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Native Hawaiian Education Act: Greater Oversight Would Increase Accountability and Enable Targeting of Funds to Areas with Greatest Need (open access)

Native Hawaiian Education Act: Greater Oversight Would Increase Accountability and Enable Targeting of Funds to Areas with Greatest Need

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Native Hawaiian Education Act (NHEA) seeks to develop innovative educational programs to assist Native Hawaiians. The Department of Education (Education) administers NHEA and has provided grants for a wide range of activities. Education is authorized to establish a Native Hawaiian Education Council and seven island councils to help implement NHEA. To inform reauthorization, GAO was asked to analyze (1) what is known about NHEA's impact on Native Hawaiian education, (2) Education's efforts to oversee NHEA grants, and (3) the extent to which Education and the Native Hawaiian councils have fulfilled their roles and responsibilities. To do this, GAO reviewed federal laws and regulations and departmental documents, and interviewed Education officials, council members, grantees, and experts in Native Hawaiian education."
Date: March 25, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparison of Digital Asset Management Systems (work area E) (open access)

Comparison of Digital Asset Management Systems (work area E)

Paper for an Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) Grant Partner Uplift Project. This paper describes examinations of various digital asset management systems' (DAMS) capabilities and functions. Evaluation is based on the documentation relating to each package.
Date: March 21, 2007
Creator: Phillips, Mark Edward & Polyakov, Serhiy
Object Type: Paper
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tactical Aircraft: Changing Conditions Drive Need for New F/A-22 Business Case (open access)

Tactical Aircraft: Changing Conditions Drive Need for New F/A-22 Business Case

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Following a history of increasing cost estimates to complete F/A-22 development, Congress asked GAO to assess the Air Force's F/A-22 development program annually and determine whether the Air Force is meeting key performance, schedule, and cost goals. On April 23, 2003, a congressional subcommittee requested that the Department of Defense (DOD) provide more detailed information on the business case that supports the estimated quantities and costs for an affordable F/A-22 program. Specifically, GAO (1) identified changes in the F/A-22 program since its inception, (2) reviewed the status of the development activities, and (3) examined the sufficiency of business case information provided for congressional oversight."
Date: March 15, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nursing Homes: Efforts to Strengthen Federal Enforcement Have Not Deterred Some Homes from Repeatedly Harming Residents (open access)

Nursing Homes: Efforts to Strengthen Federal Enforcement Have Not Deterred Some Homes from Repeatedly Harming Residents

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1998 and 1999 reports, GAO concluded that enforcement actions, known as sanctions, were ineffective in encouraging nursing homes to maintain compliance with federal quality requirements: sanctions were often rescinded before being implemented because homes had a grace period to correct deficiencies. In response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began requiring immediate sanctions for homes that repeatedly harmed residents. Using CMS enforcement and deficiency data, GAO (1) analyzed federal sanctions from fiscal years 2000 through 2005 against 63 homes previously reviewed and (2) assessed CMS's overall management of enforcement. The 63 homes had a history of harming residents and were located in 4 states that account for about 22 percent of homes nationwide."
Date: March 26, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: Census Bureau Testing of 2010 Decennial Systems Can Be Strengthened (open access)

Information Technology: Census Bureau Testing of 2010 Decennial Systems Can Be Strengthened

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Decennial Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution and provides vital data that are used, among other things, to reapportion and redistrict congressional seats. In March 2008, GAO designated the 2010 Decennial Census a high-risk area, citing a number of long-standing and emerging challenges, including weaknesses in the Census Bureau's (Bureau) management of its information technology (IT) systems and operations. In conducting the 2010 census, the Bureau is relying on both the acquisition of new IT systems and the enhancement of existing systems. Thoroughly testing these systems before their actual use is critical to the success of the census. GAO was asked to determine the status of and plans for testing key decennial systems. To do this, GAO analyzed testing documentation, interviewed Bureau officials and contractors, and compared the Bureau's efforts with recognized best practices."
Date: March 5, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Individual Fishing Quotas: Management Costs Varied and Were Not Recovered as Required (open access)

