Management of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
GGD-83-9
Published: Jan 06, 1983. Publicly Released: Jan 06, 1983.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional recommendation, GAO reviewed activities at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assess its management systems and administrative support functions. The resulting report summarizes FEMA development since its creation in 1979 and notes the agency's efforts to identify and respond to organizational and management problems.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should establish formal periodic reviews of the agencywide mission and goals statement, which should be an element of the FEMA-wide planning process and could take the form of top management team building sessions similar to those that initially defined FEMA mission and goals. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should evaluate the initial agencywide program and support activities' goals and objectives definitions to determine whether they are realistic, achievable, and to the extent possible, measurable. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should evaluate the agency outputs that correspond to program and support activity goals and objectives to determine whether they provide adequate and appropriate performance indicators. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should require a consistent planning process for internal directorate activities that would enhance the coordination and oversight of program activities that cross organizational lines. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should develop performance reporting systems to communicate progress toward program goals at the top, directorate, and regional management levels. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should establish a capability for conducting program evaluations throughout the agency. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should use program evaluation results, once available, in establishing future goals, objectives, and outputs. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should establish a plan that adequately reflects the activities and resources needed to achieve the 1983 goal of a fully approved and functioning accounting system. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should establish sufficient linkage between the planning, budgeting, and evaluation process to make each one an integral part of the overall management system. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should strengthen the central budget office's ability to adequately support top management during budget preparation and execution. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should improve the executive development program by implementing the recommendations made by the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should develop and implement affirmative action plan goals as soon as the necessary information is available. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should complete the review and update of all inaccurate position descriptions. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should establish a capability in the Office of Personnel to assess whether performance plans are reasonable; relate to organizational goals, objectives, and tasks; and are measurable to the extent practicable. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should direct the Requisition Review Board to analyze yearend procurements for fiscal year (FY) 1982 and determine whether there is improvement over prior years. |
It had been the intention of this recommendation to control FY 1982 yearend spending. Relevance of this recommendation lapsed with the end of that fiscal year. However, FEMA is developing a capability to improve control of yearend spending for future fiscal years. Evidence of that capability is based on unverified testimony. Verification requires a more detailed review.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should develop a procurement reporting process that integrates with the accounting and budgeting systems and compares the actual and planned status of procurement actions. |
A FEMA procurement official recently advised that the reporting system is now on-line and startup problems are being worked out.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should assign organizational responsibility within FEMA for improving or developing management information systems. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Director, FEMA, should establish one or more management information systems to systematically provide top management with information for planning, implementing, and evaluating FEMA activities. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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Full Report
Topics
Agency missionsCentralizationEmergency managementFederal agency reorganizationInternal controlsManagement information systemsPersonnel managementPlanningProgram managementAdministrative support