U.S. Department of Agriculture: Similarities Between the Activities of
the Department and Other Federal Agencies (Letter Report, 12/09/98,
GAO/RCED-99-35).
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the
Department of Agriculture (USDA) activities that are similar to the
activities conducted by other federal agencies and discussed USDA's
efforts to comply with the requirements of the Government Performance
and Results Act.
GAO noted that: (1) many of USDA's activities appear to be similar to
those of other federal agencies; (2) for example, food inspection
services are provided by both USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
and the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug
Administration; (3) GAO has reported on the fundamental management
problems some of these similarities create for USDA and has, in some
cases, recommended organizational changes; (4) for example, some of the
land management activities of USDA's Forest Service and of the
Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, National Park
Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service are similar; (5) GAO has reported
that land management activities could be carried out more efficiently
and effectively either by combining these agencies or by coordinating
and integrating their functions, activities, and field locations; (6)
the Results Act was designed in part to help address apparent
similarities in agencies' activities by requiring federal agencies to
prepare annual performance plans; and (7) however, as GAO reported in
June 1998, while most of USDA's component agencies' plans at least
partially discussed the need to coordinate with the agencies having
related strategic or performance goals, the Department's fiscal year
1999 annual performance plan did not explain how USDA agencies are
coordinating crosscutting issues both within and outside the Department.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: RCED-99-35
TITLE: U.S. Department of Agriculture: Similarities Between the
Activities of the Department and Other Federal
Agencies
DATE: 12/09/98
SUBJECT: Agency missions
Federal agency reorganization
Interagency relations
Agricultural programs
Strategic planning
Performance measures
IDENTIFIER: GPRA
Government Performance and Results Act
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Cover
================================================================ COVER
Report to the Chairman, Committee on the Budget, House of
Representatives
December 1998
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE -
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT AND
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES
GAO/RCED-99-35
Similarities of USDA's Activities
(150749)
Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV
AMS - Agricultural Marketing Service
APHIS - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
ARS - Agricultural Research Service
CNPP - Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
CSREES - Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency
ERS - Economic Research Service
FAS - Foreign Agricultural Service
FCIC - Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
FDA - Food and Drug Administration
FHA - Federal Housing Administration
FNS - Food and Nutrition Service
FS - Forest Service
FSA - Farm Service Agency
FSIS - Food Safety and Inspection Service
GIPSA - Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
HHS - Department of Health and Human Services
HUD - Department of Housing and Urban Development
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASS - National Agricultural Statistics Service
NRCS - Natural Resources Conservation Service
RBS - Rural Business-Cooperative Service
RHS - Rural Housing Service
RMA - Risk Management Agency
RUS - Rural Utilities Service
USDA - U.S. Department of Agriculture
WIC - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants,
and Children
Letter
=============================================================== LETTER
B-281429
December 9, 1998
The Honorable John R. Kasich
Chairman, Committee on the Budget
House of Representatives
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is one of the oldest and
largest civilian agencies in the federal government, with about
100,000 employees and budget obligations totaling $76 billion in
fiscal year 1997. The Department's original mission--to conduct
activities related to agriculture--has evolved significantly. Today,
in addition to agriculture programs, USDA administers over 200
programs in such diverse areas as economic development; food
assistance; food safety; international trade and marketing; and land
management.
Given the range of the Department's activities, you asked us to
identify those that are similar to the activities conducted by other
federal agencies and to discuss USDA's efforts to comply with the
requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act.\1 In
response, we identified apparently similar activities, such as food
safety and land management, that are carried out by more than one
agency; examined previous GAO reports that highlight these
similarities; and reviewed the goals of the Government Performance
and Results Act and USDA's efforts to comply with it. Our analysis
highlights many of the activities that are apparently similar.
However, USDA's activities may not be directed at the same clientele
as those carried out by other federal agencies, and other agencies'
activities may be only a part of their overall mission. Our analysis
did not determine all of the similar activities nor the extent of any
overlap or duplication. To make such determinations would require a
substantially more detailed analysis, which was beyond the scope of
our review.
We identified similar activities by (1) identifying those federal
budget functions and subfunctions in which both USDA and other
federal agencies spent funds;\2 (2) comparing USDA's missions,
objectives, and goals as outlined in the Department's strategic and
annual performance plans with those of other departments;\3 (3)
reviewing the U.S. Government Manual, agency documents, and other
relevant documents to determine activities other agencies conduct;
and (4) reviewing prior GAO reports on related topics.
--------------------
\1 The act is designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
federal programs by establishing a system to set goals for program
performance and to measure results. The act requires executive
agencies to prepare multiyear strategic plans, annual performance
plans, and annual performance reports.
\2 USDA makes expenditures in 10 of the 17 budget functions concerned
with broad areas of need. These 10 include Agriculture, Commerce and
Housing Credit, Community and Regional Development, Energy, General
Government, Health, Income Security, International Affairs, Natural
Resources and Environment, and Transportation.
\3 An agency's strategic plan includes a mission statement, long-term
general goals and objectives, and a description of how the agency
intends to achieve those goals through its activities. It also
explains key external factors that could significantly affect the
achievement of those goals. An annual performance plan contains an
agency's annual performance goals to gauge its progress toward
accomplishing its strategic goals.
