U.S. Department of Agriculture
More Effective Management and Performance Can Help Implementation of the Farm Bill Gao ID: GAO-11-779T June 23, 2011The current fiscal environment, ongoing deliberations for the next Farm Bill, and the public's expectations for a high-performing and efficient government underscore the need for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to focus on program results and customer needs, work across organizational lines to help minimize any overlap and duplication, and build its internal capacity. USDA comprises 15 agencies in seven mission areas that are responsible for, among other things, assisting farmers and rural communities, overseeing meat and poultry safety, providing access to nutritious food for low-income families, and protecting the nation's forests. For fiscal year 2010, USDA estimated that its 15 agencies would have total outlays of $129 billion. This statement highlights examples from GAO's previous work that illustrate how USDA can address challenges it faces in three key areas: (1) the performance and accountability of USDA programs, (2) coordination within USDA and between USDA and other agencies to minimize duplication and overlap, and (3) the sufficiency of USDA management capacity. This statement is based on GAO's extensive body of work on USDA programs authorized under the Farm Bill and issued from September 2005 through May 2011.
USDA must ensure that its programs are being implemented efficiently and services are being delivered effectively, which requires it to review the progress it and its agencies have made in achieving program goals and developing strategies to improve performance and accountability. GAO's work notes cases in which USDA programs have either met or fallen short of meeting program goals. In April 2010, GAO reported on domestic food assistance programs--an area where three federal agencies administered 18 programs consisting of more than $90 billion in spending in fiscal year 2010. GAO suggested that not enough is known about the effectiveness of these programs. Research GAO reviewed suggested that participation in seven USDA food assistance programs it examined, including four of the five largest, is associated with positive health and nutrition outcomes consistent with the programs' goals; these goals include raising the level of nutrition among low-income households, safeguarding the health and well-being of the nation's children, and strengthening the agriculture economy. Little, however, is known about the effectiveness of the remaining 11 programs--9 of which are USDA programs--because they have not been well studied. GAO suggested that USDA consider which of the lesser-studied programs need further research. To achieve its missions, USDA must effectively coordinate with many groups both within and outside the agency. GAO's work provides instances of where improving coordination within USDA or across agencies has contributed or could contribute to improved performance of USDA programs. For example, in September 2005, GAO reported on USDA's need to improve coordination, including information-sharing and communication, between its Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) on potential fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal crop insurance program. For example, FSA offices in nine states did not conduct any of the field inspections RMA requested of farmers' fields in cases of anomalous crop insurance losses or when farmers were suspected of poor farming practices in 1 or more of the years in GAO's review. Also, RMA did not share with FSA information on the nature of the suspected poor farming practices or the results of follow-up inspections. GAO recommended actions to both agencies to more effectively conduct field inspections. USDA must have sufficient internal management capacity in the areas of financial management, human capital management, and information technology to effectively and efficiently fulfill its multiple missions. GAO has reported on USDA programs where improvements are needed in these areas. For example, GAO reported in October 2008 that USDA provided farm program payments to thousands of individuals with incomes exceeding income eligibility caps. GAO recommended that USDA work with the Internal Revenue Service to develop a system for verifying the income eligibility for recipients of all farm program payments, which the agencies subsequently did.
GAO-11-779T, U.S. Department of Agriculture: More Effective Management and Performance Can Help Implementation of the Farm Bill
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United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
Testimony:
Before the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, U.S.
Senate:
For Release on Delivery:
Expected at 9:30 a.m. EDT:
Thursday, June 28, 2011:
U.S. Department of Agriculture:
More Effective Management and Performance Can Help Implementation of
the Farm Bill:
Statement of Lisa Shames, Director,
Natural Resources and Environment:
GAO-11-779T:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-11-779T, a testimony before the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, United States Senate.
Why GAO Did This Study:
The current fiscal environment, ongoing deliberations for the next
Farm Bill, and the public‘s expectations for a high-performing and
efficient government underscore the need for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to focus on program results and customer needs,
work across organizational lines to help minimize any overlap and
duplication, and build its internal capacity. USDA comprises 15
agencies in seven mission areas that are responsible for, among other
things, assisting farmers and rural communities, overseeing meat and
poultry safety, providing access to nutritious food for low-income
families, and protecting the nation‘s forests. For fiscal year 2010,
USDA estimated that its 15 agencies would have total outlays of $129
billion.