Individual Fishing Quotas: Management Costs Varied and Were Not Recovered as Required

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Overfishing may have significant environmental and economic consequences. One tool used to maintain fisheries at sustainable levels is the individual fishing quota (IFQ), which sets individual catch limits for eligible vessel owners or operators. This is GAO's third study on IFQ programs. For this study, GAO determined (1) the costs of managing (i.e., administering, monitoring, and enforcing) IFQ programs and how these costs differ from pre-IFQ management costs; (2) what, if any, IFQ management costs are currently being recovered by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); and (3) ways to share the costs of IFQ programs between government and industry."
Date: March 11, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Small Business Administration: Model for 7(a) Program Subsidy Had Reasonable Equations, but Inadequate Documentation Hampered External Reviews (open access)

Small Business Administration: Model for 7(a) Program Subsidy Had Reasonable Equations, but Inadequate Documentation Hampered External Reviews

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Small Business Administration (SBA) approved about $8.6 billion in loan guarantees through its 7(a) loan program in fiscal year 2003. SBA must estimate the subsidy cost of this program. Since fiscal year 2003, SBA has been using econometric modeling to estimate the subsidy. This report reviews SBA's estimation methodology and equations, assesses the default and recovery rates the model produced, identifies ways to enhance the estimates' reliability, describes the process for developing the model, and analyzes SBA's data."
Date: March 31, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Employer-Sponsored Health and Retirement Benefits: Efforts to Control Employer Costs and the Implications for Workers (open access)

Employer-Sponsored Health and Retirement Benefits: Efforts to Control Employer Costs and the Implications for Workers

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Many U.S. workers receive health and pension benefits from employers, and the cost of these benefits represents a growing share of workers' total compensation. Employers have made changes to control these rising costs, contending that these changes will allow them to remain competitive, particularly in an increasingly global market. Some advocacy groups are concerned that workers may receive reduced benefits or incur additional costs as a result of employers' cost-control strategies. Moreover, they contend that these changes may disadvantage certain groups of workers, such as sicker, older, or low-wage workers. GAO was asked to examine the practices employers are using to control the costs of benefits. To evaluate changing employer benefit practices and their potential implications, GAO examined: (1) current and emerging practices employers are using to control the costs of health care benefits; (2) current and emerging practices employers are using to control the costs of retirement benefits; and (3) employers' workforce restructuring changes. GAO reviewed studies of employer benefit trends; interviewed representatives of business, government, labor, and consumer advocacy and research organizations; and reviewed and analyzed data from surveys of employee benefits. The Department …
Date: March 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: Independent and Special Counsel Expenditures for the Six Months Ended September 30, 2004 (open access)

Financial Audit: Independent and Special Counsel Expenditures for the Six Months Ended September 30, 2004

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO audited the expenditures of two offices of independent counsel and one office of special counsel for the 6 months ended September 30, 2004."
Date: March 31, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unemployment Insurance: Information on Benefit Receipt (open access)

Unemployment Insurance: Information on Benefit Receipt

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Unemployment Insurance (UI) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor in partnership with states, plays a critical role in ensuring the financial security of America's workforce. Established in 1935, UI serves two primary objectives: (1) to temporarily replace a portion of earnings for workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and (2) to help stabilize the economy during recessions by providing unemployed workers money for basic needs, which helps boost demand for goods and services. In fiscal year 2004, approximately 8.8 million workers received UI benefits, totaling $41.3 billion across all UI programs. To gain a better understanding of the UI program, we asked the following questions: (1) How many people ever receive UI benefits during their early working lives, and how many receive UI benefits more than once? and (2) Does UI benefit receipt change over time, and does receipt vary by industry or occupation?"
Date: March 17, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This is GAO's seventh annual assessment of selected Department of Defense (DOD) weapon programs. The report examines how well DOD is planning and executing its weapon acquisition programs, an area that has been on GAO's high-risk list since 1990. This year's report is in response to the mandate in the joint explanatory statement to the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. The report includes (1) an analysis of the overall performance of DOD's 2008 portfolio of 96 major defense acquisition programs and a comparison to the portfolio performance at two other points in time--5 years ago and 1 year ago; (2) an analysis of current cost and schedule outcomes and knowledge attained by key junctures in the acquisition process for a subset of 47 weapon programs--primarily in development--from the 2008 portfolio; (3) data on other factors that could impact program stability; and (4) an update on changes in DOD's acquisition policies. To conduct our assessment, GAO analyzed cost, schedule, and quantity data from DOD's Selected Acquisition Reports for the programs in DOD's 2003, 2007, and 2008 portfolios. GAO also collected data from program …
Date: March 30, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oversight of Food Safety Activities: Federal Agencies Should Pursue Opportunities to Reduce Overlap and Better Leverage Resources (open access)