RESULTS IN BRIEF
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :1
Many of USDA's activities--such as those related to food safety, land
management, international trade, economic development, housing,
statistics, and nutrition--appear to be similar to those of other
federal agencies. For example, food inspection services are provided
by both USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Department
of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Food and Drug Administration. We
have reported on the fundamental management problems some of these
similarities create for USDA and have, in some cases, recommended
organizational changes. For example, some of the land management
activities of USDA's Forest Service and of the Department of the
Interior's Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Fish
and Wildlife Service are similar; we have reported that land
management activities could be carried out more efficiently and
effectively either by combining these agencies or by coordinating and
integrating their functions, activities, and field locations.\4
The Government Performance and Results Act was designed in part to
help address apparent similarities in agencies' activities by
requiring federal agencies to prepare annual performance plans,
including an explanation of how the agencies will coordinate their
similar activities. However, as we reported in June 1998, while most
of USDA's component agencies' plans at least partially discussed the
need to coordinate with the agencies having related strategic or
performance goals, the Department's fiscal year 1999 annual
performance plan did not explain how USDA agencies are coordinating
crosscutting issues both within and outside the Department.\5
--------------------
\4 Federal Land Management: Streamlining and Reorganization Issues
(GAO/T-RCED-96-209, June 27, 1996).
\5 Results Act: Observations on U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Annual Performance Plan for Fiscal Year 1999 (GAO/RCED-98-212R, June
10, 1998).
BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :2
When USDA was established in 1862, more than half of the American
workforce was engaged in farming. The Department's objectives, as
outlined by the first Commissioner of Agriculture, were to (1)
collect, arrange, and publish statistical and other useful
agricultural information; (2) introduce valuable plants and animals;
(3) answer farmers' inquiries on agriculture; (4) test agricultural
implements; (5) conduct chemical analyses of soils, grains, fruits,
plants, vegetables, and manures; (6) establish a professorship of
botany and entomology; and (7) establish an agricultural library and
museum.
Since then, new needs and problems have caused USDA's
responsibilities to expand greatly. USDA's current departmental
mission is to enhance the quality of life for the American people by
(1) supporting production agriculture; (2) ensuring a safe,
affordable, nutritious, and accessible food supply; (3) caring for
agricultural, forest, and range lands; (4) supporting the sound
development of rural communities; (5) providing economic
opportunities for farm and rural residents; (6) expanding global
markets for U.S. agricultural and forest products and services; and
(7) working to reduce hunger in America and throughout the world. To
accomplish this overall mission, USDA has organized its agencies into
seven mission areas: Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services; Food,
Nutrition, and Consumer Services; Marketing and Regulatory Programs;
Food Safety; Natural Resources and Environment; Research, Education,
and Economics; and Rural Development. Appendixes I through VII
describe USDA's seven mission areas in more detail, including a
description of each agency's mission and activities, similarities to
other federal agencies, and prior GAO reports discussing these
similarities.
Figure 1 shows, by mission area, how USDA funds were obligated in
fiscal year 1997.
Figure 1: USDA's Budget
Obligations by Mission Area,
Fiscal Year 1997
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Note: Obligations totaled $76 billion.
Source: Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1999.
Concerning organizational structure, we have reported that the number
and diversity of USDA's responsibilities create fundamental
management problems for the Department.\6
These include difficulties in the following areas:
-- establishing a meaningful set of overarching departmentwide
objectives because several of USDA's current responsibilities
are not related to one another or may conflict;
-- managing a conglomerate of many independent agencies and
offices; and
-- effectively carrying out responsibilities, such as those in the
food safety and food assistance areas, that are part of broader
federal efforts shared among several federal agencies.
--------------------
\6 Federal Management: Overview of Major Management Issues Facing
Executive Agencies (GAO/OCG-98-1R, Jan. 9, 1998).
MANY OF USDA'S ACTIVITIES SEEM
SIMILAR TO THOSE OF OTHER
FEDERAL AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :3
We identified a number of similar activities performed by both USDA
and other agencies through our analysis of USDA and other agencies'
budget functions, mission statements, strategic and annual
performance plans, and other agency documents, as well as the U.S.
Government Manual and past GAO reports. For example, food inspection
services are provided by both USDA's Food Safety and Inspection
Service and HHS' Food and Drug Administration; land management
activities are carried out by the Forest Service and three agencies
within the Department of the Interior; and statistical activities are
carried out by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics and Economic
Research Services and at least nine other federal agencies. These
apparent similarities and others related to international trade,
economic development, rural housing, and nutrition are discussed in
greater detail below and in appendixes I through VII.
FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION
ACTIVITIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.1
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service--in USDA's food safety
mission area (see app. I)--regulates the safety, wholesomeness, and
proper labeling of most domestic and imported meat and poultry sold
for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration, through its
inspection activities, is similar to FSIS in the way it carries out
its responsibilities for ensuring that domestic and imported food
products--except for most meats and poultry--are safe, sanitary,
nutritious, and wholesome and are honestly labeled. We have reported
that this division of responsibility is ineffective and inefficient
and have recommended the formation of a single food safety agency.\7
On August 25, 1998, the President issued an executive order
establishing the President's Council on Food Safety to develop a
comprehensive strategic plan for federal food safety activities,
including a coordinated food safety budget.
--------------------
\7 Food Safety: Opportunities to Redirect Federal Resources and
Funds Can Enhance Effectiveness (GAO/RCED-98-224, Aug. 6, 1998);
Food Safety: Fundamental Changes Needed to Improve the Nation's Food
Safety System (GAO/T-RCED-98-24, Oct. 8, 1997).
LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.2
USDA's Forest Service--part of USDA's Natural Resources and
Environment mission area (see app. II)--is responsible for
sustaining the health, productivity, and diversity of the nation's
forests and rangelands. At least three other federal agencies--the
Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
National Park Service within the Department of the Interior--perform
some similar land management activities. We have reported that the
responsibilities of these four major federal land management agencies
have grown more alike over time. Because these agencies perform
numerous similar activities and have complex and sometimes
conflicting laws governing their land management activities, we have
concluded that these activities could be carried out more efficiently
and effectively either by combining the agencies or by streamlining
the existing structure through the coordination and integration of
functions, activities, and field locations.\8
--------------------
\8 Federal Land Management: Streamlining and Reorganization Issues
(GAO/T-RCED-96-209, June 27, 1996).
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
ACTIVITIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.3
USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service--part of USDA's Farm and Foreign
Agricultural Services mission area (see app. III)--serves U.S.
agriculture's international interests by expanding export
opportunities for U.S. agricultural, fish, and forest products. At
least two other federal agencies are also involved in international
trade. The Department of Commerce's International Trade
Administration promotes U.S. exports. The U.S. Trade and
Development Agency--an independent federal agency--helps U.S.
companies, including those involved in agriculture, pursue overseas
business opportunities. We have reported that federal export
activities are fragmented among several agencies and could better
serve the nation's business interests through closer cooperation.\9
Currently, USDA is part of an interagency Trade Promotion
Coordinating Committee, along with the Departments of State and
Commerce, that has been charged with developing a governmentwide
strategic plan for strengthening federal export promotion services.
According to USDA officials, improvements in coordination have been
made with the other agencies.
--------------------
\9 Export Promotion: Governmentwide Plan Contributes to Improvements
(GAO/T-GGD-94-35, Oct. 26, 1993); Export Promotion: Initial
Assessment of Governmentwide Strategic Plan (GAO/T-GGD-93-48, Sept.
29, 1993); Export Promotion: Governmentwide Strategy Needed for
Federal Programs (GAO/T-GGD-93-7, Mar. 25, 1993).
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.4
USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service--part of the Department's
Rural Development mission area (see app. IV)--provides loans and
grants for economic and business development in rural communities.
At least four other agencies--the Department of Commerce's Economic
Development Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), the Small Business Administration, and the
Appalachian Regional Commission--provide similar services. All of
these agencies provide loans and/or grants for the economic
development of communities throughout the nation. However, while the
activities of some of these agencies, such as RBS, are national in
scope, others have a more narrowly focused clientele. For example,
the Appalachian Regional Commission supports economic development
only in Appalachia.
HOUSING ACTIVITIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.5
USDA's Rural Housing Service--part of USDA's Rural Development
mission area (see app. IV)--provides direct and guaranteed housing
loans to borrowers in rural communities. HUD and the Department of
Veterans Affairs perform similar activities, but their clienteles are
somewhat different. We have reported that although a number of other
federal programs share in HUD's mission to assist households that may
be underserved by the private market, none reach as many households
as does HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA).\10
--------------------
\10 Homeownership: FHA's Role in Helping People Obtain Home
Mortgages (GAO/RCED-96-123, Aug. 13, 1996).
STATISTICAL ACTIVITIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.6
USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)--in USDA's
Research, Education and Economics mission area (see app. V)--is
responsible for serving agriculture and its rural communities by
providing objective statistical information and services. There are
11 principal federal statistical agencies, including NASS and USDA's
Economic Research Service. We have reported that while this
decentralized system contributes to inefficiency, consolidating this
function could result in diminished responsiveness to some customers
and possible objections to the concentration of data in a single
agency.\11
--------------------
\11 Statistical Agencies: Consolidation and Quality Issues
(GAO/T-GGD-97-78, Apr. 9, 1997).
NUTRITION ACTIVITIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :3.7
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service--part of the Department's Food,
Nutrition, and Consumer Services mission area (see app.
VI)--provides children and needy families with access to a more
healthful diet through its food assistance programs and nutrition
education efforts. HHS performs some similar food assistance and
nutrition education activities. For example, HHS' Maternal and Child
Health Bureau provides nutrition education activities that are
similar to those of FNS' Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children program. Both agencies provide funding
to the states to meet the nutritional and developmental needs of
mothers and children. In addition, both HHS and FNS conduct similar
activities to improve the nutrition of the elderly. We have reported
that one alternative to reducing costs and streamlining operations in
USDA would be to consolidate the meal programs for the elderly in
HHS, thereby giving the funding responsibility to the agency that
provides the most funding and has overall oversight responsibilities
for meal programs for the elderly.\12
--------------------
\12 Food Assistance Programs (GAO/RCED-95-115R, Feb. 28, 1995).
GPRA PROVIDES FRAMEWORK FOR
USDA AND OTHER FEDERAL
DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY AND
COORDINATE SIMILAR ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :4
The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 seeks to focus
government decision-making and accountability on the results of
activities. The act requires federal agencies to prepare annual
performance plans, including an explanation of how similar activities
will be coordinated with other agencies.
As we reported in June 1998, while the plans of most of USDA's
component agencies at least partially discussed the need to
coordinate with agencies having related strategic or performance
goals, many of these fiscal year 1999 annual performance plans did
not explain how this coordination would be accomplished. For
example, although the Forest Service's performance plan emphasized
efforts to ensure sustainable ecosystems, it did not discuss how the
Service would coordinate its efforts with those of other agencies
having a similar goal, including the Natural Resources Conservation
Service; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Department of
Interior; state conservation agencies; or environmental, timber, and
industrial organizations.
SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :5
We used several methods to identify similar activities at USDA and
other federal agencies. We compared USDA's expenditures by budget
function and subfunction with those of other federal agencies. We
also compared USDA's missions, objectives, and goals with those of
other departments, as identified in the departments' strategic and
performance plans. We reviewed the U.S. Government Manual, agency
documents, and other pertinent documents to determine other
activities agencies conduct. Finally, we reviewed prior GAO reports
that dealt with these particular agencies and issues. Individually,
these methods have some limitations, as discussed below. However,
collectively, these methods allowed us to identify most of the more
significant similarities between USDA and other agencies.
Budget function and subfunction classifications are intended to
provide a means of identifying budget data according to the major
purpose served. Since 1979, the Office of Management and Budget has
tried to use subfunctions to more discretely portray the missions of
the federal government. However, in some cases, this process
aggregates very different activities. For example, USDA's Food
Safety and Inspection Service is categorized under Consumer and
Occupational Health and Safety along with other agencies, such as the
Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Department of Labor's Mine
Safety and Health Administration, which have no activities related to
food safety. This process also leaves out agencies that previous GAO
reports have identified as conducting activities concerning food
safety, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
EPA.
We also reviewed USDA's and some of the other agencies' strategic and
performance plans to identify similar activities. While we found
similar missions and objectives, this review did not produce
information on whether the activities these agencies performed were
similar. For example, while the Forest Service and the Bureau of
Land Management have a very similar mission, only some of the
activities conducted by these agencies are similar.
Finally, we reviewed the U.S. Government Manual, agency documents,
other relevant documents, and prior GAO reports to supplement the
information we found from our analysis of budgets and strategic
plans. We have written a number of reports on selected aspects of
the responsibilities and performances of USDA's agencies. We discuss
many of these reports' findings on similarities in agencies'
activities in appendixes I through VII.
Our analysis highlights many of the activities that are apparently
similar but does not determine all of the similar activities nor the
extent of any overlap. To make such determinations would require a
substantially more detailed analysis, which was beyond the scope of
our review.
We conducted our work from June 1998 through December 1998 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
AGENCY COMMENTS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :6
We met with USDA officials, including the Director of Budget and
officials from related mission areas. USDA generally agreed with our
presentation of the agencies' activities. However, the officials
expressed concern that the report could be somewhat misleading. They
believed that USDA's activities were different from the activities of
other federal agencies in terms of the clientele served and the
precise services or assistance provided. They suggested that the
report's presentation could be improved by clarifying the definition
of similar activities, the extent to which these similar activities
were part of the agencies' overall mission, and the differences in
the clientele served by the agencies. They also suggested some
technical changes. We made modifications to the report as
appropriate to reflect these concerns and suggestions, including
clarifying that the activities we classify as similar may not be
directed at the same clientele and may also be only a part of the
overall mission of the other federal agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :6.1
As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce its contents
earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report until 30 days
after the date of this letter. At that time, we will provide copies
of this report to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry and the House Committee on Agriculture; other interested
congressional committees; the Secretary of Agriculture; and the
Director, Office of Management and Budget. We will also make copies
available to others on request.
Please call me at (202) 512-5138 if you or your staff have any
questions about this report. Major contributors to this report are
listed in appendix VIII.
Sincerely yours,
Lawrence J. Dyckman
Director, Food and
Agriculture Issues
FOOD SAFETY MISSION AREA
=========================================================== Appendix I
The Food Safety Mission Area includes the Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS). This mission area represented 1 percent of USDA's
fiscal year 1997 budget.
FSIS' mission is to ensure that meat, poultry, and egg products are
wholesome, unadulterated, and properly labeled and packaged. FSIS
conducts inspections at meat, poultry, and other processing plants.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been involved in food
safety since the late 1800s, when it began investigating food
adulteration. Many FSIS activities originated with the Meat
Inspection Act of 1906, which was passed in response to unsanitary
conditions in meat-packing houses.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also conducts inspections at
food processing plants--except for most meat and poultry plants--to
ensure that food products are safe, sanitary, nutritious, wholesome,
and are honestly labeled. We have reported that this division of
responsibility is ineffective and inefficient and have recommended
the formation of a single food safety agency. On August 25, 1998,
the President issued an Executive Order establishing a President's
Council on Food Safety to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for
federal food safety activities, including a coordinated food safety
budget.
For further information, see Food Safety: Weak and Inconsistently
Applied Controls Allow Unsafe Imported Food to Enter U.S. Commerce
(GAO/T-RCED-98-271, Sept. 10, 1998); Food Safety: Opportunities to
Redirect Federal Resources and Funds Can Enhance Effectiveness
(GAO/RCED-98-224, Aug. 6, 1998); Food Safety: Federal Efforts to
Ensure Imported Food Safety Are Inconsistent and Unreliable
(GAO/T-RCED-98-191, May 14, 1998); Food Safety: Federal Efforts to
Ensure the Safety of Imported Foods Are Inconsistent and Unreliable
(GAO/RCED-98-103, Apr. 30, 1998); and Food Safety: Fundamental
Changes Needed to Improve the Nation's Food Safety System
(GAO/T-RCED-98-24, Oct. 8, 1997).
NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
MISSION AREA
========================================================== Appendix II
The Natural Resources and Environment Mission Area is composed of the
Forest Service (FS) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS). This mission area represented 6 percent of USDA's fiscal
year 1997 budget.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
FOREST SERVICE AND OTHER
AGENCIES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:1
FS' mission is to sustain the health, productivity, and diversity of
the nation's forests and rangelands. FS uses multiple-use management
of these lands to produce sustained yields for renewable resources
such as wood, water, forage, and wildlife, and to provide recreation
to meet the diverse needs of people. FS also conducts research,
provides assistance to state and private landowners, assesses the
nation's natural resources, and provides international assistance and
scientific exchanges. FS was formed in 1905 when the jurisdiction
over the National Forests was transferred from the Department of the
Interior to USDA.
The Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
National Park Service--all within the Department of the
Interior--perform some land management activities that have become
similar over time to those conducted by FS, as we have reported.
Because the agencies perform numerous similar activities and have
complex and sometimes conflicting laws governing their land
management activities, we have concluded that improving the
efficiency and effectiveness of land management activities could
occur either by combining agencies or by streamlining the existing
structure through the coordination and integration of functions,
activities, and field locations.
For further information, see Forest Service Decision-Making: A
Framework for Improving Performance (GAO/RCED-97-71, Apr. 29, 1997);
Federal Land Management: Streamlining and Reorganization Issues
(GAO/T-RCED-96-209, June 27, 1996); Ecosystem Management: Additional
Actions Needed to Adequately Test a Promising Approach
(GAO/RCED-94-111, Aug. 16, 1994).
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION
SERVICE AND OTHER AGENCIES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix II:2
NRCS' mission is to assist farmers and ranchers in protecting soil,
water, and related resources while sustaining the profitable
production of food and fiber. The activities of NRCS, formerly the
Soil Conservation Service, include providing technical assistance to
individuals; communities; watershed groups; tribal governments;
federal, state and local agencies; and others. NRCS also develops
conservation standards, which are specifications and guidelines to
ensure that the conservation systems recommended to landowners and
communities nationwide are technically sound.
The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation performs some
activities similar to NRCS'. The Bureau's activities include the
management, development, and protection of water and related
resources. In addition, we have reported that 72 federal programs
directly or indirectly support water quality protection, including
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, administered by NRCS,
which provides cost-share payments to landowners for, among other
things, the protection of water and related resources.
For further information, see Water Quality: A Catalog of Related
Federal Programs (GAO/RCED-96-173, June 19, 1996).
FARM AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL
SERVICES MISSION AREA
========================================================= Appendix III
The Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Mission Area includes the
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the Farm Service Agency (FSA),
and the Risk Management Agency (RMA). This mission area represented
27 percent of USDA's fiscal year 1997 budget.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
AND OTHER AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:1
FAS' mission is to serve U.S. agriculture's interests by expanding
export opportunities for U.S. agricultural, fish, and forest
products and promoting world food security. Established as an agency
in 1953, FAS administers a variety of export promotion, technical,
and food assistance programs around the world in cooperation with
other federal, state, and local agencies as well as private sector
and international organizations. FAS also collects, analyzes, and
disseminates agricultural information about global supply and demand,
trade trends, and emerging market opportunities.
The Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration and
the U.S. Trade and Development Agency perform some activities
similar to FAS'. The International Trade Administration promotes
U.S. exports and U.S. businesses' access to foreign markets on
behalf of all U.S. business interests, not just agriculture. The
Trade and Development Agency assists in creating jobs for Americans
by helping U.S. companies pursue overseas business opportunities,
including agriculture. We have reported that federal export
activities are fragmented among several agencies and could better
serve the nation's business interests through closer cooperation.
USDA is part of an interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating
Committee, along with the Departments of State and Commerce, that has
been charged with developing a governmentwide strategic plan for
strengthening federal services to promote exports.
For further information, see Export Promotion: Governmentwide Plan
Contributes to Improvements (GAO/T-GGD-94-35, Oct. 26, 1993); Export
Promotion: Initial Assessment of Governmentwide Strategic Plan
(GAO/T-GGD-93-48, Sept. 29, 1993); Export Promotion: Governmentwide
Strategy Needed for Federal Programs (GAO/T-GGD-93-7, Mar. 25,
1993).
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE FARM
SERVICE AGENCY AND OTHER
AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:2
FSA's mission is to ensure the well-being of American agriculture and
the American public through the administration of programs for farm
commodities, farm loans, conservation, emergency assistance, and
domestic and international food assistance. A number of these
programs can be traced to the Great Depression, when many farmers
were struggling to survive financially, in part because high
productivity was lowering the prices they received for their crops.
These programs were designed to help raise agricultural prices,
increase farm income, and improve the quality of life in rural
America.
While most of FSA's activities are not similar to those of other
federal agencies, its farm lending services are in some ways similar
to those of the Farm Credit System. The Farm Credit System is a
federally chartered network of borrower-owned lending institutions
and related service organizations. These lending institutions
specialize in providing credit-related services to creditworthy
farmers, ranchers, and producers. FSA lends to farmers who do not
qualify for loans from the Farm Credit System and other commercial
lenders.
In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small
Business Administration conduct some similar disaster assistance
activities, but their clientele are different. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency provides low-interest loans following natural
disasters to cover expenses not covered by state or local programs or
private insurance. Similarly, the Small Business Administration has
several programs to help businesses and homeowners recover from
disasters. For example, its Economic Injury Disaster Loans program
provides working capital to small businesses and agricultural
cooperatives to assist them in recovering from disasters.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE RISK
MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND OTHER
AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix III:3
RMA's mission is to provide and support cost-effective means for
managing risk for agricultural producers in order to improve the
economic stability of agriculture. RMA provides producers with a
variety of crop and revenue insurance programs through the Federal
Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC). These programs are offered
primarily through private companies that contract with and are
reinsured by FCIC. Typically, federal crop insurance covers
unavoidable production losses resulting from any adverse weather
conditions, including drought, excessive rain, hail, wind,
hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning. In some cases, it also covers
unavoidable losses as a result of insect infestation, plant disease,
floods, fires, and earthquakes.
