Agencies submit ‘fresh, innovative’ performance goals to OMB

The Office of Management and Budget is working closely with agencies to tweak performance goals that were due last week, according to an OMB official.

Agencies responded to an Obama administration request to submit goals by July 31 "with fresh, innovative ideas and approaches to improve the quality of government services while at the same time reducing the cost," said an OMB official, who asked not to be named.

OMB Director Peter R. Orszag directed federal agency heads to work with OMB, Congress, policy councils, department leadership, front-line employees, private sector partners and other stakeholders to identify a few high-priority performance goals. The administration stated in a July 11 memorandum that these goals must meet certain criteria, including having sufficient existing funding, a high direct value to the public and measurable performance outcomes.

Primary objectives, the memo stated, were to identify significant challenges that are unlikely to be overcome without a concerted focus of agency resources and to improve effectiveness and efficiency by tackling coordination, operational or other implementation challenges.

OMB directed agencies to define the problem and the goal, identify internal and external programs involved, designate a lead official, and outline a strategy and key measures.

The OMB official said identifying these goals was "a first step in our efforts to build a high-performing government." OMB now will help agencies refine their objectives and "set the path toward accomplishing" them, she said. The goals will be released to the public after they are formalized.

There will be regular progress reviews, including discussions of problems agencies encountered and plans to address those issues. To prepare for the reviews, the administration asked agency officials to identify high-priority goals and the strategies and means to achieve them.