The  initial organizational changes also elevated the role of strategic planning  and metrics and established a new policy and guidance unit. Counterterrorism Finance (CTF): entails programs and activities to  build foreign partner capacity and to implement significant parts of the  U.S. government’s strategy to cut off financial support to terrorists. Our preliminary analysis shows that, in addition to the foreign assistance  programming that the CT Bureau oversees and manages, the bureau’s  allocated resources include funding for the operations of the bureau. CT Bureau’s Authorized Staffing Has Increased since Fiscal Year 2011; Recent Efforts Have Been Made to Reduce Staffing Gap

Our preliminary analysis indicates that the CT Bureau’s number of  authorized full-time equivalent (FTE) positions has grown annually, and  the bureau has recently undertaken efforts to reduce a persistent staffing  gap. The bureau’s number of FTEs grew from 66 in fiscal year 2011 to 96  in fiscal year 2015, which is an increase of more than 45 percent. While the  bureau’s current authorized level of FTEs for fiscal year 2015 is 96  positions, it had 22 vacancies as of October 31, 2014.analysis also shows that the percentage of vacancies in FTE positions in  the bureau has ranged from 17 percent to 23 percent in fiscal years 2011  to 2015. According to the CT Bureau, these vacancies have included both  staff-level and management positions. As of the end of May 2015, the  number of FTE vacancies in the bureau had been reduced to 10  positions, most of which are in the Office of Programs, according to the  CT Bureau. Our preliminary analysis indicates that the CT  Bureau assessed its progress toward its foreign assistance-related goals  but has not established time frames for addressing recommendations  from program evaluations. It also reported results  achieved for each indicator. In addition to having assessed its progress toward achieving its foreign  assistance-related goals, our preliminary analysis shows that since being  elevated to a bureau in fiscal year 2012, the CT Bureau has completed  four evaluations of counterterrorism-related programs it oversees. In response to questions during the  course of our review, CT Bureau officials developed action plans to  describe the status of efforts to address the 60 recommendations.the basis of our review of these action plans, the CT Bureau reported  having implemented about half of the recommendations (28 of 60) made   On  in the evaluations, as of April 2015. While the action plans are a positive first step to help the bureau monitor  and track its progress in implementing recommendations, they do not  address the need for the bureau to establish time frames for addressing  recommendations from evaluations. CT Bureau Collaboration on CVE and CTF Programs Is Generally Consistent with Key Practices

Our preliminary analysis shows that activities between the CT Bureau and  other bureaus within State as well as with other U.S. government  agencies on counterterrorism programs, specifically the Countering  Violent Extremism (CVE) and Counterterrorism Finance (CTF) programs,  were generally consistent with key practices that GAO has identified for  interagency collaboration in the areas of (1) outcomes and accountability,  (2) bridging organizational cultures, (3) leadership, (4) clarity of roles and  responsibilities, (5) resources, and (6) written guidance and  agreements. Our preliminary analysis shows that for CVE and to  some extent CTF, officials at State and other U.S. government  agencies were generally aware of the agency or individual with  leadership responsibility for the particular counterterrorism program. Our preliminary analysis indicates that, in cases where  the CT Bureau funded U.S. government agencies on CVE or CTF  programming, the funding mechanism was clear and laid out in the  interagency agreements.
Why GAO Did This Study

Terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose a global threat, and combating these at home and abroad remains a top priority for the U.S. government. In 2010, the first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), conducted at the direction of the Secretary of State, highlighted these global threats and, among other actions, recommended that State's Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism be elevated to bureau status. According to the 2010 QDDR report, the elevation of this office to a bureau would enhance State's ability to, among other things, counter violent extremism, build foreign partner capacity, and engage in counterterrorism diplomacy. In addition, the report stated that the bureau's new status would enable more effective coordination with other U.S. government agencies.
On the basis of preliminary results of ongoing work that GAO is conducting for this subcommittee and other congressional requesters, this testimony provides observations on (1) how the bureau's staffing resources have changed since 2011, (2) the extent to which the bureau has assessed its performance since 2011, and (3) the extent to which the bureau's coordination with U.S. government entities on select programs is in line with key collaboration practices. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed and analyzed State and other U.S. government agency information and interviewed U.S. government officials in Washington, D.C. GAO expects to issue a final report on this work in July 2015, along with any related recommendations.

What GAO Found

GAO's preliminary analysis shows that the Department of State's (State) Bureau of Counterterrorism has had an annual increase in authorized full-time equivalent (FTE) positions since fiscal year 2011 and has recently undertaken efforts to reduce a persistent staffing gap. The number of FTEs for the bureau increased from 66 in fiscal year 2011 to 96 in fiscal year 2015, and over the same period the percentage of FTE vacancies ranged from 17 to 23 percent. The vacancies have included both staff-level and management positions. During GAO's ongoing work, the bureau indicated that the gaps between authorized and filled positions were due to several factors. These included an increase in FTEs that the bureau was authorized when it was established and postponement of some staffing decisions until the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, who assumed her position in 2014, had sufficient time to assess the bureau's needs and priorities. The bureau has recently made progress in filling vacant positions and reported having 10 FTE vacancies as of the end of May 2015.
GAO's preliminary analysis has found that the bureau assessed its progress toward achieving its foreign assistance-related goals but has not established time frames for addressing recommendations from program evaluations. Specifically, the bureau established indicators and targets for its foreign assistance-related goals identified in the bureau's first multiyear strategic plan, and it reported results achieved toward each indicator. Since its elevation to a bureau in fiscal year 2012, the bureau has also completed four evaluations of counterterrorism-related programs it oversees, resulting in 60 recommendations. GAO's preliminary results show that the bureau had addressed about half of the recommendations (28 of 60) as of April 2015 but had not established time frames for addressing the remaining recommendations.
GAO's preliminary analysis has also found that the bureau's coordination within State and with other federal agencies on the Countering Violent Extremism and Counterterrorism Finance programs generally reflects key practices for collaboration. For example, with regard to identifying resources, in cases where the bureau funded other U.S. agencies partnering on these programs, the funding mechanism was clear and laid out in interagency agreements.