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Blog Archives
Federal Information Security: There’s Work to Do
Just about every federal government operation—from processing taxes and protecting national parks to coordinating military operations and delivering foreign aid—relies in some way on computers. Protecting government computer systems and the information stored in them is vital, and a 2014 … Continue reading
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December 3, 2019
Tagged cybersecurity, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Greg Wilshusen, High Risk List, High-risk issues, information security, Information security management, Information security regulations, information systems, information technology, Information technology and cybersecurity, Merit Systems Protection Board, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of Management and Budget, Presidio Trust, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration
Education for Students with Disabilities
In 1970, only 1 in 5 children with disabilities was educated in a public school, and many states had laws that excluded children with certain disabilities from school. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act sought to change that by requiring … Continue reading
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November 26, 2019
Tagged Autism, children, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Developmental disabilities, Disabilities, Disability evaluation, Disciplinary actions, education, Education Workforce and Income Security, Jacqueline Nowicki, Learning disabilities, life skills training, Military personnel, public schools, special education, Students with disabilities
Protecting our Critical Infrastructure
We depend on the nation’s critical infrastructure—such as the systems that provide energy, transportation, communications, and financial services—to provide us with our basic needs. In today’s WatchBlog, we explore federal efforts to protect some of our critical infrastructure from things … Continue reading
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November 22, 2019
Tagged Chemical attacks, Chemical facilities, Chemical weapons, critical infrastructure, Critical infrastructure protection, Critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, Cyber attacks, cybersecurity, Department of Homeland Security, energy, Energy facilities, Energy production, first responders, Gas pipelines, Hazardous materials, Homeland Security and Justice, Natural gas pipelines, Security incidents, terrorism, Terrorist attacks, Transportation Security Administration
GAO’s 2019 Performance and Accountability Report — A Record Year in Financial Benefits
Every year, we report on how we’ve supported Congress and improved the performance and accountability of the federal government. This year, we are happy to report that we saved the government a record $214.7 billion—that’s $338 dollars for every dollar … Continue reading
Climate Change and the Nation’s Most Contaminated Hazardous Waste Sites
Climate change may increase the frequency and intensity of certain natural disasters, which could damage Superfund site—among the nation’s most contaminated hazardous waste sites. For instance, flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 damaged several Superfund sites in the greater Houston … Continue reading
Can Irrigation Technology Address Water Scarcity? (Podcast and Infographic)
GAO keeps a close eye on the latest technologies, but today we’re looking at a truly ancient one: irrigated agriculture. Despite dating back at least 5,000 years, irrigation technology continues to improve. Micro irrigation, for example, applies water close to … Continue reading
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November 14, 2019
Tagged Agricultural industry, Agricultural policies, Agricultural practices, Bureau of Reclamation, Crops, Department of the Interior, Droughts, Farming, Farming systems, Federal Communications Commission, freshwater, Global positioning system, Groundwater, Irrigation, Irrigation systems, National Agricultural Statistics Service, satellites, Science and Technology, Science Technology Assessment and Analytics, STAA, Sustainable agriculture, Tim Persons, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, water conservation, Water resources, Water resources conservation, Water supply, Water supply management, Water use, Watersheds
The DATA Act: Checking in on Spending Transparency
Federal agencies spend over $4 trillion a year. But how that money is spent isn’t always easy to track. That’s one reason why Congress passed the DATA Act—requiring agencies not only to publicly report spending data on USAspending.gov, but also … Continue reading
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November 13, 2019
Tagged Budget data, Data elements, Data integrity, data quality, Defense procurement, Federal funding accountability, Federal procurement, federal spending, Federal spending transparency, Financial accountability, Financial Management and Assurance, FMA, Medicare spending, Michelle Sager, Office of Management and Budget, Paula Rascona, SI, strategic issues
On National STEM Day, Combatting Sexual Harassment in STEM Research
Research in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) plays a critical role in enhancing the nation’s competitiveness. Here on the WatchBlog, we’ve explored the federal government’s role in supporting STEM education, diversifying the pipeline of STEM talent, and increasing women’s … Continue reading
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November 8, 2019
Tagged and Mathematics programs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, discrimination, engineering, Federally funded research, John Neumann, National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Research grants, Research programs, science, Science and Technology, Science Technology Assessment and Analytics, Scientists, Sex discrimination, Sexual harassment, Sexual harassment prevention, STAA, technology, Technology research, University research
Digging Deep on the 2020 Census with GAO’s New Podcast Series
Today we’re introducing a new breed of GAO podcast — Watchdog Report: Deep Dig. While our traditional podcast tends to zero in on the bottom line of one of our new reports, Deep Dig will explore broader issues we examine, … Continue reading