Oversight of Food Safety Activities: Federal Agencies Should Pursue Opportunities to Reduce Overlap and Better Leverage Resources

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO has documented many problems resulting from the fragmented nature of the federal food safety system and recommended fundamental restructuring to ensure the effective use of scarce government resources. In this report, GAO (1) identified overlaps in food safety activities at USDA, FDA, EPA, and NMFS; (2) analyzed the extent to which the agencies use interagency agreements to leverage resources; and (3) obtained the views of stakeholders."
Date: March 30, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Personnel: Preliminary Observations Related to Income, Benefits, and Employer Support for Reservist During Mobilizations (open access)

Military Personnel: Preliminary Observations Related to Income, Benefits, and Employer Support for Reservist During Mobilizations

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a shift in the way reserve forces have been used. Previously, reservists were viewed primarily as an expansion force that would supplement active forces during a major war. Today, reservists not only supplement but also replace active forces in military operations worldwide. Citing the increased use of the reserves to support military operations, House Report 107-436 accompanying the Fiscal Year 2003 National Defense Authorization Act directed GAO to review compensation and benefits for reservists. In response, GAO is reviewing (1) income protection for reservists called to active duty, (2) family support programs, and (3) health care access. For this statement, GAO was asked to discuss its preliminary observations. GAO also was asked to discuss the results of its recently completed review concerning employer support for reservists."
Date: March 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Grants Management: Despite Efforts to Improve Weed and Seed Program Management, Challenges Remain (open access)

Grants Management: Despite Efforts to Improve Weed and Seed Program Management, Challenges Remain

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Weed and Seed program, within the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP), aims to prevent and reduce violent crime in targeted neighborhoods, but it cannot optimize its effectiveness without sound management practices. In 1999, GAO made four recommendations to the Executive Office for Weed and Seed (EOWS) to improve the program's management, including (1) developing adequate internal controls to fully document decisions, (2) improving program monitoring, (3) developing criteria for determining when sites have become self-sustaining and when to reduce or withdraw program funding, and (4) developing additional performance measures. GAO did this study to assess progress in implementing these recommendations."
Date: March 24, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
HUBZone Program: Fraud and Abuse Identified in Four Metropolitan Areas (open access)

HUBZone Program: Fraud and Abuse Identified in Four Metropolitan Areas

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Small Business Administration's (SBA) Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program provides federal contracting assistance to small firms located in economically distressed areas, with the intent of stimulating economic development. In July 2008, GAO identified substantial vulnerabilities in SBA's application and monitoring process that demonstrated the HUBZone program is vulnerable to fraud and abuse. GAO also investigated 10 case studies of HUBZone firms in the Washington, D.C., area that misrepresented their eligibility. GAO was asked to determine (1) whether additional cases of fraud and abuse exist outside of the Washington, D.C., area; (2) what actions, if any, SBA has taken to establish an effective fraud prevention program for the HUBZone program; and (3) what actions, if any, SBA took against the 10 case study firms in GAO's July 2008 testimony. To meet these objectives, GAO identified selected HUBZone firms based on certain criteria, such as magnitude of HUBZone contracts and firm location. GAO also interviewed SBA officials and reviewed SBA data."
Date: March 25, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Preliminary Information on Proposal for Next-Day Destruction of Records Generated by the National Instant Criminal Background System (NCIS) (open access)

