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Certification Requirements: Guidance Governing Agency Actions Is Limited

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date Sept. 9, 1999
Report No. T-GGD-99-166
Subject
Summary:

Federal agencies may use certification requirements to help ensure quality in the goods and services they buy. For example, before buying computer or electrical equipment, an agency may require that prospective sellers obtain a certification from Underwriters Laboratories or another organization that the product is safe. Similarly, an agency may also require that certain professionals meet specific educational standards or be approved as competent by a specific group before providing a service. This testimony summarizes the September 1999 GAO report, GAO/GGD-99-170, which describes (1) the extent and the variety of certification activities in the federal government; (2) the extent to which there are policies, procedures, or guidance governing those activities, either governmentwide or within selected agencies; and (3) an agency's certification procedures that could serve as an example or "best practice" for other agencies.

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