Management Report: Opportunities for Improvements in FDIC's Shared Loss Estimation Process (open access)

Management Report: Opportunities for Improvements in FDIC's Shared Loss Estimation Process

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During our audit of the DIFÂ’s 2011 and 2010 financial statements, we identified deficiencies in controls over FDICÂ’s process for deriving and reporting estimates of losses to the DIF from resolution transactions involving shared loss agreements. While these deficiencies, individually and collectively, did not constitute a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting, they nevertheless increased the risk of additional undetected errors or irregularities in the DIFÂ’s financial statements. Thus, these control deficiencies collectively represented a significant deficiency in FDICÂ’s internal control over financial reporting for the DIF related to estimating losses from shared loss agreements."
Date: July 19, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Use in the National Airspace System and the Role of the Department of Homeland Security (open access)

Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Use in the National Airspace System and the Role of the Department of Homeland Security

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO earlier reported that unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) could not meet the aviation safety requirements developed for manned aircraft and posed several obstacles to operating safely and routinely in the national airspace system. These include 1) the inability for UAS to detect, sense, and avoid other aircraft and airborne objects in a manner similar to “see and avoid” by a pilot in a manned aircraft; 2) vulnerabilities in the command and control of UAS operations; 3) the lack of technological and operational standards needed to guide the safe and consistent performance of UAS; and 4) the lack of final regulations to accelerate the safe integration of UAS into the national airspace. GAO stated in 2008 that Congress should consider creating an overarching body within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address obstacles for routine access. FAA’s Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) has taken on a similar role. FAA has implemented GAO’s two recommendations related to its planning and data analysis efforts to facilitate integration."
Date: July 19, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA and DOD Health Care: First Federal Health Care Center Established, but Implementation Concerns Need to Be Addressed (open access)

VA and DOD Health Care: First Federal Health Care Center Established, but Implementation Concerns Need to Be Addressed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 authorized the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense (DOD) to establish a 5-year demonstration project to integrate VA and DOD medical care into a first-of-its- kind Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, Illinois. Expectations for the FHCC are outlined in an Executive Agreement signed by VA and DOD in April 2010. The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2010 also directed GAO to annually evaluate various aspects of the FHCC integration. This report examines (1) what progress VA and DOD have made implementing the Executive Agreement to establish and operate the FHCC and (2) what plan, if any, VA and DOD have to assess FHCC provision of care and operations. GAO reviewed FHCC documents and conducted visits to the site; interviewed VA, DOD, and FHCC officials; and reviewed related GAO work."
Date: July 19, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Air Force Training: Actions Needed to Better Manage and Determine Costs of Virtual Training Efforts (open access)

Air Force Training: Actions Needed to Better Manage and Determine Costs of Virtual Training Efforts

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The three lead Air Force major commands—Air Mobility Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, and Air Combat Command—all utilize training requirements review boards composed of subject-matter experts to determine training requirements for specific aircraft. These boards determine which training requirements can be completed in live or virtual environments based upon factors such as specific combatant command mission requirements and the capabilities of fielded simulators and networks. All three commands use a combination of live and virtual approaches, but the mix varies by aircraft. For example, Air Combat Command specifies that approximately 25 percent of its training requirements could be met virtually. The other two commands conduct approximately 50 percent of their training virtually."
Date: July 19, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Postal Service: Guidance on Suspicious Mail Needs Further Refinement (open access)

U.S. Postal Service: Guidance on Suspicious Mail Needs Further Refinement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In October 2003, an envelope marked "Caution: Ricin Poison" was discovered at an airmail facility in Greenville, South Carolina. Ricin is a poison that, in certain forms, can cause death. The U.S. Postal Service has emphasized to its employees to be on the alert for "suspicious mail" that may pose a threat and has developed guidance for them on how to identify and respond to such mail, in order to protect them from harm. Postal inspectors and emergency responders help in the responses to suspicious mail by performing an initial assessment of the threat it poses. This report describes (1) actions taken by various agencies, in responding to the incident, to protect the health of postal employees and the public; (2) Postal Service guidance related to suspicious mail in place in October 2003 and the extent to which it was followed during the incident; and (3) subsequent changes made in this guidance and the extent to which current guidance addresses issues raised by the incident."
Date: July 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Space-Based Radar Effort Needs Additional Knowledge before Starting Development (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Space-Based Radar Effort Needs Additional Knowledge before Starting Development

