Federal conformity-assessment activities are a means of providing confidence that the products, services, systems, etc. regulated or purchased by federal agencies, or that are the subject of federal assistance programs, have the required characteristics and/or perform in a specified manner. The NTTAA directs NIST to coordinate federal, state, and local government standards and conformity assessment activities with those of the private sector, with the goal of eliminating unnecessary duplication and complexity in the development and promulgation of conformity assessment requirements and measures. Conformity assessment that leverages existing private-sector programs can help lower the cost of implementation for agencies, and also provide added impetus for innovation and competitiveness. Numerous federal agencies are engaged in conformity assessment activities. In addition, as part of its role mandated by the NTTAA, many federal programs utilize NIST support to help design and implement appropriate and effective conformity assessment programs.