings on NPR's study of private sector practices for providing telephone customer service, which included: (1) setting challenging goals for meeting callers' needs for timely and accurate information; (2) collecting credible performance data to measure progress in attaining those goals; and (3) improving telephone service by using the performance data and results to periodic surveys of customers and stakeholders to determine levels of satisfaction. GAO found that OWCP provided consistent customer service regardless of where injured workers live. GAO made 2,400 telephone calls to OWCP's 12 district offices. To compare OWCP's goals and practices for telephone communication with those of model organizations, GAO surveyed three agencies that have won awards for their telephone communication practices: the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs' Benefits Administration, and Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation."
Date: October 3, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
District of Columbia Government: Progress and Challenges in Performance Management (open access)

District of Columbia Government: Progress and Challenges in Performance Management

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony focuses on the District of Columbia's progress and challenges in performance management. GAO discusses whether the District: (1) met the 29 performance goals that it scheduled for completion by the end of fiscal year 2000 that Congress chose from the more than 400 performance measures contained in the Mayor's fiscal year 2001 budget request, and (2) provided evidence that the performance data are sufficiently reliable for measuring progress toward goals. Mayor Williams' performance management system contains many--but not all--of the elements used successfully by leading organizations. The District could improve the usefulness of its mandated annual performance plans and reports by ensuring that the District government's most significant performance goals are included in both the annual performance plan and the annual performance report that federal law requires the Mayor to send to Congress every year."
Date: October 3, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Anthrax Vaccine: Preliminary Results of GAO's Survey of Guard/Reserve Pilots and Aircrew Members (open access)

Anthrax Vaccine: Preliminary Results of GAO's Survey of Guard/Reserve Pilots and Aircrew Members

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the Department of Defense's (DOD) Anthrax Vaccine Program. Many questions have been raised about the program since DOD began vaccinating its 2.4 million active duty and reserve members in 1998. A major concern has been the program's effect on the National Guard and Air Force Reserve's retention of trained and experienced personnel. A questionnaire sent to 1,253 randomly selected Guard and Reserve pilots and others revealed that the anthrax immunization was a key reason these individuals left or otherwise changed their military status. Since September 1998, an estimated 25 percent of the pilots and aircrew members of the Guard and Reserve in this population transferred to another unit, left the military, or moved to inactive status."
Date: October 11, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internet Privacy: Comparison of Federal Agency Practices With FTC's Fair Information Principles (open access)

Internet Privacy: Comparison of Federal Agency Practices With FTC's Fair Information Principles

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony compares federal agency Internet privacy policies with the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) fair information principles. The World Wide Web requires the collection of certain data, such as Internet addresses, from individuals who visit web sites. However, the collection of even this most basic data can be controversial because of the public's apprehension about what information is collected and how it could be used. FTC supports the following four fair information principles: notice, choice, access, and security. Although these principles apply to Internet privacy issues in the commercial sector, federal web sites are governed by specific laws designed to protect individual's privacy when agencies collect personal information. GAO found that all of the 65 federal web sites it analyzed collected personal identifying information from their visitors."
Date: October 11, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Anti-Drug Media Campaign: Investigation of Actions Taken Concerning Alleged Excessive Contractor Cost (open access)

Anti-Drug Media Campaign: Investigation of Actions Taken Concerning Alleged Excessive Contractor Cost

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the Office of the National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) contract with Ogilvy & Mather, the lead media campaign contractor for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. GAO reviewed ONDCP investigations into: (1) the facts and circumstances surrounding actions taken by ONDCP after receiving the allegations that Ogilvy may have over-billed the government, and (2) allegations that Ogilvy had provided services unrelated to the contract and had submitted invoices under the contract for those services. The Director of ONDCP, General Barry McCaffrey, knew about the fraud allegations concerning Ogilvy's billing practices. GAO found that Director McCaffrey had a private meeting with Ogilvy's project director after internal ONDCP discussions of the need for an external audit. However, GAO found no evidence that this meeting affected any decision with respect to an external audit of Ogilvy's contract. GAO also found that Ogilvy did not write congressional testimony for ONDCP employees, which would have gone beyond the scope of its contract with ONDCP. Ogilvy did provide ONDCP with figures, research, and documentation for use in responding to congressional inquiries and testimony. Ogilvy did not provide any services to Director …
Date: October 4, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.N. Peacekeeping: Observations on the U.S. Process for Approving Operations (open access)

