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Foreign Assistance: USAID Venture Capital Approach Relies on Evidence of Results but Could Strengthen Collaboration among Similar Programs, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] established the DIV [Development Innovation Ventures] program in 2010 with a goal of creating a portfolio of innovations that contribute to reducing global poverty. Borrowing from the venture capital model, DIV seeks to identify and test innovative development solutions based on three core principles: rigorous evidence, cost-effectiveness, and potential to scale up. As of 2014, India was the largest recipient of DIV funding, representing approximately one-third of the program's portfolio. In this report, GAO [Government Accountability Office] examines the DIV program's (1) distribution of funding and (2) efforts to measure progress toward achieving its goals, and for DIV's activities in India, GAO examines (3) the extent to which DIV uses evidence to make funding decisions and assess results and (4) DIV's collaboration with similar U.S. development assistance innovation programs. GAO reviewed and analyzed DIV documents and data for fiscal year 2010 to 2015, and interviewed agency officials and grant recipients. GAO selected India as a nongeneralizable case study and conducted fieldwork in that country. GAO recommends that USAID establish (1) performance targets to assess DIV's progress toward its goal and (2) a joint approach to collaboration for similar programs in India, while considering such an approach in other countries, as appropriate. USAID agreed with these recommendations and noted steps it is taking to implement them."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-12
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African Growth and Opportunity Act: USAID Could Enhance Utilization by Working with More Countries to Develop Export Strategies, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Signed in 2000, AGOA [African Growth and Opportunity Act] directs the President to provide TCB [trade capacity building] assistance to sub-Saharan African governments and firms to promote exports and develop infrastructure, among other things. AGOA provides duty-free access on qualifying U.S. imports from eligible sub-Saharan African countries, a total of 41 countries as of December 1, 2014. From 2001 through 2013, U.S. agencies funded about $5 billion in TCB assistance to AGOA countries. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review various issues related to the ability of AGOA countries to utilize AGOA prior to its expiration on September 30, 2015. In this report, GAO examines (1) U.S. government TCB assistance in support of AGOA, and (2) the extent to which USAID has made efforts to develop strategic approaches to AGOA utilization. GAO focused on MCC and USAID because these two agencies accounted for nearly 90 percent of funding for TCB activities in AGOA countries from 2001 through 2013. GAO analyzed data on U.S. TCB assistance to AGOA countries in this period, reviewed agencies' funding and program documents, conducted interviews with officials who implement U.S. TCB assistance, and met with U.S. and foreign government officials and private sector representatives in Ethiopia and Ghana."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-01
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Building Partner Capacity: U.S. Agencies Can Improve Monitoring of Counter-Firearms Trafficking Efforts in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Trafficking of illicit materials, including firearms, is widespread across Mexico's more than 700-mile southern border with Guatemala and Belize. Such trafficking presents a challenge for law enforcement in all three countries and for U.S. security interests. State and other U.S. agencies, such as ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms], have provided support to build the capacity of their counterparts in these three countries to address problems related to firearms trafficking. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review U.S. support to the governments of Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico to stem firearms trafficking across their shared border. This report examines, for these three countries, (1) the activities undertaken by U.S. agencies to build partner capacity to combat firearms trafficking and the extent to which they considered key factors in selecting the activities and (2) progress the United States has made in building such capacity. GAO analyzed program documentation and conducted interviews with U.S., Belizean, Guatemalan, and Mexican officials. To examine progress, GAO selected a nongeneralizable sample of eight key activities based on a number of factors, including whether the activity addressed firearms trafficking. GAO recommends that (1) ATF establish and document performance targets for its key counter-firearms trafficking activities in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, as appropriate, and (2) State work with other U.S. agencies and implementers to help ensure that progress reports identify key challenges and plans to address them. ATF and State agreed with these recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-01
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Central America: Information on Migration of Unaccompanied Children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Since 2012, there has been a rapid increase in the number of UAC [unaccompanied alien children] apprehended at the U.S.-Mexican border. According to DHS's Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of UAC from any country apprehended at the U.S.-Mexican border climbed from more than 24,000 in fiscal year 2012 to nearly 39,000 in fiscal year 2013, and to nearly 69,000 in fiscal year 2014. Prior to fiscal year 2012, the majority of UAC apprehended at the border were Mexican nationals. However, more than half of the UAC apprehended at the border in fiscal year 2013, and 75 percent apprehended in fiscal year 2014 were nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, according to DHS/CBP. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras face various socio-economic challenges, which the United States is seeking to address through assistance efforts. GAO was asked to review issues related to U.S. assistance to Central America addressing the rapid increase in migration of UAC from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to the United States. This report identifies U.S. mission-level efforts to (1) identify causes of the rapid increase in migration of unaccompanied children and (2) address the causes identified. GAO [Government Accountability Office] developed a set of questions to obtain written responses from State, USAID, and DHS officials responsible for programs in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. GAO reviewed, analyzed, and tabulated these agency officials' responses."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-02
