[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 46 (Monday, November 19, 2007)]
[Pages 1498-1501]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13450--Improving Government Program Performance

November 13, 2007

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including sections 305 and 306 
of title 5, sections 1115, 1116, and 9703 of title 31, and chapter 28 of 
title 39, United States Code, and to improve the effectiveness and 
efficiency of the Federal Government and promote greater accountability 
of that Government to the American people, it is hereby ordered as 
follows:
    Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the Federal Government to 
spend taxpayer dollars effectively, and more effectively each year. 
Agencies shall apply taxpayer resources efficiently in a manner that 
maximizes the effectiveness of Government programs in serving the 
American people.
    Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this order:
    (a) ``agency'' means:
 (i)         an executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5, 
            United States Code, other than the Government Accountability 
            Office; and
 (ii)        the United States Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory 
            Commission;
    (b) ``agency Performance Improvement Officer'' means an employee of 
an agency who is a member of the Senior Executive Service or equivalent 
service, and who is designated by the head of the agency to carry out 
the duties set forth in section 5 of this order.
    Sec. 3. Duties of Heads of Agencies. To assist in implementing the 
policy set forth in section 1 of this order, the head of each agency 
shall, with respect to each program administered in whole or in part by 
the agency:
    (a) approve for implementation:
     (i) clear annual and long-term goals defined by objectively 
measurable outcomes; and
     (ii) specific plans for achieving the goals, including:
      (A) assignments to specified agency personnel of:
        (1) the duties necessary to achieve the goals; and
        (2) the authority and resources necessary to fulfill such 
      duties;
      (B) means to measure:
        (1) progress toward achievement of the goals; and
        (2) efficiency in use of resources in making that progress; and
      (C) mechanisms for ensuring continuous accountability of the 
      specified agency personnel to the head of the agency for 
      achievement of the goals and efficiency in use of resources in 
      achievement of the goals;

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    (b) assist the President, through the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget (Director), in making recommendations to the 
Congress, including budget and appropriations recommendations, that are 
justified based on objective performance information and accurate 
estimates of the full costs of achieving the annual and long-term goals 
approved under subsection (a)(i) of this section; and
    (c) ensure that agency Internet websites available to the public 
include regularly updated and accurate information on the performance of 
the agency and its programs, in a readily useable and searchable form, 
that sets forth the successes, shortfalls, and challenges of each 
program and describes the agency's efforts to improve the performance of 
the program.
    Sec. 4. Additional Duties of the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget. (a) To assist in implementing the policy set 
forth in section 1 of this order, the Director shall issue instructions 
to the heads of agencies concerning:
 (i)         the contents, and schedule for approval, of the goals and 
            plans required by section 3 of this order; and
 (ii)        the availability to the public in readily accessible and 
            comprehensible form on the agency's Internet website (or in 
            the Federal Register for any agency that does not have such 
            a website), of the information approved by the head of each 
            agency under section 3 of this order and other information 
            relating to agency performance.
    (b) Instructions issued under subsection (a) of this section shall 
facilitate compliance with applicable law, presidential guidance, and 
Office of Management and Budget circulars and shall be designed to 
minimize duplication of effort and to assist in maximizing the 
efficiency and effectiveness of agencies and their programs.
    Sec. 5. Duties of Agency Performance Improvement Officers. Subject 
to the direction of the head of the agency, each agency Performance 
Improvement Officer shall:
    (a) supervise the performance management activities of the agency, 
including:
      (i) development of the goals, specific plans, and estimates for 
      which section 3 of this order provides; and
      (ii) development of the agency's strategic plans, annual 
      performance plans, and annual performance reports as required by 
      law;
    (b) advise the head of the agency, with respect to a program 
administered in whole or in part by the agency, whether:
      (i) goals proposed for the approval of the head of the agency 
      under section 3(a)(i) of this order are:
        (A) sufficiently aggressive toward full achievement of the 
      purposes of the program; and
        (B) realistic in light of authority and resources assigned to 
      the specified agency personnel referred to in section 3(a)(ii)(A) 
      of this order with respect to that program; and
      (ii) means for measurement of progress toward achievement of the 
      goals are sufficiently rigorous and accurate;
    (c) convene the specified agency personnel referred to in section 
3(a)(ii)(A) of this order, or appropriate subgroups thereof, regularly 
throughout each year to:
      (i) assess performance of each program administered in whole or in 
      part by the agency; and
      (ii) consider means to improve the performance and efficiency of 
      such program;
    (d) assist the head of the agency in the development and use within 
the agency of performance measures in personnel performance appraisals, 
and, as appropriate, other agency personnel and planning processes; and
    (e) report to the head of the agency on the implementation within 
the agency of the policy set forth in section 1 of this order.
    Sec. 6. Establishment and Operation of Performance Improvement 
Council. (a) The Director shall establish, within the Office of 
Management and Budget for administrative purposes only, a Performance 
Improvement Council (Council), consistent with this order.
    (b) The Council shall consist exclusively of:

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      (i) the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management 
      and Budget, who shall serve as Chair;
      (ii) such agency Performance Improvement Officers, as determined 
      by the Chair; and
      (iii) such other full-time or permanent part-time employees of an 
      agency, as determined by the Chair with the concurrence of the 
      head of the agency concerned.
    (c) The Chair or the Chair's designee, in implementing subsection 
(d) of this section, shall convene and preside at the meetings of the 
Council, determine its agenda, direct its work, and establish and direct 
subgroups of the Council, as appropriate to deal with particular subject 
matters, that shall consist exclusively of members of the Council.
    (d) To assist in implementing the policy set forth in section 1 of 
this order, the Council shall:
      (i) develop and submit to the Director, or when appropriate to the 
      President through the Director, at times and in such formats as 
      the Chair may specify, recommendations concerning:
        (A) performance management policies and requirements; and
        (B) criteria for evaluation of program performance;
      (ii) facilitate the exchange among agencies of information on 
      performance management, including strategic and annual planning 
      and reporting, to accelerate improvements in program performance;
      (iii) coordinate and monitor a continuous review by heads of 
      agencies of the performance and management of all Federal programs 
      that assesses the clarity of purpose, quality of strategic and 
      performance planning and goals, management excellence, and results 
      achieved for each agency's programs, with the results of these 
      assessments and the evidence on which they are based made 
      available to the public on or through the Internet website 
      referred to in subsection (d)(iv);
      (iv) to facilitate keeping the public informed, and with such 
      assistance of heads of agencies as the Director may require, 
      develop an Internet website that provides the public with 
      information on how well each agency performs and that serves as a 
      comprehensive source of information on:
        (A) current program performance; and
        (B) the status of program performance plans and agency 
      Performance and Accountability Reports; and
        (C) consistent with the direction of the head of the agency 
      concerned after consultation with the Director, any publicly 
      available reports by the agency's Inspector General concerning 
      agency program performance;
      (v) monitor implementation by agencies of the policy set forth in 
      section 1 of this order and report thereon from time to time as 
      appropriate to the Director, or when appropriate to the President 
      through the Director, at such times and in such formats as the 
      Chair may specify, together with any recommendations of the 
      Council for more effective implementation of such policy;
      (vi) at the request of the head of an agency, unless the Chair 
      declines the request, promptly review and provide advice on a 
      proposed action by that agency to implement the policy set forth 
      in section 1 of this order; and
      (vii) obtain information and advice, as appropriate, in a manner 
      that seeks individual advice and does not involve collective 
      judgment or consensus advice or deliberation, from:
        (A) State, local, territorial, and tribal officials; and
        (B) representatives of entities or other individuals.
    (e)(i) To the extent permitted by law, the Office of Management and 
Budget shall provide the funding and administrative support the Council 
needs, as determined by the Director, to implement this section; and
    (ii) the heads of agencies shall provide, as appropriate and to the 
extent permitted by law, such information and assistance as the Chair 
may request to implement this section.
    Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be 
construed to impair or otherwise affect:

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        (i) authority granted by law to an agency or the head thereof; 
      or
        (ii) functions of the Director relating to budget, 
      administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law 
(including laws and executive orders relating to the protection of 
information from disclosure) and subject to the availability of 
appropriations.
    (c) In implementing this order, the Director of National 
Intelligence shall perform the functions assigned to the Director of 
National Intelligence by the National Security Act of 1947, as amended 
(50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.), consistent with section 1018 of the 
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (Public Law 108-458), 
and other applicable laws.
    (d) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or 
benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by 
any party against the United States, its agencies, or entities, its 
officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 November 13, 2007.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:44 a.m., November 
14, 2007]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
November 15.