GAO 2018-2023 Strategic Plan: Trends Affecting Government and Society
Excerpt from report:
“For nearly 100 years, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has stood at the vanguard of the U.S. government’s efforts to ensure government accountability and effectiveness. To help support these efforts, GAO publishes a strategic plan every 4 years that emphasizes consideration of future issues that may affect the federal government and society
as a whole.”
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Report location: | source |
| Language: | English |
| Publisher: | US Government Accountability Office |
| Publication date: | February 22, 2018 |
| Time horizon: | 2030 - 2035 |
| Geographic focus: | United_States |
| Page count: | 40 |
Methods
The GAO used extensive research and expert consultation to identify trends affecting government and society. They reviewed current states and key assumptions, exploring uncertainties and implications over the near term (5 years) and long term (15 years). The trend papers aim to provide context for GAO's mission and highlight national concerns for Congress and the American people, without predicting the future.
- Qualitative methods used
- Environmental scanning used
Key Insights
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Strategic Plan 2018–2023 outlines eight trends impacting federal government and society, including global security, fiscal outlook, economics, workforce, demographics, science and technology, governance, and environment. These trends pose complex challenges requiring strategic foresight, environmental scanning, and trend analysis to inform decision-making and address interconnected issues for sustained collaboration and innovation.
Drivers mentioned include:
- New types of security threats from increasing global volatility
- Long-term fiscal unsustainability of federal government
- Divergent growth rates of national and global economies
- Technology is changing the nature of work
- Demographics are shifting in ways that affect U.S. society and the economy.
- Five emerging technologies will potentially transform society.
- Increasing complexity of governance relationships and practices
- Competition between natural resource development and sustainability
Additional Viewpoints
Categories: 2018 publication year | 2030 time horizon | 2030s time horizon | 2035 time horizon | English publication language | United States geographic scope | demographics | economics | environment | fiscal outlook | global security | governance | science | technology | workforce