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GAO Launches New Web-Based Report Format

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 5, 2018) —The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published its first web-based version of one of its reports, a format that features easy online navigation and a responsive design allowing access on different sized devices, including smartphones.  A web-based version of GAO’s study of community banks (GAO-18-312) is available along with a PDF version of the report.

“I’m very pleased with the innovative thinking that has gone into GAO’s new web-based report,” said Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO.  “This represents an important advance in our efforts to reach audiences where they are, using the technologies they increasingly engage with.”

Part of a multi-year effort to move away from only PDF publishing for all audit reports, the web-based report uses a new GAO technology designed to enable efficient and scalable publication of products to the web.  The web-based format is intended to accommodate the rising demand for content that can be accessed quickly and easily by users on the go.

The web-based report facilitates intuitive navigation for users who wish to jump to any section of the report.  The layout follows the U.S. Web Design System’s usability and formatting standards for government, managed by the General Services Administration.

GAO is now conducting a pilot of the technology, and additional web-based reports are expected to be issued in 2019. In addition to developing web-based reports, GAO is also working toward implementing responsive design on its public website, www.gao.gov.

For more information, please contact Chuck Young in the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 512-4800.

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The Government Accountability Office, known as the investigative arm of Congress, is an independent, nonpartisan agency that exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities. GAO also works to improve the performance of the federal government and ensure its accountability to the American people. The agency examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO provides Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based, nonideological, fair, and balanced. GAO's commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability.

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