What Kind of Work Does GAO Do?

What Kind of Work Does GAO Do?

• Oversight—designed to determine that government entities are doing what they are supposed to, that funds are being spent for the intended purpose, and that applicable laws and regulations are being complied with.

• Insight—designed to determine what programs and policies work and those that don't. This involves sharing various best practices and benchmarking information and looking horizontally across the silos of government and vertically between the levels of government.  

• Foresight—designed to identify key trends and emerging challenges before they reach crisis proportions, e.g., challenges of an aging population and the demands of the information age, to changing security threats and fiscal challenges.