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African Growth and Opportunity Act: Lessons Learned from Other Countries' Trade Arrangements with Sub-Saharan Africa
From the Document: "The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a U.S. trade preference program, was signed into law in 2000 and offers eligible sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries the ability to export qualifying goods to the United States without import duties. Specifically, AGOA provides enhanced benefits to SSA countries under the auspices of the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program and provides duty-free, quota-free access for apparel items under specified conditions. The act supports efforts to reduce trade and investment barriers and negotiate reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade agreements between the United States and SSA countries. As of January 1, 2015, 39 SSA countries were eligible for AGOA benefits (AGOA countries). The expiration of AGOA's authorization on September 30, 2015 provides Congress an opportunity to determine what, if any, changes may increase the program's effectiveness. Congressional requesters asked us to examine a range of issues relating to AGOA's effectiveness in promoting trade expansion and economic development, as well as factors affecting SSA trade with the United States and other countries. We addressed several of these issues, such as program eligibility reviews, in recent reports. In this report, we examine how lessons learned from other countries' trade arrangements with SSA can clarify and provide insight into the trade-offs associated with making certain proposed modifications to AGOA. We briefed congressional requesters' staff on our preliminary findings on January 14, 2015. For the purposes of our briefing and this report, we focused on modifications the White House proposed in a 2014 strategy for investing in Africa trade."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-02-25
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Visa Waiver Program: DHS Should Take Steps to Ensure Timeliness of Information Needed to Protect U.S. National Security, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The Visa Waiver Program [VWP] allows nationals from the 38 VWP countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa. To help prevent terrorists and others who present a threat from travelling to the United States, DHS requires VWP countries to, among other things, enter into information-sharing agreements with the United States. In addition, U.S. law requires DHS to evaluate, at least once every 2 years, the effect of each VWP country's participation on U.S. law enforcement, security, and immigration enforcement interests; determine whether the country should continue in the program; and report on its determination to Congress. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the VWP. In this report, GAO examines the extent to which VWP countries have implemented the required agreements. GAO also examines the extent to which DHS evaluated VWP countries and reported to Congress as required. GAO reviewed documents related to the VWP, including a sample of DHS reports. In addition, GAO interviewed U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., and U.S. and foreign officials in four VWP countries selected on the basis of factors such as high estimated numbers of foreign terrorist fighters. This is a public version of a classified report GAO issued in January 2016. DHS should (1) specify time frames for working with VWP countries on the requirement to implement information-sharing agreements and (2) take steps to improve its timeliness in reporting to Congress on whether VWP countries should continue in the program. DHS concurred with the recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-05
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SEC Conflict Minerals Rule: Insights from Companies' Initial Disclosures and State and USAID Actions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Region, Statement of Kimberly Gianopoulos, Director, International Affairs and Trade, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade, Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives
From the Document: "Thank you for the opportunity to discuss our work on conflict minerals. Over the past decade, the United States and the international community have sought to improve security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the site of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The International Rescue Committee estimates that between 1998 and 2010, more than 5.4 million people died there as a result of this crisis, which has also destabilized and created insecurity in the minerals-rich eastern part of the country. As we previously reported, illegal armed groups and some units of the Congolese national military have committed severe human rights abuses and mass killings and profited from the illegal exploitation of minerals originating in eastern DRC."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Gianopoulos, Kimberly
2015-11-17
