Skinner’s Thoughts on the GAO Report

In the early-1990s, like today, the value of federal programs was facing unprecedented scrutiny.  To meet the demands for additional accountability and transparency in government programs, Congress enacted the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.  GPRA sought to improve the management of federal programs by linkingagency budget requests and program results.    Unfortunately, experiences over the past 2 decades suggest that implementation of GPRA was uneven at best.  Translating program costs into clear, concise program results was more challenging than envisioned.  Agencies were and still are often hard pressed to develop meaningful results-oriented performance measures that can be tied to the President’s budget each February.   Consequently, Congress’ reliance on annual agency performance plans as a tool to support program and budget decision-making waned.

The Government Performance and Results ACT Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA), in essence, builds on the lessons learned over the past 2 decades relative to implementation of GPRA.  As GAO points out in its report, “Managing for Results: Opportunities for Congress to Address Government Performance Issues,” GPRAMA provides Congress with opportunities “to better understand challenges confronting particular programs and the broader context of how agency performance, budget, and financial information fit together.”  By requiring agencies to consult with Congress when establishing program goals, objectives, performance measures, costs, and intended results, executive agencies must be prepared to articulate their strategic and performance plans in terms that are understandable to Congress, and Congress must be committed to using that information in its decision-making processes.

With sustained commitment from Congress and the Executive Branch, GPRAMA can be an invaluable tool for meeting the growing demands for government program transparency and accountability, improving the management of federal programs, and strengthening the public’s confidence its government.