[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2142 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 288
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2142
[Report No. 111-504]
To require the review of Government programs at least once every 5
years for purposes of assessing their performance and improving their
operations, and to establish the Performance Improvement Council.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 28, 2009
Mr. Cuellar (for himself and Mr. Moore of Kansas) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform
June 14, 2010
Additional sponsors: Ms. Herseth Sandlin, Mr. Wilson of Ohio, Mr.
Boren, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Costa, Mr. Boyd, Mr.
Hill, Mr. Connolly of Virginia, Ms. Kosmas, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Davis of
Tennessee, Mr. Shuler, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Holden, Mrs.
Dahlkemper, Mr. Baca, Mr. Carney, Mr. Childers, Mr. Donnelly of
Indiana, Mr. Ellsworth, Ms. Giffords, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Michaud, Mr.
Salazar, Mr. Schrader, Mr. Space, Mr. Bright, Mr. Melancon, Mr. Arcuri,
Mr. Tanner, Mr. Kratovil, Mr. Ross, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr.
Scott of Georgia, Mr. Murphy of New York, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Norton, Mr.
Matheson, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Minnick, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Foster, Mr. Altmire, Ms. Harman, Mr. McCaul, Mr.
Gordon of Tennessee, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Platts, Mr. Nye, Mr.
Welch, and Mr. Mitchell
June 14, 2010
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April
28, 2009]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the review of Government programs at least once every 5
years for purposes of assessing their performance and improving their
operations, and to establish the Performance Improvement Council.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Government
Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Performance Improvement Act of 2010''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Agency defined.
Sec. 4. Sense of Congress regarding the need for increased consultation
between Congress and Federal agencies on
performance management issues.
Sec. 5. Performance assessments.
Sec. 6. Strategic planning amendments.
Sec. 7. Improving Government performance.
Sec. 8. Assessments and reports.
Sec. 9. Additions to performance plan.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Weaknesses in established management processes
pertaining to the use of information about the performance of
Federal agencies undermine the confidence of the American
people in the Government and reduce the Federal Government's
ability to adequately address public needs.
(2) To restore the confidence of the American people in its
Government and to increase the Federal Government's ability to
adequately address vital public needs, the Federal Government
must continually seek to improve the effectiveness, efficiency,
and accountability of Federal programs.
(3) With the passage of the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, Congress directed the executive branch to
seek improvements in the performance and accountability of
Federal programs by having agencies focus on strategic
objectives and annual results.
(4) The requirements of the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 have produced an infrastructure of outcome-
oriented strategic plans, performance measures, and
accountability reporting that serve as a solid foundation for
agencies working with Congress to achieve long-term strategic
goals and improve the performance of Federal programs; use of
those plans and reports to improve outcomes has, however, been
limited.
(5) Congressional policy making, spending decisions, and
program oversight have been handicapped by insufficient
attention to program performance and results.
(6) While improvements have been made in the development of
outcome-oriented strategic plans, performance measures, and
accountability reporting for individual programs, progress is
still needed to ensure that agency leaders, employees, and
delivery partners regularly use performance information to
improve the effectiveness and efficiency of government
operations and to communicate performance information
coherently and candidly to inform congressional decision-making
in conducting program authorization, appropriation, and
oversight.
(7) Regular performance assessments, complemented by
periodic assessments of Federal programs, provide critical
information on whether programs are achieving specific
performance objectives, help Congress and the executive branch
identify the most pressing policy and program issues, and
determine if specific legislative, operational, financial, or
strategic reforms are needed to increase program effectiveness
and efficiency.
(8) Programs performing similar or duplicative functions
within a single agency or across multiple agencies should be
identified and their performance and results shared among all
such programs to improve coordination or possible consolidation
and, ultimately, performance and results.
(9) The performance reporting requirements of the
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, along with
individual performance and accountability reporting
requirements contained in legislation, are in some cases
redundant, and steps should be taken to eliminate duplicative
performance policies and to streamline outdated and unused
reports.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To improve the Government Performance and Results Act
of 1993 by implementing performance assessment processes that
seek to assess Federal programs on a periodic basis with a
particular focus on the following:
(A) Identification by agency leaders of clear
priorities and setting of outcome-focused, measurable,
ambitious targets for those priorities.
(B) Regular goal-focused, data driven performance
assessments to measure progress and adjust strategies.
