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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Education and Outreach Programs Target Safety and Consumer Issues, but Gaps in Planning and Evaluation Remain (open access)

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Education and Outreach Programs Target Safety and Consumer Issues, but Gaps in Planning and Evaluation Remain

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for improving commercial vehicle safety and uses education and outreach as part of its efforts. The House report accompanying the fiscal year 2005 Department of Transportation (DOT) appropriations bill asked GAO to report on FMCSA's education and outreach programs to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. GAO (1) describes FMCSA's education and outreach programs and how they relate to FMCSA's goals (2) identifies the extent to which FMCSA has evaluated its education and outreach programs and (3) describes the extent to which FMCSA's education and outreach programs are effective."
Date: December 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
September 11: More Effective Collaboration Could Enhance Charitable Organizations' Contributions in Disasters (open access)

September 11: More Effective Collaboration Could Enhance Charitable Organizations' Contributions in Disasters

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Surveys suggest that as many as two-thirds of American households have donated money to charitable organizations to aid in the response to the September 11 disasters. To provide the public with information on the role of charitable aid in assisting those affected by the attacks, GAO was asked to report on the amount of donations charities raised and distributed, the accountability measures in place to prevent fraud by organizations and individuals, and lessons learned about how to best distribute charitable aid in similar situations."
Date: December 19, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Endangered Species Act: Many GAO Recommendations Have Been Implemented, but Some Issues Remain Unresolved (open access)

Endangered Species Act: Many GAO Recommendations Have Been Implemented, but Some Issues Remain Unresolved

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 protects plant and animal species that are either facing extinction (endangered species) or are likely to face extinction in the foreseeable future (threatened species) and protects the ecosystems upon which they depend. The act includes provisions for listing species that need protection, designating habitat deemed critical to a listed species' survival, developing recovery plans, and protecting listed species against certain harms caused by federal and nonfederal actions. Since the act's inception, more than 1,300 species occurring in the United States or its territories have been placed on the list of threatened and endangered species. The Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)--collectively referred to as "the services"--are responsible for administration and implementation of the ESA, but all federal agencies have responsibilities for protecting species under the act. The act has long been a lightning rod for political debate about the extent to which the nation's natural resources should be protected and how best to protect them. Proponents of the act believe that it is important to preserve the …
Date: December 19, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Plum Island Animal Disease Center: DHS and USDA Are Successfully Coordinating Current Work, but Long-Term Plans Are Being Assessed (open access)

Plum Island Animal Disease Center: DHS and USDA Are Successfully Coordinating Current Work, but Long-Term Plans Are Being Assessed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The livestock industry, which contributes over $100 billion annually to the national economy, is vulnerable to foreign animal diseases that, if introduced in the United States, could cause severe economic losses. To protect against such losses, critical research and diagnostic activities are conducted at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) was responsible for Plum Island until June 2003, when provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 transferred the facility to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under an interagency agreement, USDA continues to work on foreign animal diseases at the island. GAO examined (1) DHS and USDA coordination of research and diagnostic activities, (2) changes in research and diagnostic priorities since the transfer, and (3) long-term objectives of joint activities at Plum Island."
Date: December 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ryan White Care Act: First-Year Experiences under the Part D Administrative Expense Cap (open access)

Ryan White Care Act: First-Year Experiences under the Part D Administrative Expense Cap

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of 1990 (CARE Act) makes federal funds available to assist those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Through the CARE Act, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awards grants (known as Part D grants) to provide services to women, infants, children, and youth with HIV/AIDS and their families. These grantees incur administrative expenses and indirect costs, such as rent and utilities. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment and Modernization Act of 2006 (RWTMA), which took effect in fiscal year 2007, capped at 10 percent the amount that Part D grantees could spend on administrative expenses. According to HRSA, there is no cap on indirect costs, but grantees must have an indirect cost rate to use funds for indirect costs. RWTMA directed GAO to examine Part D spending. In this report GAO describes (1) the services that Part D grantees provide and what effect, if any, the administrative expense cap has had on those services and on grantee programs; (2) how Part D grantees report on administrative expenses, indirect costs, …
Date: December 19, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Logistics: Improved Analysis and Cost Data Needed to Evaluate the Cost-effectiveness of Performance Based Logistics (open access)

Defense Logistics: Improved Analysis and Cost Data Needed to Evaluate the Cost-effectiveness of Performance Based Logistics

