Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world

Past Event
Special Series

TAPP and GAO Lunch Discussion Session: Generating Effective Technology Assessment for Congress

Invitation Only Harvard Faculty, Fellows, Staff, and Students

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been tasked by Congress to develop a new, expanded body within GAO to generate technology assessments for Congress, provide on-demand technical assistance to the Congress, provide oversight of federal S&T programs, and develop innovative analytical techniques in carrying out audits and evaluations. GAO has a forthcoming report to Congress this spring that will detail their research into best practices for this S&T assessment work and how they plan to structure this new body within GAO focused on S&T issues.

The Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project is hosting a lunch discussion with GAO’s Chief Scientist and fellow members of the GAO S&T leadership team to help them examine how to make technology assessment and S&T advice for Congress most effective and policy-relevant.

Date: Time: - Location: Taubman Building - Allison Dining Room, 5th Floor
The west side of the U.S. Capitol building.

Generating Effective Technology Assessment for Congress

The increasing pace of technological change has led to unparalleled opportunities for development and advancement of our society, but it has also caused difficulties for government officials seeking to engage productively with technology issues. Regulatory bodies and legislators cannot keep up with the pace of technological innovation, as well as the scale and complexity of these technologies. Current events—including ill-prepared Congressional member questioning of tech leaders and a lack of progress on meaningful tech regulation—have demonstrated the consequential impact of policymakers’ seeming inability to effectively engage with major issues in tech policy. In recent years, Congress has been slow to effectively craft regulation for emerging technologies, evaluate the efficacy of R&D spending, and critically examine government use and adoption of technologies.

This lunch discussion will set aside the numerous proposals of methods to improve Congressional science and technology (S&T) capacity and available resources. Instead, this discussion will focus on the characteristics and qualities needed for effective technology assessment for Congress. Thoughts discussed will support for the Government Accountability Office’s forthcoming report to Congress detailing how it will enhance and expand its science and technology support to Congress, consistent with direction provided by the House Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 2019 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill.