Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness
View the 2016 Annual Report
Use GAO's Action Tracker
View the Guide
On April 13, 2016, GAO released its annual report on opportunities to reduce fragmentation, overlap and duplication, and achieve other financial benefits.
GAO found evidence of fragmentation, overlap, or duplication in 12 areas of government activity, and opportunities to avoid costs or enhance federal revenue in 25 areas.
All 37 areas are detailed in the 2016 annual report, and here are a few examples. Addressing concerns in the areas below could each potentially save the government billions of dollars or lead to other important non-financial benefits:
Area | Type | Potential Benefit |
Defense Commercial Satellite | Fragmentation | Could potentially save tens of millions of dollars annually |
Internal Revenue Service’s Public Referral Programs | Overlap | Improve coordination across 9 public referral programs |
Medicaid and Exchange Coordination | Duplication | Reduce risk of duplicative federal spending on health insurance coverage |
Medicare Place of Service | Cost Savings | Save billions of dollars by equalizing reimbursement rates regardless of service location |
National Park Service Fees | Revenue Enhancement | Raise millions of dollars annually by increasing some park fees |
Use GAO's Action Tracker
In 2016, GAO identified 92 new actions that Congress or executive branch agencies could take to improve efficiency and effectiveness or achieve financial benefits. Since 2011:
- 260 actions have been addressed,
- 222 actions have been partially addressed, and
- 134 actions have not been addressed.
Timeline: Explore GAO's Reports and Testimonies
The federal government faces an unsustainable fiscal path. Changing the path will likely require difficult fiscal policy decisions to alter both long-term federal spending and revenue. Yet, in the near-term, executive branch agencies and Congress can act to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government programs and activities.
Opportunities to take action exist in areas where federal programs or activities are fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative. To highlight these opportunities, GAO is statutorily mandated to identify and report annually to Congress on federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives—either within departments or government-wide—that have duplicative goals or activities. In addition, GAO identifies additional opportunities to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness by means of cost savings or enhanced revenue collection.
In our first five annual reports issued from 2011 through 2015, GAO presented over 200 areas and 544 actions for Congress or executive branch agencies to reduce, eliminate, or better manage fragmentation, overlap or duplication; achieve cost savings; or enhance revenue. This has resulted in roughly $56 billion in financial benefits from fiscal years 2010 through 2015, with at least an additional $69 billion in estimated benefits projected to be accrued through 2025.
Figure 1: Definitions of Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication
Related GAO Links
Videos
How Can the Government Be More Efficient?
View the Transcript
Learn More
Privacy Statement
This player is provided by Google/YouTube, which may set a persistent cookie on your computer or device upon its use. Consult YouTube's privacy policies for further information.
Please see GAO's Privacy, Legal and Other Site Policies for information about GAO's privacy policy.
Comptroller General Testifies to U.S. Senate on GAO's 2015 Duplication Report
View the Transcript
Learn More
Learn More
Privacy Statement
This player is provided by Google/YouTube, which may set a persistent cookie on your computer or device upon its use. Consult YouTube's privacy policies for further information.
Please see GAO's Privacy, Legal and Other Site Policies for information about GAO's privacy policy.
Comptroller General Testifies to U.S. House on GAO's 2016 Duplication Report
View the Transcript
Learn More
Learn More
Privacy Statement
This player is provided by Google/YouTube, which may set a persistent cookie on your computer or device upon its use. Consult YouTube's privacy policies for further information.
Please see GAO's Privacy, Legal and Other Site Policies for information about GAO's privacy policy.
-
- Orice Williams Brown
- Managing Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment
- williamso@gao.gov
- 202-512-8678
-
- Nikki Clowers
- Managing Director Health Care
- clowersa@gao.gov
- 202-512-7114