U.N. Peacekeeping: Observations on the U.S. Process for Approving Operations

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the decisions by the United States to support new or expanded United Nations (U.N.) operations in the following four locations: Kosovo, East Timor, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These decisions were made between January 1999 and June 2000. This testimony focuses on: (1) whether GAO had sufficient access to agency records to conduct the study requested by Congress, (2) how Presidential Decision Directive 25 was used in deciding to support new or expanded U.N. operations, and (3) how the executive branch consulted with Congress during the Directive 25 decision process. GAO found that it lacked the full and independent access to agency records needed to complete its work. The intent of Directive 25 is to ensure selective and effective use of peacekeeping as a tool for advancing U.S. interests and to also establish factors to help assess whether U.S. support for an operation is appropriate. GAO found that Directive 25 factors were considered in the initial operation in East Timor, but GAO could not determine whether those factors were considered in other operations. Communications between Congress and the executive branch consisted …
Date: October 4, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
General Services Administration: Contract Guard Services at the Anchorage Federal Building (open access)

General Services Administration: Contract Guard Services at the Anchorage Federal Building

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "A company formed by security guards at the Anchorage, Alaska, Federal Office Building (AFOB) competed unsuccessfully for two contracts and later alleged bias and preselection by the General Services Administration (GSA) in the contract award process. However, GAO's review of relevant documentation and discussions with officials of GSA and the company that alleged the irregularities did not disclose any evidence of bias or preselection in GSA's award of these contracts. GSA appears to have inadvertently used an outdated Department of Labor (DOL) wage determination in its most recent contract because of a misunderstanding of the wage determination process and incorrect advice provided by DOL in 1999. On the basis of the substantial amount of information GAO was able to obtain, including documents and oral information from the guards and GSA officials, GAO concludes that GSA could have done more to respond to the guards' concerns and help ensure and document that the contractor was providing for the safety of federal employees and the security of federal facilities in accordance with the contract. Also, GSA could have done more to respond to the guards' repeated charges of …
Date: October 10, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Assistance: Any Further Aid to Haitian Justice System Should Be Linked to Performance-Related Conditions (open access)

Foreign Assistance: Any Further Aid to Haitian Justice System Should Be Linked to Performance-Related Conditions

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1994, the United States and other countries intervened militarily in Haiti to restore the democratically elected government that had been overthrown by the Haitian military several years earlier. During the last 6 years, the United States provided assistance to help Haiti establish its first civilian-controlled police and improve its judicial system. About $70 million in U.S. assistance helped Haiti recruit, train, organize, and equip a basic police force, including specialized units. However, despite these achievements, the police and judicial sector have displayed several weaknesses. The Haitian government's lack of a clear commitment to addressing the major problems of its police and judicial institutions has been the key factor affecting the success of the U.S. assistance provided to these institutions. The United States is reassessing several aspects of its relationship with Haiti because of concerns about how votes were counted in Haiti's May 2000 elections. The United States and Haiti have been unable to negotiate an agreement for continuing this assistance. At this time, any further aid to the Haitian Justice System should be linked to performance-related conditions."
Date: October 17, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Biennial Budgeting: Three States' Experiences (open access)

Biennial Budgeting: Three States' Experiences

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Members of Congress periodically have expressed interest in converting the federal budget process from an annual to a biennial cycle. Congress believes that the time spent on these activities has come at the expense of congressional oversight and authorization responsibilities. To better understand states' experiences with the biennial budget cycle, GAO studied three states: Arizona, Ohio, and Connecticut. GAO found that the states' reasons for changing their budget cycles varied. For example, Arizona adopted a biennial cycle to increase legislative oversight and reduce time spent on the budget. Connecticut adopted it as part of a fiscal reform effort. To execute a biennial budget successfully, the states' experiences suggest that the legislative and executive branches must agree on how the off-year budget process will work. Different approaches to managing the off-year budget have been developed by states, including establishing formal guidelines for off-year budget changes and relying on leadership control. Efforts to increase legislative oversight in the off-year by converting to a biennial budget process may be difficult. Ohio and Connecticut officials said they that have not increased legislative oversight in the off-year, and Arizona officials said …
Date: October 27, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Property Management Systems Requirements (open access)

Property Management Systems Requirements

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO published a functional requirements document for property management systems. This document is intended for financial analysts, systems accountants, systems developers, property managers, program managers, and others who design, develop, implement, operate, and maintain or audit financial management systems."
Date: October 1, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
District of Columbia: Receiver's Plan to Return Control of Mental Health Commission Is Evolving (open access)