While other federal agencies provide other types of insurance, such
as flood insurance, no other federal agencies provide crop insurance.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT MISSION AREA
========================================================== Appendix IV
The Rural Development Mission Area consists of the Rural Housing
Service (RHS), Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), and the
Rural Utilities Service (RUS). This mission area represented 13
percent of USDA's fiscal year 1997 budget.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE RURAL
HOUSING SERVICE AND OTHER
AGENCIES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix IV:1
RHS' mission is to enhance the quality of life in rural America and
help build competitive, vibrant rural communities through its
community facilities and housing programs. RHS administers direct
and guaranteed housing loan programs for moderate- and low-income
rural residents, as well as grants to public and quasi-public
organizations, nonprofit associations, and certain Indian tribes, for
essential community facilities, such as health care, public safety,
and public service. With the passage of the Housing Act of 1949,
USDA was authorized to provide loans to help farmers build or repair
houses and other farm buildings. Over time, the act has been amended
to authorize housing loans and grants to rural residents in general.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the
Department of Veterans Affairs conduct some activities similar to
RHS'. While all these agencies provide affordable housing, their
clientele are somewhat different. For example, HUD provides loans
primarily to individuals in urban areas, Veterans Affairs to
veterans, and RHS to rural communities.\13 We have reported that
although a number of other federal programs share HUD's mission to
assist households that may be underserved by the private market, none
reach as many households as HUD's Federal Housing Administration.
For further information, see Rural Housing Programs: Opportunities
Exist for Cost Savings and Management Improvement, (GAO/RCED-96-11,
Nov. 16, 1995); Homeownership: FHA's Role in Helping People Obtain
Home Mortgages, (GAO/RCED-96-123, Aug. 13, 1996).
--------------------
\13 An Office of Rural Housing and Economic Development was
established in HUD by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing
and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of
1999. The purpose of this office is to support innovative housing
and economic development activities in rural areas.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE RURAL
BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE
AND OTHER AGENCIES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix IV:2
RBS' mission is to provide leadership in building competitive
businesses and sustainable cooperatives that can prosper in the
global marketplace. RBS invests its financial resources and
technical assistance in businesses and cooperatives and builds
partnerships to leverage public, private, and cooperative resources
to create jobs and stimulate rural economic activity.
The Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration,
HUD, and several independent agencies, such as the Small Business
Administration and the Appalachian Regional Commission, conduct some
activities similar to RBS'. All of these agencies provide loans
and/or grants for the economic development of communities throughout
the nation. However, while the activities of some of these agencies,
such as RBS, are national in scope, others have a more narrowly
focused clientele. For example, the Appalachian Regional Commission
supports economic development only in Appalachia.
For further information, see Economic Development Activities:
Overview of Eight Federal Programs (GAO/RCED-97-193, Aug. 28, 1997);
Economic Development: Limited Information Exists on the Impact of
Assistance Provided by Three Agencies (GAO/RCED-96-103, Apr. 3,
1996); Economic Development Programs (GAO/RCED-95-251R, July 28,
1995); Rural Development: Federal Programs That Focus on Rural
America and Its Economic Development (GAO/RCED-89-56R, Jan. 19,
1989); Rural Development: Availability of Capital for Agriculture,
Business, and Infrastructure (GAO/RCED-97-109, May 27, 1997).
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE RURAL
UTILITIES SERVICE AND OTHER
AGENCIES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix IV:3
RUS' mission is to serve a leading role in improving the quality of
life in rural America by administering its electric,
telecommunications, and water and waste programs. RUS' activities
include providing loans and grants primarily to (1) electric and
telephone cooperatives to deliver electric and telecommunications
services to rural areas and (2) public bodies and nonprofit
associations to provide water and waste water disposal. These
activities originated in the 1930s when only 13 percent of U.S.
farms had electricity, only 34 percent had any form of telephone
service, and many rural communities did not have safe drinking water.
A number of other federal agencies provide some similar
telecommunications and wastewater activities to support rural
communities. The Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education, Health
and Human Services (HHS), Justice, and Veterans Affairs, as well as
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National
Science Foundation, and Appalachian Regional Commission conduct or
sponsor telecommunications activities, including distance learning
and/or telemedicine initiatives; and EPA, HUD, HHS, and Commerce
provide federal funding and technical assistance to help small
communities plan, design, and build water and wastewater systems. In
addition, although not in the form of federal assistance, the
Department of Energy's Power Marketing Administrations--such as the
Bonneville Power Administration--and the Tennessee Valley Authority
sell electricity to rural communities. We previously reported that
in December 1995 at least 28 federal programs administered by 15
federal agencies provided funds that were either specifically
designated for telecommunication projects in rural areas or could be
used for that purpose. In 1995, we reported that 17 different
programs administered by eight federal agencies provided funds that
were designed specifically for, or that could be used by, rural areas
for constructing, expanding, or repairing water and wastewater
facilities.
For further information, see Rural Development: Financial Condition
of the Rural Utilities Service's Loan Portfolio (GAO/RCED-97-82, Apr.
