Government Reform: Using Reengineering and Technology to Improve Government Performance

GAO discussed the government's efforts to improve its performance through reengineering and technology, focusing on: (1) the critical risks in federal information technology investments; (2) commercial management practices that reduce the risks of bad investments and increase chances for success; and (3) actions needed to bring about a smaller, more efficient, and less costly government. GAO noted that: (1) federal agencies have failed to redesign their operations and effectively employ information technology to improve program performance and reduce costs; (2) inadequate financial systems perpetuate the lack of accountability, waste, and fraud in federal programs; (3) successful private- and public-sector organizations are committed to improving strategic information management, adopting the best management practices, directing scarce technology resources to high-value uses, and supporting major cost reduction and service improvement efforts; (4) federal agencies can improve their performance and use of information technology by setting aggressive, fact-based improvement goals, improving the workforce, and implementing soundly designed information management initiatives; and (5) Congress can strengthen the legislative foundation for improving government performance by refining the Paperwork Reduction Act and developing other legislation to improve accountability for information technology investments.