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2001, the Department of Defense (DOD) identified performance based logistics (PBL) as the preferred weapon system support strategy. Within DOD, PBL is the purchase of performance outcomes, such as system availability, rather than the purchase of individual elements of logistics support--such as parts, repairs, and engineering support. Although PBL initially arose from efforts to reduce support costs, questions have arisen about whether PBL has reduced support costs as originally intended. GAO was asked to evaluate the extent to which DOD has used business case analyses to guide decisions related to PBL arrangements and the impact PBL arrangements have had on weapon system support costs. In conducting the review, GAO analyzed the implementation of PBL arrangements for 29 weapon system programs. GAO also looked at the use and characteristics of performance-based contracting in the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence."
Date: December 19, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Law Enforcement: Survey of Federal Civilian Law Enforcement Functions and Authorities (open access)

Federal Law Enforcement: Survey of Federal Civilian Law Enforcement Functions and Authorities

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Law enforcement officers (LEOs) within the federal government play a key role in maintaining the safety and security of federal property, employees, and the general public. In this report, we describe the number of LEOs that federal civilian law enforcement components employed as of June 30, 2006; the federal job series classifications the components used to employ LEOs; and the sources of their primary legal authorities. To identify federal components that employ LEOs, we consulted, among other sources, the Federal Citizen Information Center's Cabinet Agencies and Independent Agencies and Commissions Directory; a list of organizations included in the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) 2004-2005 List of Agencies Trained at FLETC; and federal agencies listed in Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2002, published by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). We identified 104 federal civilian law enforcement components and administered two Web-based surveys to each--one survey on the primary authorities and the other survey on the job series classifications. We defined an LEO as an individual authorized to perform any of four specific functions: (1) conduct criminal investigations, (2) execute search warrants, (3) make …
Date: December 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Waivers of the Small Business Administration's Nonmanufacturer Rule Have Limited Effect (open access)

Waivers of the Small Business Administration's Nonmanufacturer Rule Have Limited Effect

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Under section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, the Small Business Administration (SBA) conducts a program for developing small businesses that are owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Participants can receive contracts under acquisitions that federal agencies offer to the 8(a) program as well as business development assistance from SBA. A firm that receives a supply contract under the 8(a) program or a small business set aside can be either a manufacturer or a nonmanufacturer of a product. Under SBA's rules, however, a nonmanufacturer who receives one of these contracts must agree to supply the product of a domestic small manufacturer or processor. SBA can waive this requirement when there are no small manufacturers or processors available to supply the product. There are two types of waivers to the nonmanufacturer rule: (1) individual waivers, which apply only to a specific contract and are effective for the life of that contract, and (2) class waivers, which apply to categories of items and continue in effect unless revoked by SBA. Once a waiver of the nonmanufacturer rule is approved, a firm may supply the product of a large manufacturer. …
Date: December 19, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Personnel Clearances: Preliminary Observations about Timeliness and Quality (open access)

DOD Personnel Clearances: Preliminary Observations about Timeliness and Quality

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This correspondence provides our preliminary assessment of the timeliness and quality of the Department of Defense's (DOD) personnel security clearance program. These findings are based on an ongoing engagement that we have been conducting since February 2008 under the Comptroller General's authority to conduct evaluations on his own initiative. In 2009, we plan to issue a report providing more details regarding these findings. In response to a draft of this briefing report, DOD provided written comments and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provided comments via email. Our summary and evaluation of DOD's and OPM's comments and DOD's written comments are included. We are addressing this product to Congress at Congress' request due to Congress' continued interest in the DOD personnel security clearance program."
Date: December 19, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Response to a Posthearing Question Related to GAO's November 16, 2006 Testimony on the Defense Travel System (open access)

Response to a Posthearing Question Related to GAO's November 16, 2006 Testimony on the Defense Travel System

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "On November 16, 2006, GAO testified before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, on the results of our audit on the Defense Travel System (DTS). This letter responds to a question from Senator Coburn that we were asked to answer for the record. The question and our response follow."
Date: December 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: DOD Has Paid Billions in Award and Incentive Fees Regardless of Acquisition Outcomes (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: DOD Has Paid Billions in Award and Incentive Fees Regardless of Acquisition Outcomes

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Collectively, the Department of Defense (DOD) gives its contractors the opportunity to earn billions of dollars through monetary incentives--known as award fees and incentive fees. These fees are intended to motivate excellent contractor performance in areas deemed critical to an acquisition program's success, with award fees being appropriate when contracting and program officials cannot devise objective incentive fee targets related to cost, technical performance, or schedule. GAO was asked to determine whether award and incentive fees have been used effectively as a tool for achieving DOD's desired acquisition outcomes. To do this, GAO selected a probability sample of 93 contracts from the study population of 597 DOD award- and incentive-fee contracts that were active and had at least one contract action valued at $10 million or more from fiscal year 1999 through 2003."
Date: December 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Managerial Cost Accounting Practices: Departments of Education, Transportation, and the Treasury (open access)

