Performance Evaluation of the Energy Information Administration

Congress created the Professional Audit Review Team (PART)--composed of representatives from leading statistical and analytical agencies, including GAO--to evaluate periodically whether the Energy Information Administration has been doing its work in an independent, objective, and professional manner. This report, which covers the period June 1990 through September 1992, examines the usefulness of energy information reports and the adequacy of contract management, including various aspects of the technical monitor program. The report also looks at action the Energy Information Administration has taken on earlier PART recommendations.

GAO found that: (1) recipients of EIA reports are confident in using the factual data in the reports and are satisfied with the reports' content; (2) 62 to 85 percent of the respondents stated that the reports are useful as sources of basic facts and for maintaining trend information; (3) only 2 to 15 percent of the respondents stated that the reports are useful for conducting investment analysis; (4) EIA use of more expedient reporting formats may not be viable, since many respondents were not likely to use the more expedient reporting formats even if a reasonable fee were charged; (5) EIA has spent 50 percent of its appropriated funds on support service contracts; (6) EIA technical monitors are inadequately trained and must work with an out-of-date guidance manual; and (7) EIA could cut operating costs by performing more of its support services with federal, instead of contractor, employees.