This testimony highlights examples from GAO‘s previous work that
illustrate how USDA can address challenges it faces in three key
areas: (1) the performance and accountability of USDA programs, (2)
coordination within USDA and between USDA and other agencies to
minimize duplication and overlap, and (3) the sufficiency of USDA
management capacity. This testimony is based on GAO‘s extensive body
of work on USDA programs authorized under the Farm Bill and issued
from September 2005 through May 2011.
What GAO Found:
USDA must ensure that its programs are being implemented efficiently
and services are being delivered effectively, which requires it to
review the progress it and its agencies have made in achieving program
goals and developing strategies to improve performance and
accountability. GAO‘s work notes cases in which USDA programs have
either met or fallen short of meeting program goals. In April 2010,
GAO reported on domestic food assistance programs-”an area where three
federal agencies administered 18 programs consisting of more than $90
billion in spending in fiscal year 2010. GAO suggested that not enough
is known about the effectiveness of these programs. Research GAO
reviewed suggested that participation in seven USDA food assistance
programs it examined, including four of the five largest, is
associated with positive health and nutrition outcomes consistent with
the programs‘ goals; these goals include raising the level of
nutrition among low-income households, safeguarding the health and
well-being of the nation‘s children, and strengthening the agriculture
economy. Little, however, is known about the effectiveness of the
remaining 11 programs”-9 of which are USDA programs-”because they have
not been well studied. GAO suggested that USDA consider which of the
lesser-studied programs need further research.
To achieve its missions, USDA must effectively coordinate with many
groups both within and outside the agency. GAO‘s work provides
instances of where improving coordination within USDA or across
agencies has contributed or could contribute to improved performance
of USDA programs. For example, in September 2005, GAO reported on USDA‘
s need to improve coordination, including information-sharing and
communication, between its Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Farm
Service Agency (FSA) on potential fraud, waste, and abuse in the
federal crop insurance program. For example, FSA offices in nine
states did not conduct any of the field inspections RMA requested of
farmers‘ fields in cases of anomalous crop insurance losses or when
farmers were suspected of poor farming practices in 1 or more of the
years in GAO‘s review. Also, RMA did not share with FSA information on
the nature of the suspected poor farming practices or the results of
follow-up inspections. GAO recommended actions to both agencies to
more effectively conduct field inspections.
USDA must have sufficient internal management capacity in the areas of
financial management, human capital management, and information
technology to effectively and efficiently fulfill its multiple
missions. GAO has reported on USDA programs where improvements are
needed in these areas. For example, GAO reported in October 2008 that
USDA provided farm program payments to thousands of individuals with
incomes exceeding income eligibility caps. GAO recommended that USDA
work with the Internal Revenue Service to develop a system for
verifying the income eligibility for recipients of all farm program
payments, which the agencies subsequently did.
View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-779T] or key
components. For more information, contact Lisa Shames at (202) 512-
3841 or shamesl@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Roberts, and Members of the
Committee:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss performance and management
challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA). The current fiscal environment; ongoing deliberations for the
next Farm Bill, such as this oversight hearing; and the public's
expectations for a high-performing and efficient government underscore
the necessity for USDA to focus on program results and customer needs,
work across organizational boundaries to help minimize any overlap and
duplication, and build its internal capacity. As you know, the breadth
of USDA's responsibilities span seven broad mission areas that, among
other things, are to assist farmers and rural communities, oversee the
safety of meat and poultry, provide access to nutritious food for low-
income families, and protect the nation's forests. For fiscal year
2010, USDA reported that its 15 agencies had total outlays of $129
billion. About 80 percent of these outlays ($103 billion) are
associated with mandatory spending programs, including the majority of
programs related to nutrition assistance, farm commodities, export
promotion, and conservation. The remaining 20 percent of outlays ($26
billion) are associated with discretionary spending programs that, in
part, support rural development loans and grants; manage national
forests and other Forest Service activities; address pest and disease
threats; conduct research and education; and provide technical as well
as domestic and international marketing assistance.
