This report supersedes GAO-06-394SP, GAO's International Protocols, January 2006. This document contains the protocols governing the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) work that has international components or implications. These protocols provide clearly defined and transparent policies and practices on how GAO will interact with U.S. federal departments and agencies, other national go...

In fiscal year 2019, our work yielded a record $214.7 billion in financial benefits, a return of about $338 for every dollar invested in us. We also identified 1,418 other benefits that led to better services for the American people and other improvements across government. U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro discusses GAO's fiscal year 2021 budget request in this testimony before the Senate Sub...

The Constitution vests the power of the purse in Congress so that the government remains directly accountable to the people and to serve as a key check on the power of the other branches. Congress has enacted statutes through the budget and appropriations process and a series of permanent statutes to protect and exercise that power. It also created the Government Accountability Office to assist in...

In fiscal year 2019, our work yielded a record $214.7 billion in financial benefits, a return of about $338 for every dollar invested in us. We also identified 1,418 other benefits that led to better services for the American people and other improvements across government. U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro discusses GAO's fiscal year 2021 budget request in this testimony before the House Subc...

GAO’s protocols dictate how we work with the federal agencies we audit. For instance, agencies are required to schedule an initial meeting (an entrance conference) with us within 14 calendar days of receiving notice that we are about to begin a new audit. In previous years, DOD has had trouble meeting this deadline. However, we began 35 new audits that involved DOD in the first quarter of fisca...

Rapid developments in science and technology are transforming multiple sectors of society, including medicine, transportation, and defense. These developments bring both opportunities—such as for economic growth and improved quality of life—and the potential for unintended consequences. We testified about how we help Congress prepare for such changes—such as issuing technology assessments a...

Did you know that GAO saved a record $214.7 billion for taxpayers in FY 2019? That's a return of about $338 for every dollar of our budget. We did it by recommending such things as preventing payment errors, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of federal programs, and preventing fraud. We also identified 1,418 other benefits—things that improve programs and operations but can't be measur...

This is a publication by GAO's Inspector General that concerns internal GAO operations. This report was submitted to the Comptroller General in accordance with Section 5 of the Government Accountability Office Act of 2008. The report summarizes the activities of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the six-month reporting period ending September 30, 2019. During the reporting period, the OIG...

The DATA Act requires federal agencies to report their spending data via USASpending.gov to make it more transparent to the public. We reviewed GAO’s fiscal year 2019 DATA Act submission for the first quarter. It was timely, complete, and of high quality, adhering to the data standards established by the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of the Treasury. However, GAO can stren...

With a vast majority of GAO's employees participating in telework, it's important to ensure that teleworkers are eligible under the law and GAO’s policies. Managers can use discretion in allowing employees with poor performance or serious misconduct to continue teleworking. We found that managers didn't cancel telework arrangements for 20 employees in our review. We recommended improving guida...