District of Columbia: Receiver's Plan to Return Control of Mental Health Commission Is Evolving

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The failure by the District of Columbia's Commission on Mental Health Services to provide community-based mental health services, as required by a 1974 court ruling, prompted a judge to appoint a receiver to carry out the court's order. Control of mental health services is scheduled to be returned to the Commission in April 2001. Although the transitional receiver is developing a plan to enhance the Commission's ability to comply with the court ruling, many challenges must be overcome. For example, the District must change its hospital-based system of care to one that considers the needs of the individual within a framework of a community-based provider responsible for all aspects of mental health and supportive services needs. Many interested mental health providers and patient care advocacy groups believe that a solid foundation is being laid for community-based mental health services. However, success will depend on the Commission's ability to improve management processes and coordinate with other agencies that provide care to the mentally ill."
Date: October 30, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: District of Columbia Highway Trust Fund's Fiscal Year 1999 and 1998 Financial Statements (open access)

Financial Audit: District of Columbia Highway Trust Fund's Fiscal Year 1999 and 1998 Financial Statements

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO audited the financial statements of the District of Columbia's Highway Trust Fund for fiscal years 1999 and 1998. GAO found that the District did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting related to its Highway Trust Fund as of September 30, 1999. Material weaknesses affected accounting for expenditures and computer system general controls."
Date: October 31, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Student Loans: Direct Loan Default Rates (open access)

Student Loans: Direct Loan Default Rates

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report focuses on the default rate for student loans. Two major federal student loan programs, the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) and the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), together provided student borrowers with about 9 million loans totaling about $42.9 billion in fiscal year 1999. The most recent student loan default rate statistics for schools showed that, overall, the direct and guaranteed student loan programs had similar default rates: at 6.6 percent for FDLP and 6.7 percent for FFELP. The two programs had similar default rates when the comparisons focused on the type of school. FDLP has two types of loans, consolidated and nonconsolidated. Generally, borrowers with consolidated loans who used the standard payment plan had a lower default rate than did borrowers with nonconsolidated loans. However, when income contingent repayment plans were used, borrowers with consolidated loans had a higher default rate than did those with nonconsolidated loans. The Department of Education uses various procedures to ensure that loans are properly serviced and collected, including independent monitoring and external assessments of monitoring results."
Date: October 17, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Suspicious Banking Activities: Possible Money Laundering by U.S. Corporations Formed for Russian Entities (open access)

Suspicious Banking Activities: Possible Money Laundering by U.S. Corporations Formed for Russian Entities

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report discusses possible money laundering by U.S. corporations formed by Russian entities. It is easy for foreign entities to hide their identities while forming shell corporations that can be used for money laundering. GAO investigated the following two Delaware corporations that are suspected of money laundering: Euro-American Corporate Services, Inc. and International Business Creations. Suspicious banking activity involved correspondent bank accounts and wire transfers of funds from Eastern European banks through U.S. banks to other Eastern European banks. Two U.S. banks, Citibank of New York and Commercial Bank of San Francisco, violated their customer policies by failing to close the accounts of clients who did not comply with the bank's requirement to appear at the bank in person within 30 days of opening an account. These banks facilitated the transfer of about $1 billion from Eastern Europe, through U.S. banks, and back to Eastern Europe by corporations formed for Russian brokers. It is possible that these transfers were used to launder money. GAO referred the matter to appropriate law enforcement authorities."
Date: October 31, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Managing for Results: Emerging Benefits From Selected Agencies' Use of Performance Agreements (open access)

Managing for Results: Emerging Benefits From Selected Agencies' Use of Performance Agreements

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Transportation, and the Office of Student Financial Assistance have begun to use results- oriented performance agreements to align agency expectations with organizational goals. Each agency developed and implemented agreements that reflected their specific organizational priorities, structures, and cultures. GAO identified the following five common emerging benefits: (1) better alignment of results-oriented goals with daily operations, (2) collaboration across organizational boundaries, (3) opportunities to use performance information to improve federal programs, (4) results-oriented basis for individual accountability, and (5) continuity of program goals during leadership transitions. The three agencies' experiences show that effective implementation of performance agreements can encourage communication about progress towards agency goals. Their experiences also indicate that performance information should be provided to executives and managers in a timely fashion and in a useful format."
Date: October 30, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Assistance: U.S. Russia Fund Is Following Its Investment Selection Process and Criteria (open access)