In May 2011, the Secretary of Agriculture testified before this
Committee, laying out an ambitious agenda for USDA as it seeks to
address its current performance and management issues and take
advantage of emerging opportunities. Achieving this agenda will
require USDA to tackle several challenges as it works to carry out its
multifaceted mission and, more immediately, to meet the mandates in
the next Farm Bill. Our work across the federal government has
highlighted challenges agencies face as they focus on desired
outcomes. Congress has put in place a statutory framework that
addresses long-standing management problems that undermined the
federal government's efficiency and effectiveness and provide greater
accountability for results. This framework is to improve the federal
government's effectiveness, accountability, and service delivery and
enhance congressional decision making. Specifically, the Government
Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) offers
important opportunities for USDA, as well as other agencies, to focus
attention on successfully improving the effectiveness of their
programs and operations. For example, GPRAMA significantly enhances
requirements for agencies to consult with Congress when establishing
or adjusting governmentwide and agency goals. Through these
consultations, Congress can identify performance and management issues
that USDA needs to address and consider this information as it drafts
the Farm Bill and oversees its implementation.
My testimony today highlights examples drawn from our previous work
that illustrate how USDA can address challenges it faces in the
following three key areas: (1) the performance and accountability of
USDA programs, (2) coordination within USDA and between USDA and other
agencies to minimize overlap and duplication, and (3) the sufficiency
of USDA management capacity. I will also highlight in my statement
opportunities where GPRAMA, which the administration recently began
implementing, can help USDA address some of these challenges. This
statement is based on our extensive body of work on USDA programs
authorized under the Farm Bill and issued from September 2005 through
May 2011. We conducted the performance audit work that supports this
statement in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards. Additional information on our scope and methodology is
available in each issued product.
Performance and Accountability of USDA Programs:
USDA must ensure that its programs are being implemented efficiently
and services are being delivered effectively. To do so, USDA must
review the progress it has made in achieving program goals and
developing strategies to address any gaps in performance and
accountability. To help USDA, and other agencies, address the
challenge of improving the performance and accountability of their
programs, GPRAMA creates several new leadership structures and
responsibilities aimed at sustaining attention on improvement efforts.
For example, the act designates the deputy head of each agency as
Chief Operating Officer (COO), who has overall responsibility for
improving the performance and management of the agency. The act also
requires each agency to designate a senior executive as Performance
Improvement Officer (PIO) to support the COO.
USDA, along with other agencies, is to continue to develop annual
performance goals that will lead to the accomplishment of its
strategic goals. In addition, the head of each agency must now
identify priority goals. These goals must (1) reflect the priorities
of the agency and be informed by the federal government's priority
goals and consultations with Congress; (2) have ambitious targets that
can be achieved within 2 years; (3) have a goal leader responsible for
achieving each goal; and (4) have quarterly performance targets and
milestones. In addition, at least quarterly, the agency head, COO, and
PIO are to coordinate with relevant personnel who contribute to
achieving the goal, from within and outside the agency; assess whether
relevant organizations, program activities, regulations, policies, and
other activities are contributing as planned to achieving the goal;
categorize goals by their risk of not being achieved; and, for those
at greatest risk, identify strategies to improve performance.
Our recent work has identified challenges to be met in improving
program performance and accountability in the Forest Service and
domestic food assistance programs.
* Forest Service. In March 2011, we testified that the Forest Service
had not fully resolved performance accountability concerns that we
raised in a 2009 testimony.[Footnote 1] As we noted, the agency's long-
standing performance accountability problems include an inability to
link planning, budgeting, and results reporting. In other words, the
Forest Service could not meaningfully compare its cost information
with its performance measures. We also testified that while the Forest
Service, along with Interior agencies that have responsibilities for
fighting wildland fires, had taken steps to help contain wildland fire
costs, they had not yet clearly defined their cost-containment goals
or developed a strategy for achieving these goals--steps we first
recommended in 2007.[Footnote 2] Agency officials identified several
agency documents that they stated clearly define goals and objectives
and that make up their strategy to contain costs. However, these
documents lacked the clarity and specificity needed by officials in
the field to help manage and contain wildland fire costs. We therefore
continue to believe that the Forest Service will be challenged in
managing its cost containment efforts and in improving its ability to
contain wildland fire costs until the agency clearly defines its cost-
containment goals and strategy for achieving them.
* Domestic food assistance programs. Our work on domestic food
assistance programs--an area where three federal agencies administer
18 programs, consisting of more than $90 billion in spending in fiscal
year 2010--suggests not enough is known about the effectiveness of
these programs.[Footnote 3] Research we reviewed suggests that
participation in seven of the USDA food assistance programs we
examined, including four of the five largest--Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; the National
School Lunch Program; the School Breakfast Program; and the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--is associated with positive
health and nutrition outcomes consistent with the programs' goals.
