Government Accountability Office
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The three biggest landlords in the federal government don't know how much federal agencies are actually using their own property. The Government Accountability Office reports one thinks almost all of its warehouses are in use, when in reality some of them are sitting empty and forgotten. David Wise is Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues at the GAO. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he shared the latest results in the ongoing effort to rightsize the federal real property portfolio.
November 17, 2014 -
A new report from the Government Accountability Office says that some agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Transportation and Health and Human Services, experienced stalled grants and contract activity during the government shutdown of 2013.
November 17, 2014 -
The USPS' ability to carry our its duties and remain financially self-sustaining continues to be at risk, according to a recently released GAO performance audit. Conducted over the past year, GAO's report found that the agency is projecting "unsustainable" losses through 2020.
November 14, 2014 -
In its new report, the Government Accountability Office found that agency managers aren't using performance data to objectively determine the success of programs before making changes to their policies or budget.
November 14, 2014 -
The Government Accountability Office is taking an early interest in how the White House and Treasury Department draft government-wide financial data standards, due out next summer. A lot is riding on those standards, says Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.
November 13, 2014 -
Fighting domestic terrorism, natural disasters and cyber attacks is a multi-agency effort. The Homeland Security Department's fusion centers foster information sharing among all levels of government and in the private sector. But auditors at the Government Accountability Office find problems with how DHS accounts for funding to the centers. Eileen Larence, director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues at GAO, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details.
November 12, 2014 -
On this edition of On DoD, we revisit a special series Federal News Radio aired last month on federal acquisition: The Missing Pieces of Procurement Reform.
November 12, 2014 -
The federal government is supposed to be four years into an effort to inventory all the programs it runs. But that effort hasn't made it very far. The inventory is a requirement of the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010. Chris Mihm is managing director of Strategic Issues at GAO. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he shared recommendations to help OMB find duplicative programs to cut.
November 10, 2014 -
Contracting officers have a lot of authority when it comes to deciding who wins federal contracts, but they don't have unlimited discretion. That's what the contracting officer who awarded a deal to USIS found out. In a sustaining protest, the Government Accountability Office says the contracting officer should have paid more attention to allegations of fraud against the company. In this week's Legal Loop segment, Procurement Attorney Joe Petrillo joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss this case.
November 06, 2014 -
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has said he wants to increase security at federal buildings. But the FPS, the agency responsible for doing so, may not be up to the task. GAO's Mark Goldstein said the FPS has a number of long-standing problems to solve before it can adequately protect anyone.
November 05, 2014 -
After a gunman opened fire at Canada's National War Memorial and Parliament, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he wants to beef up security at federal buildings. But as Mark Goldstein, GAO's director of physical infrastructure issues, explained on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin, more security means a greater workload for the Federal Protective Service. Reports from the Government Accountability Office show the small agency isn't always prepared for new threats.
November 04, 2014 -
The total price for professional services contracts at the Agriculture Department is about $2 billion over the last four years. The Office of Management and Budget says those types of contracts can be very risky for you to use. Anne-Marie Fennell is Director of Natural Resources and Environment Issues at the Government Accountability Office. On In Depth with Francis Rose, she said with risk factors in mind, USDA needs to strengthen its oversight of professional services contracts.
November 03, 2014 -
The Government Accountability Office recommends that the Office of Management and Budget revise its guidance to agencies in order to collect better data for its governmentwide program inventory, which is meant to cut down on overlaps in program services.
November 03, 2014 -
The list of business grievances against the contracting company USIS is growing. The Government Accountability Offices says a five-year, nearly $200 million contract it has with the Homeland Security Department wasn't properly awarded. GAO cites in its decision a recent service history of contracting turbulence as grounds for further review, which includes thousands of incomplete background checks and a massive data breach that affected the Office of Personnel Management. Rob Burton is a partner at Venable law firm. He's also former administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. On In Depth with guest host Jared Serbu, he weighed the chances that debarment is in USIS's future.
October 28, 2014 -
Five out of five federal agencies fall short in meeting the customer service improvements Congress said it wanted to see four years ago. The Government Accountability Office looked at selected quintet of agencies to see if they have all the key elements necessary for high-quality customer service. GAO says all five are missing at least one critical piece of that puzzle. Chris Mihm is Managing Director for Strategic Issues at GAO. On In Depth with guest host Jared Serbu, he broke down what each agency needs to improve their customer service scores.
October 27, 2014