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Interagency Collaboration: Implications of a Common Alignment of World Regions among Select Federal Agencies
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To carry out complex national security initiatives--such as combating illicit financing of terrorist activities, undertaking development projects in conflict zones, and countering piracy off the Horn of Africa--U.S. government agencies must coordinate with a large number of organizations in their planning efforts. Our prior work on the federal government's national security initiatives has determined that U.S. agencies face a number of challenges to effectively collaborating with one another, potentially resulting in gaps and overlaps in policy implementation. In particular, we have found that agencies face challenges to developing overarching strategies to achieve common goals, creating effective mechanisms for operating across agencies, and sharing sensitive information. For example, our work has shown that the Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have different planning time frames than the Department of Defense (DOD), which poses a challenge for the three organizations. This report summarizes and formally transmits the enclosed briefing in response to Section 1055 of the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, which required us to examine the need for and implications of a common alignment of world regions in …
Date:
July 11, 2011
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Initial Results on Availability of Terrorism Insurance in Specific Geographic Markets
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, are estimated to have resulted in insured losses amounting to $32.5 billion. Subsequent to the attacks, insurers largely stopped offering terrorism insurance coverage to commercial property owners, which raised significant concerns about potential negative economic consequences. To help restore confidence and stability in property insurance markets, Congress enacted and the President signed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA). Under TRIA, the federal government assumed significant responsibility for the potential insured financial losses associated with future terrorist attacks. While TRIA, which was reauthorized in 2005 and again in 2007, has been credited with stabilizing markets for commercial property insurance, some building owners, Members of Congress, and other industry participants remain concerned that there may still be gaps in coverage. In particular, they have expressed concerns about the ability of policyholders located in large urban areas that are viewed as being at high risk of attack to obtain terrorism insurance coverage. Under the 2007 statute that reauthorized TRIA coverage, GAO was required to conduct a study …
Date:
July 11, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Securities Investor Protection: Update on Matters Related to the Securities Investor Protection Corporation
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As result of ongoing concerns about the adequacy of disclosures provided to investors about the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and investors' responsibilities to protect their investments, GAO issued a report in 2001 entitled Securities Investor Protection: Steps Needed to Better Disclose SIPC Policies to Investors (GAO-01-653). GAO was asked to determine the status of recommendations made to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and SIPC in that report. GAO was also asked to review a number of issues involving excess SIPC insurance, private insurance securities firms purchase to cover accounts that are in excess of SIPC's statutory limits."
Date:
July 11, 2003
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Private Fund Advisers: Although a Self-Regulatory Organization Could Supplement SEC Oversight, It Would Present Challenges and Trade-offs
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past decade, hedge funds, private equity funds, and other private funds proliferated but were largely unregulated, causing members of Congress and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) staff to raise questions about investor protection and systemic risk. To address this potential regulatory gap, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) brought certain advisers to private funds under the federal securities laws, requiring them to register with SEC. The Dodd-Frank Act also requires GAO to examine the feasibility of forming a self-regulatory organization (SRO) to provide primary oversight of private fund advisers. This report discusses (1) the feasibility of forming such an SRO, and (2) the potential advantages and disadvantages of a private fund adviser SRO. To address the mandate, GAO reviewed federal securities laws, SEC staff's recently completed study on its investment adviser examination program that was mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act, past regulatory and legislative proposals to create an SRO for investment advisers, and associated comment letters. GAO also interviewed SEC and SRO staffs, other regulators, and various market participants and observers. We provided a draft of this report to …
Date:
July 11, 2011
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Management Report: Opportunities for Improvements in FDIC's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In March 2006, we issued our opinions on the calendar year 2005 financial statements of the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF), the Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF), and the FSLIC Resolution Fund (FRF). We also issued our opinion on the effectiveness of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC) internal control over financial reporting (including safeguarding assets) and compliance as of December 31, 2005, and our evaluation of FDIC's compliance with significant provisions of selected laws and regulations for the three funds for the year ended December 31, 2005. The purpose of this report is to discuss issues identified during our audits of the 2005 financial statements regarding internal controls and accounting procedures that could be improved, and to recommend actions to address these weaknesses. Although these issues were not material in relation to the financial statements, we believe they warrant management's attention."
Date:
July 11, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Food Safety: Improvements Needed in Overseeing the Safety of Dietary Supplements and 'Functional Foods'
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO examined the extent to which agencies' efforts and federal laws ensure the: (1) safety of functional foods and dietary supplements; and (2) accuracy of health-related claims on product labels and in advertising."