These goals include raising the level of nutrition among low-income
households, safeguarding the health and well-being of the nation's
children, and strengthening the agriculture economy. However, little
is known about the effectiveness of the remaining 11 programs--9 of
which are USDA programs--because they have not been well studied. GAO
suggested that USDA consider which of the lesser-studied programs need
further research, and USDA agreed to consider the value of examining
potential inefficiencies and overlap among smaller programs.
Coordination within USDA and between USDA and Other Agencies to Help
Minimize Overlap and Duplication:
USDA must effectively coordinate with many groups within and outside
of the agency to achieve its missions. GPRAMA establishes a new
framework aimed at taking a more crosscutting and integrated approach
to focusing on results and improving performance--within agencies and
across the federal government. At the governmentwide level, the act
requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in
coordination with executive branch agencies, to develop--every 4
years--long-term, outcome-oriented goals for a limited number of
crosscutting policy areas. On an annual basis, the Director of OMB is
to provide information on how these long-term goals will be achieved,
and agencies are to describe how they are working with each other to
achieve the crosscutting goals.
Additional GPRAMA requirements could lead to improved coordination and
collaboration for achieving agency-level goals as well. For example,
the act requires each agency to identify the various organizations and
program activities--within and external to the agency--that contribute
to each of its goals. Also, as described earlier, GPRAMA requires top
leadership and program officials to be involved in quarterly reviews,
and to assess whether these organizations and program activities are
contributing as planned to the agency's priority goals.
Based on our prior work, we have identified the following examples
that illustrate how improving coordination within USDA or across
agencies has contributed or could contribute to the improved
performance of USDA programs.
* Farm program agencies. In September 2005, we reported on the need
for improved coordination, including information-sharing and
communication, between the Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Farm
Service Agency (FSA).[Footnote 4] Under USDA guidance, RMA is to
provide FSA with a list of farmers who have had anomalous crop
insurance losses or who are suspected of poor farming practices. Staff
in FSA county offices review these cases for potential fraud, waste,
and abuse by inspecting the farmers' fields and then referring the
results of these inspections to RMA. However, we found FSA conducted
about 64 percent of the inspections RMA requested, and FSA offices in
nine states did not conduct any of the field inspections RMA requested
in 1 or more of the years in our review. We also found that FSA may
not be as effective as possible in conducting field inspections
because RMA does not share with FSA information on the nature of
anomalous crop insurance losses and suspected poor farming practices,
or the results of follow-up inspections. In addition, FSA state
officials told us that inspectors are reluctant to conduct field
inspections because they believe RMA and insurance companies that
administer the crop insurance program do not use the information to
deny claims for farmers who do not employ good farming practices. In
view of these weaknesses, we made a number of recommendations to RMA
and FSA to improve the effectiveness of field inspections. In
response, RMA implemented most of our recommendations, but FSA stated
that it does not have sufficient resources to complete all field
inspections. We expect to report in fiscal year 2012 on the results of
our work currently under way in this area examining whether
coordination between the agencies has improved.
* Veterinarian workforce. Our past work has indicated that problems
with USDA's management of its veterinarian workforce have contributed
to competition among USDA agencies for these staff. Veterinarians play
a vital role in the defense against animal diseases--whether naturally
or intentionally introduced--and these diseases can have serious
repercussions for the health of animals and humans, and for the
nation's economy. However, there is a growing shortage of
veterinarians nationwide--particularly those veterinarians who care
for animals raised for food, serve in rural communities, and are
trained in public health. We reported in February 2009 that this
shortage has the potential to place human health, the economy, and
nation's food supply at risk.[Footnote 5] Specifically, we found that
USDA had not assessed the sufficiency of its veterinarian workforce
departmentwide, despite the fact that its agencies that employed
mission-critical veterinarians were currently experiencing shortages
or anticipating shortages in the future. As a result, USDA agencies
competed against one another for veterinarians instead of following a
departmentwide strategy to balance the needs of these agencies. In
particular, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) was
attracting veterinarians away from the Food Safety Inspection Service
because the work at APHIS was more appealing, opportunities for
advancement were greater, and the salaries were higher. Moreover, USDA
was not fully aware of the status of its veterinarian workforce at its
agencies and, therefore, could not strategically plan for future
veterinarian needs.