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Security Assistance: U.S. Government Should Strengthen End-Use Monitoring and Human Rights Vetting for Egypt, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "This report examines, for fiscal years 2011 through 2015, the extent to which the U.S. government (1) committed or disbursed funds allocated for security related assistance for Egypt, (2) implemented end-use monitoring for equipment transferred to Egyptian security forces, and (3) vetted Egyptian recipients of security-related assistance for human rights concerns. GAO [Government Accountability Office] analyzed U.S. agency data and documentation; conducted fieldwork in Egypt; and interviewed U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., and Cairo, Egypt. This is the public version of a sensitive but unclassified report issued in February 2016. GAO is making six recommendations to strengthen State's implementation of end-use monitoring and human rights vetting, including utilizing its end-use monitoring outreach programs and developing time frames for establishing policies and procedures for equipment vetting. State generally agreed with these recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-04
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Southeast Asia: Trends in U.S. and Chinese Economic Engagement in Indonesia and Vietnam, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlight: "The United States and China have each sought to increase their economic engagement in Southeast Asia. U.S. agencies have identified Indonesia and Vietnam as important emerging U.S. partners that contribute to regional stability and prosperity. Indonesia has the world's 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power, and Vietnam is one of the most dynamic economies in East Asia. Both the United States and China have established comprehensive partnerships with each country that are designed to enhance their bilateral cooperation in key areas. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine the United States' and China's economic engagement in Southeast Asia. GAO issued a report on 10 Southeast Asian countries in August 2015. In this report, GAO presents case studies for two of these countries, Indonesia and Vietnam, providing greater detail about the United States' and China's trade and investment , competition, and actions to further economic engagement in the two countries. GAO analyzed publicly available economic data and documentation from 10 U.S. agencies and the Chinese government. The data that GAO reports have varying time periods because of the data sets' limited availability and differing contexts. GAO interviewed U.S., Indonesian, and Vietnamese officials and private sector representatives. This is the public version of a sensitive but unclassified report that is being issued concurrently. GAO is not making any recommendations in this report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-10
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Combating Nuclear Smuggling: NNSA's Detection and Deterrence Program Is Addressing Challenges but Should Improve Its Program Plan, Report to the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "International nuclear and radiological smuggling threatens national security. According to the Department of Homeland Security, detecting and interdicting these materials as far away from the United States as possible increases the probability of successfully deterring nuclear and radiological smuggling into the United States. To help interdict these materials, the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD) program has partnered with 59 countries to provide radiation detection equipment and support. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review key aspects of the NSDD program. This report examines (1) NSDD's plans for completing key activities and achieving its goals, (2) selected partner countries' use of NSDD-provided equipment to detect or interdict nuclear or radiological material, and (3) NSDD's challenges. GAO reviewed NSDD documents, interviewed officials, and visited a nonprobability sample of 19 sites, including land border crossings, airports, and seaports in three countries-- Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and Georgia-- selected on the basis of the number and types of sites, their potential as nuclear smuggling routes, and program expenditures, among other factors. GAO recommends that NNSA direct NSDD to improve its program plan by more clearly articulating when and how it will complete key activities and achieve its goals. NNSA agreed with this recommendation and is taking action to address it."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2016-06
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Regional Missile Defense: DOD's 2014 Report Generally Addressed Required Reporting Elements, but Excluded Additional Key Details, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Regional BMD [Ballistic Missile Defense] constitutes an essential element in deterring enemies from using ballistic missiles and supporting defense commitments to U.S. allies and partners. DOD's 2010 'Ballistic Missile Defense Review Report' noted that the United States would pursue phased, tailored, and adaptive approaches to regional BMD in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East. A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 mandated DOD to submit within 180 days a report to the congressional defense committees on eight elements related to the status and progress of regional BMD programs and efforts. The Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the NDAA mandated that GAO [Government Accountability Office] provide its views on DOD's report. Separately, GAO was requested to provide its results in a written, publicly releasable form. This report assesses the extent to which DOD's report addressed the required reporting elements and provides views on other key information, if any, that DOD could have included in the report. GAO used a scorecard methodology to compare the required reporting elements to the information in DOD's BMD report. Further, GAO reviewed the 2010 'Ballistic Missile Defense Review Report', combatant commander integrated priority lists, and other DOD documents and policy, and interviewed DOD officials to gain further insight on DOD's regional BMD efforts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-12-01
