Gene Dodaro, U.S. comptroller general and Government Accountability Office leader, has said GAO has requested a budget of $567.8 million for fiscal year 2017 to recruit new staff and update its information technology infrastructure.
Dodaro said in written testimony to the Senate Appropriations legislative branch subcommittee Tuesday that GAO needs to meet staffing needs as 42 percent of its executives will be eligible to retire by the end of fiscal 2016.
He said the budget request would support GAO’s goal to operate with 3,100 full-time employees by fiscal 2017.
“GAO plans to bolster entry-level and intern positions to provide a pipeline to help address succession planning and fill critical skill gaps,†Dodaro noted.
Dodaro added the congressional audit agency also intends to lower operating costs, boost productivity among its personnel and improve data access through investments in efforts that seek to update information management tools, telecommunications, security platforms, as well as software and hardware.
