Fiscal Year 2021 Performance Plan: GAO Supports Congressional Decision Making, Saves Taxpayer Dollars, and Helps Improve Government

Abstract

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress. Commonly known as the congressional watchdog, we examine how taxpayer dollars are spent and advise lawmakers and agency heads on ways to make government work better. As a legislative branch agency, we are exempt from many laws that apply to executive branch agencies. However, we generally hold ourselves to the spirit of many such laws, including the Federal Manager's Financial Integrity Act of 1982 (FMFIA); the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA); and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA). This section of GAO's fiscal year 2020 budget request constitutes our performance plan. We are unique in our audit and evaluation capacity to support Congress by performing original research, providing technical assistance and conducting analyses to help Congress make informed decisions across the federal budget, producing tangible results and enhanced oversight. Our work directly contributes to improvements in a broad array of federal programs affecting Americans everywhere. We demonstrate our core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability by providing high-quality, high-value, and independent support to Congress in ways that generate material benefits to the nation. Given our reputation for consistently producing high-quality work that is typically based on original research, it is not surprising that congressional demand for our products and services remains strong. During fiscal year 2019, we received requests for work from 90 percent of the standing committees of Congress and about 26 percent of their subcommittees. GAO continues to be one of the best investments in the federal government.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1180448

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  • Orice W. Brown

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  • United States Government Accountability Office

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