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Democracy Assistance: Lessons Learned from Egypt Should Inform Future U.S. Plans, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "For over 30 years, Egypt has been a key strategic partner of the United States and the recipient of billions of dollars of U.S. assistance. Starting with its revolution in January 2011, Egypt has undergone a series of political transitions. Shortly after the revolution, the U.S. government allocated $65 million in assistance for a range of activities to support Egypt's progress toward democracy. However, the Egyptian government objected to the U.S. government providing this assistance directly to NGOs [non-governmental organizations], including to some that it viewed not to be registered under Egyptian law. In June 2013, the Egyptian government convicted employees of four U.S. NGOs. This report examines (1) the extent to which the U.S. government identified and managed potential risks of providing U.S. democracy and governance assistance in Egypt; (2) what support, if any, the U.S. government provided to the NGOs prosecuted by the Egyptian government; and (3) the extent to which U.S. democracy and governance assistance in Egypt has been affected, if at all, by the prosecution of NGO workers. GAO [Government Accountability Office] analyzed U.S. government and NGO documents and interviewed U.S., Egyptian, and NGO officials in Washington, D.C., and Egypt."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-07-24
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Foreign Assistance: Briefing on U.S. International Water-Related Assistance
From the Document: "A lack of access to safe water and basic sanitation severely limits economic growth and development and leads to suffering and death for millions each year in developing countries. In 2012, nearly 750 million people around the world lacked access to an improved source of drinking water, and an estimated 2.5 billion people--more than 35 percent of the world's population--were without access to an improved sanitation facility, according to a report by the World Health Organization and the United Nations. To improve health and the quality of life in developing countries, the United States and many other countries, as well as numerous organizations, have provided water-related assistance for decades. Moreover, in 2005, Congress passed the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act to make access to safe water and sanitation for developing countries a specific U.S. foreign assistance policy objective. The United States has provided water-related assistance in four broad sectors: (1) water supply, sanitation, and hygiene; (2) water resources management, which includes natural resources management and protection of watersheds and ecosystems; (3) water productivity, which includes management of water for agriculture, energy, and industry; and (4) disaster risk reduction, which includes activities intended to reduce vulnerability to disasters and increase capacity to prepare for and respond to disaster shocks."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-07-24
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U.S.-Mexico Border: CBP Action Needed to Improve Wait Time Data and Measure Outcomes of Trade Facilitation Efforts, Report to the Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Trade with Mexico is important to the United States' economy. Most of this trade crosses the border by truck, and studies have shown that long waits at border crossings can negatively affect the U.S. economy. CBP [Customs and Border Protection] is responsible for securing U.S. borders at ports of entry to prevent illegal entry of persons and contraband while also facilitating legitimate trade and travel. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine CBP data on and actions taken to address wait times at southwest border crossings. This report addresses the extent to which (1) CBP wait time data are reliable for public reporting and informing CBP decisions, (2) CBP has identified infrastructure and staffing needed to process current commercial traffic volumes, and (3) CBP performance measures assess progress toward its trade facilitation goal. GAO assessed the reliability of CBP's wait time data; visited six land border crossings (not generalizable, but selected largely for high traffic volume); analyzed CBP documentation, including needs assessments; and interviewed stakeholders and CBP officials. […] GAO recommends that CBP (1) determine and take steps to help ensure consistent implementation of existing wait time data collection methodologies, (2) assess the feasibility of replacing current methodologies with automated methods, (3) document its staff allocation process and rationale, and (4) develop outcome-oriented performance measures. DHS agreed with these four recommendations and identified steps to address them, although the planned actions will not address the intent of one."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-07
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Nuclear Safety: Countries' Regulatory Bodies Have Made Changes in Response to the Fukushima Daiichi Accident, Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "The March 2011 accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant led to a worldwide review of nuclear power programs. NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] licenses and oversees civilian nuclear reactors. The State Department coordinates policy matters with international organizations and treaties, including those dealing with nuclear safety. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine (1) the actions nuclear regulatory bodies from selected countries have taken to strengthen nuclear safety; (2) the extent to which these countries have established automated systems to collect and transmit accident data; and (3) steps international organizations have taken to support nuclear regulatory bodies and promote nuclear safety worldwide since the accident. The countries GAO selected represent a cross section of established and emerging nuclear power countries. GAO also reviewed relevant documents and interviewed or obtained information from U.S. federal agencies, 15 foreign nuclear regulatory bodies, and international organizations. […] GAO recommends (1) that State and NRC work with and encourage IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] to systematically track the status of recommendations made by IAEA peer review missions and (2) NRC consider expediting its decision on whether or how to upgrade its automated system for transmitting key reactor data. NRC neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendations. State partially concurred with the first recommendation and had no comment on the second. GAO believes that fully implementing these recommendations would enhance nuclear safety."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-03
