Millennium Challenge Corporation: Independent Reviews and Consistent Approaches Will Strengthen Projections of Program Impact (open access)

Millennium Challenge Corporation: Independent Reviews and Consistent Approaches Will Strengthen Projections of Program Impact

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In January 2004, Congress established the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for foreign assistance. Eligible countries submit compact proposals for MCC funding for projects aimed at reducing poverty through economic growth. To assess the proposed compacts' likely impact, MCC performs economic analyses estimating the compacts' economic rate of return (ERR) and effects on income and poverty as well as the number of compact beneficiaries. MCC uses these analyses to inform its decisions to fund proposed compacts and to inform Congress and the public about its progress in achieving its mission of poverty reduction through economic growth. GAO was asked to examine MCC's projections of (1) ERR and (2) compacts' impact on income and poverty as well as numbers of beneficiaries. GAO reviewed MCC's stated impacts and analyses for four MCC compacts that represented 41 percent of MCC's compact assistance and met with MCC officials."
Date: June 17, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Department of Agriculture: Analysis of Budgets, Fiscal Years 1999-2000 (open access)

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Analysis of Budgets, Fiscal Years 1999-2000

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) appropriation for fiscal year (FY) 1999 and its budget request for FY 2000 for selected programs and initiatives."
Date: June 17, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Small Business Administration: Additional Actions Are Needed to Certify and Monitor HUBZone Businesses and Assess Program Results (open access)

Small Business Administration: Additional Actions Are Needed to Certify and Monitor HUBZone Businesses and Assess Program Results

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. Questions have been raised about whether the program is targeting the locations and businesses that Congress intended to assist. GAO was asked to examine (1) the criteria and process that SBA uses to identify and map HUBZone areas and the economic characteristics of such areas, (2) the mechanisms SBA uses to ensure that only eligible small businesses participate in the program, and (3) the actions SBA has taken to assess the results of the program and the extent to which federal agencies have met their HUBZone contracting goals. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed statutory provisions, as well as SBA, census, and contracting data, and interviewed SBA and other federal and local officials."
Date: June 17, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health Centers And Rural Clinics: State and Federal Implementation Issues for Medicaid's New Payment System (open access)

Health Centers And Rural Clinics: State and Federal Implementation Issues for Medicaid's New Payment System

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) established a prospective payment system (PPS) for Medicaid payments to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Rural Health Clinics (RHC), giving providers a financial incentive to operate efficiently. BIPA requires that BIPA PPS rates be adjusted for inflation and changes in scope of services. States also may use an alternative methodology if it pays no less than the BIPA PPS rate. In response to a BIPA mandate, GAO reviewed states' implementation of the new payment requirements, the need to rebase or refine the BIPA PPS, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) oversight of states' implementation. GAO surveyed the states about their payment methodologies, did a targeted review in four states, and reviewed indexes used to reflect medical care inflation."
Date: June 17, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Technology Development: Management Process Can Be Strengthened for New Technology Transition Programs (open access)

Defense Technology Development: Management Process Can Be Strengthened for New Technology Transition Programs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) and Congress both recognize that Defense technology innovations sometimes move too slowly from the lab to the field. Three new programs have been recently created in DOD to help speed and enhance the transition of new technologies. A report accompanying the fiscal year 2003 National Defense Authorization Act required GAO to review two of these programs--the Technology Transition Initiative (TTI) and Defense Acquisition Challenge Program (DACP). The first is designed to speed transition of technologies from DOD labs to acquisition programs and the second is designed to introduce cost-saving technologies from inside and outside DOD. We were also asked to review the Quick Reaction Fund, which is focused on rapidly field testing promising new technology prototypes. We assessed the impact the programs had on technology transition and the programs' selection, management and oversight, and assessment practices."
Date: June 17, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
American Battle Monuments Commission: Management Action Needed to Improve Internal Control Procedures (open access)

American Battle Monuments Commission: Management Action Needed to Improve Internal Control Procedures

