The agency has vastly improved airport security, without perfecting it, and is still making progress.

Every witness who has come before the committee this week has said the agency must improve its monitoring.

The agency has also improved its drug approval process in recent years, but only with financial help from the pharmaceutical industry.

By contrast, Nassau's agency began in a deep hole but is improving.

The agency has improved its marketing and relations with government, shipping companies and manufacturers.

Still, there is fresh evidence that agencies can improve their public standing by moving services to the Internet.

This increase - more than three minutes per call - follows six years in which the agency improved its response times.

She said the agency has a new "Gallagher plan," to better screen clients and improve communication with other parts of the welfare system.

The study recommends several ways the agency can reduce costs and improve subway and bus service.

Thus, we have long supported increased financing that would enable agencies to pay workers more and improve their benefits.