Financial management

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a bureau within the Department of Commerce (Commerce). To help achieve NOAAs program goals, it relies on management and administration (M&A) services, such as legal support and information technology. In response to the fiscal year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act Conference Report, GAO (1) examined how NOAAs M&A services are funded, (2) assessed the extent to which NOAAs policies and procedures for M&A services conform to applicable standards, and (3) estimated salaries and expenses for NOAAs budget for fiscal year 2009. Among other things, GAO reviewed documents on M&A services and data on M&A costs from NOAA officials for its headquarters; line offices, which are responsible for executing NOAAs programs; and a subset of financial management centers (FMC) within the line offices, which manage specific programs and projects.