Summary

GAO provided a supplement to its report on the Department of Transportation's (DOT) policies and programs and recommended actions DOT could take to improve its management effectiveness.

GAO discussed: (1) the legislative and institutional history of DOT to facilitate an understanding of the present organization, its operations, and culture; (2) selected DOT safety programs and improved management techniques to better measure their operational effectiveness, enhance their productivity, and make optimal use of increasingly limited resources; (3) grants management in a changing environment; (4) the importance of support and control systems to management effectiveness; and (5) the importance of policy formulation and of a systematic framework for providing direction, coordination, and strategic focus to agency policies, plans, and programs.