GAO Says Federal Agencies Lack Goals and Data Needed to Judge Whether Many Programs Work

Many federal programs cannot be adequately assessed because the agencies running them lack clearly defined goals and relevant data, according to a Government Accountability Office report published July 21, 2026.

The review examined 15 federal programs at five agencies that provide services directly to the public. GAO said weaknesses in performance measurement limit the ability of Congress and agency leaders to determine whether programs are achieving their intended purposes.

The findings concern federal program management across the government, rather than a single agency or locality. GAO is the audit, evaluation and investigative arm of Congress.

What GAO found

Clear goals are a basic part of determining whether a program is working. Without them, agencies and lawmakers have a weaker basis for judging what a program is supposed to accomplish and whether its results match that purpose.

GAO also identified gaps in relevant performance data. Data must be connected to a program’s goals to help decision-makers evaluate results. When that information is incomplete, unavailable or not aligned with the program’s purpose, officials have less ability to distinguish progress from problems.

The report did not establish that every program reviewed had failed to deliver services. Instead, it identified weaknesses in the systems used to measure performance and manage programs.

Those weaknesses can affect decisions about federal spending and program design. If Congress and agency leaders cannot reliably determine whether programs are meeting their purposes, they have limited information for deciding whether operations or funding should change.

A three-step approach

GAO described a three-step process for improving performance assessment and management. The process calls for agencies to define goals, collect relevant data and use performance information in decision-making.

The steps are connected. Goals establish what a program is intended to achieve. Relevant data provides evidence about whether those objectives are being met. Using the resulting performance information allows agency leaders and Congress to apply what the data shows to oversight and management.

The approach is intended to make performance information more useful rather than treating data collection as an end in itself. A program may produce large amounts of information, but that information is less valuable for oversight if it does not measure progress toward clearly stated goals.

Broader performance-management concerns

The July report follows related GAO work that found the Office of Management and Budget and selected agencies had not fully addressed new statutory performance-management requirements.

That related review examined the implementation of strategic reviews at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the Treasury, the General Services Administration and the State Department. Together, the reports point to a continuing challenge in federal management: establishing requirements and processes is not enough if agencies do not fully implement them or produce information that can guide decisions.

The 2026 review did not identify all 15 programs or all five agencies in the findings summarized by GAO. Its central conclusion was broader: many federal programs lack the goals and data needed for meaningful assessment.

Why the findings matter

Federal programs affect people through services delivered by agencies nationwide. Oversight decisions about those programs depend on knowing what they are designed to do, what results they produce and where changes may be needed.

When those measurements are weak, Congress and agency leaders have less ability to determine whether programs are delivering their intended services or whether spending should be changed. Better-defined goals and more relevant data would give decision-makers a stronger basis for evaluating performance.

GAO’s three-step framework provides a structure for that improvement: set measurable goals, gather data that relates to those goals and use the performance information in management and oversight. The report’s findings place the emphasis on improving evaluation and accountability, not on eliminating the programs reviewed.

Sources

• Federal Programs: Assessing and Improving Effectiveness, Government Accountability Office
• Government Performance Management: OMB and Selected Agencies Need to Fully Address New Requirements, Government Accountability Office

Look for updates to this story

Related News

• GAO Warns Federal Debt Has Surpassed the Size of the U.S. Economy
• GAO Says Federal Agencies Struggle to Match Data Used to Check Award Eligibility
• Meta’s Supreme Court Filing Deadline Arrives in Nevada Social-Media Liability Case
• Justice Department Opens Investigation Into Harvard Financial-Aid Programs Tied to China