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Missing among the Department of Defense's (DOD) portfolio of systems is a capability to track stationary and moving enemy vehicles on land or at sea in any type of weather, day or night, from space. To meet this need, DOD and the intelligence community are collaborating on the ambitious Space-Based Radar (SBR) program. By leveraging the newest generation of radar technologies, the SBR concept promises to deliver high-quality data to a wide array of users. DOD intends to start product development in 2006 and to field SBR satellites as quickly as possible so that warfighters, the intelligence community, and national decision makers can gain a better understanding of what adversaries are doing in specific locations around the world. GAO reviewed the SBR program to assess DOD's progress in attaining the knowledge it needs by 2006 in terms of customer needs (or requirements) and resources."
Date: July 19, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bankruptcy: Complex Financial Institutions and International Coordination Pose Challenges (open access)

Bankruptcy: Complex Financial Institutions and International Coordination Pose Challenges

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd- Frank Act) created the Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA) that can be used to resolve failed systemically important financial institutions. However, questions continued to be raised about the effectiveness of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Code) and current mechanisms for international coordination in bankruptcy cases. The Dodd-Frank Act requires GAO to report on the effectiveness of the Code in resolving certain failed financial institutions on an ongoing basis. Among its objectives, this report addresses (1) the effectiveness of Chapters 7 and 11 of the Code for facilitating orderly resolutions of failed financial institutions; (2) proposals for improving the effectiveness of liquidations and reorganizations under the Code; and (3) existing mechanisms that facilitate international coordination under the Code and barriers to coordination of financial institution bankruptcies. GAO reviewed laws, judicial decisions, regulations, data, and academic literature on resolutions, and spoke with relevant government officials, industry representatives, and experts from the legal and academic communities about the effectiveness of the Code."
Date: July 19, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Data Center Consolidation: Agencies Need to Complete Inventories and Plans to Achieve Expected Savings (open access)

Data Center Consolidation: Agencies Need to Complete Inventories and Plans to Achieve Expected Savings

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over time, the federal government's demand for information technology has led to a dramatic rise in the number of federal data centers and an increase in operational costs. Recognizing this increase, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has launched a governmentwide initiative to consolidate data centers. GAO was asked to (1) assess whether agency consolidation documents include adequate detail for agencies to consolidate their centers, (2) identify the key consolidation challenges reported by agencies, and (3) evaluate whether lessons learned during state government consolidation efforts could be leveraged at the federal level. To address these objectives, GAO assessed the completeness of agency inventories and plans, interviewed agencies about their challenges, and evaluated the applicability of states' consolidation lessons to federal challenges."
Date: July 19, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Autism Activities: Funding for Research Has Increased, but Agencies Need to Resolve Surveillance Challenges (open access)

Federal Autism Activities: Funding for Research Has Increased, but Agencies Need to Resolve Surveillance Challenges

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Autism is a developmental disorder involving communication and social impairment. It has no known cause or cure, and its prevalence is unknown. The Children's Health Act of 2000 required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS agencies to conduct activities related to autism research, surveillance, and coordination. This report provides information on (1) the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) autism activities and these agencies' funding of autism activities, (2) programs that federal agencies have under way to support services for people with autism and concerns related to providing services, and (3) coordination of federal autism activities."
Date: July 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Management: Department of Homeland Security Faces Significant Financial Management Challenges (open access)

Financial Management: Department of Homeland Security Faces Significant Financial Management Challenges

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations in March 2003, it faced the daunting task of bringing together 22 diverse agencies. This transformation poses significant management and leadership challenges, including integrating a myriad of redundant financial management systems and addressing the existing weaknesses in the inherited components, as well as newly identified weaknesses. This review was performed to (1) identify the financial management systems' weaknesses DHS inherited from the 22 component agencies, (2) assess DHS's progress in addressing those weaknesses, (3) identify plans DHS has to integrate its financial management systems, and (4) review whether the planned systems DHS is developing will meet the requirements of relevant financial management improvement laws."
Date: July 19, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Security: Action Needed to Strengthen TSA's Security Threat Assessment Process (open access)

Transportation Security: Action Needed to Strengthen TSA's Security Threat Assessment Process

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Adjudication Center performance data show mixed results, and the center's performance measurement practices have limitations. The Adjudication Center relies on contractors to adjudicate security threat assessments and uses three primary measures to evaluate their performance--timeliness for completing adjudication, adjudication accuracy, and caseload status. GAO found that the Adjudication Center contractor met its timeliness and accuracy measures, but faced challenges in meeting its caseload measure. The Adjudication Center's timeliness and accuracy measures did not capture key data. According to TSA officials, the Adjudication Center's accuracy rate is based on a review of all cases where adjudicators had disqualified an applicant. However, this calculation generally does not include the accuracy rate for those applicants adjudicators had approved--which account for roughly 90 percent of the Adjudication Center's caseload. In this way, the accuracy rate provides a limited assessment of adjudicator performance. By developing an accuracy rate that includes data on both incorrectly disqualified and incorrectly approved applicants, TSA can better identify and addresses performance issues among its workforce."
Date: July 19, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Progress and Challenges Facing the DD(X) Surface Combatant Program (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Progress and Challenges Facing the DD(X) Surface Combatant Program

