The document discusses the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) technology assessment program. It provides a brief history of technology assessment in the U.S., outlines GAO's definition and goals of technology assessment, summarizes GAO's past and current technology assessment work focusing on specific technologies and policy areas, and provides contact information for the technology assessment program.

1. An Update on
GAO’s Technology Assessment Program
Naba Barkakati, Ph.D.
Chief Technologist and Co-Director
Center for Science, Technology, and Engineering
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
441 G St NW, Washington, DC 20548 USA
barkakatin@gao.gov
www.gao.gov

2. Technology Assessment in USA
• Started with the Technology Assessment Act of 1972, which resulted in
the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that operated from 1973
to 1995.
• In 2002, GAO was asked to pilot technology assessments and in 2007
asked to make it a permanent function in GAO.
• GAO defines TA as the thorough and balanced analysis of significant
primary, secondary, indirect, and delayed interactions of a
technological innovation with society, the environment, and the
economy and the present and foreseen consequences and effects of
those interactions.
• GAO sees TA as a mechanism to inform and improve decision making
by policy-makers. TAs focus on analyzing the values and trade-offs of
various technologies for a specific intended use and presenting them in
a public policy context that can be used by the Congressional process.
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3. GAO’s Technology Assessment Work
• GAO has conducted TA over the past
several years assessing impact of
using technology for specific
programs.
• Since 2002, GAO conducted 5 pilot
technology assessments in areas
such as biometrics, cyber security,
wildland fires, cargo security, and
explosives detection.
• In 2011, GAO conducted two
technology assessments: one on
climate engineering technologies and
another on neutron detection
technologies.
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4. Updates on GAO’s TA Program
• Developing a guide for “Designing Technology Assessments” that
will identify and evaluate a range of design and methodological
options available for conducting technology assessments.
• Developing guidance to improve internal processes for
conducting technology assessments within GAO’s Quality
Assurance Framework.
• Continuing to conduct Technology Assessments – new request to
assess technologies for efficient water use in energy production,
agriculture, and residential use.
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5. Designing Technology Assessment –
Work in Progress
Defining TA scope Framing TA Methods
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6. GAO Technology Assessment Reports
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: Using Biometrics for Border Security, GAO-03-174, November 15,
2002
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Protection, GAO-04-321,
May 28, 2004
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: Protecting Structures and Improving Communications during
Wildland Fires, GAO-05-380, April 26, 2005
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: Securing the Transport of Cargo Containers, [For Official Use
Only], January 14, 2006
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: Explosives Detection Technology to Protect Passenger Rail,
GAO-10-898, July 28, 2010
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: Climate Engineering: Technical Status, Future Directions, and
Potential Responses, GAO-11-71, July 28, 2011
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: Neutron Detectors: Alternatives to Using Helium-3, GAO-11-753,
September 29, 2011
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7. Contact Information
For questions or comments, please contact:
Nabajyoti (“Naba”) Barkakati, Ph.D.
Chief Technologist and Co-Director
Phone: 202-512-4499
Email: BarkakatiN@gao.gov
Timothy Persons, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist and Co-Director
Phone: 202-512-6522
Email: PersonsT@gao.gov
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8. On the Web
Web site: http://www.gao.gov/
Contact
Chuck Young, Managing Director, Public Affairs, youngc1@gao.gov
(202) 512-4800, U.S. Government Accountability Office
441 G Street NW, Room 7149, Washington, D.C. 20548 USA
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