We recommended that the Office of Management  and Budget (OMB), in consultation with those agencies that administer  programs that support employment for people with disabilities, take two  actions to improve coordination and program effectiveness and efficiency:  (1) consider establishing measurable, governmentwide goals for  employment of people with disabilities, and (2) continue to work with  executive agencies that administer overlapping programs to determine  whether program consolidation might result in administrative savings and  more effective and efficient delivery of services. OMB officials  stated that their approach to responding to this requirement will address  fragmentation among federal programs. At least 13 congressional  committees are responsible for oversight of the 45 programs, which are  administered by nine federal agencies. All 45 programs overlapped with at least one other program in that they  provided one or more similar employment service to people with  disabilities. Overlap was greatest in programs serving two distinct groups;  specifically, we identified 19 programs that provided employment services  to veterans and servicemembers (see fig. At the same time, any veteran or servicemember could receive these  services from 5 of the 7 programs that did not limit eligibility to any  particular population. For a list of programs, populations they serve, and the  services they reported providing, see appendix V.
While many programs reported providing similar services to similar  populations, some programs have less potential for duplication— providing the same services to the same beneficiaries—than others. Some overlapping programs have specific eligibility requirements that  make duplication less likely. However, it is difficult to  determine the extent to which these different strategies reduce or prevent  potential duplication in services among these programs. Even when the potential for duplication of services is low, there may be  inefficiencies associated with operating two or more separate programs  that provide similar services to similar populations. Officials Surveyed Reported Limited Coordination across All Programs

Coordination could help mitigate the potential for duplication among  fragmented programs, but officials we surveyed reported limited  coordination among the 45 programs in our scope. Programs Tracked Varying Outcome Measures, and Little Is Known About Program Effectiveness

		Programs Reported Tracking Varying Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities

Coordination efforts can be enhanced when agencies work toward a  common goal, yet outcome measures varied across programs and not all  programs reported outcomes specifically for people with disabilities. Given a list of typical employment measures, 32 of the 45 programs  reported tracking at least one employment measure specifically for people  with disabilities.measures most commonly tracked were “participants who enter  employment” (28 programs) and “participants’ employment retention” (18  programs). Despite some similarities in programs’ outcome measures, it can be  difficult to compare relative performance due to variation across programs  in the type and severity of participants’ disabilities. However, this study did not determine whether other  factors may have contributed to participants’ positive outcomes. The Departments of Education, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, and SSA  provided technical comments, which we incorporated into the report, as  appropriate. We held follow-up meetings with agency officials to clarify  criteria, as appropriate. To identify areas of potential overlap  among programs that support employment for people with disabilities, we  reviewed survey responses from agency officials. In addition, we evaluated the methodology section of 11 of those  studies, which were identified as impact studies by 7 programs, to  determine if they met our criteria for an impact study—that is, the study  provides an assessment of the net effect of a program by comparing  program outcomes with an estimate of what would have happened in the  absence of the program. Appendix III: Reported Program Obligations and Number of People with Disabilities Served

Department of Agriculture  Assistive Technology Program for Farmers with  Disabilities: AgrAbility Project  Army Warrior Care and Transition Program  Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment  Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Intern Program  Recovery Coordination Program – Operation  Warfighter (Internships)
Local Veterans’ Employment Representatives  program   Registered Apprenticeship for Youth and Young  Adults with Disabilities Initiative  Community Service Employment for Older  Americans/Senior Community Service  Employment Program Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program Work Opportunity Tax Credit (joint with the Internal  Revenue Service)
Workforce Investment Act Youth Activities  Workforce Recruitment Program (joint with the  Department of Defense)
Some programs were not able to identify obligations related to providing employment supports to  people with disabilities. 5.
Why GAO Did This Study

Many federal programswithin the Departments of Education, Labor, and Veterans Affairs; the Social Security Administration; and other agencieshelp people with disabilities overcome barriers to employment. Section 21 of Pub. L. No. 111-139 requires GAO to identify and report annually on programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives that have duplicative goals or activities. GAO examined the extent to which programs that support employment for people with disabilities (1) provide similar services to similar populations and (2) measure effectiveness. GAO identified programs by searching the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and consulting agency officials. GAO surveyed and interviewed agency officials to determine program objectives and activities. Nine agencies reviewed the draft report and five provided comments. Labor was concerned that GAO characterized its programs as fragmented and potentially duplicative. While multiple programs may be appropriate, GAO maintains that additional review and coordination may reduce inefficiencies and improve effectiveness among overlapping programs.
GAO is not recommending executive action at this time. In a recent report, GAO suggested the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) consider establishing governmentwide goals for employment of people with disabilities, and working with agencies that administer overlapping programs to determine whether consolidation might result in more effective and efficient delivery of services. GAO continues to believe these actions are needed and will follow up with OMB to determine their status.

What GAO Found

GAO identified 45 programs that supported employment for people with disabilities in fiscal year 2010, reflecting a fragmented system of services. The programs were administered by nine federal agencies and overseen by even more congressional committees. All programs overlapped with at least one other program in that they provided one or more similar employment service to a similar populationpeople with disabilities. The greatest overlap occurred in programs serving veterans and servicemembers (19 programs) and youth and young adults (5 programs). In addition, GAO identified seven programs that did not limit eligibility to any particular population and were potentially available to veterans and servicemembers or youth. Some overlapping programs, such as those with specific eligibility requirements, have less potential for duplicationproviding the same services to the same beneficiariesthan others. However, even when the potential for duplication of services is low, there may be inefficiencies associated with operating multiple programs that provide similar services to similar populations. Coordination across programs may help address fragmentation and potential duplication, but officials that GAO surveyed reported only limited coordination. However, among six selected programs that only serve people with disabilitiesincluding the Department of Educations Vocational Rehabilitation program and the Social Security Administrations Ticket to Work programofficials cited more consistent coordination.
Most (32) of the 45 programs surveyed tracked at least one employment-related outcome measure for people with disabilities, but overall little is known about the effectiveness of these programs. The most commonly tracked outcomes for people with disabilities were entered employment (28 programs) and employment retention (18 programs). However, it may be difficult to compare outcomes across programs, in part, because of variation in the type and severity of participants disabilities. In addition, only 10 of the 45 programs reported that an evaluation had been conducted in the last 5 years. Just one of the 45 programs (Job Corps) reported conducting an impact studya study that would most clearly show whether the program (and not other factors) was responsible for improved employment outcomes for people with disabilities. However, additional studies are underway for at least two other programs.