In 1990, we launched a program to report on government operations that we identified as “high risk”. Since then, usually coinciding with the start of each new Congress, we have reported on progress in addressing high-risk areas and updating the High-Risk List.
Overall, our high-risk list has identified and helped address serious weaknesses in areas that involve significant resources and provide essential services to the public. Since the beginning of our program, the government has taken high-risk issues seriously and made long-needed progress in addressing them. In a number of cases, progress has been sufficient for us to remove the high-risk designation.
Want to get off the high-risk list?
We are often asked what agencies can do to get off the high risk list. In this report, we discuss cases in which agencies and Congress have taken action to improve programs and generate financial and other benefits. In some of these cases, we have reduced the scope of high-risk areas or removed them from the list due to these improvements.
