Summary

GAO provided information on its Program Evaluation and Methodology Issue Area Plan for fiscal years 1996 through 1998, focusing on: (1) program effectiveness and quality; (2) government evaluation capability and performance; and (3) methodology review and development.

GAO plans to: (1) ensure that evaluations at the federal and state level are adequate to allow Congress to determine the effectiveness, quality, and results of federally funded programs; (2) demonstrate the use of program evaluation research methods to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of major federal programs; (3) identify key program areas in which the science and analytical methodologies that underlie public policy decision-making are being challenged; (4) evaluate the underlying scientific assumptions and analytical bases in key program areas in terms of their validity and application, the quality of the information and data they produce, and the efficiency and appropriateness of the production of information and data; (5) identify cost-effective alternatives for improving these methodologies and strengthening the resulting information and data; (6) help federal agencies perform effective program evaluations without increasing costs or staff; and (7) develop and apply standard program evaluation methods.