1. R&D Evaluation What Does The Congress Want ? Prepared for a Workshop on Research Assessment May 18, 2001

2. 2 GPRA Context “Here is the reality plain and simple. Our ivory tower is under siege. People are questioning our mission and questioning who we are. They claim we cost too much, spend carelessly, teach poorly, plan myopically, and when we are questioned, we act defensively” Thomas H. Kean President, Drew University

3. 3 Drivers for Change Budget prioritization and tradeoffs Growing requirements and customer demands Declining levels of public confidence in government

4. 4 Goals of GPRA Focus agency planning and budgeting process on results Hold agencies accountable for those results Increase communication with the Congress

5. 5 Requirements of GPRA Agency/Congressional Consultations Strategic Plans(every 3 years) Annual Performance Plans Annual Performance Reports

6. 6 Improvement Opportunities Better articulate a results orientation Coordinate crosscutting programs Show how strategies will be used Show performance consequences Build the capacity to gather and use performance information Use performance agreements Strategically manage human capital

7. 7 Articulate Results Performance goals and measures address key aspects of the program address mission-critical problems balance competing priorities Use intermediate goals and measures to show progress Show baseline and trend data Identify targets for multi-year goals Link goals of component organizations

8. 8 Coordination Identify programs that contribute to the same or similar results Set complementary goals and measures to show how differing programs reinforce or complement Describe coordination strategies

9. 9 Use of Strategies Link strategies and programs to specific performance goals Describe strategies to leverage or mitigate the effects of external factors Discuss strategies to resolve mission-critical management problems Discuss plans to ensure that processes and systems function properly and are secure

10. 10 Performance Consequence Show how budgetary resources relate to performance goals Discuss how capital assets will contribute to achievement of performance goals Discuss how the agency will use its human capital to help achieve performance goals

11. 11 Performance Information Identify internal and external sources of data Describe efforts to verify and validate performance data Identify actions to compensate for unavailable or low-quality data Discuss implications of data limitations for assessing performance

12. 12 Performance Agreement Align individual employee performance expectations with agency goals, linking daily activities with the organization’s results Understand how activities contribute to results Provide timely access to performance information Include a cascading of accountability to the appropriate levels

13. 13 Human Capital Strategic plan should include a discussion of human capital planning and organizational alignment Plan for leadership continuity and succession planning Acquire and develop staff whose size, skills, and deployment meet agency needs Create a results-oriented organizational culture

14. 14 Conclusion Understand the politics and the budget Demonstrate the value of science

15. 15 GAO Reports Agency Performance Plans: Examples of Practices That Can Improve Usefulness to Decisionmakers (GAO/GGD/AIMD-99-69) Managing for Results: Emerging Benefits From Selected Agencies’ Use of Performance Agreements (GAO-01-115) Managing for results: Human Capital Management Discussions in Fiscal Year 2001 Performance Plans (GAO-01-236) http://www.gao.gov