We recommended, among other things, that USDA conduct an assessment of
its veterinarian workforce to identify current and future workforce
needs while also taking into consideration training and employee
development needs and that a governmentwide approach be considered to
address shortcomings. In response, the Office of Personnel Management-
-whose mission is to ensure the federal government has an effective
civilian workforce--and relevant federal agencies, including USDA,
created an interagency forum and developed a strategic workforce plan
to obtain a governmentwide understanding of the current status and
future needs of the federal veterinarian workforce. This is a positive
step, but more work remains. For example, USDA still needs to complete
a departmentwide assessment of its veterinarian workforce and create
shared solutions to agency problems, which according to a senior
agency official, it plans to do by the end of July 2011. Moreover,
steps are still necessary to understand the veterinarian workforce
needed during a potential catastrophic event--whether a pandemic or an
attack on the food supply.
* Rural economic development. Our past work indicates that in failing
to find ways to collaborate more, USDA and the Small Business
Administration (SBA) are missing opportunities to leverage each
other's unique strengths to more effectively promote rural economic
development and that they may fail to use taxpayer dollars in the most
efficient manner. For example, we reported in September 2008 that the
main causes for limited agency collaboration between these agencies
include few incentives to collaborate and an absence of reliable
guidance on consistent and effective collaboration.[Footnote 6] We
found that SBA and USDA appear to have taken actions to implement some
collaborative practices, such as defining and articulating common
outcomes, for some of their related programs. However, the agencies
have offered little evidence so far that they have taken steps to
develop compatible policies or procedures or to search for
opportunities to leverage physical and administrative resources with
their federal partners. Moreover, we found that most of the
collaborative efforts performed by program staff in the field that we
have been able to assess to date have occurred only on a case-by-case
basis. As a result, it appears that USDA and SBA do not consistently
monitor or evaluate these collaborative efforts in a way that allows
them to identify areas for improvement.
* Genetically engineered (GE) crops. GE crops--crops that are
engineered to resist pests or tolerate herbicides--are widespread in
the United States and around the world. USDA, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
regulate GE crops to ensure that they are safe. However, critics of GE
crops want them to be labeled as GE crops and kept separate from non-
GD crops. Unauthorized releases of GE crops into food, animal feed, or
the environment beyond farm fields have occurred, and it is likely
that such incidents will occur again. As we reported in November 2008,
[Footnote 7] USDA, EPA, and FDA routinely coordinate their oversight
and regulation of GE crops in many respects but could improve their
efforts. For example, the agencies do not have a coordinated program
for monitoring the use of marketed GE crops to determine whether the
spread of genetic traits is causing undesirable effects on the
environment, non-GE segments of agriculture, or food safety--actions
that the National Research Council and others have recommended.
To help ensure that unintended consequences arising from the marketing
of GE crops are detected and minimized, we recommended in 2008 that
the agencies develop a coordinated strategy for monitoring marketed GE
crops and use the results to inform their oversight of these crops.
Such a strategy should adopt a risk-based approach to identify the
types of marketed GE crops that warrant monitoring, such as those with
the greatest potential for affecting the environment or non-GE
segments of agriculture or those that might threaten food safety
through the unintentional introduction of pharmaceutical or industrial
compounds into the food supply. The strategy should also identify
criteria for determining when monitoring is no longer needed. To date,
the agencies have not implemented this recommendation.
Sufficiency of USDA Management Capacity:
USDA must have sufficient internal management capacity to effectively
and efficiently fulfill its multiple missions. As part of the new
governmentwide framework created by GPRAMA, the Director of OMB is
required to develop long-term goals to improve management functions
across the government in various areas, and agencies, including USDA,
are required to describe how their efforts contribute to these goals.
Among these areas are (1) financial management, (2) human capital
management, and (3) information technology. The following are
examples, drawn from our work, of USDA programs where improvements are
needed in these areas:
* Financial management. We reported in March 2011 that improper
payment estimates for USDA have increased by about $1 billion--from
approximately $4 billion to a little more than $5 billion from 2009 to
2010.[Footnote 8] Some USDA programs or activities experienced
increases in improper payments, while others decreased. For example,
the level of estimated improper payments associated with the Federal
Crop Insurance Corporation Program Fund more than doubled during this
time, from $205 million in fiscal year 2009 to $525 million in fiscal
year 2010. On the other hand, in April 2011, we noted that USDA
reported a decrease in estimated improper payments for the Marketing
Assistance Loan program from $85 million to $35 million.[Footnote 9]
USDA reported that corrective actions taken to reduce improper
payments included providing additional training and instruction on
improper payment control procedures, and integrating employees'
individual performance results related to reducing improper payments
into their annual performance ratings.
