GovernmentExecutive.com

Return to Article: Officials commit to collaborate on performance-based budgeting

• 91089
  

  The federal government has had a proven performance management and improvement framework for over 20 years. It is overseen by the Dept. of Commerce and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It is called the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and framework is based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. It is also used in most states. Until about 8 years ago the federal government did use this framework and it was known as the President's Quality Award. Why keep trying to reinvent the wheel??

  Bob B. Posted November 3, 2009 11:34 AM
• 91052
  

  I see Mr. Shea has been properly brainwashed over the past 30 years. I've got news for you pal the system is broken nothing the Democrats will do or the Republicans will ever help the average struggling American family. We need to clean house and get the corruption out of politics (if thats possible its so imbedded). These people only make decisions that help themselves or their buddies. Proof of this is in your face they want us to buy into National Health care however the question was asked if they will be joining us? I guess the verdict is still out on that since that got shoved under the rug with a soft spoken NO! I havent heard anything else about that anybody else? These people are crooked and only out for themselves. Us americans need to look out for our families so I guess they the politicians and the average American are at a stand off until election time.

  LC Posted November 3, 2009 9:12 AM
• 90871
  

  Give 'em a chance! This is progress. Congress, working with White House and Agencies, can make a lot more progress than going it alone. The fact that the Senate created a task force for this purpose alone is a big step in the right direction.

  Robert Shea Posted October 31, 2009 4:31 PM
• 90819
  

  Yeah--the W Administration tried working with Congress and proved conclusively that it doesn't care about program performance. Enforcement mechanisms? Gee, Jim--thanks for the idea! We can be sure that the protectors of fiefdoms and those who passed the spendulous bills without performance indicators will agree to be penalized when they don't follow Executive Branch guidance and cut low performing programs.

  Ron Posted October 30, 2009 11:52 AM
• 90808
  

  It is no secret that Congress is no good at much of anything the last 20 years no matter what party is in control! They cannot even pass a budget in 12 Months!

  annie Posted October 30, 2009 10:17 AM
• 90779
  

  I can only assume that Mr. Jeff Zients forgot that his boss, President Obama, signed a $800 BILLION dollar stimulus bill passed by Congress that did not have a single "accountability" or "performance" measure. For instance, $25 million for some little mouse in the San Francisco Congressional District - how will Nancy Peliso measure the performance of this money?

  Get serious Mr. Zients. Look back the last 50 years in appropriation bills that Congress has approved and signed by Presidents - none of the appropriation bills have performance criteria.

  Amazing Posted October 30, 2009 7:34 AM
• 90776
  

  I care about genuine performance measurement with realistic goals. Previously top senior leadership has generated a lot of heat with very little light (long on telling what must be done and short on showing how to do it). My hope is that teams are formed to help program managers determine sensible and realistic metrics for performance measurement. There is no 'one size fits all' method. Often there is no management data collection system (MDCS)to support accurate, timely and realistic performance metrics. The result is that too often bogus or unrealistic data is used to meet a 'fill a square' type deadline from higher level management. Often help is needed to determine what needs to be measured and how to measure it, but too many managers won't admit they need this help and usually there is no viable help anyway. That is why I say help is needed to tailor performance management metrics to specific programs and this includes establishing viable MDCSs to support development of proper metrics. I'm sure there are some good examples for accomplishing this. One that I have seen is within the aircraft maintenance arena in the United States Air Force.

  Rick Posted October 30, 2009 6:58 AM
• 90773
  

  Gee, as if this is a "new" discovery about how federal funds are spent and what taxpayers get in return. First, Congress needs to pass a Line Item Veto bill that will withstand the high court from overturning it. Second, Congress needs to pass a bill that will prohibit from attaching "rider appropriations" to an appropriation bill that has nothing in common to the Federal Code of Expenditures. Third, Congress needs to purge their ranks of Senators and Congressmen and Congresswoman that are corrupt and don't pay their taxes.

  It does not take a whole lot of brains to understand that holding people accountability starts at the very top.

  InFrontofYour Eyes Posted October 30, 2009 6:46 AM