11, 1997); Rural Utilities Service: Opportunities to Operate
Electricity and Telecommunications Loan Programs More Effectively
(GAO/RCED-98-42, Jan. 21, 1998); Federal Electricity Activities:
The Federal Government's Net Cost and Potential for Future Losses,
Volumes 1 and 2 (GAO/AIMD-97-110 and GAO/AIMD-97-110A, Sept. 19,
1997); Rural Development: Steps Towards Realizing the Potential of
Telecommunications Technologies (GAO/RCED-96-155, June 14, 1996);
Rural Development: Patchwork of Federal Water and Sewer Programs Is
Difficult to Use (GAO/RCED-95-160BR), Apr. 13, 1995); Telemedicine:
Federal Strategy Is Needed to Guide Investments
(GAO/NSIAD/HEHS-97-67, Feb. 14, 1997).
RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS
MISSION AREA
=========================================================== Appendix V
The Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area includes the
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS), the Cooperative State Research, Education,
and Extension Service (CSREES), and the Economic Research Service
(ERS). This mission area represented 3 percent of USDA's fiscal year
1997 budget.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL
STATISTICS SERVICE AND OTHER
AGENCIES
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix V:1
NASS' mission is to serve U.S. agriculture and its rural communities
by providing objective statistical information and services. NASS
collects and disseminates agricultural statistics, including the
Census of Agriculture. NASS carries out many of its activities with
the support of state departments of agriculture, land-grant
universities, and the agricultural industry through cooperative
agreements that provide financial support and are also designed to
prevent duplication of effort in acquiring data from farmers and in
setting estimates of states' agricultural production.
At least 10 other agencies in the federal government (including ERS
within USDA) conduct some activities related to statistics. We have
reported that while this decentralized system contributes to
inefficiency, the consolidation of this function could result in
diminished responsiveness to some customers and possible objections
to the concentration of data in a single agency.
For further information, see Statistical Agencies: Consolidation and
Quality Issues (GAO/T-GGD-97-78, Apr. 9, 1997).
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
AND OTHER AGENCIES
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix V:2
ARS, USDA's principal in-house research agency, has as its primary
mission conducting research to develop and transfer solutions to
agricultural problems of high national priority. The research is
designed to (1) ensure the quality and safety of food and other
agricultural products, (2) assess the nutritional needs of Americans,
(3) sustain a competitive agricultural economy, (4) enhance the
natural resource base and the environment, and (5) provide economic
opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a
whole.
While other federal agencies--the Departments of Commerce, Defense,
Energy, HHS, the Interior, and Transportation, and EPA, and
NASA--conduct research activities, none perform similar agricultural
research activities. In a 1995 review of federal research
laboratories, we found 515 separate federal research and development
laboratories, including those operated by contractors, in 17 federal
departments and agencies. USDA reported the largest number of
laboratories (185). However, laboratories for Defense, Energy, HHS,
and NASA accounted for 88 percent of the funding.
For further information, see Federal R & D Laboratories
(GAO/RCED/NSIAD-96-78R, Feb. 29, 1996).
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH,
EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION
SERVICE AND OTHER AGENCIES
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix V:3
Unlike ARS, which performs research, CSREES administers grants for
agricultural research, extension and higher education at colleges,
universities, and other institutions--both public and private--around
the nation. CSREES provides funding to scientists to support
research on such matters as biological, environmental, physical, and
social sciences relevant to agriculture and food and the environment.
We have reported that CSREES provides research funds for activities,
such as water quality protection and/or enhancement, that other
federal agencies are involved in.
For further information, see Water Quality: A Catalog of Related
Federal Programs (GAO/RCED-96-173, June 19, 1996).
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE AND
OTHER AGENCIES
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix V:4
ERS' mission is to provide economic analysis on issues related to
agriculture, food, the environment, and rural development to assist
public and private decision makers. ERS' mission has its antecedents
in USDA's efforts in the early 1900s to examine farm management
issues, reflecting a new interest in economic questions relating to
agriculture.
Other federal agencies conduct economic analysis. However, ERS is
the primary agency that analyzes agricultural activities.
FOOD, NUTRITION, AND CONSUMER
SERVICES MISSION AREA
========================================================== Appendix VI
This mission area includes the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS),
which administers 15 domestic food assistance programs, and the
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), which coordinates
nutrition policy in USDA. This mission area represented 47 percent
of USDA's fiscal year 1997 budget.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE FOOD
AND NUTRITION SERVICE AND OTHER
AGENCIES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix VI:1
FNS' mission is to provide children and needy families with access to
a more healthful diet through its food assistance programs and
nutrition education. To carry out this mission, FNS administers 15
separate domestic food assistance programs--the largest being the
Food Stamp Program, which provides employment and training as well as
nutrition assistance--in partnership with the states.
HHS conducts some similar food assistance and nutrition activities.
For example, HHS' Maternal and Child Health Bureau provides nutrition
education activities that are similar to FNS' program--the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC). Both agencies provide funding to the states to meet the
nutritional and developmental needs of mothers and children.
In addition, both HHS and FNS conduct similar activities to improve
the nutrition of the elderly. FNS provides subsidies--cash and/or
commodity food reimbursements--to nutrition programs that provide
meals to the elderly in a group setting or in their home, while HHS,
for the most part, administers the program and provides most of the
funding for these programs. We previously reported that one
alternative to reducing costs and streamlining operations in USDA
would be to consolidate the meal programs for the elderly in HHS,
thereby giving the funding responsibility to the agency that provides
the most funding and has overall oversight responsibilities for meal
programs for the elderly.
