[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 117 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32871-32872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15495]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


Evaluation of Performance as Required Under the Government 
Performance and Results Act

AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice describes a survey that will be conducted by the 
President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to 
evaluate the performance of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
(OSTP) as required under the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA). 
Because the survey will be sent to more than nine non-governmental 
employees, the Office of Management and Budget must approve the survey 
instrument and thus notification to the public is required.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 17, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments by mail to: GPRA/PCAST Review 
Committee, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Room 435, OEOB, 
Washington, DC 20502 or by fax to 202-456-6026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brian Kahin or Dr. Joan Porter, 
GPRA/PCAST Review Committee, Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
Room 435, OEOB, Washington, DC 20502 or by phone 202-456-6035 (Kahin) 
or 202-456-6101 (Porter).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PCAST will conduct a survey of approximately 
200 individuals to determine how well OSTP is performing its mission as 
outlined in Public Law 94-282.
    OSTP's continuing mission is set out in the National Science and 
Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (Pub. L. 
94-282). It calls for OSTP to:
    Serve as a source of scientific and technological analysis and 
judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and 
programs of the Federal Government.
    The Act authorizes OSTP to:
     Advise the President and others within the Executive 
Office of the President on the impacts of science and technology (S&T) 
on domestic and international affairs;
     Lead an interagency effort to develop and implement sound 
S&T policies and budgets;
     Work with the private sector to ensure Federal investments 
in S&T contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and 
national security;
     Build strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local 
governments, other countries, and the scientific community;
     Evaluate the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the 
Federal effort in S&T. OSTP's Senate-confirmed Director also serves as 
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. In this role, he 
co-chairs the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and 
Technology (PCAST) and supports the President's National Science and 
Technology Council (NSTC).
    A Senate-confirmed Associate Director leads each of OSTP's four 
divisions covering the areas of Environment, National Security and 
International Affairs, Science, and Technology. OSTP's four general 
goals flow directly from Public Law 94-282.

Goal 1: Advise

    Provide sound, timely, clear, and accurate advice to the President 
and others within the Executive Office of the President on topics where 
S&T can have an impact on domestic and international affairs, and in 
areas where Federal action has the potential to advance or impede 
scientific or technological progress.

Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following 
Criteria

     OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if it delivers 
timely advice on topics of great importance to the Nation, and its 
efforts have a favorable effect on associated national policies and on 
Federal research and development (R&D) program priorities and budgets.
     OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if it 
delivers advice on topics that are important to the Nation, and its 
efforts have a discernable effect on associated national policies and 
on Federal R&D program priorities and budgets.

Goal 2: Coordinate

    Coordinate the development and implementation of the 
Administration's domestic and international S&T policies, programs, and 
budgets.

[[Page 32872]]

Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following 
Criteria

     OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if coordination 
of the key R&D policies, programs, and budgets of the Federal S&T 
agencies is improved, appropriate agencies work together to implement 
cross-cutting priorities and programs, and international aspects (e.g., 
domestic and international implications of domestic and international 
programs) are suitably addressed.
     OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if some 
R&D policies, programs, and budgets of the Federal S&T agencies are 
coordinated, some agencies work together to implement some cross-
cutting priorities and programs, and international aspects are 
recognized.

Goal 3: Promote Partnerships

    Catalyze and promote effective partnerships among Federal, State, 
and local governments, other countries, the private sector, and the 
academic and scientific communities.

Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following 
Criteria:

     OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if the 
partnerships it catalyzes and promotes are grounded in S&T, have the 
potential to contribute substantially to achieving national goals, 
involve the appropriate parties, including Federal government 
involvement in partnership implementation, and are tracked to their 
successful conclusion.
     OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if the 
partnerships it catalyzes are grounded in S&T, have the potential to 
contribute to achieving national goals, and involve most appropriate 
parties, including Federal government involvement in partnership 
implementation.

Goal 4: Assess and Report

    Evaluate and report on the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the 
Federal effort in S&T.

Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following 
Criteria

     OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if the 
assessments and reports it prepares or participates in are factually 
accurate, cover the full range of relevant scientific, technical, and 
policy issues, and are written to be understood by decisionmakers who 
may not have scientific or technical training.
     OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if the 
assessments and reports it prepares or participates in are factually 
accurate and cover the full range of relevant scientific, technical, 
and policy issues.

Verification and Validation

    OSTP has asked PCAST to assess OSTP's performance.
    The President appoints members to PCAST, which provides independent 
advice to the President on the Federal government's S&T policies and 
programs. PCAST will have complete discretion in formulating its 
assessment, and PCAST's independent views on how well OSTP has achieved 
or made progress toward the performance goal will be made available to 
the public.

    Dated: June 14, 1999.
Barbara Ann Ferguson,
Administrative Officer, Office of Science and Technology Policy.
[FR Doc. 99-15495 Filed 6-15-99; 9:21 am]
BILLING CODE 3170-01-P