Examples of Goal 1 Accomplishments:

Analyzing Social Security Reform: GAO produced a major body of work analyzing the challenges facing the long-term financial solvency, stability, and sustainability of the Social Security program, including developing and applying criteria for evaluating reform proposals. Our criteria provide a clear, consistent, and objective analytical framework that the Congress, program officials, and the public can use in evaluating legislative reforms.

Improving Airline Competition: Our congressionally requested work on airline competition paid off, with the Congress passing legislation that addressed critical barriers to increased competition. Our work showed that limitations on the numbers of arrivals and departures (called slot controls) inhibit the ability of some airlines to serve new markets. The new law encourages more vigorous competition by phasing out slot controls at three major airports, increases slots for new-entrant airlines, increases slots for airlines with limited access, and requires that the Department of Transportation grant additional slots to airlines that increase regional jet service to small-hub airports. Several of those small cities now receive improved service from airlines operating regional jets.

Maximizing the Uranium Enrichment Program: Acting on a GAO recommendation, the Congress required the Department of Energy to recover from commercial customers an appropriate share of the expected costs for work involving the decontamination and decommissioning of the Department's uranium enrichment plants. More than $731 million in additional collections resulted.

Examples of Goal 2 Accomplishments:

Revamping Navy's In-Transit Inventory: At the request of several Members of Congress, GAO examined how the Navy reconciled its in-transit inventory records and found that the Navy had lost accountability over $3 billion in inventory. In response, the Navy established a task force that, for fiscal years 1999 and 2000, resolved errors valued at $802 million. Had this reconciliation not occurred, the Navy could have bought additional inventory not knowing that it already had the items in stock.

Stabilizing the Balkans: Despite the presence of two large NATO-led forces, the Balkans remain volatile. GAO's work has shown that the international operations in Bosnia and Kosovo face severe obstacles to achieving enduring peace and stability. Most local leaders and members of their respective ethnic groups have not embraced the political and social reconciliation needed to build multiethnic, democratic societies. Our work has also shown that the international community has not provided the resources that the United Nations mission in Kosovo says it needs. If progress is not made in these matters, violence may escalate or armed conflict may result.

Evaluating Trade Agreements: GAO identified procedural and structural problems in the government's monitoring and enforcement of its trade agreements. We found inconsistencies and weaknesses in trade archiving practices that prevented the government from determining the number of agreements it is party to. We also identified human capital and other capacity weaknesses that limited key agencies' trade monitoring and enforcement abilities. In response, the key agencies improved the accuracy and utility of their trade archives and are enhancing efforts to achieve compliance with trade agreement provisions, to improve coordination and teamwork in monitoring and enforcement activities across the government, and to update mechanisms for obtaining private sector input on trade policy.

Examples of Goal 3 Accomplishments:

Improving SBA's Disaster Loan Program Estimates: In reviewing information the Small Business Administration developed and used to prepare its financial statements for fiscal years 1997 and 1998, GAO identified errors in the method SBA used to estimate the cost of the Disaster Loan Program. In response, SBA developed a new approach to estimate its program's costs using actual historical data, which decreased the estimated cost of the loan program. During fiscal years 1999 and 2000, about $609 million in benefits resulted.

Informing Congressional Deliberations on Tax Policy: The nation's evolving economy and the size and complexity of the current IRS Code raise policy issues for the Congress. For example, the rapid development of electronic commerce has fueled debate about whether online transactions should be taxed. During the debate over whether to extend the ban on state and local sales taxes on electronic commerce, GAO provided the Congress with a unique perspective on the potential revenue losses to state and local governments. In addition, our prior work on better targeting the Earned Income Credit continued to generate substantial savings of over $600 million.

Implementing the Government Performance and Results Act: GAO assisted the Congress and executive branch agencies with the difficult cultural changes needed to create high-performing agencies. As part of this work, we assessed agencies' efforts under GPRA and made specific recommendations on how the Congress and the executive branch could work together to ensure that results-oriented processes are useful to and used by decisionmakers. We also worked with the Congress to ensure that agencies resolve management problems that undercut or undermine programs. Our work for the Senate on the key attributes of high-performing organizations is being used as a basis for oversight and decision-making.

Examples of Goal 4 Accomplishments:

Managing Strategically With Accountability: GAO developed its first strategic plan for the 21st century, based on input from the Congress and supplemented by GAO's expertise and other outreach efforts. We subsequently developed our performance plan for fiscal year 2001 to directly link our strategic goals with what managers and staff do day to day. Also in fiscal year 2000, GAO issued its first accountability report to the Congress, documenting our performance and accountability during fiscal year 1999.

Improving Service to the Congress: In fiscal year 2000, GAO piloted congressional protocols to guide our interactions with the Congress and to ensure our accountability. The final protocols have since been issued and reflect refinements made in response to feedback from Members of the Congress and their staffs. The protocols will allow us to better serve the Congress, improve satisfaction with our work, and ensure equitable treatment for all congressional requesters.

Managing Human Capital: Because of our work with key congressional committees during fiscal year 2000, the Congress passed the GAO Personnel Flexibility Act, which provides the Comptroller General with the authority to better position our workforce for the future. Separately, we completed our first human capital self-assessment and a knowledge and skills inventory, significantly increased our recruiting and college relations efforts, and enhanced training opportunities. We also established an employee advisory council and an employee suggestion program.

[ Contents  |  Introduction  |  C.G.'s Letter  |  FY 2000 ] [ FYs 2001 and 2002  |  Strategies and Challenges  |  Financial Information ]