Summary: Testimony was given on the progress which GAO has made in the past 4 years in the areas of: (1) increasing its ability and capability to audit government automatic data processing (ADP) programs; (2) devoting more resources to identifying waste and inefficiency in defense programs; (3) increasing its expertise in complex technical subject areas; and (4) improving the quality and timeliness of its reports. The changes which have been made have resulted in significant contributions to improved government operations and financial savings of about $25 billion. However, GAO has not completed its plan for improving its operations, and its responsiveness to Congress and the timeliness of its work need further attention. Since its last oversight hearing, GAO has: (1) established two new divisions; (2) restructured its program evaluation and economic analysis capabilities; (3) reorganized other divisions; (4) initiated a National Recruitment Program to recruit and retain highly qualified staff; (5) revised its training programs and developed new ones; (6) established a task force to advise it on best method of carrying out investigative work; (7) improved the quality of its reports; (8) worked on employee morale problems; (9) improved planning and report processing; and (10) been developing a new long-range plan for its ADP systems.