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "On February 27, 2009, we issued our report expressing our opinion on the American Battle Monuments Commission's (the Commission) fiscal years 2008 and 2007 financial statements and our opinion on the Commission's internal control as of September 30, 2008. We also reported on the results of our tests of the Commission's compliance with selected provisions of laws and regulations during fiscal year 2008. We reported that the Commission maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting (including safeguarding of assets) and compliance as of September 30, 2008. During our fiscal year 2008 audit, we identified accountability and internal control deficiencies that, while not individually or in the aggregate material to the Commission's financial statements, warrant management's attention. The purpose of this report is to present these deficiencies, to provide recommendations to address these matters, and to provide an overview of the status of our prior year findings and recommendations. Because of the sensitive nature of some of the issues we identified, we are communicating detailed information regarding our findings and recommendations on information systems and physical security in a separately issued Limited Official Use Only …
Date: June 17, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gasoline Markets: Special Gasoline Blends Reduce Emissions and Improve Air Quality, but Complicate Supply and Contribute to Higher Prices (open access)

Gasoline Markets: Special Gasoline Blends Reduce Emissions and Improve Air Quality, but Complicate Supply and Contribute to Higher Prices

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Clean Air Act, as amended, requires some areas with especially poor air quality to use a "special gasoline blend" designed to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and requiring the use of an oxygenate such as ethanol. In less severely polluted areas, the Act allows states, with EPA approval, to require the use of other special blends as part of their effort to meet air quality standards. GAO agreed to answer the following: (1) To what extent are special gasoline blends used in the United States and how, if at all, is this use expected to change in the future? (2) What effect has the use of these blends had on reducing vehicle emissions and improving overall air quality? (3) What is the effect of these blends on the gasoline supply? (4) How do these blends affect gasoline prices?"
Date: June 17, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Origin of the AIDS Virus (open access)

Origin of the AIDS Virus

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to a congressional request that GAO review allegations that the National Cancer Institute's Special Virus Cancer Program (SVCP) created the AIDS virus. GAO found no evidence to support the allegations that SVCP created the AIDS virus."
Date: June 17, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Air Force Depot Maintenance: Improved Pricing and Cost Reduction Practices Needed (open access)

Air Force Depot Maintenance: Improved Pricing and Cost Reduction Practices Needed

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Air Force depot maintenance activity group in-house operations generate about $5 billion in annual revenue principally by repairing aircraft, missiles, engines, and other assets. In doing so, the group operates under the working capital fund concept, where customers are to be charged the anticipated costs of providing goods and services to them. The group's average price for in-house work almost doubled between fiscal years 2000 and 2004 from $119.99 per hour to $237.84 per hour. GAO was asked to determine (1) what factors were primarily responsible for the price increase, (2) if the prices charged recovered the reported actual costs of performing the work, and (3) if the Air Force has taken effective steps to improve efficiency and control the activity group's costs."
Date: June 17, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drinking Water: Unreliable State Data Limit EPA's Ability to Target Enforcement Priorities and Communicate Water Systems' Performance (open access)

Drinking Water: Unreliable State Data Limit EPA's Ability to Target Enforcement Priorities and Communicate Water Systems' Performance

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The nation's drinking water is among the safest in the world, but contamination has occurred, causing illnesses and even deaths. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has authorized most states, territories, and tribes to take primary responsibility for ensuring that community water systems provide safe water. EPA needs complete and accurate data on systems' compliance with SDWA to conduct oversight. GAO was asked to assess the (1) quality of the state data EPA uses to measure compliance with health and monitoring requirements of the act and the status of enforcement efforts, (2) ways in which data quality could affect EPA's management of the drinking water program, and (3) actions EPA and the states have been taking to improve data quality. GAO analyzed EPA audits of state data done in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and surveyed EPA and state officials to obtain their views on factors that have affected data quality and steps that could improve it."
Date: June 17, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellites: With Costs Increasing and Data Continuity at Risk, Improvements Needed in Tri-agency Decision Making (open access)

Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellites: With Costs Increasing and Data Continuity at Risk, Improvements Needed in Tri-agency Decision Making

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is a tri-agency acquisition--managed by the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)--that has experienced escalating costs, schedule delays, and technical difficulties. As the often-delayed launch of its demonstration satellite draws closer, these problems continue. GAO was asked to (1) identify the status and risks of key program components, (2) assess the NPOESS Executive Committee's ability to fulfill its responsibilities, and (3) evaluate efforts to identify an alternative system integrator for later NPOESS satellites. To do so, GAO analyzed program and contractor data, attended program reviews, and interviewed agency officials."
Date: June 17, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internet Pharmacies: Some Pose Safety Risks for Consumers and Are Unreliable in Their Business Practices (open access)

Internet Pharmacies: Some Pose Safety Risks for Consumers and Are Unreliable in Their Business Practices

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As the demand for and the cost of prescription drugs rise, many consumers have turned to the Internet to purchase them. However, the global nature of the Internet can hinder state and federal efforts to identify and regulate Internet pharmacies to help assure the safety and efficacy of products sold. Recent reports of unapproved and counterfeit drugs sold over the Internet have raised further concerns. This testimony summarizes a GAO report: Internet Pharmacies: Some Pose Safety Risks for Consumers, GAO-04-820 (June 17, 2004). GAO was asked to examine (1) the extent to which certain drugs can be purchased over the Internet without a prescription; (2) whether the drugs are handled properly, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and authentic; and (3) the extent to which Internet pharmacies are reliable in their business practices. GAO attempted to purchase up to 10 samples of 13 different drugs, each from a different pharmacy Web site, including sites in the United States, Canada, and other foreign countries. GAO assessed the condition of the samples it received and forwarded the samples to their manufacturers to determine whether they were approved by …
Date: June 17, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intellectual Property: Leadership and Accountability Needed to Strengthen Federal Protection and Enforcement (open access)

Intellectual Property: Leadership and Accountability Needed to Strengthen Federal Protection and Enforcement

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. government efforts to protect and enforce intellectual property (IP) rights domestically and overseas are crucial to preventing billions of dollars in losses to U.S. industry and IP rights owners. The illegal importation and distribution of IP-infringing goods also poses a threat to the health and safety of U.S. citizens. However, the challenges involved in IP protection are significant and require effective coordination among a wide range of policy and law enforcement agencies. Multiple agencies work to protect IP rights, and they coordinate their efforts through certain coordination bodies as well as an executive- branch strategy called the Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP). This testimony addresses two topics: the need for (1) greater leadership and permanence in the national IP enforcement strategy and coordination structure; and (2) improvement in key agencies' criminal IP enforcement data collection and analysis. It is based on prior GAO work conducted from 2003 to 2008."
Date: June 17, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Broadcasting to Cuba: Observations Regarding TV Marti's Strategy and Operations (open access)

Broadcasting to Cuba: Observations Regarding TV Marti's Strategy and Operations

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses GAO's work on U.S. television broadcasting to Cuba. The United States has been broadcasting to Cuba for more than two decades via Radio Marti and, subsequently, TV Marti to "break the information blockade" and promote freedom and democracy in Cuba. U.S. television broadcasting to Cuba is performed by the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), which is a U.S. government entity, overseen by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), and based in Miami. OCB operates TV Marti, which broadcasts news, commentary, and entertainment programming to Cuba. From the inception of these broadcasting efforts, various questions have been raised regarding their purpose, quality, and effectiveness. In light of the more than $500 million that has been spent over the years on broadcasting to Cuba and OCB's almost $35 million annual budget, we have reviewed a variety of issues related to the effectiveness of OCB's television broadcasts."
Date: June 17, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elderly Housing: Project Funding and Other Factors Delay Assistance to Needy Households (open access)

Elderly Housing: Project Funding and Other Factors Delay Assistance to Needy Households

