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Peer Review: EPA Needs Implementation Procedures and Additional Controls

RCED-94-89 Published: Feb 22, 1994. Publicly Released: Mar 25, 1994.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) peer review policies for its published scientific and technical materials, focusing on EPA: (1) efforts to implement a uniform peer review policy; and (2) controls over documents sent to outside reviewers.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator, EPA, should set a schedule for developing, completing, and implementing agencywide peer review procedures.
Closed – Implemented
EPA issued an agencywide peer review policy and implementation program on June 7, 1994. The new policy set a schedule for developing, completing and implementing agencywide peer review procedures.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator, EPA, should develop and implement controls that protect against the premature release of documents by external peer reviewers.
Closed – Implemented
Formal office-specific standard operating procedures were developed and implemented effective October 1, 1994. The new procedures set controls necessary to discourage premature disclosure of EPA documents by external peer reviewers.

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Topics

AccountabilityAgency reportsEnvironmental policiesEvaluation methodsGovernment publicationsInternal controlsPolicy evaluationResearch reportsPeer reviewPeer reiview