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In April 2002, the Department of the Navy launched the DD(X) Destroyer program to develop a stealthy, multi-mission ship that would provide advanced land attack capability to support forces ashore and contribute to military dominance in shallow coastal waters. Numbers and costs for the DD(X) have changed since the inception of the program. According to the program's official cost estimate, the first ship is expected to cost $3.3 billion, with per unit costs decreasing as production progresses. DD(X) is approaching Milestone B and critical design review--two key decision points that will shape the future of both the program and the Navy itself. This testimony focuses on (1) the challenges the DD(X) program is expected to encounter, (2) the program's approach and progress in managing attendant risks, and (3) potential consequences if program progress falls short of expectations."
Date: July 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Housing Finance: Budget Savings From the Sale of HUD Loans (open access)

Housing Finance: Budget Savings From the Sale of HUD Loans

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO the reviewed the reasonableness of the: (1) Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) estimates of budgetary savings from the sale of its single-family loans; and (2) model HUD used to estimate savings from the sale of multifamily loans."
Date: July 19, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Contract Management: Benefits of the DOD Mentor-Protege Program Are Not Conclusive (open access)

Contract Management: Benefits of the DOD Mentor-Protege Program Are Not Conclusive

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Congress authorized the Pilot Mentor Protege Program to boost the participation of small disadvantaged businesses as subcontractors and suppliers under Department of Defense (DOD) contracts. The program provides incentives for major defense contractors (mentors) to assist small disadvantaged businesses (proteges) in strengthening their ability to compete for work. However, DOD has been criticized for not establishing compelling evidence about the program's overall effectiveness. This report reviews (1) the relationship between the results of the Mentor-Protege Program and the statutory goal of awarding five percent of the total dollar amount contracted by DOD and subcontracted by DOD prime contractors to small disadvantaged businesses; (2) whether the Mentor-Protege Program enhanced the business competitiveness, financial independence, and business development of protege firms; and (3) whether program funds had been used as an effective incentive for mentor firms to participate in the program. GAO found that DOD lacks data integral to assessing the success of the Mentor-Protege Program. DOD lacks enough information to determine the relationship between the program and the goal of awarding five percent of the total dollar amount contracted to small disadvantaged businesses. Although DOD has consistently …
Date: July 19, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Park Service: Agency Is Not Meeting Its Structural Fire Safety Responsibilities (open access)

Park Service: Agency Is Not Meeting Its Structural Fire Safety Responsibilities

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the National Park Service's (NPS) structural fire safety efforts, focusing on: (1) whether the parks were meeting their structural fire safety responsibilities; (2) if the parks were not meeting their responsibilities, why not; and (3) what efforts were underway to address any identified problems."
Date: July 19, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Refinements Should Continue to Improve Appropriateness of Provider Payments (open access)

Medicare: Refinements Should Continue to Improve Appropriateness of Provider Payments

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the effects of recent Medicare payment reforms, focusing on the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) payment reforms affecting home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), and the health plans in Medicare's managed care program, known as Medicare Choice."
Date: July 19, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Budget Process: Considerations for Updating the Budget Enforcement Act (open access)

Budget Process: Considerations for Updating the Budget Enforcement Act

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the budget process established by the Budget Enforcement Act, which will expire in fiscal year 2002. Because the goal of achieving zero deficits has been achieved, the focus of the budget process has shifted to to the allocation of surpluses among debt reduction, spending increases, and tax cuts. The budget process should be designed to avoid what has been described as the year-end "train wreck." A year-end "train wreck" results from a failure to reach agreement--or at least a compromise acceptable to all parties--earlier in the year. Although it is possible that early agreement on some broad parameters could facilitate a smoother process, it is not clear that such an agreement will always prevent gridlock--it may just come earlier. Two ideas that have been proposed to avert the year-end disruption caused by an inability to reach agreement on funding the government include joint budget resolutions and biennial budgeting. In discussing alternatives for improving the budget process, there is a broad consensus among observers and budget analysts that the spending constraints established by the act are necessary even with the advent of actual and projected surpluses. …
Date: July 19, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Assistance: Reducing the Trafficking of Food Stamp Benefits (open access)

