• 2018 Overview
• Action Tracker
•     By Duplication
•     By Cost Savings
• Background

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GAO Contacts

Action Tracker

GAO’s Action Tracker is an interactive online tool that tracks the progress that Congress and federal agencies have made in reducing duplication, overlap, and fragmentation—and reducing costs and increasing revenue—that GAO identifies in its annual report. Fully addressing every action in this tool would result in tens of billions in savings for the federal government.

Explore Actions by All Areas

Select one or several checkboxes and click "GO" to explore the action items that we have identified by all areas. You can also then sort by status (open, open with some progress made, open with no progress made, and closed) by choosing from the drop-down menu.

Once you click on a specific area, you will see all of its related actions. You can also download the entire Action Tracker spreadsheet file (XLSX or CSV).

Explore Actions by Duplicaton, Overlap, and Fragmentation

Select one or several checkboxes and click "GO" to explore the action items that we have identified by all areas. You can also then sort by status (open, open with some progress made, open with no progress made, and closed) by choosing from the drop-down menu.

Once you click on a specific area, you will see all of its related actions. You can also download the entire Action Tracker spreadsheet file (XLSX or CSV).

Explore Actions by Cost Savings and Revenue Enhancements

Select one or several checkboxes and click "GO" to explore the action items that we have identified by all areas. You can also then sort by status (open, open with some progress made, open with no progress made, and closed) by choosing from the drop-down menu.

Once you click on a specific area, you will see all of its related actions. You can also download the entire Action Tracker spreadsheet file (XLSX or CSV).

Background

• About This Work
• Methodology
• Related Links & Prior Year Reports

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About This Work

The federal government is spending a lot more money than it is collecting, and addressing this issue will require changes to both federal spending and revenue policies.

However, Congress and federal agencies could act now to address federal programs or activities that are fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative—which would save the government billions of dollars.

Definitions of Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication

In our first 7 annual reports (2011 through 2017), GAO presented 724 actions to Congress or federal agencies. Congress and federal agencies have already addressed over half of these actions—resulting in over $175 billion in financial benefits.

In total (since 2011), Congress and federal agencies have:

• Addressed 376 actions
• Partially addressed 175 actions
• Not addressed 122 actions
• 51 other actions were consolidated or closed as not addressed

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Methodology

To examine progress on fragmentation, overlap, and duplication, as well as cost savings and revenue enhancement, we review relevant legislation and documents such as budgets, policies, strategic and implementation plans, and guidance. We used the following criteria to assess the status of areas and actions.

• We determined that an area was "addressed" if all actions in that area were addressed; "partially addressed" if at least one action needed in that area showed some progress toward implementation but not all actions were addressed; and "not addressed" if none of the actions needed in that area were addressed or partially addressed.
• For Congress, we determined that an action was “addressed” if relevant legislation was enacted and addressed all aspects of the action needed; “partially addressed” if a relevant bill passed a committee, the House of Representatives, or the Senate during the current congressional session, or relevant legislation was enacted but only addressed part of the action needed; and “not addressed” when a bill was introduced but did not pass out of a committee, or no relevant legislation was introduced. At the beginning of a new congressional session, we reapply the criteria—so the status of an action may move from “partially addressed” to “not addressed” if relevant legislation is not reintroduced from the prior congressional session.
• For the executive branch, we determined that an action was “addressed” if implementation of the action needed was completed; “partially addressed” when the action needed is in development, or started but not yet completed; and “not addressed” when the administration, the agencies, or both made minimal or no progress toward implementing the action needed.
• We determined that an action was categorized as "other" if it has been “consolidated” or “closed-not addressed” and will no longer be assessed. In most cases, “consolidated” actions were replaced or subsumed by new actions based on additional audit work or other relevant information. Actions are generally “closed-not addressed” when the action is no longer relevant due to changing circumstances.

In calculating our total financial benefits, we relied on individual estimates from a variety of sources, which considered different time periods and utilized different data sources, assumptions, and methodologies. The total represents a rough estimate of financial benefits.

We update the Action Tracker twice a year, in the spring and fall. For the most up-to-date status on the recommendations, please visit their related reports listed below.

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Related Links & Prior Year Reports