Preliminary Information on Proposal for Next-Day Destruction of Records Generated by the National Instant Criminal Background System (NCIS)

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "After the National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS) has given the go ahead to a gun sale, it is still possible for the FBI to receive information from local law enforcement, the courts, or other sources that would prohibit a purchaser from owning a firearm. In these cases, the licensed dealer must be contacted to verify whether the purchaser received the firearm. If so, the local police department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) are then notified. In these case, ATF guidance requires an investigation and the retrieval of the firearm in coordination with state or local law enforcement. Retained records that were more than one day old but less than 90 days old were used to initiate more than 100 firearm retrievals in the four-month period beginning July 2001, according to FBI officials. As a result, next-day destruction of NICS records could impair the ability of law enforcement to retrieve firearms from persons who were wrongly approved to purchase them."
Date: March 11, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Security: Sustained Progress Needed to Strengthen Controls at the Securities and Exchange Commission (open access)

Information Security: Sustained Progress Needed to Strengthen Controls at the Securities and Exchange Commission

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In carrying out its mission to ensure that securities markets are fair, orderly, and efficiently maintained, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relies extensively on computerized systems. Integrating effective information security controls into a layered control strategy is essential to ensure that SEC's financial and sensitive information is protected from inadvertent or deliberate misuse, disclosure, or destruction. As part of its audit of SEC's financial statements, GAO assessed (1) SEC's actions to correct previously reported information security weaknesses and (2) the effectiveness of controls for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of SEC's information systems and information. To do this, GAO examined security policies and artifacts, interviewed pertinent officials, and conducted tests and observations of controls in operation."
Date: March 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Troubled Asset Relief Program: March 2009 Status of Efforts to Address Transparency and Accountability Issues (open access)

Troubled Asset Relief Program: March 2009 Status of Efforts to Address Transparency and Accountability Issues

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's third report on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) follows up on recommendations from the January 28, 2009, report (GAO-09-296). It also reviews (1) the nature and purpose of activities that had been initiated under TARP as of March 27, 2009; (2) the Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Stability's (OFS) hiring efforts, use of contractors, and progress in developing an internal control system; and (3) TARP performance indicators. For this work, GAO reviewed signed agreements and other relevant documentation and met with officials from OFS, contractors, and federal agencies. As of March 27, 2009, Treasury had disbursed $303.4 billion of the $700 billion in TARP funds. Most of the funds (almost $199 billion) went to purchase preferred shares of 532 financial institutions under the Capital Purchase Program (CPP), Treasury's primary vehicle under TARP for stabilizing financial markets."
Date: March 31, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Emergency Preparedness: Current Emergency Alert System Has Limitations, and Development of a New Integrated System Will Be Challenging (open access)

Emergency Preparedness: Current Emergency Alert System Has Limitations, and Development of a New Integrated System Will Be Challenging

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During emergencies, the public needs accurate and timely information. Through the Emergency Alert System (EAS), the media play a pivotal role, assisting emergency management personnel in communicating to the public. GAO reviewed (1) the media's ability to meet federal requirements for participating in EAS, (2) stakeholder views on the challenges facing EAS and potential changes to it, and (3) the progress made toward developing an integrated alert system. GAO reviewed the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed rulemaking on EAS and interviewed media outlets, state emergency management officials, and federal agencies responsible for EAS, including FCC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)."
Date: March 30, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental Protection Agency: Major Management Challenges (open access)

Environmental Protection Agency: Major Management Challenges

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) overarching mission is to protect human health and the environment by implementing and enforcing environmental laws intended to improve the quality of the nation's air and water and to protect its land. EPA's policies and programs affect virtually all segments of the economy, society, and government. As such, it operates in a highly complex and controversial regulatory arena. In recent years, GAO has identified several key challenges EPA faces and corrective actions that would enable the agency to more effectively accomplish its mission. GAO was asked to identify challenges at EPA that hinder its ability to implement its programs effectively, based on prior GAO work. These challenges include (1) improving agencywide management, (2) transforming EPA's processes for assessing and controlling toxic chemicals, (3) improving implementation of the Clean Air Act, (4) reducing pollution in the nation's waters, (5) speeding the pace of cleanup at Superfund and other hazardous waste sites, and (6) addressing emerging climate change issues."
Date: March 4, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Joint Strike Fighter: DOD Plans to Enter Production before Testing Demonstrates Acceptable Performance (open access)

