United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-07-11 monographic deposited born digital 13 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-950T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T P0b002ee18037c3f0 f:d01950t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T GAO-01-950T Agency proceedings Air transportation operations Transportation safety Regulatory agencies FAA Flight Operational Quality Assurance Program Testimony A01387 This testimony discusses the results of GAO's review of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) rulemaking process and ways to improve its efficiency. GAO found that the time FAA took to formally initiate a rule in response to a congressional mandate or a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation varied widely. Between fiscal year 1995 and fiscal year 2000, FAA initiated most such rules within two years, but some rules were initiated many years later. Over the entire six-year period of GAO's review, FAA's median time for the final rule phase--about 15 months--was comparable to that of four other federal regulatory agencies. Over a shorter, more recent period, FAA took longer to complete this phase. In 1998, FAA developed reforms that were designed to address problems affecting the pace of rulemaking, including the timing of management's involvement, the administration of the process, and human capital management issues. However, the reforms have not yet shortened the rulemaking process because they have not been fully or effectively implemented. Shifting priorities, some brought about by external events and some by internal circumstances, have continued to delay the pace of rulemaking. In addition, difficult policy issues have sometimes remained unresolved late in the process, and management has retained several layers of internal review. Rulemaking participants are not clear about their job responsibilities, and FAA's updated rulemaking information system contains consistent data on only the highest-priority rules. Recommended human capital management initiatives, including the establishment of a system for measuring and evaluating performance and creating performance incentives, have not yet been implemented. This report summarizes a July report (GAO-01-821). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T.pdf GAO-01-950T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-950T Testimony GAO-01-950T; Aviation Rulemaking: Incomplete Implementation Impaired FAA's Reform Efforts; Agency proceedings Air transportation operations Transportation safety Regulatory agencies FAA Flight Operational Quality Assurance Program