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Maritime Security: Ongoing U.S. Counterpiracy Efforts Would Benefit From Agency Assessments, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Piracy and maritime crime continues to threaten ships off the Horn of Africa's east coast and in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa's west coast, putting seafarers in harm's way and costing governments and industry billions of dollars in ransom, insurance, and protective measures. The types and causes of piracy and maritime crime, as well as the African states' ability to address the problem in the two regions, differ. To help U.S. agencies coordinate efforts, the NSCS [National Security Council Staff] developed an interagency plan in 2008 to prevent, disrupt, and prosecute piracy off the Horn of Africa in collaboration with industry and international partners. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to evaluate U.S. counterpiracy activities. This report: (1) assesses how piracy off the Horn of Africa has changed since our 2010 review, and describes U.S. efforts to assess its counterpiracy actions, given any changing conditions; and (2) identifies trends in piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea and U.S. efforts to address them, and evaluates the extent to which the United States has assessed its counterpiracy efforts in the Gulf of Guinea. GAO reviewed plans, activities, and data from 2007 through 2013 and interviewed officials from U.S. agencies, international partners, and industry, selected as a nongeneralizable sample for their involvement in counterpiracy activities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-06
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International Regulatory Cooperation: Agency Efforts Could Benefit from Increased Collaboration and Interagency Guidance, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Trade has increased as a share of the economy for several years, but U.S. companies can face difficulties competing in foreign markets when countries apply different regulatory requirements to address similar health, safety, or other issues. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine what U.S. agencies are doing to engage in international regulatory cooperation. This report (1) provides an overview of U.S. regulatory agencies' international cooperation activities; (2) examines ways that U.S. agencies incorporate outcomes from international regulatory cooperation activities and consider competitiveness during rulemaking; and (3) examines factors identified by U.S. agencies and stakeholders that act as facilitators or barriers to international regulatory cooperation. GAO analyzed documents and interviewed officials from seven U.S. agencies that regulate products traded internationally and four U.S. agencies with government-wide roles and responsibilities. GAO also interviewed officials from 11 organizations representing business and consumer advocacy perspectives that reported or publicly commented on international regulatory cooperation. The scope of this study is not intended to be a complete catalog of agencies' activities and is not generalizable to all entities that have interests in this area. […] GAO recommends the RWG [Regulatory Working Group] include in forthcoming guidance on Executive Order 13609 tools to enhance collaboration, such as mechanisms to facilitate staff level dialogues. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) did not have comments on the recommendation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-08
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Oil and Gas: Interior has Begun to Address Hiring and Retention Challenges but Needs to do More, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Interior employs a wide range of highly - trained specialists and scientists with key skills to oversee oil and gas operations on leased federal lands and waters. GAO and others have reported that Interior has faced challenges hiring and retaining sufficient staff to carry out these responsibilities. In February 2011, GAO added Interior's management of federal oil and gas resources to its list of programs at high risk of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in part because of Interior's long - standing and continued human capital challenges. GAO was asked to update the status of Interior's human capital challenges. This report examines: (1) the extent to which Interior continues to face challenges hiring and retaining key oil and gas staff and the causes of these challenges; (2) Interior's efforts to address its hiring and retention challenges; and (3) the effects of hiring and retention challenges on Interior's oversight of oil and gas activities. GAO surveyed 44 Interior offices that oversee oil and gas operations of which 40 responded; analyzed offshore inspection records and other documents; and interviewed agency officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-01
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Long COVID [October 2021]
From the Executive Summary: "'The East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region is suffering a reversal of fortune'. In 2020, many EAP countries successfully contained COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and economic activity swiftly revived as other regions struggled with the pandemic and economic recession. Now the region is being hit hard by the COVID-19 Delta variant while many advanced economies are on the path to economic recovery. 'The disease is damaging the economy and is unlikely to disappear in the foreseeable future'. In the near term, the persistence of the pandemic will prolong human and economic distress unless individuals and firms can adapt. In the longer term, COVID-19 will reduce growth and increase inequality unless the scars are remedied and the opportunities grasped. Policy action must help economic agents to adjust today and make choices that avert deceleration and disparity tomorrow."
