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                            High Risk List
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                          High Risk List
                          GAO’s list, updated at the start of each new Congress, of programs and operations that are vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement, or in need of transformation. Jump To:
    Jump ToElder Abuse
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                    OverviewThere are 37 areas on our High Risk List in April 2023. Overall, 16 areas on our list improved, the most since we began rating high-risk areas 8 years ago. These improvements resulting in approximately $100 billion in financial benefits since the last update two years ago. One area—DOD’s business systems modernization—regressed. And we removed two existing areas—the 2020 decennial census and pension benefit programs.

**Three Areas Added Since 2021**

Strengthening Management of the Federal Prison System added in 2023. We added the federal prison system partly due to the Bureau of Prison’s (BOP) longstanding challenges with managing staff and resources, and planning and evaluating programs that help incarcerated people successfully return to the community. Prior to being added to the High Risk List, GAO and BOP met on these issues. The new Director BOP expressed her commitment to bring sustained attention to resolving this High Risk area.
	Health and Human Services Coordination of Public Health Emergencies added in 2022. The department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic compounded our long-standing concerns about its ability to execute its role in leading federal public health and medical emergencies and responding to extreme weather events.
	Unemployment Insurance System added in 2022. The joint federal-state program has had long-standing problems with meeting the needs of unemployed workers, lessening the risk of fraud and improper payments, and preventing large financial losses of taxpayer money.View the 2023 ReportCurrent List**Strengthening Management of the Federal Prison System** **– NEW**

**Department of Health and Human Services’ Leadership and Coordination of Public Health Emergencies****– NEW**

**Unemployment Insurance System****– NEW**

Acquisition and Program Management for DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration and Office of Environmental Management

DOD Approach to Business Transformation

DOD Business Systems Modernization

DOD Contract Management

DOD Financial Management

DOD Weapon Systems Acquisition

Emergency Loans for Small Businesses

Enforcement of Tax Laws

Ensuring the Cybersecurity of the Nation

Ensuring the Effective Protection of Technologies Critical to U.S. National Security Interests

Funding the Nation's Surface Transportation System

Government-wide Personnel Security Clearance Process

Improving and Modernizing Federal Disability Programs

Improving Federal Management of Programs that Serve Tribes and Their Members

Improving Federal Oversight of Food Safety

Improving the Management of IT Acquisitions and Operations

Limiting the Federal Government's Fiscal Exposure by Better Managing Climate Change Risks

Management of Federal Oil and Gas Resources

Managing Federal Real Property

Managing Risks and Improving VA Health Care

Medicare Program & Improper Payments

Modernizing the U.S. Financial Regulatory System

NASA Acquisition Management

National Efforts to Prevent, Respond to, and Recover from Drug Misuse

National Flood Insurance Program

Protecting Public Health through Enhanced Oversight of Medical Products

Resolving the Federal Role in Housing Finance

Strategic Human Capital Management

Strengthening Department of Homeland Security IT and Financial Management Functions

Strengthening Medicaid Program Integrity

Transforming EPA's Process for Assessing and Controlling Toxic Chemicals

U.S. Government's Environmental Liability

USPS Financial Viability

VA Acquisition Management

When was each High Risk area added to the list? This table (PDF, 1 page) shows the year that each area on GAO’s 2023 High Risk List was designated High Risk.About the High Risk ListIn 1990, we began a program to report on government operations that we identified as “high risk.” Since then, generally coinciding with the start of each new Congress, we have reported on the status of progress to address high-risk areas and update the High Risk List.

Overall, our High Risk List has served to identify and help resolve serious weaknesses in areas that involve substantial resources and provide critical services to the public. Since our program began, the government has taken high-risk problems seriously and has made long-needed progress toward correcting 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 often get asked what agencies can do to get off the High Risk List. In this report, we discuss cases in which agencies and Congress took actions to improve programs and yield financial and other benefits. In some of these cases, we narrowed the scope of the High Risk areas or removed them from the list because of these improvements.Area RatingsThe key elements needed to make progress in High Risk areas are top-level attention by the administration and agency leaders grounded in the five criteria for removal from the High Risk List, as well as any needed congressional action.