Furthermore, like FNS' Food Stamp Program, other federal programs
provide employment and training programs. These programs include,
for example, HHS' Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the
Department of Labor's Job Training Partnership Act Program, and HUD's
Family Self-Sufficiency Program. We have reported that one way to
reduce the cost of the Food Stamp Program would be to eliminate its
employment and training component since the services could be
provided by other existing employment and training programs.
For further information, see Food Assistance: USDA's Multiprogram
Approach (GAO/RCED-94-33, Nov. 24, 1993); Food Assistance Programs
(GAO/RCED-95-115R, Feb. 28, 1995); Multiple Employment Training
Programs: Major Overhaul Needed to Create a More Efficient,
Customer-Driven System (GAO/T-HEHS-95-70, Feb. 6, 1995).
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
CENTER FOR NUTRITION POLICY AND
PROMOTION AND OTHER AGENCIES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix VI:2
CNPP is responsible for improving the nutritional status of Americans
by serving as the focal point within USDA for linking scientific
research to the consumer. CNPP develops and coordinates nutrition
policy within USDA, assesses the cost-effectiveness of
government-sponsored nutrition programs, periodically reports on the
cost of family food plans and of raising children, investigates
techniques for communicating effectively with Americans about
nutrition, and evaluates the nutrient content of the U.S. food
supply.
While other federal agencies conduct, or contract to conduct,
nutrition research projects, CNPP actually translates nutrition
research into materials for health professionals, corporations, and
consumers.
For further information, see Food Assistance: Information on USDA's
Research Activities (GAO/RCED-98-56R, Jan. 29, 1998).
MARKETING AND REGULATORY PROGRAMS
MISSION AREA
========================================================= Appendix VII
The Marketing and Regulatory Programs Mission Area consists of three
agencies--Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). This mission area represented
about 2 percent USDA's fiscal year 1997 budget.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE
AND OTHER AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:1
AMS' mission is to facilitate the strategic marketing of agricultural
products in domestic and international markets, ensure fair trading
practices, and promote a competitive and efficient marketplace to the
benefit of producers, traders, and consumers of U.S. food and fiber
products. To carry out its mission, AMS engages in a number of
activities, such as collecting and disseminating time-sensitive
agricultural market information, grading and certifying the quality
of agricultural commodities, overseeing industry-financed research
and promotion programs, implementing national organic production and
labeling standards, and administering the milk marketing order
program. The agency also administers a regulatory program covering
dealers in the fruit and vegetable industry to promote fair trading.
Three other federal agencies perform some activities similar to AMS'.
The National Marine Fisheries Service in the Department of Commerce
conducts, on a fee-for-service basis, a voluntary seafood inspection
and grading program that focuses on marketing and the quality
attributes of U.S. fish and shellfish. The National Institute of
Standards and Technology, also in the Department of Commerce,
promotes overall U.S. economic growth by working with industry to
develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards, although
it has no specific responsibilities in the agricultural area, and it
does not provide grading services as AMS does. The Federal Trade
Commission, an independent agency, also administers regulatory
programs to promote fair trading practices, but its programs are
aimed at protecting consumers rather than dealers.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH
INSPECTION SERVICE AND OTHER
AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:2
APHIS' mission is to anticipate and respond to issues involving
animal and plant health, conflicts with wildlife, environmental
stewardship, and animal well-being. APHIS regulates the import of
agricultural products into the United States to reduce the risk posed
by exotic pests and diseases; monitors animal and plant health to
detect endemic and exotic diseases and pests; conducts regulatory
activities to ensure the humane care of animals used in research,
exhibition, or the wholesale pet trade; provides federal leadership
in managing problems caused by animal pests and diseases and
wildlife; and ensures that veterinary biological products are safe,
pure, potent, and effective. Its core functions and activities
originated in the 1880s after outbreaks of contagious animal diseases
led to the barring of U.S. meat from some European markets.
FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine evaluates and approves animal
drug products to protect animal and human health.
SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AT THE GRAIN
INSPECTION, PACKERS AND
STOCKYARDS ADMINISTRATION AND
OTHER AGENCIES
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:3
GIPSA, which is made up of the former Federal Grain Inspection
Service and the former Packers and Stockyards Administration, has as
its mission facilitating the marketing of livestock, poultry, meat,
cereals, oilseeds, and related agricultural products and the
promotion of fair and competitive trading practices for the overall
benefit of consumers and American agriculture. GIPSA sets quality
standards, provides inspection and weighing services, and enforces
the Packers and Stockyards Act. This act protects members of the
livestock, poultry, and meat industries against unfair or
monopolistic practices. It also protects consumers against unfair
business practices in the marketing of meats and poultry.
Two other federal agencies perform some activities similar to
GIPSA's. As discussed earlier, the Department of Commerce's National
Institute of Standards and Technology promotes overall U.S. economic
growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology,
measurements, and standards, but it has no specific responsibilities
in the agricultural area and does not carry out actual weighing and
grading activities as does GIPSA. The Federal Trade Commission also
enforces laws to prevents fraud, deception, and unfair business
practices in the marketplace and to prevent anticompetitive mergers
and other anticompetitive business practices in the marketplace,
activities that are similar to the packers and stockyards activities
performed by GIPSA.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
======================================================== Appendix VIII
Ronald E. Maxon, Jr., Assistant Director
Fred Light
Renee McGhee-Lenart
Paul Pansini
Carol Herrnstadt Shulman
Janice Turner
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