Foreign Assistance: U.S. Russia Fund Is Following Its Investment Selection Process and Criteria

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report summarizes GAO's findings on the United States Russia Fund and its investment selection process and criteria. The United States established enterprise funds to support private sector development in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union as they move from centrally planned to market-oriented economies. Enterprise funds are private, nonprofit U.S. corporations that are supposed to make loans to, or invest in, small, medium, and large businesses in which other financial institutions are reluctant to invest. The Fund is authorized to receive $440 million through the Agency for International Development. As of March 2000, the Fund had invested $114.4 million in 30 projects through its direct investment program which provides loans and equity capital to businesses in Russia. GAO found that the Fund followed its review process and criteria for selecting direct investments."
Date: October 2, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Future Years Defense Program: Risks in Operation and Maintenance and Procurement Programs (open access)

Future Years Defense Program: Risks in Operation and Maintenance and Procurement Programs

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report summarizes GAO's findings on the Department of Defense's (DOD) Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). Although total funding in the 2001 FYDP is about $16 billion more than in the 2000 FYDP, DOD may not be able to implement its operation and maintenance and procurement programs as planned. GAO identified several areas in which costs may be understated or savings overstated, increasing the risk that in the next FYDP the military will have to shift more funds to these accounts from other accounts. DOD's efforts to reduce its infrastructure costs may not yield the savings that it planned to use to fund modernization and readiness needs. Because the military services and the defense organizations have already adjusted their current budgets and future years funding projects to reflect these expected savings, they will likely experience funding shortfalls unless other adjustments are made or additional ends are provided."
Date: October 5, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Worker Protection: Better Coordination Can Improve Safety at Hazardous Material Facilities (open access)

Worker Protection: Better Coordination Can Improve Safety at Hazardous Material Facilities

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Work places that produce, use, store, or dispose of hazardous materials are considered to be among the most dangerous in the nation. Workers at these facilities face the potential for injury, chronic illness, or death, which can be caused simply by exposure to certain materials. Several agencies play a role in protecting workplace safety and health. This report discusses coordination of efforts by federal agencies to make the work place safer. GAO found that the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; and the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board play distinct roles in federal efforts to protect the safety and health of workers at hazardous materials work places. However, these agencies' functions partially overlap in several areas. These overlaps cause them to place duplicate requirements on employers. Although there is a good effort on the part of the agencies, more coordination is needed to eliminate the overlaps."
Date: October 26, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Illegal Aliens: INS Participation in Antigang Task Forces in Los Angeles (open access)

Illegal Aliens: INS Participation in Antigang Task Forces in Los Angeles

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Department of Justice policy encourages cooperation among law enforcement agencies at all levels. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) participated in two such task forces, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Violent Gang Task Force. These task forces have come under public and legal scrutiny for possible misconduct by law enforcement officers. Several convictions were overturned because evidence was tampered with or LAPD officers physically abused suspects. Media reports fueled concerns that LAPD and INS secretly worked together to illegally deport Latino immigrants. GAO concludes that INS was neither involved in nor observed any misconduct while working on these task forces. Interviews with INS officers, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, and immigrants rights groups did not reveal any misconduct involving INS agents. GAO did note, however, that documentation in some arrest files was missing or incomplete and that funding set aside for use in the OCDETF program was improperly used for non-OCDETF activities."
Date: October 26, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Management: Billions in Improper Payments Continue to Require Attention (open access)

Financial Management: Billions in Improper Payments Continue to Require Attention

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As the steward of taxpayer dollars, the federal government is accountable for how its agencies and grantees spend funds. It is also responsible for safeguardingagainst improper payments, which include payments that should not have been madeor were made for incorrect amounts irrespective of whether the agency had effective controls in place. Reported estimates of improper payments total billions ofdollars annually. With billions of dollars at risk, agencies need to vigilantly safeguard those resources entrusted to them and assign a high priority to reducing fraud, waste, and abuse. In their fiscal year 1999 financial statement, 12federal agencies reported improper payments totalling $20.7 billion. A first step for some agencies will be to assess programs at risk and develope ways to identify, estimate, and report the nature and extent of improper payments annually. Without this fundamental knowledge, agencies will not be fully informed about the magnitude, trends, and types of payment errors occurring within their programs. Furthermore, most agencies will not be able to make informed cost-benefit decisions about strengthening their internal controls to minimize future improper payments or effectively develop goals and strategies to reduce them. In …
Date: October 27, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library