Federal agencies are better managing the costs of their
programs and successfully working to eliminate waste, fraud,
and abuse, the Office of Management and Budget declared in
a report on federal cost management sent to the Budget,
Appropriations, and oversight committees of Congress.
“Especially when their checks to the government for income
taxes are clearing, the American people want to know that
the federal government is focusing on results,” said Clay
Johnson III, deputy director of management at OMB.
He said the report shows that departments and agencies are
making progress due to the President’s Management Agenda,
and illustrates the ways agencies are managing costs in
four key areas: managing with timely and accurate
financial information, improving program performance and
the cost of achieving it, eliminating waste and maximizing
the value of people and property.
OMB touted the following as examples of successful outcomes:
Major agencies with verifiable financial data — unqualified
financial statement audit opinions — have risen to 20 from
18 three years ago.
- The Small Business Administration centralized its loan
liquidation program in one office from 69 district offices,
reducing staffing requirements and improving efficiency,
changes that OMB estimates will cut SBA’s liquidation costs
by more than half.
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development can now
accurately determine rental subsidies by accessing the
National Directory of New Hires to verify beneficiary income,
something expected to save billions over the course of a
decade.