Date:
July 11, 2000
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Advance Coordination and Increased Visibility Needed to Optimize Capabilities
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Combatant commanders carrying out ongoing operations rank the need for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities as high on their priority lists. The Department of Defense (DOD) is investing in many ISR systems, including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), to meet the growing demand for ISR assets to support the warfighter. GAO was asked to evaluate DOD's efforts to integrate UAS into ongoing operations while optimizing the use of all DOD ISR assets. Specifically, this report addresses the extent that (1) DOD has taken steps to facilitate the integration of UAS into combat operations, and (2) DOD's approach to allocating and tasking its ISR assets considers all available ISR capabilities, including those provided by UAS. GAO also reviewed the extent that DOD evaluates the performance of its ISR assets, including UAS, in meeting warfighters' needs. To perform this work, GAO analyzed data and guidance on the use of ISR assets, and interviewed DOD officials, including those supporting ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Date:
July 11, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Chemical Safety Board: Improved Policies and Additional Oversight Are Needed
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board's management problems, focusing on: (1) the status of the Board's organization and operations; (2) the Board's efforts to update and develop plans, policies, and procedures for accomplishing the Board's mission, including those aimed at ensuring the objectivity of its investigative activities; and (3) whether the Board would benefit from the independent oversight of an inspector general."
Date:
July 11, 2000
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Transit Asset Management: Additional Research on Capital Investment Effects Could Help Transit Agencies Optimize Funding
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To prioritize capital investments, selected transit agencies we reviewed follow some leading practices in the areas of planning, information and data systems, and ranking capital projects. For example, several agencies have developed asset inventories that provide accessible, consistent, and comprehensive information about their assets. One agency also incorporated asset condition data into its asset replacement models, resulting in more accurate and cost-effective replacement investments. However, transit agencies face challenges in implementing these leading practices. For example, several agencies we visited reported challenges collecting data or monitoring or analyzing assets' condition and performance."
Date:
July 11, 2013
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Compacts of Free Association: Implementation of New Funding and Accountability Requirements Is Well Under Way, but Planning Challenges Remain
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From 1987 to 2003, the United States provided economic aid to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) through a Compact of Free Association. A previous GAO report found little accountability for the assistance provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior under this compact. In 2004, amended compacts with the FSM and RMI went into effect and will provide $3.5 billion in assistance over 20 years, consisting of grants and contributions to trust funds that are to replace the grants after 2023. The amended compacts include funding and accountability requirements that were not present in the original compact. To better understand the status of the compacts' implementation, GAO evaluated actions taken by the U.S., FSM, and RMI governments since fiscal year 2004 to (1) meet funding requirements and plan for the use of this funding, (2) meet accountability requirements, and (3) establish operations to implement the new agreements."
Date:
July 11, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Immigration Enforcement: Benefits and Limitations to Using Earnings Data to Identify Unauthorized Work
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To lawfully work in the United States, individuals must provide identification and evidence of work authorization to their employers. Individuals who are not U.S. citizens must have authorization to work from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Yet individuals without these required authorizations can gain employment using fraudulent documents containing fictitious information or information that belongs to someone else or by being hired by an employer who does not follow the law. In prior GAO work on these issues, we have reported that Social Security Administration (SSA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data can be useful for identity and employment eligibility verification as well as to facilitate more effective worksite enforcement. However, the use of these data has drawbacks since they contain some erroneous information and information about hundreds of thousands or even millions of U.S. citizens and work-authorized aliens. Because the confidentiality of tax data is considered crucial to voluntary taxpayer compliance, IRS is restricted under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code from sharing taxpayer information with third parties except in very limited circumstances. Currently, IRS is not authorized to share taxpayers' information for worksite enforcement …
Date:
July 11, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology Reform: Progress Made but Future Cloud Computing Efforts Should be Better Planned
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The selected federal agencies have made progress implementing the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) Cloud First policy. Consistent with this policy, each of the seven agencies incorporated cloud computing requirements into their policies and processes. For example, one agency had incorporated a review of its information technology (IT) investment portfolio to identify candidates for a cloud solution into its IT plan. Further, each of the seven agencies met the OMB deadlines to identify three cloud implementations by February 2011 and to implement at least one service by December 2011. However, two agencies do not plan to meet OMBs deadline to implement three services by June 2012, but plan to do so by calendar year end, ranging from August to December. Each of the seven agencies has also identified opportunities for future cloud implementations, such as moving storage and help desk services to a cloud environment. While each of the seven agencies submitted plans to OMB for implementing the cloud solutions, all but one plan were missing key required elements. For example, 7 of the 20 plans did not include estimated costs and none of the …
Date:
July 11, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Compacts of Free Association: Guidelines Needed to Support Reliable Estimates of Cost Impacts of Growing Migration
A statement of record issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Data from the U.S. Census Bureau (Census) show that migrants from the freely associated states (FAS)—the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands, and Palau—reside throughout U.S. areas. GAO's 2011 report found that Census estimates that roughly 56,000 compact migrants—nearly a quarter of all FAS citizens—were living in U.S. areas in 2005 to 2009. About 58 percent of compact migrants lived in areas that Congress defined in the amended compacts' enabling legislation as affected jurisdictions: American Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)."
