Status of the Food and Agriculture Councils Needs to Be Elevated

GAO discussed Food and Agriculture Councils' (FAC) management of Department of Agriculture (USDA) field delivery systems. GAO found that: (1) FAC needed high-level representation at USDA headquarters to pursue productivity improvements and organizational changes in USDA field offices nationwide; (2) the lack of top management support diminished FAC effectiveness; (3) all state and local FAC officials performed their functions as part of their official duties for their respective agencies; and (4) USDA did not adequately promote or monitor cost-saving initiatives in collocated field offices. GAO concluded that: (1) integrated administrative support services among collocated agencies could effectively improve efficiency and cost savings at state and county levels; and (2) USDA needs to periodically engage FAC to seek more cost-effective methods for delivering agricultural field services.