3.3: Key Challenges and Risks
Support Congressional Oversight of Key Management Challenges and Program Risks to Improving Federal Operations and Ensuring
Accountability
Other Information:
Strong, visionary, and persistent leadership will be needed to address today’s challenges and prepare the nation for the future.
Congressional leadership will continue to play a vital role in achieving a broad transformation of the government. Congressional
oversight is needed to ensure that agencies continue to build their fundamental management capabilities, resolve high-risk
areas, and address major management challenges to effectively address the nation’s most pressing priorities and to take advantage
of emerging opportunities. Our 2007 high-risk list identified 27 high-risk areas … Continued persistence in addressing these
high-risk areas will ultimately yield significant benefits. Although effectively addressing some of these issues will require
time, finding lasting solutions could potentially save billions of dollars, improve service to the American public, strengthen
public trust in the national government, and ensure the ability of government to deliver on its promises. In fiscal year 2006,
we documented financial benefits totaling $22 billion that resulted from actions taken in response to our recommendations
and reports to address high-risk issues. However, more remains to be done to ensure that the government has the capacity to
deliver on its promises and meet current and emerging needs. The federal government has a stewardship obligation to safeguard
the use of taxpayer funds; prevent fraud, waste, and abuse; and ensure financial accountability. While there has been important
progress, agencies are still working toward the goals established in financial management reform legislation, such as the
Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and the Government Management Reform Act of 1994. Widespread financial management system
weaknesses, poor record keeping and documentation, weak internal controls, and a lack of information have prevented the government
from having the information needed to effectively and efficiently manage operations or accurately report a large portion of
its assets, liabilities, and costs. Continued oversight is needed to ensure that agencies take steps to continuously improve
internal controls and underlying financial and management information systems to ensure that executive branch managers and
congressional decision makers have reliable, timely, and useful information to ensure accountability; measure, control, and
manage costs; manage for results; and make timely and fully informed decisions about allocating limited resources. As part
of the drive to improve performance, agencies are increasingly being called on to demonstrate that their programs are conducting
research that is relevant, of high quality, and producing results. As part of the President’s Management Agenda, for example,
the Office of Management and Budget is focusing on developing objective criteria that agencies can use to select, fund, and
manage their research and development programs. According to the fiscal year 2004 budget, 12 of the top 13 agencies conducting
research and development are using the Office of Management and Budget’s Program Assessment Rating Tool, which contains criteria
for research and development investments. Science and technology investments are critically important in improving the quality
of life and the performance of the economy in areas that include health care, defense, energy, and the environment. However,
the increased development and use of new technologies present challenges to the Congress in evaluating their potential and
assessing the effects on security, safety, privacy, and equity. For example, despite many successes in space exploration,
the loss of life, unsuccessful missions, and unforeseen cost overruns have recently increased the level of concern over the
benefits of space exploration, particularly with regard to manned activities. Congressional oversight is critical in ensuring
that the substantial federal investment in science and technology is allocated effectively and that intellectual property
rights are protected here and abroad.
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