Q: What are the some of the benefits achieved from GAO's work?
A: Some benefits coming from GAO's work are measured in dollars-over $26 billion in financial benefits in fiscal year 2001, a $69 return on every dollar invested in the agency. GAO's work on military base realignments and closures, restructuring the defense acquisition work force, and recapturing unexpended balances in a major federal housing program, for instance, yielded more than $12 billion in documented financial benefits. Other benefits accruing from a wide range of actions in response to GAO recommendations go beyond dollars. For example, 799 actions reported for fiscal 2001 included such results as improved services to low-income children and disabled veterans, protection of consumers from insurance fraud, and more effective and efficient government operations.
In numerous recent congressional hearings, for example, GAO witnesses offered suggestions for improvements, such as ways to strengthen the security of the nation's airports and air traffic control system, protect critical information technology infrastructure, and enhance the government's ability to analyze and manage security risks, including bioterrorism.
Information from the General Accounting Office
