GAO has said that some 4,800 of its recommendations to agencies remain open and “if implemented, they could result in significant benefits, such as increased savings, better services to the public, and improved federal programs.”
It said that since fiscal 2010, its recommendations that have been carried out resulted in some $330 billion in program benefits and over 8,000 program and operational benefits; in 2015 alone, nearly $75 billion in savings. That’s a return of $134 for every dollar spent by the GAO, it said. Other benefits include helping to avoid sequestration and identifying legislative solutions to federal performance and management issues, it said.
GAO has made an average of 1,800 recommendations a year with an average of about 80 percent implemented between fiscal years 2010 and 2015, it said at a Senate hearing focusing on how well agencies carry out such recommendations and what more could be done to increase the response.
GAO said it continuously engages with agencies to follow up on its recommendations, including this year sending letters to agency heads identifying those that warrant priority attention. Its annual report on high-risk programs and on fragmentation, overlap and duplication in government also highlight recommendations still pending, it said, and it works with Congress to incorporate its recommendations into legislation.
It gave as examples of recommendations with large potential payoffs that haven’t been implemented several involving defense procurement and Medicare and Supplemental Security Income spending. It also cited recommended program improvements in areas including cybersecurity, financial regulation, food safety, emergency preparedness, border security, federal personnel management and more.
