H.R. 2142: GPRA Modernization Act of 2010

111th Congress

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.

Sponsor: Rep. Henry Cuellar — D — TX

Amends the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 to require each executive agency to make its strategic plan available on its public website and to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the first Monday in February of any year following that in which the term of the President commences and to notify the President and Congress. Requires such plan to cover at least a four-year period and to include a description of: (1) how the agency is working with other agencies to achieve its goals and objectives, as well as relevant federal government priority goals; and (2) how the goals and objectives incorporate views and suggestions obtained through congressional consultations. Permits an agency head to make plan adjustments to reflect significant changes in the environment, with appropriate notification of Congress. Requires agencies to consult with the appropriate congressional committees regarding their strategic plans at least every two years. (Sec. 3) Requires the Director of OMB to coordinate with agencies to develop a federal government performance plan, which shall be submitted with the annual federal budget and concurrently made available on an OMB website of agency programs. Requires such plan to: (1) establish government performance goals for the current and next fiscal years; (2) identify activities, entities, and policies contributing to each goal; (3) identify a lead government official responsible for coordinating efforts to achieve the goal; (4) establish common federal government performance indicators with quarterly targets; (5) establish clearly defined quarterly milestones; and (6) identify major management challenges and plans to address such challenges. Directs each agency to make its annual performance plan available on its public website and notify the President and Congress by the first Monday in February. Requires each plan to: (1) describe how performance goals contribute to objectives of the agency's strategic plan and goals of the federal government performance plan; (2) identify agency priority goals, as well as low-priority program activities; (3) identify clearly defined milestones, the activities, entities, and policies contributing to each goal, how the agency is working with other agencies to achieve performance goals, and the agency officials responsible for the achievement of each goal; (4) describe how the agency will ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data used to measure progress towards its performance goals; and (5) describe major management challenges and plans to address such challenges. (Sec. 4) Requires each agency to make available on its public website an update on its performance no less than 150 days after the end of each fiscal year, with more frequent updates of performance on indicators that provide data of significant value to the government, Congress, or program partners at a reasonable level of administrative burden. Requires each update to: (1) include results for the five preceding fiscal years; (2) describe how the agency ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data used to measure progress towards its performance goals; and (3) make available in a classified appendix any program information that is specifically authorized to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy. Directs OMB, each fiscal year, to determine whether each agency's programs or activities meet performance goals and objectives outlined in the agency performance plans and to submit a report on unmet goals to the agency head, specified congressional committees, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Requires an agency which OMB determines has not met performance goals for one fiscal year to: (1) submit a performance improvement plan for each unmet goal with measurable milestones; and (2) designate a senior official to oversee the performance improvement strategies for each unmet goal. Requires an agency which OMB determines has not met performance goals for two consecutive fiscal years to: (1) submit to Congress a description of the actions the Administration will take to improve performance, including proposed statutory changes or planned executive actions; and (2) describe any additional funding the agency will obligate to achieve the goal. Requires OMB, if an agency has not met performance goals for three consecutive fiscal years, to submit recommendations to Congress on actions to improve performance within 60 days, including reauthorization proposals, proposed statutory changes, and planned executive actions or identification of the program for termination or reduction in the President's budget. (Sec. 5) Requires the OMB Director to coordinate with agencies to develop priority goals to improve the performance and management of the government, including: (1) outcome-oriented goals covering a limited number of crosscutting policy areas; and (2) goals for management improvements needed across the government. Requires such goals to be long-term, updated every four years, and made publicly available concurrently with the submission of the annual federal budget in the first full fiscal year following any year in which the term of the President commences. Requires the OMB Director, when developing or making adjustments to such goals, to consult with Congress periodically and at least every two years. Requires each agency head to identify priority goals among its performance goals every two years. Requires the OMB Director to determine the total number of agency priority goals across the government and the number to be developed by each agency. (Sec. 6) Requires the OMB Director, with the appropriate lead government official, and the head and Chief Operating Officer of each agency, at least quarterly, to review the progress achieved toward each federal government priority goal and each agency priority goal, respectively, and to identify strategies for performance improvement for the goals at greatest risk. (Sec. 7) Directs OMB to ensure the effective operation of a single website that provides information in a way that presents a coherent picture of all federal programs and of the performance of the federal government and individual agencies. Requires the website to include information about: (1) each agency program, including information on program purposes, funding, priority goals, performance measurement, results, and strategies for improvement; and (2) each of the federal government priority goals, including information about the associated performance goals, results achieved, priority goals at risk, and strategies for improving performance. (Sec. 8) Requires the deputy head of each agency to be the agency's Chief Operating Officer, who shall: (1) be responsible for improving the management and performance of the agency; and (2) provide overall organization management to improve agency performance and achieve the agency's mission and goals through the use of strategic and performance planning, measurement, analysis, regular assessment of progress, and use of performance information to improve results. (Sec. 9) Requires each agency head to designate a Performance Improvement Officer, who shall report to such Chief Operating Officer. Establishes a Performance Improvement Council, consisting of the Deputy Director for Management of OMB and agency Performance Improvement Officers, which shall: (1) assist the OMB Director to improve the performance of the government and achieve the federal government priority goals; and (2) develop and submit to the OMB Director recommendations to streamline and improve performance management policies and requirements. (Sec. 10) Requires: (1) agencies to make their strategic plans, performance plans, and performance updates available on the OMB government programs website; and (2) the OMB Director to issue guidance to agencies to provide concise and timely performance information for publication on such website. (Sec. 11) Requires each agency's Chief Operating Officer, annually, to compile and submit to OMB a list of all plans and reports the agency produces for Congress and a list that identifies a specified percentage of those (at least 10% in the first year) as outdated or duplicative. Requires the OMB Director to include the list of outdated or duplicative agency plans and reports in the annual federal budget submitted by the President and authorizes the OMB Director to concurrently submit legislation to eliminate or consolidate such plans and reports. (Sec. 12) Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to: (1) identify key skills and competencies needed by federal personnel for developing goals, evaluating programs, and analyzing and using performance information for the purpose of improving government efficiency and effectiveness; and (2) incorporate such skills and competencies into relevant position classifications; and (3) work with each agency to incorporate such skills into training. (Sec. 14) Sets forth a schedule for implementation of requirements of this Act. Requires the Comptroller General to evaluate and report to Congress on implementation of this Act and its effect on agency performance management.

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