The Buzz

Mixed Grades on Report Cards

Defense and HHS received the second-lowest scores from analysts at the Mercatus Center of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. The Homeland Security Department ranked last, but only because DHS had not completed its report at the time Mercatus researchers compiled their rankings. Meanwhile, the Agriculture and State departments moved up several places, and Transportation joined Labor at the top, with the Veterans Affairs Department right behind.

Since 1999, Mercatus has rated 24 major agencies' annual performance reports on a scale of 1 to 20 in three areas: clarity and accessibility; demonstration of progress and results; and leadership in fixing management problems. The ratings reflect the quality of reports, not actual performance.

Clear, accurate and accessible annual reports may not ultimately translate into more effective management, but they are an important first step, Mercatus analysts said. "The insights and ideas generated by this analytical process should improve the agency's ability to serve the public," researchers explained in the ratings study.

Overall, performance reports improved in fiscal 2003, says Jerry Ellig, a senior research fellow at Mercatus. The average agency scored 34 out of 60 for fiscal 2003, a 13 percent increase over the previous year.

Small Biz, Big Bucks

More than one-quarter, or $62.7 billion, of the $247.1 billion federal agencies granted in prime contracts last fiscal year went to small businesses, according to data published in March by the Small Business Administration. In contrast, small businesses garnered slightly less than 23 percent of contract dollars available in fiscal 2002.

SBA based these figures on information reported by the Federal Procurement Data Center, a branch of the General Services Administration charged with compiling contracting statistics. General Accounting Office researchers, however, have repeatedly questioned the reliability of data collected by the center.

Under federal law, the government must aim to award at least 23 percent of prime contract dollars to small businesses. "We not only exceeded those standards, but we set an all-time record, awarding a higher percentage of federal contracting dollars to America's small businesses than ever before," says SBA Administrator Hector Barreto.

ON THE RECORD: Gen. Paul Kern

On how Army depots are handling increased work: The depots are keeping up. Production is about a billion dollars ahead on average this year from what it's been in the past across all of the depots.

If you go up to Tobyhanna [Army Depot in Pennsylvania], it's full of radars that came back not just from the Army, but from the Air Force for the airfields that they've set up. You've got the Letter-kenny Depot [in Pennsylvania], where you can see them pushing out armored doors for Humvees and Patriot ground equipment rebuilds. You go down to Anniston Depot [in Alabama], they're pushing out Stryker [armored vehicles] and they're pushing out rebuilt tank engines. Clearly, the work is all up.

On staffing levels: We are roughly about 30 percent over hires from where we were [before the war], and it varies from depot to depot. In some cases, we have almost doubled from where we were, in other cases it's less. For example, most of the tanks and Bradley [Fighting Vehicles] have not come back, so on that part of the Anniston line we have not added a lot yet. On the other hand, a lot of the electronic work is running about 40 or 50 percent ahead of where they were. The same is true for bomb production.

On parts and equipment shortages: We always have shortages, we never have excesses. It has varied from point to point, but the one that's the constant demand isn't a part. It's the fuel, because of the high tempo of operations. The parts have varied from time to time. Six months to a year ago it was clearly suspension items for the Bradley and the Abrams [tank]. We are pretty well caught up on that right now. But I am never sanguine that it will last, given the tempo of operations.

Clearly, the Humvees are getting lots of mileage put on them. Tires seem to be pretty well keeping up with demands right now. And the engines-well, I would like to have more back for rebuild, but we're keeping up with the requirements. The big one that has challenged us over the last six months has been windshields. It's a combination of running a lot of convoys and the big trucks kicking up rocks that are smashing windshields-plus people taking shots at them. The same thing with blades on helicopters. In that sand environment, that always is a problem.

Personnel Information Crackdown

In a March 29 memorandum, Defense Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness David Chu asked the Office of Personnel Management not to release lists of names and related information about Defense employees, and to refer requests for such information to the Defense Department's Office of Freedom of Information and Security. Under the new policy, names and street and e-mail addresses of Defense employees will no longer be released.

But OPM also is clearing requests for general statistics from the Central Personnel Data File through Defense, a process that has caused backlogs and delays and slowed responses to Freedom of Information Act requests, an OPM official says.

The March 29 policy is an expansion on one adopted after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that denies any FOIA requests about specific Defense employees, or redacts such information when it would be revealed by another request. The original policy was implemented, according to an October 2001 memo, "because of the heightened interest in the personal privacy of [Defense] personnel that is consistent with the increased security awareness demanded in times of national security."