(C) Accountability expectations that encourage
managers to innovate, informed by evidence and analysis
of experience.
(D) Transparent, coherent, and candid communication
of results.
(2) To use relevant performance and related information to
help agencies make informed management decisions, improve the
effectiveness of agency and program operations (particularly
for those programs, projects, and activities that are deemed
poorly performing), and submit funding requests based on
evidence and other relevant information.
(3) To provide congressional policy makers with information
needed to conduct more effective oversight and assist in the
improvement of agency operations, and to make performance-
informed and results-based authorization and appropriation
decisions that improve the effectiveness of program operations.
(4) To establish the Performance Improvement Council as a
body that will assist in the development of performance
measurement and management standards and assessment
methodologies, identify best practices in Federal performance
management, facilitate the exchange of information among
agencies on these practices, and collaborate on and strengthen
the effectiveness of agency performance improvement efforts.
(5) To establish agency performance improvement officers to
institutionalize and enhance the strategic and performance
management activities of Federal agencies.
SEC. 3. AGENCY DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``agency'' means an executive agency as
defined in section 306 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE NEED FOR INCREASED CONSULTATION
BETWEEN CONGRESS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES ON PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT ISSUES.
It is the sense of Congress that the head of each Federal agency
should make every effort to consult with the committees with
jurisdiction over the agency and other interested members of Congress
each fiscal year regarding the performance plan and priorities of the
agency (required by sections 1115 and 1120 of title 31, United States
Code).
SEC. 5. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS.
(a) Requirement for Performance Assessments.--Chapter 11 of title
31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new section:
``Sec. 1120. Performance assessments
``(a) Identification of High-priority Performance Goals.--For the
purpose of improving agency performance, the head of each Federal
agency, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget, shall identify near-term and long-term high-priority goals
for purposes of this section. In identifying such goals, the head of
the agency shall--
``(1) rely on the agency's mission, strategic plan and
objectives, and statutory directives;
``(2) consult with Congress, including each appropriate
committee of Congress;
``(3) select goals that--
``(A) clearly identify agency priorities and have
performance outcomes that can be clearly and
objectively assessed and measured;
``(B) are ambitious targets that have high direct
value to the public;
``(C) involve indicators for which the agency can
collect reliable and timely data that may be used in
performance assessments to measure progress and adjust
strategies; and
``(D) involve multiple programs, including programs
within and across multiple agencies that are performing
similar functions, serve similar populations, have
similar purposes, or share common objectives, for
purposes of identifying common challenges, exemplary
goals and practices, common measures of performance,
and potential opportunities for more effective and
efficient means of achieving goals, including through
the integration and consolidation of Federal functions;
and
``(4) with respect to a subcomponent of the agency, ensure
the goals are consistent with the goals of the entire agency.
``(b) Performance Assessments.--The head of each Federal agency, in
consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget,
shall, not less often than quarterly for high-priority goals identified
in subsection (a), and on a semi-annual basis for performance goals
established pursuant to section 1115(a)(1) of this title--
``(1) assess progress toward achieving the goals identified
under subsection (a) and toward achieving the annual
performance goals for each program activity established
pursuant to section 1115(a)(1) of this title;
``(2) assess whether relevant agency programs and
initiatives are contributing as expected toward the goals
identified under subsection (a) and the annual performance
goals for each program activity established pursuant to section
1115(a)(1) of this title; and
``(3) identify prospects and strategies for performance
improvement, including any needed changes to agency programs or
initiatives.
``(c) Performance Assessment Requirements.--In conducting an
assessment of agency progress toward achieving the goals identified
under subsection (a) and toward achieving the annual performance goals
for each program activity established pursuant to section 1115(a)(1) of
this title, the head of a Federal agency, in consultation with the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall--
``(1) coordinate with relevant personnel within and outside
the agency who contribute to the accomplishment of the goals;
and
``(2) encourage innovation and hold leaders and managers
accountable for effective and efficient implementation based on
evidence and continuing analysis of experience.
