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GAO has identified and documented best practices and leading practices in a number of key agency- and office-management functions, and provides the following resources to assist federal managers in implementing best and leading practice methodologies.

Best practices are generally processes, practices, and systems that, through detailed analysis, are determined to have helped organizations improve their performance in specific areas. Leading practices are generally processes, practices, and systems that, through testimonial evidence, literature review, and case studies are determined to have helped organizations improve their performance in specific areas.

Guides: Use GAO's Guides to Manage Technology, Projects, and Costs

TECHNOLOGY READINESS ASSESSMENT GUIDE: Better evaluate technology maturity and conduct credible technology readiness assessments.

SCHEDULE ASSESSMENT GUIDE: Develop and maintain reliable schedules for government projects of all sizes

COST ESTIMATING and ASSESSMENT GUIDE: Develop and maintain reliable cost estimates throughout the life of a government acquisition program.

The practices presented in these Key Issue pages help federal managers and decision makers:

• Use GAO's published work to strengthen their agency's capacity for improving the management functions that are critical for achieving mission success;
• Address long-standing management issues, including those identified in GAO's High Risk series and other GAO work; and
• Provide questions to help agencies self-evaluate core management functions.

Because organizations are diverse and complex, leading or even best practices for one organization may not work for another and agencies need to carefully consider which ones might help them improve.

Video: Learn More About GAO's Leading Practices for Federal Managers

Reference Materials: GAO's standard-setting guides and treatises

Collections: GAO's special bodies of cross-cutting work

1. 
   Key Issues: The Key Issues pages provide information about GAO's work on a range of issues facing the nation and highlight our most relevant reports.
2. 
   Fiscal Outlook and the Debt: GAO's reports on the federal fiscal outlook and the long-term debt.
3. 
   Duplication & Cost Savings: GAO's yearly report on areas where the federal government could reduce duplication and achieve cost savings.
4. 
   High Risk List: GAO's list of programs that need continued attention due to high risk factors.
5. 
   Technology Assessment: GAO's analysis of critical technological innovations.

 

Recommendations for Executive and Congressional Action:

RECOMMENDATIONS
DATABASE

GAO's recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed.

GAO's ACTION
TRACKER

GAO's Action Tracker contains the status of "actions" - specific suggestions for improvement – that GAO identified in its annual Duplication & Cost Savings reports.

 

Have questions about best practices in a specific area?

Collaboration

J. Christopher Mihm
Managing Director, Strategic Issues
and Investigative Service
mihmj@gao.gov
202-512-6806

Acquisition Management

Michael J. Sullivan
Director, Acquisition and
Sourcing Management
woodsw@gao.gov
202-512-8214

Human Capital Management

Yvonne Jones
Director, Strategic Issues
jonesy@gao.gov
202-512-6806

Human Capital Management

Robert Goldenkoff
Director, Strategic Issues
Goldenkoffr@gao.gov
202-512-4379

Information Technology
Management

Valerie C. Melvin
Director, Information
Technology
melvinv@gao.gov
202-512-6304

Have questions about open recommendations?

• For questions about a specific recommendation, contact the person or office listed with the recommendation.
• For general information about recommendations, contact GAO's Audit Policy and Quality Assurance office at (202)512-6100 or apqa@gao.gov.
• Search GAO's open recommendations.

Looking for individual GAO staff members?

The GAO Organizational Telephone Directory (PDF) provides contact information for agency personnel. This document is updated frequently.

For questions about specific areas in GAO's former Policy and Procedures Manual for Guidance of Federal Agencies (which is no longer available), please contact the following individuals:

• GAO's responsibilities and functions: Edda Emmanuelli Perez
• Accounting: Phyllis Anderson
• Pay, leave, and allowances: Gail Fischer
• Fiscal guidance: Julia C. Matta
• Records management contact Nancy Hunn

For general questions about the manual, please contact GAO's Audit Policy and Quality Assurance office at (202)512-6100 or apqa@gao.gov.

Contacting the agency:

• By phone: (202)512-3000
• By email: contact@gao.gov
• By mail: Government Accountability Office, 441 G St., NW, Washington, DC 20548

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