Date:
July 11, 2013
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Retirement Decisions: Federal Policies Offer Mixed Signals about When to Retire
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "While many factors influence workers' decisions to retire, Social Security, Medicare, and pension laws also play a role, offering incentives to retire earlier and later. Identifying these incentives and how workers respond can help policy makers address the demographic challenges facing the nation. GAO assessed (1) the incentives federal policies provide about when to retire, (2) recent retirement patterns and whether there is evidence that changes in Social Security requirements have resulted in later retirements, and (3) whether tax-favored private retiree health insurance and pension benefits influence when people retire. GAO analyzed retirement age laws and SSA data and conducted statistical analysis of Health and Retirement Study data. Under the Comptroller General's authority, GAO has prepared this report on its own initiative."
Date:
July 11, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federal Facilities Council's Report on the Role of Facility Design Reviews in Facilities Construction
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Facilities Council's (FFC) study on the role of federal agencies' facility design reviews in the facility acquisition process."
Date:
July 11, 2000
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Management Report: Opportunities for Improvements in FDIC's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In February 2008, we issued our opinions on the calendar year 2007 financial statements of the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) and the FSLIC Resolution Fund (FRF). We also issued our opinion on the effectiveness of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC) internal control over financial reporting (including safeguarding assets) and compliance as of December 31, 2007, and our evaluation of FDIC's compliance with provisions of selected laws and regulations for the two funds for the year ended December 31, 2007. The purpose of this report is to present issues identified during our audits of the 2007 financial statements regarding certain internal controls and accounting procedures and to recommend actions to address these issues. Although these issues were not material in relation to the financial statements, we believe that they warrant management's attention. We are making five recommendations for strengthening FDIC's internal controls and accounting procedures. We conducted our audits in accordance with U.S. generally accepted government auditing standards."
Date:
July 11, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Tax Administration: IRS Can Improve Its Productivity Measures by Using Alternative Methods
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the past, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has experienced declines in enforcement productivity as measured by cases closed per Full Time Equivalent. Increasing enforcement productivity through a variety of enforcement improvement projects is one strategy being pursued by IRS. Evaluating the benefits of different projects requires good measures of productivity. In addition, IRS's ability to correctly measure its productivity has important budget implications. GAO was asked to illustrate available methods to better measure productivity at IRS. Specifically, our objectives were to (1) describe challenges that IRS faces when measuring productivity, (2) describe alternative methods that IRS can use to improve its productivity measures, and (3) assess the feasibility of using these alternative methods by illustrating their use with existing IRS data."
Date:
July 11, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Inspectors General: Opportunities to Enhance Independence and Accountability
A statement of record issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal inspectors general (IG) play a critical role in addressing mismanagement of scarce taxpayer dollars. In the coming years, as we enter a period of escalating deficits and increasingly limited resources, GAO believes that the greatest single source of savings will come from bold, decisive efforts to transform what government does and how it does business, and to hold it accountable for results. Therefore, it is important that an independent, objective, and reliable IG structure be in place to ensure adequate audit and investigative coverage of federal programs and operations. This statement offers GAO's views on (1) the principles of independence and how they apply to IG offices, (2) leveraging IG work as a part of overall federal oversight, (3) structural streamlining of IG offices for resource efficiencies, and (4) matters discussed in a GAO forum on IG issues. This statement draws on provisions of the IG Act, professional auditing standards, prior GAO reports and testimony, and information reported by the IGs."
Date:
July 11, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Tax Administration: IRS Needs Better Strategic Planning and Evaluation of Taxpayer Assistance Training
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Millions of taxpayers ask IRS questions about tax law each year. While the accuracy of IRS's answers has improved in some cases, it is still not always what taxpayers or Congress expect. Concerns about accuracy have raised questions about the adequacy of the training IRS provides to its taxpayer assistance staff. Because of these questions, GAO was asked to assess the extent to which IRS's planning and evaluation of its taxpayer assistor training conformed to guidance published by GAO and others. Planning and evaluation are part of a feedback loop whereby lessons from one year can be applied to making improvements in future years."