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 2001, an estimated 2 million elderly households with very low incomes (50 percent or less of area median income) did not receive housing assistance. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considered most of these households to be "rent burdened" because they spent more than 30 percent of their incomes on rent. The Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program provides capital advances (grants) to nonprofit organizations to develop affordable rental housing exclusively for these households. Based on a report issued in May 2003, this testimony discusses the role of the Section 202 program in addressing the need for affordable elderly housing and factors affecting the timeliness of approving and constructing new projects."
Date: June 17, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicaid: Questionable Practices Boost Federal Payments for School-Based Services (open access)

Medicaid: Questionable Practices Boost Federal Payments for School-Based Services

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the rise in claims for administrative costs associated with school-based health services, focusing on: (1) trends in Medicaid's spending for administrative costs; (2) the distribution of Medicaid payments for administrative claims to schools and other entities; and (3) the adequacy of federal oversight in approving school districts' claims for reimbursement."
Date: June 17, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Judgeships: General Accuracy of District and Appellate Judgeship Case-Related Workload Measures (open access)

Federal Judgeships: General Accuracy of District and Appellate Judgeship Case-Related Workload Measures

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Biennially, the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's principal policymaking body, assesses the need for additional judges. The assessment is based on a variety of factors, but begins with quantitative case-related workload measures. This testimony focuses on (1) whether the judiciary's quantitative case-related workload measures from 1993 were reasonably accurate; and (2) the reasonableness of any proposed methodologies to update the 1993 workload measures. The comments in this testimony are based on a report GAO issued in May 2003."
Date: June 17, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: Long-Term Federal Fiscal Challenge Driven Primarily by Health Care (open access)

Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: Long-Term Federal Fiscal Challenge Driven Primarily by Health Care

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO was asked to provide its views on the long-term fiscal outlook. This statement addresses four key points: (1) the federal government's long-term fiscal outlook is a matter of utmost concern; (2) this challenge is driven primarily by health care cost growth; (3) reform of health care is essential but other areas also need attention which requires a multipronged solution; and (4) the federal government faces increasing pressures yet a shrinking window of opportunity for phasing in needed adjustments. GAO's simulations of the federal government's long-term fiscal outlook were updated with the Trustees 2008 intermediate projections and continue to indicate that the long-term outlook is unsustainable. This update combined with GAO's analysis of the fiscal outlook of state and local governments demonstrates that the fiscal challenges facing all levels of government are linked and should be considered in a strategic and integrated manner. Since 1992, GAO has published long-term fiscal simulations of what might happen to federal deficits and debt levels under varying policy assumptions. GAO developed its long-term model in response to a bipartisan request from Members of Congress who were concerned about the longterm effects of …
Date: June 17, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Polar-Orbiting Satellites: With Costs Increasing and Data Continuity at Risk, Improvements Needed in Tri-agency Decision Making (open access)

Polar-Orbiting Satellites: With Costs Increasing and Data Continuity at Risk, Improvements Needed in Tri-agency Decision Making

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)--a tri-agency acquisition managed by the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)--is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting (including severe weather events such as hurricanes) and global climate monitoring. Since its inception, NPOESS has experienced escalating costs, schedule delays, and technical difficulties. As the often-delayed launch of its demonstration satellite (called the NPOESS Preparatory Project--NPP) draws closer, these problems continue. GAO was asked to summarize its report being released today that (1) identifies the status and risks of key program components, (2) assesses the NPOESS Executive Committee's ability to fulfill its responsibilities, and (3) evaluates efforts to identify an alternative system integrator for later NPOESS satellites."
Date: June 17, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internet Pharmacies: Hydrocodone, an Addictive Narcotic Pain Medication, Is Available Without a Prescription Through the Internet (open access)

Internet Pharmacies: Hydrocodone, an Addictive Narcotic Pain Medication, Is Available Without a Prescription Through the Internet