Our past work has also highlighted other areas where USDA needs to
strengthen management controls to prevent improper payments. For
example, we reported in October 2008 that USDA provided farm program
payments to thousands of individuals with incomes exceeding income
eligibility caps.[Footnote 10] We recommended that USDA work with the
Internal Revenue Service to develop a system for verifying the income
eligibility for all recipients of farm program payments, which the
agencies subsequently did. We also reported in July 2007 that USDA
paid $1.1 billion in such payments to more than 170,000 deceased
individuals during the period 1999 through 2005.[Footnote 11] Because
USDA generally was unaware that these individuals were deceased, it
did not have assurance that these payments were proper. We made
recommendations to address this problem and, in response, USDA revised
and strengthened guidance to its field offices for reviewing the
eligibility of these individuals' estates to continue to receive
payments. The agency also completed implementation of a data-matching
and review process between its payment files and the Social Security
Administration's master file of deceased individuals to identify
program payment recipients who are deceased.
* Human capital. We have also reported on issues related to problems
in USDA's civil rights program. For decades, there have been
allegations of discrimination in USDA programs and in its workforce.
Numerous federal reports have described serious weaknesses in USDA's
civil rights program--particularly in resolving discrimination
complaints and in providing minority farmers with access to programs.
In 2002, Congress authorized the position of Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights at USDA to provide leadership for resolving these long-
standing problems. In October 2008, we reported that the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights had not achieved its goal of
preventing backlogs of complaints and that this goal was undermined by
the office's faulty reporting of, and disparities in, its data. Also,
some steps the office took to speed up its work may have adversely
affected the quality of that work.
Because of these concerns, we recommended that the Secretary of
Agriculture implement plans to improve how USDA resolves
discrimination complaints and ensure the reliability of the office's
databases on customer and employee complaints.[Footnote 12] We also
recommended that USDA obtain an independent legal examination of a
sample of USDA's prior investigations and decisions on civil rights
complaints. In addition, we reported that the office's strategic
planning does not address key steps needed to ensure USDA provides
fair and equitable services to all customers and upholds the civil
rights of its employees. We further recommended that the Secretary of
Agriculture develop a strategic plan for civil rights at USDA that
unifies USDA's departmental approach with that of the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and that is transparent about
USDA's efforts to address the concerns of stakeholders. In April 2009,
we reported that difficulties persisted in the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights in resolving discrimination complaints.
[Footnote 13]
As recently as March 2011, an extensive assessment of civil rights at
USDA raised issues related to many of our 2008 recommendations and
made recommendations consistent with them.[Footnote 14] This
assessment included a total of 234 recommendations to help USDA
improve its performance on civil rights issues. The administration has
committed to giving priority attention to USDA's civil rights
problems, and the agency has pointed to progress made in recent years.
However, USDA has been addressing allegations of discrimination for
decades and receiving recommendations for improving its civil rights
functions without achieving fundamental improvements.
* Information technology. In recent reports, we have raised concerns
about the overall security of USDA's computerized information systems.
USDA relies on these systems to carry out its financial and mission-
related operations. Effective information security controls are
required to ensure that financial and sensitive information is
adequately protected from inadvertent or deliberate misuse; fraudulent
use; and improper disclosure, modification, or destruction.
Ineffective controls can also impair the accuracy, completeness, and
timeliness of information used by management. Our analysis of our
reports and USDA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports regarding
the security of these systems shows that USDA has not consistently
implemented effective controls, such as those intended to prevent,
limit, and detect unauthorized access to its systems or manage the
configuration of network devices to prevent unauthorized access and
ensure system integrity. For example, in March and November 2010, we
reported on the need for federal agencies, including USDA, to improve
implementation of information security controls such as those for
configuring desktop computers and wireless communication devices.
[Footnote 15] The OIG identified information technology security as a
significant management challenge for fiscal year 2010. The need for
effective information security is further underscored by the evolving
and growing cyber threats to federal systems and the dramatic increase
in the number of security incidents reported by federal agencies,
including USDA. From fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2010, the number
of incidents reported by USDA to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness
Team, based in the Department of Homeland Security,[Footnote 16]
increased by more than 330 percent.