Date:
July 11, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Comprehensive Strategy Needed to Improve Ship Cruise Missile Defense
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO: (1) assessed the Navy's progress since 1996 in improving the self-defense capability of surface ships against cruise missiles; and (2) evaluated Navy plans for meeting future anti-cruise missile self-defense requirements."
Date:
July 11, 2000
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Assistance: USAID's Cash Transfer Program in Egypt Supports Economic Reform Activities, but Various Factors Have Limited Its Influence
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1992, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has focused the Cash Transfer Program in Egypt on supporting economic reform activities to move Egypt toward a more liberal and market-oriented economy. USAID has provided funds to Egypt's government as it completed agreed-on economic reform activities. In fiscal year 2002, the Department of State and USAID conducted a review of U.S. economic assistance in Egypt that led USAID to renegotiate the program's terms. USAID and Egypt signed a new agreement in March 2005. GAO's review of the Cash Transfer Program focused on the program's disbursement of funds and Egypt's completion of agreed-on activities, factors affecting the program's influence on Egypt's economic reform, USAID's efforts to evaluate the program's impact, and USAID's changes to the program in response to the 2002 review by the Department of State and USAID. GAO received comments on a draft of this report from USAID. USAID stated that the draft was fair and clear but that Egypt's completion of about 70 percent of the activities resulted from the program's structure rather than shortcomings in Egypt's policy reforms. USAID also stated that extending …
Date:
July 11, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Aviation Security: TSA Has Enhanced Its Explosives Detection Requirements for Checked Baggage, but Additional Screening Actions Are Needed
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Explosives represent a continuing threat to aviation security. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeks to ensure through the Electronic Baggage Screening Program (EBSP) that checked-baggage-screening technology is capable of detecting explosives. Generally, the explosives detection system (EDS) is used in conjunction with explosives trace detection (ETD) machines to identify and resolve threats in checked baggage. As requested, GAO assessed the extent to which: (1) TSA revised explosives detection requirements and deployed technology to meet those requirements, and (2) TSA's approach to the current EDS acquisition meets best practices for schedules and cost estimates and includes plans for potential upgrades of deployed EDSs. GAO analyzed EDS requirements, compared the EDS acquisition schedule against GAO best practices, and interviewed DHS officials. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in May 2011."
Date:
July 11, 2011
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Current Law Limits the State Department's Authority to Manage Certain Overseas Properties Cost Effectively
Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Section 738 in the fiscal year 2001 Agriculture Appropriation Act prohibits the Department of State from selling residences purchased to house agricultural attaches without approval from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and requires the department to use the proceeds from such sales to purchase residences for these attaches. Legislation currently before Congress would repeal section 738 since it limits the Department of State's authority to implement cost-effective decisions about sales of unneeded overseas property and the use of sales proceeds. Because of section 738's restrictions, State has delayed two property sales valued at nearly $4 million that appear to be in the government's best interests. FAS is concerned that if section 738 is repealed, selling these properties will result in increased costs since it would have to lease housing for attaches who previously lived rent-free in government-owned housing. Although section 738 applies only to residences purchased for agricultural attaches, the Office of Management and Budget and State are concerned that it could lead to fragmented and less cost-effective management of overseas property if other agencies seek similar treatment for their senior representatives. Section 738's restrictions do not appear …
Date:
July 11, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security: DHS' Efforts to Enhance First Responders' All-Hazards Capabilities Continue to Evolve
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The events of September 11, 2001, have resulted in a greater focus on the role of first responders in carrying out the nation's emergency management efforts. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the primary federal entity responsible for ensuring that first responders, such as police, fire, emergency medical, and public health personnel, have the capabilities needed to provide a coordinated, comprehensive response to any large-scale crisis. In the last 4 years DHS has awarded $11.3 billion to state and local governments to enhance capabilities, primarily to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism. Presidential directives instruct DHS to develop a national all-hazards approach--preparing all sectors of society for any emergency event including terrorist attacks and natural or accidental disasters. This report addresses the following questions: (1) What actions has DHS taken to provide policies and strategies that promote the development of the all-hazards emergency management capabilities of first responders? (2) How do first responders' emergency management capabilities for terrorist attacks differ to capabilities needed for natural or accidental disasters? (3) What emphasis has DHS placed on funding awarded to state and …
Date:
July 11, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library