ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA’s
management challenges are to strengthen its reputation for unbiased,
sound science and to focus on health-based program results. As can be
seen by across-the-board green progress ratings, EPA is making progress
on all five management initiatives.
| Initiative |
Status |
Progress |
| Human
Capital — EPA has continued the innovative Senior Executive
Service mobility program, which allows managers to rotate to different
jobs in the agency, improving program knowledge and skill sets.
EPA remains red in status because its human capital strategy is
not aligned with the agency’s strategic plan. |
•
|
• |
| Competitive
Sourcing — EPA has not yet met the competitive sourcing
goal of 15 percent to get to yellow. To get to green, EPA must
meet a 50 percent goal. However, EPA’s progress is green
as it has exceeded its 2002 goal, and is on target to meet the
2003 goal. Competitions are underway for scientific and technical
functions that perform risk assessment and analysis. |
•
|
• |
| Financial
Performance — EPA has corrected all material weaknesses,
begun implementation of grants competition, and reviewed its State
Revolving Fund erroneous payments. |
•
|
• |
| Enhancing
E-Government —
EPA was recently chosen to be the managing partner for the online
rulemaking initiative. |
•
|
• |
| Budget/Performance
Integration — The absence of valid outcome performance
data has hindered EPA in evaluating the impacts of its programs
on the environment and public health. |
•
|
• |
Program
Assessments
Eleven EPA
programs were reviewed using the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART).
The programs included four grant programs, six direct federal programs
and one regulatory program. The purpose of each of the eleven programs
is clear and most are well designed. Program management is generally good.
However, the lack of measured results and appropriate outcome measures
pulls overall ratings down. In terms of patterns within this sample, strategic
planning is much stronger for direct federal programs than it is for the
grant programs. But insufficient performance measures affected all programs
about the same. As with many other agencies, to improve accountability
further work will continue to focus on developing outcome-oriented performance
measures, including efficiency metrics.
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