In summary, as deliberations on reauthorizing the Farm Bill begin,
GPRAMA provides USDA and Congress with new tools to identify and
oversee the most important performance issues and program areas
warranting review. In light of the nation's long-term fiscal
challenge, this reexamination of the contributions that federal
programs, including USDA programs, make to achieving outcomes for the
American people is critical. GAO stands ready to help Congress in its
application of GPRAMA tools to its oversight of USDA programs and its
deliberations on Farm Bill reauthorization.
Madam Chairwoman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be
pleased to respond to any questions that you or other Members of the
Committee may have.
Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments:
Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public
Affairs may be found on the last page of this statement. For further
information about this testimony, please contact Lisa Shames,
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, (202) 512-3841 or
ShamesL@gao.gov. Key contributors to this statement were James R.
Jones, Jr., Assistant Director; Kevin Bray; Gary Brown; Mallory Barg
Bulman; Ross Campbell; Tom Cook; Larry Crosland; Mary Denigan-
Macauley; Andrew Finkel; Steve Gaty; Sandra Kerr; Kathy Larin;
Benjamin Licht; Paula Moore; Ken Rupar; Linda Sanders; Carol
Herrnstadt Shulman; Nico Sloss; Kiki Theodoropoulus; and Lisa Turner.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] GAO, Forest Service: Continued Work Needed to Address Persistent
Management Challenges, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-423T] (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 10,
2011) and Forest Service: Emerging Issues Highlight the Need to
Address Persistent Management Challenges, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-443T] (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 11,
2009).
[2] GAO, Wildland Fire Management: Lack of Clear Goals or a Strategy
Hinders Federal Agencies' Efforts to Contain the Costs of Fighting
Fires, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-655]
(Washington, D.C.: June 1, 2007).
[3] GAO, Managing for Results: GPRA Modernization Act Implementation
Provides Important Opportunities to Address Government Challenges,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-617T] (Washington,
D.C.: May 10, 2011), and Domestic Food Assistance: Complex System
Benefits Millions, but Additional Efforts Could Address Potential
Inefficiency and Overlap among Smaller Programs, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-346], (Washington, D.C.: April 15,
2010).
[4] GAO, Crop Insurance: Actions Needed to Reduce Program's
Vulnerability to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-528] (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 30,
2005).
[5] GAO, Veterinarian Workforce: Actions Are Needed to Ensure
Sufficient Capacity for Protecting Public and Animal Health,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-178] (Washington, D.C.:
Feb. 4, 2009).
[6] GAO, Rural Economic Development: Collaboration between SBA and
USDA Could Be Improved, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1123] (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 18,
2008).
[7] GAO, Genetically Engineered Crops: Agencies Are Proposing Changes
to Improve Oversight, but Could Take Additional Steps to Enhance
Coordination and Monitoring, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-60] (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 5,
2008).
[8] GAO, Status of Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Improper Payments
Reporting, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-443R]
(Washington, D.C.: Mar. 25, 2011).
[9] GAO, Improper Payments: Recent Efforts to Address Improper
Payments and Remaining Challenges, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-575T] (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 15,
2011).
[10] GAO, Federal Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Strengthen Controls to
Prevent Payments to Individuals Who Exceed Income Eligibility Limits,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-67] (Washington, D.C.:
Oct. 24, 2008).
[11] Federal Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Strengthen Controls to
Prevent Improper Payments to Estates and Deceased Individuals,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-818], July 9, 2007.
[12] GAO, U.S. Department of Agriculture: Recommendations and Options
to Address Management Deficiencies in the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-62] (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 22,
2008).
[13] GAO, U.S. Department of Agriculture: Recommendations and Options
Available to the New Administration and Congress to Address Long-
Standing Civil Rights Issues, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-650T] (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 29,
2009).
[14] Jackson Lewis LLP, "United States Department of Agriculture:
Independent Assessment of the Delivery of Technical and Financial
Assistance," (Mar. 31, 2011).
[15] GAO, Information Security: Agencies Need to Implement Federal
Desktop Core Configuration Requirements, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-202] (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 12,
2010). GAO, Information Security: Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to
Secure Wireless Networks, but Further Actions Can Mitigate Risk,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-43] (Washington, D.C.:
Nov. 30, 2010).
[16] When incidents occur, agencies are to notify the federal
information security incident center--(US-CERT).
[End of section]
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