World Bank Group
2021-10
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Free Trade Agreements: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Should Continue to Improve Its Monitoring of Environmental Commitments, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The United States has signed free trade agreements that lower barriers to trade with 20 countries, including 5 Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. Reflecting Congress's interest in balancing commercial interests with environmental protection, the United States and FTA [Foreign Trade Agreement] partners have agreed to strengthen environmental protection. In 2009, GAO [Government Accountability Office] recommended improved FTA monitoring. GAO was asked for an update. This report examines, among other things: (1) steps selected partners have taken, with U.S. assistance, to implement FTA environmental commitments; (2) resources to assist partners in implementing environmental commitments; and (3) U.S. agency monitoring of cooperation activities and partner compliance with their FTA environmental commitments. GAO reviewed FTA environmental provisions and cooperation agreements; analyzed U.S. funding data for cooperation activities from fiscal years 2003 through 2013; and evaluated documentary and testimonial evidence. GAO visited Guatemala and El Salvador, two of six CAFTA-DR [Dominican Republic-Central America -United States Free Trade Agreement] countries, and Peru and Chile, and met with U.S., host government, private sector, and NGO [non-governmental officials] officials. GAO selected these countries because they reflect a range of per capita income, U.S. assistance, environmental progress, and challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-11-06
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Combating Terrorism: U.S. Efforts in Northwest Africa Would Be Strengthened by Enhanced Program Management, Report to the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Events in northwest Africa--such as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's seizure of territory in Mali in 2012 and Boko Haram's near-daily attacks in Nigeria--have underscored concerns that the region is vulnerable to the spread of violent extremism. TSCTP [Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership], a U.S. multiagency counterterrorism effort begun in 2005, led by State, and primarily coordinated with USAID [United States Agency for International Development] and DOD [Department of Defense], focuses on strengthening partner countries' counterterrorism capabilities and inhibiting the spread of terrorist ideology through diplomacy, development, and security assistance. This report examines (1) the status of TSCTP-related funding and U.S. agencies' ability to track such funding; (2) the extent to which U.S. agency implementation of TSCTP is consistent with key practices of interagency collaboration; and (3) whether U.S. agencies considered partner country needs, absorptive capacities, and other donor efforts when selecting TSCTP activities. GAO [Government Accountability Office] reviewed agency documents, met with key officials in Washington, D.C., and conducted fieldwork at the U.S. Africa Command in Germany and in Algeria, Mauritania, and Niger."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-06-24
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U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa [August 2022]
From the Executive Summary: "Sub-Saharan Africa is critical to advancing our global priorities. It has one of the world's fastest growing populations, largest free trade areas, most diverse ecosystems, and one of the largest regional voting groups in the United Nations (UN). It is impossible to meet this era's defining challenges without African contributions and leadership. The region will factor prominently in efforts to: end the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic; tackle the climate crisis; reverse the global tide of democratic backsliding; address global food insecurity; strengthen an open and stable international system; shape the rules of the world on vital issues like trade, cyber, and emerging technologies; and confront the threat of terrorism, conflict, and transnational crime. This strategy reframes the region's importance to U.S. national security interests. [...] Accordingly, this strategy articulates a new vision for how and with whom we engage, while identifying additional areas of focus. It welcomes and affirms African agency, and seeks to include and elevate African voices in the most consequential global conversations. It calls for developing a deeper bench of partners and more flexible regional architecture to respond to urgent challenges and catalyze economic growth and opportunities. It recognizes the region's youth as an engine of entrepreneurship and innovation, and it emphasizes the enduring and historical ties between the American and African peoples. And it recasts traditional U.S. policy priorities--democracy and governance, peace and security, trade and investment, and development--as pathways to bolster the region's ability to solve global problems alongside the United States."
