From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: How Can the Government Be More Efficient?

Description: Definitions and key examples from GAO's work on duplication
and cost savings.

Related GAO Works: GAO-14-343SP: 2014 Annual Report: Additional
Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and
Achieve Other Financial Benefits

Released: June 2014

[ Scene 1 ]

[ Image: GAO Duplication & Cost Savings artwork ] In light of today's
challenging fiscal environment, improving government efficiency and
effectiveness is important [ Image: ‘Efficiency’ and ‘Effectiveness’
float on screen ]. GAO's annual reports have identified opportunities to
take action where federal programs [ Image: ‘Government Programs’ under
a magnifying glass ] or activities are duplicative, overlapping, or
fragmented. Doing so could save billions of dollars [ Image: Dollar
signs floating ]. 

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Duplicative activities are essentially the same, but are being
administered through different agencies or programs [ Image: Circles
completely overlapping each other ]. 

Overlapping activities are similar enough in scope and action that some
of the same people may unintentionally benefit from all of them [ Image:
Circles partially overlapping each other]. 

Fragmented activities are working toward different parts of the same
goal, and are being inefficiently administered through different
agencies, or different parts of the same agency [ Image: Fractured
circle ]. 

 Improving all of these activities can save time, effort, and resources.
Also, the federal government has opportunities to cut costs and collect
additional revenue [ Image: Piggy bank ]. 

Let's look at some examples.

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[ Image: ‘Duplication’ and completely overlapping circles ] In an
example of duplication, the federal government could potentially save
millions of dollars in infrastructure and personnel costs by using
shared satellite ground-control systems [ Image of workers hammering at
base of satellite ]. 

At one Air Force base, the Department of Defense maintains eight
separate satellite ground-control systems that operate 10 satellites [
Image of multiple buildings and satellites ]. Separate systems may be
more costly and may introduce inefficiencies to DOD's satellite control
operations [ Image: Piggy bank ].

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[ Image: ‘Overlap’ and partially overlapping circles ] In an example of
overlap, the federal government could save approximately $1 billion over
the next 10 years, if it eliminates the overlap in disability and
unemployment payments.

[Image of hand holding a check] Currently, some people receive
disability payments from the Social Security Administration, as well as
unemployment benefits administered by the Department of Labor and the
states.


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[ Image: ‘Fragmentation’ and a fractured circle ] In an example of
fragmentation, the federal government could save as much as $82 million
in procurement costs by coordinating combat uniform needs across the
military services. A less fragmented approach from the Department of
Defense in developing and acquiring combat uniforms could also better
protect servicemembers [ Image: Servicemembers all getting different
packages at different times ]. 

In 2013, Congress passed legislation that restricts the ability of the
military services to develop separate combat uniforms, from which the
savings are expected are add up over time [ Image of fractured circle
coming together ] [ Image: Piggy bank ]. 

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[ Image: ‘Cut costs’ and ‘Collect revenue’ ] There are also
opportunities to cut costs and collect additional revenue. IRS could
collect some delinquent federal taxes, more than $500 million over 5
years [ Image: ‘Delinquent taxes’ and dollars floating ] , if Congress
took actions to encourage payment [ Image: ‘Action’ ]. 

[ Image: Person in line for passports, person in line for Medicaid ] For
example, Congress could limit passport issuance for individuals with tax
debt, or continually collect Medicaid provider payments to repay federal
taxes. 

[ Scene 7 ]

[ Image: GAO Duplication & Cost Savings artwork ] Find out more about
the opportunities for action that GAO identified in the duplication and
cost savings section of GAO.gov.