	GAO Identified 47 Federal Employment and Training Programs, and Most Overlapped with at Least One Other Program

For fiscal year 2009, we identified 47 federally funded employment and  training programs administered across nine agencies, primarily the  Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services (HHS)  (for a list of programs and agencies, see appendix I). Almost all programs overlap with at least one other program, but  differences may exist in eligibility, objectives, and service delivery. Forty- four of the 47 programs, which include broad multipurpose block grants,  overlap with at least one other program, in that they provide at least one  similar service to a similar population. WIA’s Structure Provides the Opportunity to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication

Congress passed WIA partly in response to concerns about fragmentation  and inefficiencies in federal employment and training programs. Thirteen Categories of Employment and Training Programs Must Provide Services Through the One- Stop System

Under WIA, sixteen different categories of programs, administered by four  federal agencies, must provide services through the one-stop system,  according to Labor officials. Increasing Colocation of Services in One-Stop Centers and Consolidating State Administrative Structures May Increase Efficiencies

One-stop centers required under WIA provide an opportunity for a broad  array of federal employment and training programs—both required and  optional programs—to coordinate their services and avoid duplication. We recently recommended that the Secretaries of Labor and HHS work  together to develop and disseminate information that could inform such  efforts, including information on state initiatives to consolidate program  administrative structures and state and local efforts to colocate additional  programs at one-stop centers. As part of this effort, we recommended that  Labor and HHS examine the incentives for states and localities to  undertake such initiatives and, as warranted, identify options for  increasing them. Congress Needs Better Information on Program Performance to Address Fragmentation, Overlap, and Potential Duplication in Employment and Training Programs

Making informed decisions about where to invest scarce resources  requires information about what’s working and what’s not but, despite  improvements, performance data do not provide a complete picture of the  employment and training system. We have made a number of recommendations regarding the  performance management systems of the key employment and training  programs, and Labor has made some progress addressing our concerns. Information about the effectiveness of these programs can also help guide  policymakers and program managers in making decisions about how to  improve, coordinate, or consolidate existing programs. In conclusion, removing and preventing unnecessary duplication, overlap,  and fragmentation among federal employment and training programs is  clearly challenging. Our  work highlights two key areas where congressional oversight could  facilitate progress:    Enhancing program evaluations and performance information; and    Fostering state and local innovation in integrating services and  consolidating administrative structures. As the nation rises to meet its current fiscal challenges, GAO will continue  to assist Congress and federal agencies in identifying actions needed to  address these issues. Appendix I: Federally Funded Employment and Training Programs by Agency, Fiscal Year 2009

Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government  Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue. Workforce Investment Act: Labor Has Made Progress in Addressing  Areas of Concern, but More Focus Needed on Understanding What Works  and What Doesn’t. Multiple Employment Training Programs: Overlap Among Programs  Raises Questions About Efficiency. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the  United States.
Why GAO Did This Study

This testimony discusses the findings from our recent work on fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication in federally funded employment and training programs and our prior work on the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). We recently issued two reports addressing fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication in federal programs--one that outlined opportunities to reduce potential duplication across a wide range of federal programs and another that focused more specifically on employment and training programs. This work and our larger body of work in the area will help government policymakers address the rapidly building fiscal pressures facing our nation's government--pressures that stem, in part, from our mounting debt and sustained high unemployment. Our work to examine fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication in employment and training programs has a long history. As early as the 1990s we issued a series of reports that raised questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the federally funded employment and training system, and we concluded that a structural overhaul and consolidation of these programs was needed. Partly in response to these concerns, Congress passed WIA. The purpose of WIA, in part, was to transform the fragmented employment and training system into a coherent one, establishing a one-stop system that serves the needs of job seekers and employers. Since WIA was enacted, we have issued numerous reports that have included recommendations regarding many aspects of WIA, such as performance measures and accountability, one-stop centers, and training, among other topics. GAO's work has continued to find fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication in employment and training programs. The area is characterized by a large number of programs with similar goals, beneficiaries, and allowable activities that are administered by multiple federal agencies. Fragmentation of programs exists when programs serve the same broad area of national need but are administered across different federal agencies or offices. Program overlap exists when multiple agencies or programs have similar goals, engage in similar activities or strategies to achieve them, or target similar beneficiaries. Overlap and fragmentation among government programs or activities can be harbingers of unnecessary duplication. Given the challenges associated with fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication, careful, thoughtful actions will be needed to address these issues. This testimony discusses (1) what GAO has found regarding fragmentation, overlap, and duplication in federal employment and training programs, (2) the role that WIA activities can play in addressing these conditions, and (3) what additional information could help Congress minimize fragmentation, overlap, and duplication among these programs.

What GAO Found

In summary, for fiscal year 2009, GAO identified 47 federally funded employment and training programs administered across nine agencies. Almost all of these programs overlap with at least one other program in that they provide at least one similar service to a similar population, but differences may exist in eligibility, objectives, and service delivery. WIA's structure provides the opportunity to reduce overlap and duplication because it requires that several of these programs provide services through the one-stop system, but they need not be on-site. Increasing colocation at one-stop centers, as well as consolidating state workforce and welfare administrative agencies could increase efficiencies, and several states and localities have undertaken such initiatives. To facilitate further progress in increasing administrative efficiencies, we recommended that the Secretaries of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) work together to develop and disseminate information about such efforts. Sustained congressional oversight is pivotal in addressing issues of fragmentation, overlap, and potential duplication. Specifically, Congress could explore opportunities to enhance program evaluations and performance information and foster state and local innovation in integrating services and consolidating administrative structures.