United States. White House Office
2022-08
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Military Airlift: DOD Plans to Participate in Multi-National Program to Exchange Air Services with European Nations
From the Document: "This report formally transmits the enclosed briefing in response to section 1276 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which mandates that we conduct a review of the Air Transport, Air-to-Air Refueling and Other Exchange of Services (ATARES) program. ATARES is a European program through which member nations use a system of credits and debits to facilitate sharing of air force-related services--such as troop and cargo airlift--without monetary transactions. ATARES is managed by the Movement Coordination Centre Europe (MCCE), a multi-national organization established in July 2007 to coordinate and optimize the use of airlift, sealift, and land movement assets owned or leased by member nations' militaries. The Department of Defense (DOD) is not a member of ATARES but is seeking to join the program. DOD is a member of MCCE and pays a fee for this membership; there is no additional fee to become a member of ATARES. Currently, because DOD is not a member of ATARES, it utilizes Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreements to exchange services with other nations-- including ATARES member nations--often through monetary transactions. DOD believes it would benefit from membership in ATARES and requested approval from Congress in 2011 to participate in the program. Our objectives were to determine (1) the types of services exchanged through ATARES, (2) the extent to which information is available to determine whether ATARES is achieving its intended purposes, and (3) the extent to which information is available on the cost-effectiveness of ATARES. Enclosure 1 details the results of our review based on our briefing to your offices on September 10, 2013."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-10-30
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FEMA's Progress in Implementing the Remedial Action Management Program
This Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report "addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's [FEMA] Remedial Action Management Program. It is based on interviews with employees and officials of relevant agencies and institutions, direct observations, and a review of applicable documents." FEMA's "Remedial Action Management Program is intended to: (1) identify operational and programmatic issues, lessons learned, and best practices encountered during federal disaster response and recovery operations and exercises; (2) manage the subsequent remediation of issues; and (3) distribute lessons learned and best practices. [The OIG] audit objective was to determine to what extent FEMA has implemented the Program to identify and distribute lessons learned and best practices to improve its incident management operations."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2011-01
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Comparative Effectiveness Research: HHS Needs to Strengthen Dissemination and Data-Capacity-Building Efforts, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "PPACA [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] imposed new requirements on HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] related to CER [comparative clinical effectiveness research]-research that evaluates and compares health outcomes and the clinical effectiveness, risks, and benefits of two or more medical treatments or services. Among other things, PPACA required AHRQ [Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality] to broadly disseminate findings from federally funded CER and the Secretary of HHS (who, by delegation, charged ASPE) to coordinate federal programs to build data capacity for CER. PPACA also mandated that GAO [Government Accountability Office] review HHS's CER activities. This report examines (1) AHRQ's activities to disseminate the results of federally funded CER and (2) ASPE's [Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation] activities to coordinate federal programs to support CER by building the capacity to collect, link, and analyze data, among other objectives. GAO reviewed relevant legal requirements and HHS documentation; interviewed HHS officials; and obtained information from five stakeholder groups that AHRQ targeted to receive disseminated information or were otherwise involved in AHRQ's dissemination efforts."
United States. General Accounting Office
2015-03
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Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
From Section 1. Policy: "My Administration has made combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and guiding the Nation through the worst public health crisis in more than a century, our top priority. When I came into office, COVID-19 was wreaking havoc on our country -- closing our businesses, keeping our kids out of school, and forcing us into isolation. Today, America has the tools to protect against COVID-19 and to dramatically decrease its risks. We move towards a future in which COVID-19 does not disrupt our daily lives and is something we prevent, protect against, and treat."