``(d) Transparency of Goals and Performance Assessments.--The
Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall--
``(1) make available, as part of the President's budget
submission and through the Office of Management and Budget
website and other relevant websites, and provide to the
congressional committees described in subsection (i)--
``(A) a list of goals identified under subsection
(a) and reviewed by the Director;
``(B) consistent with section 1115 of this title,
annual goals defined by objectively measurable outcomes
for each program administered in whole or in part by
the agency;
``(C) the methods that will be used to make
progress toward achieving the goals identified under
subparagraphs (A) and (B);
``(D) the expected contribution that different
agency programs and initiatives will make toward
achieving the goals identified under subparagraphs (A)
and (B) and the expected timeline for achieving those
goals; and
``(E) the approach that will be used by agencies to
assess progress toward achieving the goals identified
under subparagraphs (A) and (B);
``(2) provide a mechanism for interested persons, including
the general public and members and committees of Congress, to
submit comments on the goals being assessed under subsection
(a) and the annual performance goals for each program activity
established pursuant to section 1115(a)(1) of this title and
the methods that will be used to make progress toward achieving
those goals;
``(3) provide a mechanism for agency delivery to and
consideration of comments provided under paragraph (2) by each
relevant agency and adjustment of goals under subsection (a)
and the annual performance goals for each program activity
established pursuant to section 1115(a)(1) of this title based
on the comments, with approval of the Director; and
``(4) make available through the Office of Management and
Budget website a summary of comments received under paragraph
(2), any adjustment of goals under paragraph (3), and any
changes to goals required by the Office of Management and
Budget.
``(e) Transparency of Performance Results.--(1) The head of an
agency shall ensure that all results of the assessments conducted under
this section by the agency during a fiscal year shall be readily
accessible to and easily found on the Internet by the public and
members and committees of Congress in a searchable, machine readable
format, in accordance with guidance provided by the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget that ensures such information is
provided in a way that presents a coherent picture of the performance
of Federal agencies. At a minimum, the results of the assessments
conducted under this section shall be available on the website of the
Office of Management and Budget and also may be made available on any
other website considered appropriate by the agency or the Director. The
Director shall also notify the appropriate committees of Congress when
quarterly assessments become available on the Internet.
``(2) The performance information related to the assessments of
goals in this section and section 1115 of this title shall--
``(A) include--
``(i) a brief summary of the problem or opportunity
being addressed and reasons for identifying these
agency goals as well as key findings of the
assessments;
``(ii) a list of each program and agency
contributing to achievement of the goal and the time
frame for such contributions;
``(iii) an assessment of the quality of the
performance measures, and the extent to which necessary
performance data are collected;
``(iv) a description of how leaders and managers
are held accountable for achieving program results, and
the extent to which strong financial management tools
are in place;
``(v) contextual indicators that provide a sense of
external factors that can influence performance trends
related to key outcomes;
``(vi) as appropriate, indicators that provide
information about the population being served and to
the extent possible, the impact on disadvantaged and
minority communities and individuals;
``(vii) factors affecting the performance of
programs, projects, and activities and how they are
impeding or contributing to failures or successes of
the programs, projects, and activities, and the reasons
for any substantial variation from the targeted level
of achievement of the goals;
``(viii) the process used by the agency to assess
progress made toward achieving the goals; and
``(ix) such other items and adjustments as may be
specified by the Director;
``(B) describe the extent to which any trends,
developments, or emerging conditions affect the need to change
the mission of programs being carried out to achieve the goal;
``(C) identify, as part of any performance assessment,
practices that resulted in positive outcomes, and the key
reasons why such practices resulted in positive outcomes; and
``(D) include recommendations for actions to improve
results, including opportunities that might exist for the
coordination, consolidation, or integration of programs to
improve service or generate cost savings.
``(3) The head of each agency shall--
``(A) use, as necessary and appropriate, a variety of
assessment methods to support performance assessments,
including methods contained in reports from evaluation centers,
in assessments by States, and in available Federal program
assessments;
``(B) maintain an archive of information required to be
disclosed under this section that is, to the maximum extent
practicable, readily available, accessible, and easily found by
the public; and
``(C) consider the relevant comments submitted under
subsection (d)(2).
``(f) Classified Information.--(1) With respect to performance
assessments conducted during a fiscal year that contain classified
information, the President shall submit--
``(A) each quarterly performance assessment (including the
classified information), to the appropriate committees of
Congress; and
``(B) an appendix containing a list of each affected goal
and the committees to which a copy of the performance
assessment was submitted under subparagraph (A), to the
congressional committees described in subsection (i).