Managerial Cost Accounting Practices: Departments of Education, Transportation, and the Treasury

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Authoritative bodies have promulgated laws, accounting standards, information system requirements, and related guidance to emphasize the need for cost information and cost management in the federal government. For example, the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990, contains several provisions related to managerial cost accounting, one of which states that an agency's CFO should develop and maintain an integrated accounting and financial management system that provides for the development and reporting of cost information. Statement of Federal Accounting Standards No. 4, Managerial Cost Accounting Concepts and Standards for the Federal Government, and the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program's (JFMIP) Framework for Federal Financial Management Systems established accounting standards and system requirements for managerial cost accounting (MCA) information at federal agencies. The Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996 built on this foundation and required, among other things, CFO Act agencies' systems to comply substantially with federal accounting standards and federal financial management systems requirements. MCA involves the accumulation and analysis of financial and nonfinancial data, resulting in the allocation of costs to organizational pursuits such as performance goals, programs, activities, and outputs. The data analyzed depend on the …
Date: December 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Compliance: Qualified Intermediary Program Provides Some Assurance That Taxes on Foreign Investors Are Withheld and Reported, but Can Be Improved (open access)

Tax Compliance: Qualified Intermediary Program Provides Some Assurance That Taxes on Foreign Investors Are Withheld and Reported, but Can Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. source income flows to recipients offshore through foreign financial institutions and U.S. withholding agents. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) established the Qualified Intermediary (QI) program to improve tax withholding and reporting on such income. QIs are foreign financial institutions that contract with IRS to withhold and report U.S. tax. GAO was asked to (1) describe program features, (2) assess whether weaknesses exist in the U.S. withholding system for U.S. source income, and (3) identify any weaknesses in QI external reviews and IRS's use of program data. GAO interviewed agency officials and private practitioners and reviewed the latest IRS data on U.S. source income flowing offshore."
Date: December 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Securities and Exchange Commission: Actions Needed to Improve Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Selection Process (open access)

Securities and Exchange Commission: Actions Needed to Improve Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Selection Process

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 created, among other things, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to oversee audits of public companies. A divided Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) appointed the first PCAOB on October 25, 2002. Amid allegations that the SEC Chairman withheld relevant information from the other Commissioners concerning the suitability of the newly appointed PCAOB chairman, GAO was asked to examine SEC's selection process; determine whether the SEC Chairman withheld information from other Commissioners; determine what vetting of candidates took place; and identify what actions led to breakdowns in the process."
Date: December 19, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Prescription Drugs: OxyContin Abuse and Diversion and Efforts to Address the Problem (open access)

Prescription Drugs: OxyContin Abuse and Diversion and Efforts to Address the Problem

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Amid heightened awareness that many patients with cancer and other chronic diseases suffer from undertreated pain, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Purdue Pharma's controlled-release pain reliever OxyContin in 1995. Sales grew rapidly, and by 2001 OxyContin had become the most prescribed brandname narcotic medication for treating moderate-to-severe pain. In early 2000, reports began to surface about abuse and diversion for illicit use of OxyContin, which contains the opioid oxycodone. GAO was asked to examine concerns about these issues. Specifically, GAO reviewed (1) how OxyContin was marketed and promoted, (2) what factors contributed to the abuse and diversion of OxyContin, and (3) what actions have been taken to address OxyContin abuse and diversion."
Date: December 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans' Benefits: Claims Processing Timeliness Performance Measures Could Be Improved (open access)

Veterans' Benefits: Claims Processing Timeliness Performance Measures Could Be Improved

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, asked GAO to assist the Committee in its oversight of the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) efforts to improve compensation and pension claims processing. As part of this effort, GAO assessed (1) whether VBA's key timeliness measure clearly reflects its performance and (2) whether it has adequate data to measure the timeliness of its newly created specialized claims processing teams."
Date: December 19, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Personnel: Joint Officer Development Has Improved, but a Strategic Approach Is Needed (open access)

Military Personnel: Joint Officer Development Has Improved, but a Strategic Approach Is Needed

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "DOD has increasingly engaged in multiservice and multinational operations. Congress enacted the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, in part, so that DOD's military leaders would be better prepared to plan, support, and conduct joint operations. GAO assessed DOD actions to implement provisions in the law that address the development of officers in joint matters and evaluated impediments affecting DOD's ability to fully respond to the provisions in the act."
Date: December 19, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Munitions: DOD Needs to Develop a Comprehensive Approach for Cleaning Up Contaminated Sites (open access)