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2022-04-05
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Long COVID
From the Webpage: "Recovery from infection with SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], the virus that causes COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], can vary from person to person. Most individuals seem to recover quickly and completely. However, some report symptoms that persist or emerge weeks or even months later. These sets of conditions are referred to as 'Long COVID.'"
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
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Library of Congress: Strong Leadership Needed to Address Serious Information Technology Management Weaknesses, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The Library of Congress is the world's largest library, whose mission is to make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American public. In carrying out its mission, the Library increasingly relies on IT [Information Technology] systems, particularly in light of the ways that digital technology has changed the way information is created, shared, and preserved. The House Appropriations Committee report accompanying the 2015 legislative branch appropriations bill required GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct a review of IT management at the Library. GAO's objectives focused on the extent to which the Library has established and implemented key IT practices and requirements in, among other areas: (1) strategic planning, (2) governance and investment management, (3) information security and privacy, (4) service management, and (5) leadership. To carry out its work, GAO reviewed Library regulations, policies, procedures, plans, and other relevant documentation for each area and interviewed key Library officials. GAO is recommending that the Library expeditiously hire a permanent CIO [Chief Information Officer]. GAO is also making 30 other recommendations to the Library aimed at establishing and implementing key IT management practices. The Library generally agreed with GAO's recommendations and described planned and ongoing actions to address them."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-03-31
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Information Technology: Additional OMB and Agency Actions Needed to Ensure Portfolio Savings Are Realized and Effectively Tracked, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In March 2012, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) launched an initiative, referred to as PortfolioStat, which requires agencies to conduct annual reviews of their Information Technology (IT) investments and make decisions on eliminating duplication, among other things. In March 2013, OMB launched the second iteration of this initiative, with the goal of eliminating duplication and achieving savings through specific actions and time frames. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review the implementation of the second iteration of PortfolioStat. GAO's specific objectives were to (1) assess agencies' plans for achieving PortfolioStat savings, (2) determine agencies' progress in achieving planned savings, (3) describe the extent to which selected agencies have reinvested PortfolioStat savings, and (4) describe action items resulting from the PortfolioStat process and determine the extent to which agencies have addressed them. To do so, GAO determined planned savings amounts for fiscal years 2013 through 2015, evaluated whether initiatives have yielded anticipated savings, analyzed data from three agencies based on expected savings for fiscal year 2013, and identified the status and time frames of action items. […] GAO is making recommendations to OMB and Defense aimed at improving the reporting of achieved savings, documenting how savings are reinvested, and establishing time frames for PortfolioStat action items. OMB agreed and Defense partially agreed. GAO modified the recommendation to Defense based on its response."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-04
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Public Safety Communications: Preliminary Information on FirstNet's Efforts to Establish a Nationwide Broadband Network, Statement of Mark L. Goldstein, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Testimony Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Public safety officials rely on thousands of separate radio systems to communicate during emergencies, which often lack interoperability, or the ability to communicate across agencies and jurisdictions. The 2012 act created FirstNet to establish a nationwide, interoperable, wireless broadband network for public safety use. In doing so, the act established numerous responsibilities for FirstNet, provided $7 billion from spectrum auctions proceeds for the network's construction, and required FirstNet to be self-funding beyond this initial allocation. As part of the effort, FirstNet is working with five 'early builder projects' that have permission to build local and regional interoperable public-safety broadband networks. This statement is based on preliminary information from GAO's [Government Accountability Office] ongoing review of FirstNet. This statement addresses (1) FirstNet's progress carrying out its responsibilities and establishing internal controls, (2) how much the network is estimated to cost and how FirstNet plans to become self-funding, and (3) what lessons can be learned from the early builder projects. GAO reviewed relevant FirstNet documentation and public-safety network cost estimates recommended by agency officials and experts; surveyed the state-designated FirstNet contact in 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia; and interviewed FirstNet officials and public safety and wireless industry stakeholders selected for their telecommunications and public safety experience, among other things."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Goldstein, Mark L.
2015-03-11
