U.S. Department of Agriculture: Revitalizing and Streamlining the Department

GAO discussed the effectiveness of management processes and department systems at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). GAO noted that: (1) USDA is poorly organized to deal with the increased responsibilities in nutrition, international trade, and environmental issues; (2) USDA structure and management practices have remained unchanged since 1930 which has resulted in an organization that does not operate as an integrated unit; (3) streamlining the existing USDA field delivery structure would save money and improve client service; and (4) USDA should not spend $2 billion to upgrade its information technology system, but should first make necessary organizational changes.