The five criteria are:

**Leadership Commitment**. Demonstrated strong commitment and top leadership support.
	**Capacity**. Agency has the capacity (i.e., people and resources) to resolve the risk(s).
	**Action Plan**. A corrective action plan exists that defines the root cause, solutions, and provides for substantially completing corrective measures including steps necessary to implement solutions we recommended.
	**Monitoring**. A program has been instituted to monitor and independently validate the effectiveness and sustainability of corrective measures.
	**Demonstrated Progress**. Ability to demonstrate progress in implementing corrective measures and resolving the high-risk area.In 2015, GAO began illustrating progress in high risk areas using a five-pointed star. The star visibly indicates whether each of the five criteria have been met, partially met, or not met for that high risk area.Previous High Risk ReportsHigh-Risk Series: Key Practices to Successfully Address High-Risk Areas and Remove Them from the ListGAO-22-105184
      
	Published:  Mar 03, 2022


	Publicly Released: Mar 03, 2022
              High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk AreasGAO-21-119SP
      
	Published:  Mar 02, 2021


	Publicly Released: Mar 02, 2021
              High-Risk Series: Substantial Efforts Needed to Achieve Greater Progress on High-Risk AreasGAO-19-157SP
      
	Published:  Mar 06, 2019


	Publicly Released: Mar 06, 2019
              High-Risk Series: Progress on Many High-Risk Areas, While Substantial Efforts Needed on OthersGAO-17-317
      
	Published:  Feb 15, 2017


	Publicly Released: Feb 15, 2017
              High-Risk Series: Key Actions to Make Progress Addressing High-Risk IssuesGAO-16-480R
      
	Published:  Apr 25, 2016


	Publicly Released: May 25, 2016
              High-Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-15-290
      
	Published:  Feb 11, 2015


	Publicly Released: Feb 11, 2015
              High-Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-13-283
      
	Published:  Feb 13, 2013


	Publicly Released: Feb 13, 2013
              High-Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-11-278
      
	Published:  Feb 16, 2011


	Publicly Released: Feb 16, 2011
              High-Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-09-271
      
	Published:  Jan 22, 2009


	Publicly Released: Jan 22, 2009
              High Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-07-310
      
	Published:  Jan 31, 2007


	Publicly Released: Jan 31, 2007
              High-Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-05-207
      
	Published:  Jan 01, 2005


	Publicly Released: Jan 01, 2005
              High-Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-03-119
      
	Published:  Jan 01, 2003


	Publicly Released: Jan 01, 2003
              High Risk Series: An UpdateGAO-01-263
      
	Published:  Jan 01, 2001


	Publicly Released: Jan 01, 2001
              Determining Performance and Accountability Challenges and High RisksGAO-01-159SP
      
	Published:  Nov 01, 2000


	Publicly Released: Nov 01, 2000
              High-Risk Series: An UpdateHR-99-1
      
	Published:  Jan 01, 1999


	Publicly Released: Jan 01, 1999
              High-Risk Series: An OverviewHR-97-1
      
	Published:  Feb 01, 1997


	Publicly Released: Feb 01, 1997
              High Risk Series: An OverviewHR-95-1
      
	Published:  Feb 01, 1995


	Publicly Released: Feb 01, 1995
              High Risk Series: Farmers Home Administration's Farm Loan ProgramsHR-93-1
      
	Published:  Dec 01, 1992


	Publicly Released: Dec 01, 1992
              High Risk: Letter to Congressional Committees Identifying GAO's Original High Risk AreasPublished:  Jan 23, 1990


	Publicly Released: Jan 23, 1990
  

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      Michelle Sager
      
              Michelle Sager
            
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            sagerm@gao.gov
      
            (202) 512-6806
                                                      MultimediaVideo
    
      2023 High Risk Update: Management of the Federal Prison System
      
        
        2023 High Risk Update: Management of the Federal Prison System
          Thursday, April 20, 2023Transcript
          U.S. Comptroller General Testifies to U.S. Senate on GAO's 2023 High Risk List Update
      
        
        U.S. Comptroller General Testifies to U.S. Senate on GAO's 2023 High Risk List Update
          Thursday, April 20, 2023Transcript
          U.S. Comptroller General Testifies to House on GAO's 2023 High Risk List Update
      
        
        U.S. Comptroller General Testifies to House on GAO's 2023 High Risk List Update
          Wednesday, April 26, 2023Transcript
High Risk List Tach
          Blog Post
              Our Latest High Risk List Update—GAO Sees Progress in 16 Areas, But Lingering Serious Issues in Others
            Thursday, April 20, 2023
      
            Today, we issued our latest High Risk List , which includes 37 areas across the federal government...
Press Release
        GAO Sees Progress in Sixteen Areas but Lingering Serious Issues in Others as it Releases 2023 "High Risk List"Date
              Thursday, April 20, 2023

            WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 20, 2023)—The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today issued its latest High Risk List , which includes 37 areas across the federal government vulnerable to waste...
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