GAO's Mission and Its Scope and Objectives on Metrication Study

GAO is an independent, nonpolitical agency of the legislative branch, created to provide independent studies and analyses on subjects of interest to Congress. One of its studies concerns the progress and problems involved in the increasing use of the metric system in this country, including identifying the benefits and costs involved in metrication. The GAO metric task force is made up of seven groups. Its scope includes holding discussions with and obtaining relevant material from any knowledgeable group or persons. Questionnaires will be sent to government and private agencies and groups to determine the recipients' metrication activities, their views on metrication costs and benefits, possible conversion timeframes, and the policy and role of the Federal Government with regard to metrication. The study is broad and general, with the exception of a detailed examination of the beverage industry, which will be used as a case study. Data on metric conversion by other countries are being collected. The effect of metrication on international trade is of special interest. The role of the Federal Government in metric conversion is being studied, as is its effect on small businesses that might not have necessary funds or expertise to make the changeover. Standardization will be studied in full, as a tangential project. The ramifications of metric conversion on education, labor, the construction industry, transportation, and State governments are being studied. Reliable cost data on metrication are difficult to obtain, but are being compiled when available. The GAO report should be available by the end of 1977.