Joint Strike Fighter: DOD Plans to Enter Production before Testing Demonstrates Acceptable Performance

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is DOD's most expensive aircraft program. The program represents 90 percent of the remaining planned investment for recapitalizing DOD's aging tactical aircraft fleet. GAO is required by law to review the program annually for 5 years, beginning in fiscal year 2005. This is our second report and GAO assessed the program's acquisition approach--in terms of capturing knowledge for key investment decisions--and identified an alternative to improve outcomes."
Date: March 15, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Defense: Additional Actions and Data Are Needed to Effectively Manage and Oversee DOD's Acquisition Workforce (open access)

Department of Defense: Additional Actions and Data Are Needed to Effectively Manage and Oversee DOD's Acquisition Workforce

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2001, the Department of Defense's (DOD) spending on goods and services has more than doubled to $388 billion in 2008, while the number of civilian and military acquisition personnel has remained relatively stable. To augment its in-house workforce, DOD relies heavily on contractor personnel. If it does not maintain an adequate workforce, DOD places its billion-dollar acquisitions at an increased risk of poor outcomes and vulnerability to fraud, waste, and abuse. GAO was asked to (1) assess DOD's ability to determine whether it has a sufficient acquisition workforce, (2) assess DOD initiatives to improve the management and oversight of its acquisition workforce, and (3) discuss practices of leading organizations that could provide insights for DOD's acquisition workforce oversight. To do this, GAO analyzed key DOD studies, obtained data from 66 major weapon system program offices across DOD, and interviewed officials from 4 program offices. GAO also met with representatives from six companies recognized as leaders in workforce management."
Date: March 25, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Administration: Improved Program Management Needed to Address Timely Disposal of Obsolete Ships (open access)

Maritime Administration: Improved Program Management Needed to Address Timely Disposal of Obsolete Ships

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has more than 100 obsolete and deteriorating ships awaiting disposal that pose potentially costly environmental threats to the waterways near where they are stored. Congress, in 2000, mandated that MARAD dispose of them by September 30, 2006. While MARAD has various disposal options available, each option is complicated by legal, financial, and regulatory factors. In this report, GAO assesses (1) whether MARAD will meet the September 2006 disposal deadline for these ships and, if not, why not; (2) the extent that MARAD has used alternative disposal methods other than scrapping, and barriers to using other methods; (3) the appropriateness of MARAD's methods for procuring ship disposal services; and (4) the impact of foreign competition and other factors on reducing disposal costs."
Date: March 7, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Restructuring of the District of Columbia Department of Public Works' Division of Transportation (open access)

Restructuring of the District of Columbia Department of Public Works' Division of Transportation

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To handle staffing shortages and rising workloads, states and other engineering and construction organizations have been relying more on contractors do work that was previously done in-house. This trend is reflected in two state highway departments that GAO visited. Both Arizona and South Carolina were relying extensively on consulting engineers to handle large parts of their workloads. Two recent studies also identified ways in which organizations acquiring design and construction services have dealt with staffing shortages and increased workloads. These include team building, partnering, and involving all stakeholders in the early stages of a project's development and in design review activities throughout the project. The acting Director of the District of Columbia's Department of Public Works, Division of Transportation (DDOT) has started to reorganize the Department to improve performance. Specifically, he plans to increase the use of contractors to supplement DDOT's staff and has established cooperative relationships with other governmental agencies by adopting strategies and best practices that others have found to be effective. The Director also plans to reorganize staff into four project teams that will have all the disciplines necessary to be responsible and accountable for …
Date: March 16, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library