Food Assistance: Reducing the Trafficking of Food Stamp Benefits

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the improper trafficking of food stamp benefits, focusing on: (1) federal efforts to identify storeowners who engage in trafficking; (2) the amount of penalties assessed and collected against these storeowners; and (3) the extent to which states with statewide electronic benefit transfer (EBT) systems are identifying and disqualifying recipients who engage in trafficking."
Date: July 19, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
State Department: Progress and Challenges in Managing for Results (open access)

State Department: Progress and Challenges in Managing for Results

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of State's progress in addressing the challenges it faces in its efforts to achieve a more secure, efficient, and effective network of operations."
Date: July 19, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Particulate Matter: EPA Needs to Make More Progress in Addressing the National Academies' Recommendations on Estimating Health Benefits (open access)

Particulate Matter: EPA Needs to Make More Progress in Addressing the National Academies' Recommendations on Estimating Health Benefits

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Scientific evidence links exposure to particulate matter--a widespread form of air pollution--to serious health problems, including asthma and premature death. Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) periodically reviews the appropriate air quality level at which to set national standards to protect the public against the health effects of six pollutants, including particulate matter. EPA proposed revisions to the particulate matter standards in January 2006 and issued a regulatory impact analysis of the revisions' expected costs and benefits. The estimated benefits of air pollution regulations have been controversial in the past, and a 2002 National Academies report to EPA made recommendations aimed at improving the estimates for particulate matter and other air pollution regulations. This testimony is based on GAO's July 2006 report Particulate Matter: EPA Has Started to Address the National Academies' Recommendations on Estimating Health Benefits, but More Progress Is Needed (GAO-06-780). GAO determined whether and how EPA applied the National Academies' recommendations in its estimates of the health benefits expected from the January 2006 proposed revisions to the particulate matter standards."
Date: July 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rail Transit: Observations on FTA's State Safety Oversight Program (open access)

Rail Transit: Observations on FTA's State Safety Oversight Program

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. rail transit system is a vital component of the nation's transportation infrastructure, carrying millions of people daily. Unlike most transportation modes, safety and security oversight of rail transit is the responsibility of state-designated oversight agencies following Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirements. In addition, in 2001, Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, giving the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) authority for security over all transportation modes, including rail transit. This testimony is based on ongoing work for this subcommittee's committee--the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I describe (1) how the State Safety Oversight program is designed; (2) what is known about the impact of the program on rail safety and security; and (3) challenges facing the program. I also provide information about oversight of transit systems that cross state boundaries. To address these issues, we reviewed program documents and interviewed stakeholders including officials from FTA, TSA, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the American Public Transportation Association. We also surveyed state oversight and transit agencies covered by FTA's program, interviewing 24 of the 25 oversight agencies and 37 of 42 transit agencies across the country."
Date: July 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Health Care: Occupational and Environmental Health Surveillance Conducted During Deployments Needs Improvement (open access)

Defense Health Care: Occupational and Environmental Health Surveillance Conducted During Deployments Needs Improvement

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Following the 1991 Persian Gulf War, research and investigations into the causes of servicemembers' unexplained illnesses were hampered by a lack of servicemember health and deployment data, including inadequate occupational and environmental exposure data. In 1997, the Department of Defense (DOD) developed a militarywide health surveillance framework that includes occupational and environmental health surveillance (OEHS)--the regular collection and reporting of occupational and environmental health hazard data by the military services. This testimony is based on GAO's report, entitled Defense Health Care: Improvements Needed in Occupational and Environmental Health Surveillance during Deployment to Address Immediate and Long-term Heath Issues (GAO-05-632). The testimony presents findings about how the deployed military services have implemented DOD's policies for collecting and reporting OEHS data for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and the efforts under way to use OEHS reports to address both immediate and long-term health issues of servicemembers deployed in support of OIF."
Date: July 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
FCIC: Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement--Regulations for the 1999 and 2000 Succeeding Crop Years (open access)

FCIC: Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement--Regulations for the 1999 and 2000 Succeeding Crop Years

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation's (FCIC) new rule on crop insurance policies. GAO noted that: (1) the new rule would implement the changes to the crop insurance policies mandated by the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000; and (2) FCIC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."
Date: July 19, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Contract Management: Greater Attention Needed to Identify and Recover Overpayments (open access)

DOD Contract Management: Greater Attention Needed to Identify and Recover Overpayments

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO updated its previous report on the Department of Defense's (DOD) overpayments to contractors and subsequent refunds to the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS), focusing on: (1) DOD's efforts to identify and recover overpayments made through fiscal year (FY) 1998; and (2) whether 13 contractors were retaining overpayments and how quickly overpayments were refunded."
Date: July 19, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library