The agency’s R&D program is  aimed at advancing the most promising technologies for ensuring the safe  operations of pipelines. From 1998 through  2002, a total of 1,770 pipeline accidents occurred, resulting in 100 fatalities  and $621 million in property damage. OPS’s R&D Funding Is Aligned with Its Mission and Pipeline Safety Goals

Since fiscal year 2001, OPS has allocated its rising R&D funding to three  main areas of pipeline safety R&D that were identified at its 2001  workshop: (1) developing new technologies for preventing damage to  pipelines and detecting leaks, (2) improving technologies for operating,  controlling, and monitoring the condition of pipelines, and (3) improving  the performance of pipeline materials. On the basis of our work, we believe that the agency’s R&D funding is  generally aligned with its mission and pipeline safety goals. Finally, the agency plans to allocate the smallest portion of its R&D budget,  14 percent, or $1.2 million, to the area of Mapping and Information  Systems, which includes efforts to improve the collection, integration, and  analysis of data on the location and safety performance of pipelines. OPS started funding Improved  Materials Performance research in fiscal year 2002, increasing funding in  this area to a level of $1.7 million in fiscal year 2003. The agency has described how new and  improved technologies resulting from its R&D funding can help achieve  these performance goals. In response, OPS is continuing to involve  various experts and stakeholders in its R&D planning. Experts Generally Support OPS’s R&D Priorities

The pipeline safety R&D priorities of the experts who completed our  questionnaire are generally consistent with OPS’s R&D priorities. Such a process is  needed to demonstrate the program’s progress toward achieving its  objectives, such as the development and use of new technologies that can  improve pipeline safety. OPS has taken some preliminary steps toward  developing an evaluation process for its R&D program and could benefit  from adopting identified best practices for systematically evaluating the  outcomes of federal R&D programs. Leading research organizations, the  Office of Management and Budget, and GAO have identified a number of  such practices, including setting clear R&D goals and measuring progress  toward these goals, using expert review to evaluate the quality of research  outcomes, and reporting periodically on evaluation results. Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve OPS’s ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of its R&D  program and make the most effective use of program funds, we  recommend that the Secretary of Transportation direct OPS to  develop a systematic process for evaluating the outcomes of its R&D  program that incorporates identified best practices and  include in the annual reports to Congress, which are required by the  Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, information on the results of R&D  evaluations. Experts’ Views on R&D Priorities and OPS’s R&D Funding, by Type of R&D

We asked selected experts to review the following descriptions of specific  types of pipeline safety research and development (R&D) and assign a  funding priority to each, based on its importance in achieving the Office of  Pipeline Safety’s (OPS) mission of ensuring the safe, reliable, and  environmentally sound operation of the nation’s pipeline transportation  system.
Why GAO Did This Study

From 1998 through 2002, a total of 1,770 pipeline accidents occurred, resulting in 100 fatalities and $621 million in property damage. The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) within the Department of Transportation operates a research and development (R&D) program aimed at advancing the most promising technologies for ensuring the safe operation of pipelines. In fiscal year 2003, OPS received $8.7 million for its R&D program, a sevenfold increase since fiscal year 1998. In response to a directive from the House Committee on Appropriations, GAO (1) assessed OPS's distribution of funding among various areas of R&D and the alignment of this funding with its mission and goals, (2) surveyed experts to obtain their views on R&D priorities, and (3) determined how OPS evaluates R&D outcomes.

What GAO Found

OPS distributes its R&D budget among four main areas. For example, in fiscal year 2003, the office plans to allocate its $8.7 million budget as follows: 46 percent ($4.0 million) to developing new technologies to prevent damage to pipelines and prevent leaks; 21 percent ($1.9 million) to improving technologies for operating, controlling, and monitoring the condition of pipelines; 19 percent ($1.7 million) to improved pipeline materials, such as materials that are resistant to damage and defects; and 14 percent ($1.2 million) to efforts to improve data on the location and safety performance of pipelines. On the basis of our work, we believe that OPS's R&D funding is generally aligned with its mission and pipeline safety goals. OPS has taken a number of steps to ensure this alignment. For example, it obtained the views of a variety of experts and stakeholders in deciding on its R&D priorities and has described in various plans how its R&D efforts can lead to new and improved technologies that can help achieve its safety performance goals, such as reducing the impacts of pipeline accidents. The pipeline safety R&D priorities of the experts we surveyed are generally consistent with OPS's R&D priorities. For example, most assigned a high priority to the two areas of R&D that receive the highest amount of funding from OPS. OPS's efforts to evaluate the outcomes of its R&D have been limited. The agency has taken some preliminary steps toward developing an evaluation process for its R&D program, such as identifying possible measures of program results. Leading research organizations, the Office of Management and Budget, and GAO have identified a number of best practices for systematically evaluating the outcomes of federal R&D programs, such as setting clear R&D goals, measuring progress toward goals, and reporting periodically on evaluation results. These best practices can help OPS to determine the effectiveness of its R&D program in achieving desired outcomes, such as the development and use of new and improved technologies that can enhance pipeline safety.