| Major Management Challenges | Specific Performance Goals |
| Managing an effective merit review system is a priority. |
Among the annual performance goals for NSF’s investment process, NSF has 2 performance goals related to merit review: (1) at least 90 percent of NSF funds will be allocated to project reviewed by appropriate peers external to NSF and selected through a merit-based competitive process, maintaining the FY 1998 baseline and fiscal year 1999 goal of 90 percent; (2) NSF performance in implementation of the new merit review criteria appropriate to the proposal at hand and when program officers take the information provided into account in their decisions on awards; minimally effective when reviewers address the elements of both generic review criteria appropriate to the proposal at hand and when program officers take the information provided into account in their decisions on awards; minimally effective when reviewers consistently use only a few of the suggested elements of the generic review criteria although others might be applicable. |
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NSF needs to capitalize on its strengths when responding to increased expectations. |
None. |
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NSF should not consider the Government Performance and Results Act as a burden. |
None. |
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NSF was unable to offer adequate information for their fiscal year 1997 financial audit. |
None. |
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NSF needs a new electronic process to meet their performance goals. |
Among NSF’s annual performance goals for management are 2 that relate to electronic proposal processing: (1) NSF will receive at least 35 percent of full proposal submissions electronically through FastLane improving upon fiscal year 1998 baseline of 17 percent. [Is this a "new electronic process?"] (2) By the end of fiscal year 2000, NSF will have the technological capability of taking competitive proposals submitted electronically through the entire proposal and award/declination process without generating paper within NSF. |
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Managing the Antarctic program is an ongoing challenge. |
None. |
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NSF must focus on sustaining its academic integrity and standards. |
None. |
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Spending funds effectively and efficiently is a concern. |
Among its annual performance goals for NSF’s investment process is a goal related to facilities oversight which is relevant: For all construction and upgrade projects initiated after 1996, keep total cost within 110 percent of estimates made at the initiation of construction. |
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NSF needs to find an effective system for cost sharing. |
None. |
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The management of salaries and administrative resources is weak. |
None. |
