Set your New Year’s resolutions now! In early 2014, for the first time federal agencies will simultaneously submit refreshed strategic plans to Congress, covering the next four years. You should put them on your “must read” list for the new year. Many agencies have been quietly posting their draft strategic plans on-line for public comments,Read… Read more »
Can federal performance management schemes influence efforts at the local level? Typically, performance management works best in systems where agencies engage in direct service delivery, where leaders have more control over what is going on. But in complex intergovernmental programs, can effective performance management systems be developed and work? A recent case study of theRead… Read more »
Over the past two decades, the goal of those in the “performance movement” across the globe has been to change the culture of government agencies to be more results-oriented and performance-focused in their work and their decision-making. But it has been a long road. In 2011, two European academics conducted a meta-analysis of 519 studiesRead… Read more »
Sometimes it is refreshing to look at how other countries approach the challenge of measuring and managing performance in their governments. Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a World Bank seminar where the Secretary of Performance Management for the Government of India described how his country is doing it. Background. In June 2009,Read… Read more »
A recent GAO report on the executive branch’s approach to new requirements in the Government Performance and Results Act recommends that “OMB improve the implementation of the act.” But a sub-theme in the report describes how agencies are actually building a long-term, solid foundation for a performance-driven government. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is requiredRead… Read more »
Several new studies demonstrate the difficulty of defining what constitutes the “atom” of a federal program, but a recent Washington Post article begins to uncover why it is so elusive, much like finding sub-atomic particles in physics. Defining Federal Programs Isn’t Simple There is more than one way to define what constitutes a federal “program,”Read… Read more »
What ever became of the new statutory provision requiring agencies to “identify low-priority program activities?” The GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 requires agencies to annually “identify low-priority program activities based on an analysis of their contribution to the mission and goals of the agency and include an evidence-based justification for designating a program activity asRead… Read more »
Public Service Recognition Week recognizes a lot of hidden talent across the government. But is that talent always available when the government needs it? Sometimes, it is. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen was superb at handling big, complex challenges that reach across agency boundaries. He led the evacuation of lower Manhattan during 9/11. He tookRead… Read more »
When it rains, it pours! April saw a lot of action regarding the federal performance agenda. The big news for many was the announcement last week that Shelley Metzenbaum, who is the Office of Management and Budget official spearheading the Obama Administration’s performance management initiatives on a day-to-day basis, will be leaving to return homeRead… Read more »
Looking for an overview guide to understanding how the federal government goes about managing the performance of its many goals, missions, and programs? Here it is! The President’s fiscal year 2014 budget was released last week and emphasizes the creation of “a culture of performance improvement.” This is also the theme of a new IBMRead… Read more »