GAO Strategic Planning, Performance, and Accountability

Archive of Past Plans and Reports on GAO's Operations

Strategic Planning

GAO's Updated Strategic Plan 2004-2009 for Serving the Congress is now available.
Full Document (PDF, 258 pages)   Accessible Text

GAO's mission, general goals and objectives, means and strategies, and methods for evaluating its performance. Also, detailed information on the 21 objectives in GAO's strategic plan: the performance goals, key efforts, and potential outcomes for each objective.

Strategic Plan Supplements
Full Document (PDF, 174 pages)

GAO's Strategic Plan Framework
Full Document (PDF, 1 page)

GAO: The Human Capital Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2004-2006
Full Document (PDF, 36 pages)

Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2002-2007
Full Document (PDF, 65 pages)   Accessible Text

GAO's mission, general goals and objectives, means and strategies, and methods for evaluating its performance; updated every 2 years. (GAO-02-430SP, June 2002).

Strategic Supplements Page

More information on the 21 objectives in GAO's strategic plan: the performance goals, key efforts, and potential outcomes for each objective. (June 2002).

GAO's Strategic Plan Framework (June 2002)
Full Document (PDF, 1 page)

Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2000-2005
Full Document (PDF, 78 pages)

Describes the GAO's mission, general goals and objectives, strategies, and methods for evaluating its performance; updated every 2 years; (spring 2000).
Executive Summary
Full Document (PDF, 14 pages)
Framework Diagram
Full Document (PDF, 1 page)

Strategic objective plans detailing performance goals, key efforts, and potential outcomes for each objective in the main strategic plan:

Following the Federal Dollar
Full Document (PDF, 25 pages)

A strategic plan for GAO (April 1997, GAO/OCG-97-3).

Performance and Accountability

Performance and Accountability Highlights 2004
Full Document (PDF, 25 pages)   Accessible Text

Performance and Accountability Report 2004
Full Document (PDF, 182 pages)   Accessible Text

Performance Plan for Fiscal Year 2005 (May 2004)
Full Document (PDF, 55 pages)   Accessible Text

Performance and Accountability Highlights 2003
Full Document (PDF, 54 pages)   Accessible Text

Performance and Accountability Report 2003
Full Document (PDF, 162 pages)   Accessible Text

Performance Plan for Fiscal 2004 (July 2003)
Full Document (PDF, 52 pages)  Accessible Text

Performance and Accountability Highlights 2002
Full Document (PDF, 45 pages) Accessible Text

Performance and Accountability Report 2002
Full Document (PDF, 172 pages)  Accessible Text  

Performance and Accountability Highlights 2001
Full Document (PDF, 38 pages)   Accessible Text

Short version of GAO's annual report on its performance and finances and its plans for fiscal 2003 (GAO-02-429SP, spring 2002).

Performance and Accountability Report for 2001 / Performance Plan for 2003
Full Document (PDF, 126 pages)   Accessible Text

Full-length version of GAO's annual report detailing its performance and finances for the fiscal year just ended and its plans for the coming year (GAO-02-428SP, February 27, 2002). Revised performance plan for fiscal 2003 PDF (May 2003).

Presents GAO's fiscal 2000 performance and financial information and its fiscal 2002 performance plans. Highlights PDF and full-length report PDF (March 30, 2001). Revised performance plan for fiscal 2002 PDF (February 2002).

Accountability Report for 1999 / Performance Plan for 2001

Presents GAO's fiscal 1999 financial information and details of its activities in one document PDF and its performance plan for fiscal 2001 in a second document PDF (spring 2000). Revised performance plan for fiscal 2001 PDF (March 2001).

In the years before federal agencies began issuing performance and accountability reports, the Comptroller General instead issued annual reports that described GAO's activities and finances: 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1986.

Related Publications

Case Study: Strategic Planning at the U.S. General Accounting Office
Full Document (PDF, 31 pages)

An examination by a graduate student in public administration at The George Washington University of GAO's efforts to craft its previous strategic plan (April 2001).

Action Plan: How GAO Will Strengthen Its Strategic Planning Process
Full Document (PDF, 2 pages)

GAO's response to the suggestions in the case study above (August 2001).

See the current plans and reports on GAO's operations.