http://www.constitutionproject.org/manage/file/175.pdf

Covers the tools and powers available to Congress for carrying out oversight investigations, lessons to be learned from executive branch investigations, and the rights and roles of the minority party and individual committee members. Not a government document but written by a former staff member of the Congressional Research Service. From the Constitution Project.

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40516_20090820.pdf

Describes the legal requirements pertaining to competition that currently apply to federal procurement contracts including which contracts are subject to competition requirements, what constitutes full and open competition, circumstances which allow contracts to be awarded without full and open competition, and simplified procedures for small contracts. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/RL31909.pdf

Explains the history, procedure, specific uses of resolutions of inquiry, and notes recent increases in their usage. Resolutions of inquiry seek factual information from the executive branch. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33247.pdf

Reviews the history of 158 presidential nominations to the Supreme Court and the forms and patterns of Senate consideration and action. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32397.pdf

Examines the function of the agency created by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 to oversee the process by which executive agencies proposed new regulations. Discusses past controversies and the future of presidential regulatory review. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.hrmpo.org/Documents/Reports/2009/MPOBestPracticesFinalReport.pdf

Calls the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization one of the top 30 in the U.S. due to the population size, the importance of the commercial port activity, and the number of major defense installations. Examines the structure of the local planning organization and how it could be improved. From the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09216.pdf

Describes the origins of the current financial regulatory system, reviews market developments and changes that have created challenges for the current system, and presents an evaluation framework to shape regulatory reform efforts. From the Government Accountability Office

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=896

Argues that military and civilian intelligence professionals must understand the interagency process to protect national security Includes consideration of the National Security Council, the Department of State, and other agencies. From the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College.

http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2008/rp08-088.pdf

Examines how Parliament would be given a role in approving the deployment of the military in situations of armed conflict. Also examines the legislative procedures for deployment of the armed forces in a selection of other countries. House of Commons Library Research Paper 08/88.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09194.pdf

Subtitled: Eliciting Nominees' Views on Management Challenges Within Agencies and Across Government. Provides a list of issues needing attention and questions for congressional panelists to ask nominees for leadership posts at each of the 28 major executive branch departments and agencies, and also for nominees to head seven major governmentwide management areas. From the Government Accountability Office.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34747.pdf

Discusses the practice of presidential administrations to push through controversial regulations near the end of the term, what tools can be used by incoming administrations to cancel undesired regulations, and what tools Congress can use to disapprove final rules issued by executive branch agencies. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.