Regulatory Management: Implementation of Selected OMB Responsibilities Under the Paperwork Reduction Act
GGD-98-120
Published: Jul 09, 1998. Publicly Released: Aug 07, 1998.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed how the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has implemented selected responsibilities assigned to it by the 1995 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), focusing on: (1) how OIRA reviews and controls paperwork; (2) OIRA's oversight of federal information resources management (IRM) activities; and (3) how OIRA keeps Congress and congressional committees fully and currently informed about major activities under the act.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Management and Budget | The Director, OMB, should ensure that its annual performance plans and annual program reports to Congress pursuant to the Government Performance and Results Act identify specific strategies, resources, and performance measures that it will use to address OIRA's specific PRA responsibilities. If the Director believes that OMB needs additional resources to carry out its PRA-related responsibilities, or that certain responsibilities or goals should be eliminated or revised, the Director should highlight those limitations and any proposed changes in the agency's plans and reports. |
OMB did not implement this recommendation as GAO had specifically suggested. Its performance plans subsequent to the recommendation have not contained the recommended information. However, in a response dated November 16, 2005, an OMB representative said that OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) now reports each year to Congress in its "Information Collection Budget" on the results of its Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) responsibilities regarding information collection. The representative also noted that other reports by OIRA's Information Policy and Technology Branch and Statistical Science Policy Branch cover many of OMB's other PRA responsibilities, many of which are now intertwined with other statutory responsibilities (for example, under Clinger-Cohen, the E-Government Act, and FISMA). He also pointed out that any changes to the PRA will be worked out through reauthorization of the Act.
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Agency missionsexecutive relationsData collectionInformation resources managementInteragency relationsPaperwork reductionReporting requirementsStatutory lawStrategic planningInformation collection