2015 Annual Report: Additional Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Other Financial Benefits

Abstract

The gap between federal revenue and spending has created a long-term fiscal imbalance. In the near term, executive branch agencies and Congress can act to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government programs and activities. Opportunities to take action exist in areas where federal programs or activities are fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative. To bring these opportunities to light, Congress included a provision in statute for GAO to identify and report annually to Congress on federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives - either within departments or government-wide - that have duplicative goals or activities. Absent fiscal policy changes, this imbalance leads to continuous growth in federal debt that is unsustainable. Addressing this imbalance will require long-term changes to both spending and revenue, which will likely require difficult fiscal policy decisions. Significant action to mitigate this imbalance must be taken soon to minimize the disruption to individuals and the economy. In the near term, executive branch agencies and Congress can act to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government programs and activities. Opportunities to take action exist in areas where federal programs or activities are fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative. To bring these opportunities to light, Congress included a provision in statute for GAO to identify and report annually to Congress on federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives - either within departments or government-wide - that have duplicative goals or activities. As part of this work, we also identify additional opportunities to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness that result in cost savings or enhanced revenue collection.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2015
Accession Number
AD1170186

Entities

People

  • Michael J. Sullivan

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Computer Programs
  • Congress
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Employment
  • Geography
  • Government Procurement
  • Health Services
  • Information Systems
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Management Personnel
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Medicine
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Public Policy
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Economics
  • Government and Public Administration Law.