Information Quality Act: Expanded Oversight and Clearer Guidance by the Office of Management and Budget Could Improve Agencies' Implementation of the Act

The importance and widespread use of federal information makes its accuracy imperative. The Information Quality Act (IQA) required that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issue guidelines to ensure the quality of information disseminated by federal agencies by fiscal year 2003. GAO was asked to (1) assess OMB's role in helping agencies implement IQA; (2) identify the number, type, and source of IQA correction requests agencies received; and (3) examine if IQA has adversely affected agencies overall operations and, in particular, rulemaking processes. In response, GAO interviewed OMB and agency officials and reviewed agency IQA guidelines, related documents, and Web sites. To help ensure that agencies covered by IQA meet requirements, GAO recommends that OMB's Director take actions to (1) work with DHS to help ensure it fulfills IQA requirements and set a deadline for doing so; (2) identify other agencies without IQA guidelines and work with them to develop and implement IQA requirements; and (3) clarify guidance to agencies on improving the publics access to online IQA information. OMB said it would continue working with DHS to develop departmentwide guidelines and with other agencies to develop their guidelines. OMB would also work with agencies to improve the online dissemination of IQA information.