[Analytical Perspectives]
[Scorecard Standards for Success]
[23. Scorecard Standards for Success]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
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SCORECARD STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS
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23. SCORECARD STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS
In August 2001, the President launched his Management Agenda targeted
to ``address the most apparent deficiencies where the opportunity to
improve performance is the greatest.'' The Agenda includes five
government-wide initiatives, each of which is described more fully in
the Budget chapter on Governing for Accountability.
Strategic Management of Human Capital;
Competitive Sourcing;
Improved Financial Performance;
Expanded Electronic Government; and
Budget and Performance Integration.
In order to ensure accountability for performance and results, the
Administration is using an Executive Branch Management Scorecard. The
Administration will use this scorecard to track how well departments and
agencies are executing the management initiatives, and where they stand
at a given point in time against overall standards for success.
The scorecard employs a simple grading system common today in well-run
businesses: green for success, yellow for mixed results, and red for
unsatisfactory. Scores are based on five standards for success defined
by the President's Management Council and discussed with experts
throughout government and academe, including individual Fellows from the
National Academy for Public Administration. The standards for financial
management, for example, were reviewed by the Secretary of the Treasury,
the Comptroller General, and the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget.
Under each of the five standards, an agency is ``green'' if it meets
all of the standards for success, ``yellow'' if it has achieved some but
not all of the criteria, and ``red'' if it has any one of a number of
serious flaws. For example, in financial management, an agency is
``red'' if its books are such a mess that auditors cannot express an
opinion on the agency's financial statements, or if an agency has a
history of spending more money than has been given to it in law by the
Congress.
The initial scorecard shows a lot of poor scores, reflecting the state
of the government this Administration inherited. This was to be expected
since, as the President indicated when selecting the Management Agenda
items, the areas are ``targeted to address the most apparent
deficiencies where the opportunity to improve performance is the
greatest.'' The marks that really matter will be those that record
improvement, or lack of it, from these starting points.
The initial scorecard can be found in the Budget chapter on Governing
for Accountability. The agency chapters, which follow, discuss in
greater detail the scores for individual departmental and agencies.
Over time, the scores should improve as departments and agencies
correct the problems. The Administration will update this report twice a
year and issue a mid-year report during the summer. This Administration
will not indulge in grade inflation; we will hold ourselves responsible
and report honestly when progress is too slow.
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SCORECARD STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS
Human Capital
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Green Yellow Red
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Must Meet All Core Criteria:
Agency human capital
strategy is aligned with
mission, goals, and
organizational objectives: 1)
integrated into Budget and
Strategic Plans; 2) consistent
with OPM's human capital
scorecard (issued by December 1,
2001); and 3) complies with
standards for internal
accountability systems to ensure
effective merit-based HRM.
Agency has a citizen-
centered organizational
structure that is delayered and
oriented toward performing the
mission assigned to it.
Agency 1) sustains high-
performing workforce that is
continually improving in
productivity; 2) strategically
uses existing personnel
flexibilities, tools, and
technology; and 3) implements
effective succession plans.
No skill gaps/
deficiencies exist in mission
critical occupations.
Agency differentiates
between high and low performers
through appropriate incentive
and rewards.
Changes in agency Achievement of Some but not All Core Has Any One of the Following
workforce skill mix and Criteria; No Red Conditions. Conditions:
organizational structure reflect
increased emphasis on e-
government and competitive
sourcing.
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SCORECARD STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS
Competitive Sourcing
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Green Yellow Red
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Must Meet All Core Criteria:
Completed public-private
or direct conversion competition
on not less than 50 percent of
the full-time equivalent
employees listed on the approved
FAIR Act inventories.
Competitions and direct
conversions conducted pursuant
to approved competition plan.
Commercial reimbursable Achievement of Some but not All Core Has Any One of the Following
support service arrangements Criteria; No Red Conditions. Conditions:
between agencies are competed
with the private sector on a
recurring basis.
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SCORECARD STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS
Financial Management
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Green Yellow Red
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Must Meet All Core Criteria:
Financial management
systems meet Federal financial
management system requirements
and applicable Federal
accounting and transaction
standards as reported by the
agency head.
Accurate and timely
financial information.
Integrated financial and
performance management systems
supporting day-to-day
operations.
Unqualified and timely Achievement of Some but not All Core Has Any One of the Following
audit opinion on the annual Criteria; No Red Conditions. Conditions:
financial statements; no
material internal control
weaknesses reported by the
auditors.
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SCORECARD STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS
Expanding E-Government
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Green Yellow Red
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Must Meet All Core Criteria:
Strategic Value: all
major systems investments have a
business case submitted that
meets the requirements of OMB
Circular A-11 (Exhibit 53, Form
300).
IT Program Performance:
On average, all major IT
projects operating within 90% of
Form 300 cost, schedule, and
performance targets.
E-government and GPEA
implementation: (must show
department-wide progress or
participation in multi-agency
initiative in 3 areas)
Citizen one-stop service
delivery integrated through
Firstgov.gov, cross-agency call
centers, and offices or service
centers.
Minimize burden on
business by re-using data
previously collected or using
ebXML or other open standards to
receive information.
Intergovernmental:
Deploying E-grants or Geospatial
Information one-stop.
Obtaining productivity Achievement of Some but not All Core Has Any One of the Following
improvements by implementing Criteria; No Red Conditions. Conditions:
customer relationship
management, supply chain
management, enterprise resource
management, or knowledge
management best practices.
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SCORECARD STANDARDS FOR SUCCESS
Integrating Budget and Performance
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Green Yellow Red
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Must Meet All Core Criteria:
Integrated planning/
evaluation and budget staff work
with program managers to create
an integrated plan/budget and to
monitor and evaluate its
implementation.
Streamlined, clear,
integrated agency plan/budget
sets forth outcome goals, output
targets, and resources requested
in context of past results.
Budget accounts, staff,
and specifically program/
activities are aligned to
support achieving program
targets.
Full budgetary cost is
charged to mission accounts and
activities. Cost of outputs and
programs is integrated with
performance in budget requests
and execution.
Agency has documented Achievement of Some but not All Core Has Any One of the Following
program effectiveness. Analyses Criteria; No Red Conditions. Criteria:
show how program outputs and
policies affect desired
outcomes. Agency systematically
applies performance to budget
and can demonstrate how program
results inform budget decisions.
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