``(2) Upon request from a congressional committee described in
subsection (i), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
shall provide to the Committee a copy of--
``(A) any performance assessment described in subparagraph
(A) of paragraph (1) (including any assessment not listed in
any appendix submitted under subparagraph (B) of such
paragraph); and
``(B) any appendix described in subparagraph (B) of
paragraph (1).
``(3) In this subsection, the term `classified information' refers
to matters described in section 552(b)(1)(A) of title 5.
``(g) Inherently Governmental Functions.--The functions and
activities authorized or required by this section shall be considered
inherently governmental functions and shall be performed only by
Federal employees.
``(h) Report Streamlining.--To eliminate redundancy, the head of an
agency may determine each year, subject to the approval of the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget and provided that it meets the
requirements of this section and sections 1115, 1116, 1117, 1121, and
the first 9703 of this title, that the performance information provided
to the public on the Internet is sufficient to meet the planning and
reporting requirements of such sections.
``(i) Congressional Committees.--The congressional committees
described in this subsection are the following:
``(1) The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of
the House of Representatives.
``(2) The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate.
``(3) The Committees on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
``(4) The Committees on the Budget of the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
``(j) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Agency performance improvement officer.--The term
`agency performance improvement officer' means a senior
executive of an agency who is designated by the head of the
agency, and reports to the head of the agency, the agency
Deputy Secretary, or such other agency official designated by
the head of the agency, to carry out the requirements of this
section.
``(2) Performance information.--The term `performance
information' means the results of assessments conducted under
this section.''.
(b) Performance Assessments To Be Considered in Evaluating Senior
Executives.--Section 4313 of title 5, United States Code, is amended
(in the matter before paragraph (1)) by striking ``organizational
performance,'' and inserting the following: ``organizational
performance (including such reviews of agency performance, conducted
under section 1120 of title 31, as are relevant),''.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``1120. Performance assessments.''.
SEC. 6. STRATEGIC PLANNING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Change in Deadline for Strategic Plan.--Subsection (a) of
section 306 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``No
later than September 30, 1997,'' and inserting ``Not later than
September 30 of the second year following a year in which an election
for President occurs, beginning with September 30, 2010,''.
(b) Change in Period of Coverage of Strategic Plan.--Subsection (b)
of section 306 of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``(b) Each strategic plan shall cover the four-year period
beginning on October 1 of the second year following a year in which an
election for President occurs.''.
SEC. 7. IMPROVING GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE.
(a) Improving Government Performance.--Chapter 11 of title 31,
United States Code, as amended by section 5, is further amended by
adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1121. Improving Government performance
``(a) Duties of Agency Performance Improvement Officers.--Subject
to the direction of the head of the agency, each agency performance
improvement officer shall--
``(1) advise and assist the head of the executive agency
and other agency officials to ensure that the mission of the
executive agency is achieved through performance planning,
measurement, analysis, and regular assessment of progress,
including the requirements of this section and sections 1115,
1116, 1117, 1120, and the first 9703 of this title and section
306 of title 5;
``(2) advise the head of the agency on the selection of
agency goals, including opportunities to collaborate with other
agencies on common goals, and on whether--
``(A) the performance targets required under
section 1115 of this title and the strategic plans
required under section 306 of title 5 are--
``(i) sufficiently aggressive toward full
achievement of the purposes of the agency; and
``(ii) realistic in light of authority and
resources provided for operations; and
``(B) means for measurement of progress toward
achievement of the goals are sufficiently rigorous,
aligned to outcomes, useful, and accurate as
appropriate to the intended use of the measures;
``(3) support the head of the agency, agency Deputy
Secretary, or such other agency senior official designated by
the head of the agency in the conduct of at least quarterly
performance assessments, while strengthening the performance
management activities of the entire agency (including
subcomponents) through at least quarterly performance
assessments to--
``(A) assess progress toward achievement of the
goals administered in whole or in part by the agency,
as well as any goals common to that agency and other
agencies;
``(B) identify factors affecting progress and
benchmarking comparisons;
``(C) consider actions to improve the performance
and efficiency of programs, projects, and activities;
and
``(D) hold leaders and managers accountable for
effective and efficient implementation and for
adjusting agency actions based on evolving evidence;
``(4) assist the head of the agency in the development and
use within the agency of performance measures in personnel
performance appraisals, and, as appropriate, other agency
personnel and planning processes and assessments;
``(5) assist the head of the agency in overseeing the
implementation required under section 1120 of this title;
``(6) ensure that agency progress toward achievement of all
goals is communicated to leaders, managers, and employees in
the agency and Congress, and made public on the Internet; and
``(7) provide training for agency managers, program
directors, supervisors, and employees on how to use performance
targets, measure key performance indicators, assess programs,
and analyze data to improve performance.