Military Munitions: DOD Needs to Develop a Comprehensive Approach for Cleaning Up Contaminated Sites

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Over 15 million acres in the United States are suspected of being, or known to be, contaminated with military munitions. These sites include ranges on closing military installations, closed ranges on active installations, and formerly used defense sites. Under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program, established in 1986, the Department of Defense (DOD) must identify, assess, and clean up military munitions contamination at these sites. DOD estimates these activities will cost from $8 billion to $35 billion. Because of the magnitude of DOD's cleanup effort, both in terms of cost and affected acreage, as well as the significant public safety, health, and environmental risks that military munitions may pose, The Ranking Minority Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce asked us to evaluate (1) DOD's progress in implementing its program to identify, assess, and clean up military munitions sites and (2) DOD's plans to clean up remaining sites in the future."
Date: December 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mental Health: Community-Based Care Increases for People With Serious Mental Illness (open access)

Mental Health: Community-Based Care Increases for People With Serious Mental Illness

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Between 1987 and 1997, the growth in mental health spending in the United States roughly paralleled the growth in overall health care spending. However, federal mental health spending grew at more than twice the rate of state and local spending. This led to the federal government's share surpassing that of state and local governments, while the share attributable to private sources declined slightly. The ability to care for more people in the community has been facilitated by the continued development of new medications that have fewer side effects and are more effective in helping people manage their illness. Furthermore, treatment approaches, such as assertive community treatment, supported employment, and supportive housing, provide the ongoing assistance that adults with serious mental illness (SMI) often need to function in the community. The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has encouraged the use of community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries with SMI by disseminating information on the use of new medications and treatment models, which can help people function better in the community. HCFA also supports states' use of Medicaid managed health care services. However, incentives associated with capitated payment can …
Date: December 19, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Readiness: DOD Needs to Reassess Program Strategy, Funding Priorities, and Risks for Selected Equipment (open access)

Military Readiness: DOD Needs to Reassess Program Strategy, Funding Priorities, and Risks for Selected Equipment

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO was asked to assess the condition of key equipment items and to determine if the services have adequate plans for sustaining, modernizing, or replacing them. To address these questions, we selected 25 major equipment items, and determined (1) their current condition, (2) whether the services have mapped out a program strategy for these items, (3) whether current and projected funding is consistent with these strategies, and (4) whether these equipment items are capable of fulfilling their wartime missions."
Date: December 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Freight Transportation: Strategies Needed to Address Planning and Financing Limitations (open access)

Freight Transportation: Strategies Needed to Address Planning and Financing Limitations

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The strong productivity gains in the U.S. economy have hinged in part on transportation networks working more efficiently. The nation's ports, which handle 95 percent of overseas freight tonnage, are a key link in this network, and efficient intermodal links between ship, rail, and highways are vital to continued productivity gains. GAO was asked to address (1) the challenges to freight mobility, (2) the limitations key stakeholders have encountered in addressing these challenges, and (3) strategies that may aid decision makers in enhancing freight mobility. GAO's work was based on a synthesis of previous studies and a review of conditions at 10 ports and surrounding areas that handle almost two-thirds of all containers moving in and out of the country."
Date: December 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Energy: International Forums Contribute to Energy Cooperation within Constraints (open access)

International Energy: International Forums Contribute to Energy Cooperation within Constraints

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Rising oil prices, resulting from growth in energy consumption by rapidly developing Asian nations and by most industrialized nations, have increased concern about competition over oil and natural gas resources. In particular, Congress expressed interest in how the United States participates in energy cooperation through international forums. GAO was asked to review: (1) what are the key international energy forums in which the United States pursues energy cooperation, (2) what are some of the key emerging energy market issues that are important for international energy cooperation, and (3) how is the United States addressing these issues through its participation in these forums. GAO's work is based on contacts with agency officials and energy experts and review of documents."
Date: December 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
New York Nano-Bio Molecular Information Technology (NYNBIT) Incubator (open access)

New York Nano-Bio Molecular Information Technology (NYNBIT) Incubator

This project presents the outcome of an effort made by a consortium of six universities in the State of New York to develop a Center for Advanced technology (CAT) in the emerging field of Nano-Bio-Molecular Information Technology. The effort consists of activities such as organization of the NYNBIT incubator, collaborative research projects, development of courses, an educational program for high schools, and commercial start-up programs.
Date: December 19, 2008
Creator: Das, Digendra K
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
MEMS adaptive optics for the Gemini Planet Imager: control methods and validation (open access)

MEMS adaptive optics for the Gemini Planet Imager: control methods and validation

None
Date: December 19, 2007
Creator: Poyneer, L A & Dillon, D
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library