New GAO Report Analyzes Implementation of the Data Quality
Act
Information Quality Act (IQA): Expanded Oversight and Clearer Guidance by the
Office of Management and Budget Could Improve Agencies' Implementation of the
Act, Full-text GAO-06-765,
and Highlights,
August 23, 2006.
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not have department-level
guidelines covering its 22 component agencies. Also, although the Environmental
Protection Agency and 4 other independent agencies posted IQA guidelines and
other information to their Web sites, 44 of 86 additional independent agencies
that GAO examined have not posted their guidelines and may not have them in
place. As a result, users of information from these agencies may not know
whether agencies have guidelines or know how to request correction of agency
information. OMB also has not clarified guidance to agencies about posting
IQA-related information, including guidelines, to make that information more
accessible...Also, of the 80 substantive requests that agencies received during
the 2-year period--over 50 percent of which came from businesses, trade groups,
or other profit-oriented organizations--almost half (39) of the initial agency
decisions of these 80 were appealed, with 8 appeals resulting in changes."