``(b) Establishment and Operation of Performance Improvement
Council.--
``(1) There is established in the executive branch a
Performance Improvement Council.
``(2) The Performance Improvement Council shall consist
exclusively of--
``(A) the Deputy Director for Management of the
Office of Management and Budget, who shall serve as
Chair;
``(B) such agency performance improvement officers
as determined appropriate by the Chair; and
``(C) such other permanent employees of an agency
as determined appropriate by the Chair in consultation
with the agency concerned.
``(3) The Chair or the Chair's designee shall convene and
preside at the meetings of the Performance Improvement Council,
determine its agenda, direct its work, and establish and direct
subgroups of the Performance Improvement Council, as
appropriate to deal with particular subject matters.
``(4) To assist in implementing the requirements of
sections 1105, 1115, 1116, 1117, 1120, and the first 9703 of
this title and section 306 of title 5, the Performance
Improvement Council shall--
``(A) develop and submit to the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget, or when appropriate to
the President through the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, at times and in such formats as
the Chair may specify, recommendations concerning--
``(i) performance management policies and
requirements;
``(ii) criteria for assessment of program,
project, and activity performance; and
``(iii) how the goals required by section
1120(a) of this title can inform the Federal
Government performance plan required by section
1105(a)(28) of this title, and lead to improved
results from and interagency coordination of
programs that perform similar functions;
``(B) facilitate the exchange among agencies of
information on performance management, including
strategic and annual planning and reporting, to
accelerate improvements in performance;
``(C) monitor the performance assessment process
required under section 1120 of this title;
``(D) facilitate keeping members and committees of
Congress and the public informed, and with such
assistance of heads of agencies and agency performance
improvement officers as the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget may require, provide members and
committees of Congress and the public with information
on the Internet on how well each agency performs and
that serves as a comprehensive source of information
on--
``(i) agency strategic plans;
``(ii) annual performance plans and annual
performance reports;
``(iii) performance information required
under section 1120 (d) of this title;
``(iv) the status of the implementation of
performance assessments required under section
1120 of this title;
``(v) relevant impact and process
assessments; and
``(vi) consistent with the direction of the
head of the agency concerned after consultation
with the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget, any publicly available reports by
the agency's Inspector General concerning
agency program performance;
``(E) monitor implementation by agencies of the
policy set forth in sections 1115, 1116, 1117, 1120,
and the first 9703 of this title and section 306 of
title 5 and report thereon from time to time as
appropriate to the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget, or when appropriate to the President
through the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, at such times and in such formats as the Chair
may specify, together with any recommendations of the
Council for more effective implementation of such
policy;
``(F) obtain information and advice, as
appropriate, in a manner that seeks individual advice
and does not involve collective judgment or consensus
advice or deliberation, from--
``(i) State, local, territorial, and tribal
officials;
``(ii) representatives of entities or other
individuals; and
``(iii) members and committees of Congress;
``(G) coordinate with other interagency management
councils; and
``(H) make recommendations to Congress on
duplicative, unused, or outdated performance policies
or reporting requirements.
``(5)(A) The Administrator of General Services shall
provide administrative and other support for the Council to
implement this section.
``(B) The heads of agencies shall provide, as appropriate
and to the extent permitted by law, such information and
assistance as the Chair may request to implement this section.
``(c) Additional Duties of the Council.--The Council--
``(1) shall develop a website for Federal agency
performance information;
``(2) shall link program performance information to program
spending information on the website www.USASpending.gov; and
``(3) shall submit a report to Congress on the feasibility
of creating a single web-based platform for all Government
spending information and all program performance
information.''.
(b) Guidance.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall prescribe guidance to implement the requirements of
section 1120 and 1121 of title 31, United States Code, as added by
subsection (a).
(c) Conforming and Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Section 1115(g) of title 31, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``1119'' and inserting ``1121''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 11 of
title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``1121. Improving Government performance.''.
SEC. 8. ASSESSMENTS AND REPORTS.