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO summarized the results of its investigation of some of the business practices of certain U.S. Internet pharmacies that sold narcotics without a prescription. At the request of the Chairman, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, GAO attempted to obtain information about the sources of hydrocodone that it purchased without a prescription from eight U.S. online pharmacies. Hydrocodone is an addictive narcotic pain medication, and illicit use of this drug has increased significantly in recent years."
Date: June 17, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Identity Theft: Governments Have Acted to Protect Personally Identifiable Information, but Vulnerabilities Remain (open access)

Identity Theft: Governments Have Acted to Protect Personally Identifiable Information, but Vulnerabilities Remain

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The loss of personally identifiable information, such as an individual's Social Security number, name, and date of birth can result in serious harm, including identity theft. Identity theft is a serious crime that impacts millions of individuals each year. Identity theft occurs when such information is used without authorization to commit fraud or other crimes. While progress has been made protecting personally identifiable information in the public and private sectors, challenges remain. GAO was asked to testify on how the loss of personally identifiable information contributes to identity theft. This testimony summarizes (1) the problem of identity theft; (2) steps taken at the federal, state, and local level to prevent potential identity theft; and (3) vulnerabilities that remain to protecting personally identifiable information, including in federal information systems. For this testimony, GAO relied primarily on information from prior reports and testimonies that address public and private sector use of personally identifiable information, as well as federal, state, and local efforts to protect the security of such information. GAO and agency inspectors general have made numerous recommendations to agencies to resolve prior significant information control deficiencies and information security …
Date: June 17, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental Compliance: Better DOD Guidance Needed to Ensure That the Most Important Activities Are Funded (open access)

Environmental Compliance: Better DOD Guidance Needed to Ensure That the Most Important Activities Are Funded

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) and its military services are responsible for complying with a broad range of environmental laws and other requirements that apply to the lands they manage, including more than 425 major military installations covering about 25 million acres across the United States. Through its environmental quality program, DOD spends about $2 billion per year to comply with these requirements. Although the services have made significant improvements in environmental management in recent years, DOD has not reached full environmental compliance. In response to the Senate Armed Services Committee's report on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002, we assessed how DOD and the services identify, prioritize, and fund their environmental quality activities to determine whether the most important and appropriate activities are funded."
Date: June 17, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Secure Border Initiative: DHS Needs to Follow Through on Plans to Reassess and Better Manage Key Technology Program (open access)

Secure Border Initiative: DHS Needs to Follow Through on Plans to Reassess and Better Manage Key Technology Program

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Secure Border Initiative (SBI) is intended to help secure the 6,000 miles of international borders that the contiguous United States shares with Canada and Mexico. The program, which began in November 2005, seeks to enhance border security and reduce illegal immigration by improving surveillance technologies, raising staffing levels, increasing domestic enforcement of immigration laws, and improving physical infrastructure along the nation's borders. Within SBI, the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet) is a multibillion dollar program that includes the acquisition, development, integration, deployment, and operation of surveillance technologies--such as unattended ground sensors and radar and cameras mounted on fixed and mobile towers--to create a "virtual border fence." In addition, command, control, communications, and intelligence (C3I) software and hardware are to use the information gathered by the surveillance technologies to create a real-time picture of what is transpiring within specific areas along the border and transmit the information to command centers and vehicles."
Date: June 17, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Management: The Challenges of Managing Electronic Records (open access)

Information Management: The Challenges of Managing Electronic Records

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies are increasingly using electronic means to create, exchange, and store information, and in doing so, they frequently create federal records: that is, information, in whatever form, that documents government functions, activities, decisions, and other important transactions. As the volume of electronic information grows, so does the challenge of managing electronic records. Both federal agency heads and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) have responsibilities for managing federal records. As requested, after providing some context about records management in the federal government and the roles of federal agencies and NARA, this testimony describes the challenges of electronic records management and potential means of addressing these challenges. In preparing this testimony, GAO relied primarily on its previous work, supplemented by analysis of publicly available documents."
Date: June 17, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library