February 11, 2003
MEMORANDUM
TO THE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
| FROM: |
Thomas
M. Reilly
Designated Federal Officer |
| SUBJECT:
|
Preparing
for March 3, 2003 PMAC meeting |
We look forward to your participation in the third and final meeting of
the Performance Measurement Advisory Council. The meeting will be held Monday
March 3rd in the Truman room of the White House Conference Center from 1:00
to 4:00. Your input from the first two meetings of the PMAC was helpful
in developing both the assessment tool and the budget presentation. Last
week’s release of the President’s Budget provides the public
with an unprecedented amount of information revealing what the government
achieves with its public resources. We intend to build on these efforts
in the coming year and seek your guidance. The integration of budget and
performance information remains a centerpiece of the President’s Management
Agenda.
In preparation of the March 3rd meeting, enclosed for your review
is a set of budget materials relevant to the discussion of program performance.
They include the Budget Volume, the Performance and Management Assessments
Volume, and a memo to the agencies from the Budget Director. Complete PART
worksheets are also available for your review on the web at /omb/budget/fy2004/pma.html.
This year we found the PART to be an effective means of capturing some of
the most salient features of program performance. We believe we have made
significant strides in using this information internally and promoting a
more performance-based budgeting process. At this point, OMB intends to
use the PART again as a central element of the 2005 budget process, rating
an additional 20% of federal programs. We also anticipate communicating
the findings of these analyses in a similar presentation. Although we believe
we are on the right path and do not expect to make wholesale changes to
the PART, we are interested in strengthening the process, the instrument,
and the budget presentation.
Therefore, we are soliciting your feedback as we pursue refinements. To
facilitate our digesting of your views, we ask that you provide written
comments to the questions below:
- What
do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the presentation of performance
information in the PART summaries?
- How can
the PART be improved or revised? Page 52 of the Budget described a series
of issues for the PART and invited public comments. These issues included
increasing consistency, defining “adequate”
measures, minimizing subjectivity, and measuring progress towards results.
- Given
that the PART provides an incentive for agencies to improve performance
information, how should the PART treat programs that have acceptable
measures but bad targets?
- Many
programs lack outcome measures either because they cannot pinpoint the
contribution of the program to achievement of the overall outcome or
because the nature of their work is process-oriented. Are there acceptable
alternative measures when there are no outcome goals?
- To get
credit for results, the PART required that a program have acceptable
measures, either long-term or annual. Should the PART continue to enforce
a linkage between strategic planning and results?
At the meeting, each member will be asked to present a summary of their
written comments to the Council. We would like the Council to discuss each
member’s feedback and develop a Council statement by the meeting’s
close. Thank you for your time and input on these matters. I look forward
to seeing you on the 3rd.
Materials Attached:
Budget
Volume
Performance and management Assessments Volume
Memo from the Director
Proposed Agenda for March 3rd Meeting
Performance
Measurement Advisory Council (PMAC):
Proposed Agenda for March 3, 2003 Meeting
Truman Room, White House Conference Center
The PMAC
will assist OMB on matters related to improving the measurement of program
performance and integrating such information in making management and
budget decisions.
- Welcome
and Housekeeping (1:00 – 1:15)
- Presentation
by Individual Members (1:15 – 2:15)
Mortimer
Downey
William Eggers
Harry Hatry
Patricia Ingraham
Donald Kettl
Joseph Wright
- Discussion
of Member Feedback (2:15 – 3:15)
Program
Assessment Rating Tool (PART)
Presentation of performance information in PART summaries
- Development
of Council Statement (3:15 – 4:00)
- Adjourn
by 4:00
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