(a) Assessments.--
(1) In general.--No less frequently than the first, third,
and fifth year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and
thereafter every three years and at such other times as may be
requested by Congress, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall assess the implementation of this Act by the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the
agencies decribed in section 901(b) of title 31, United States
Code, with emphasis on the matters specified in paragraph (2).
(2) Matters to be assessed.--The matters to be assessed
under paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to the fiscal
year covered by the assessment:
(A) Whether the selection of goals, identified
pursuant to section 1120(a) of title 31, United States
Code, as added by section 5, and established pursuant
to section 1115 of such title, is tied to performance
outcomes that can be objectively assessed and measured
and have a high direct value to the public.
(B) The use of agency performance goals and
measures and program assessments to improve performance
and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent in an efficient
and effective manner, including the need to streamline
or enhance Federal programs or initiatives to maximize
the likelihood of accomplishing such performance goals.
(C) The use of agency performance goals, identified
pursuant to section 1120(a) of title 31, United States
Code, as added by section 5, and established pursuant
to section 1115 of such title, and measures to clearly
communicate performance priorities and results to the
public.
(D) How any revision of goals, identified pursuant
to section 1120(a) of title 31, United States Code, as
added by section 5, and established pursuant to section
1115 of such title, has contributed to the
effectiveness of agency and program performance.
(E) The tracking of program performance toward
achieving identified goals and the contribution of such
tracking to agency performance improvement.
(F) The use of input from Congress and the public
in the assessment of programs and in the identification
and assessment of goals.
(G) The use of the archive of information referred
to in section 1120(e)(3)(B) of title 31, United States
Code, to create a coherent, longitudinal picture of the
performance of agencies and programs over time.
(H) Best practices of agencies.
(I) Whether the annual performance plan established
pursuant to section 1115 of title 31, United States
Code, conforms with the requirements for such plans
described in paragraphs (1) through (11) of section
1115(a) of such title.
(J) The progress each agency has made in achieving
the goals identified pursuant to section 1120(a) of
title 31, United States Code, as added by section 5,
and established pursuant to section 1115 of such title.
(b) Reports.--The Comptroller General shall consult with the
Inspectors General when evaluating program and agency performance and
shall submit to Congress a report on the results of each assessment
conducted under subsection (a). The report shall include a list of
recommendations on ways to improve the performance assessment and
communication process and the operations of agency performance
improvement officers and the Performance Improvement Council.
(c) Effectiveness Assessment.--With respect to the evaluation
conducted under subsection (a) in the third year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall include in the
report relating to such evaluation submitted to Congress under this
section the following:
(1) an assessment of the effectiveness of this Act, and the
amendments made by this Act;
(2) the impact of this Act on sections 1115, 1116, 1117,
and the first 9703 of title 31, United States Code, and section
306 of title 5, United States Code; and
(3) any recommendations for improving the effectiveness of
sections 1115, 1116, 1117, and the first 9703 of title 31,
United States Code, and section 306 of title 5, United States
Code and reducing duplication.
SEC. 9. ADDITIONS TO PERFORMANCE PLAN.
Section 1115(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'';
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new
paragraphs:
``(7) describe the existence and current scope of the
problem that the program is intended to address, defined as an
outcome that addresses the needs of the American people, not an
input (such as staffing or resources expended) or an
intermediate goal (such as teachers or police hired);
``(8) to the extent practicable, take into account the
other efforts (if any) being made in Federal, State or local
governments or the private sector to address the problem
described under paragraph (7) and the relative cost-
effectiveness of such efforts;
``(9) if the program is not new, describe the amount of
funds expended in the previous year and state the progress made
in the previous year toward solving the problem described under
paragraph (7), including evidence of whether the problem is
increasing, decreasing, or staying the same;
``(10) describe the specific level of improvement expected
to be made toward addressing the problem described under
paragraph (7); and
``(11) state the long-term goal for the program and when
that goal is expected to be achieved or the problem described
under paragraph (7) reduced to an acceptable level.''.
Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to require
quarterly performance assessments of Government programs for
purposes of assessing agency performance and improvement, and
to establish agency performance improvement officers and the
Performance Improvement Council.''.
Union Calendar No. 288
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2142
[Report No. 111-504]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the review of Government programs at least once every 5
years for purposes of assessing their performance and improving their
operations, and to establish the Performance Improvement Council.
_______________________________________________________________________
June 14, 2010
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed