Performance Measurement

Bernanke Endorsed by Senate Banking Committee, Supports Limited Fed Audit

In late December, in a bipartisan vote, the Senate Banking Committee approved Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's nomination to a second term as Federal Reserve chairman. The vote wasn't in any doubt, although the closeness of the margin, 16 to 7, does indicate the contentiousness of Bernanke's nomination. The nomination now heads to the Senate floor, where, barring some unforeseen calamity, he will be nominated to another four year term in January. His nomination should be helped by a recent letter Bernanke wrote responding to written questions from two committee members, in which Bernanke hesitantly endorsed limited audits of the Federal Reserve.

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Articles & Analysis

OMB Releases Plan to Elevate Performance Evaluation

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo to federal agencies on Oct. 7 that outlines a new initiative to bring a renewed emphasis and additional resources for program evaluation within agencies. Although this initiative is not a comprehensive plan to reinvigorate performance measurement in the federal government, it will help correct many problems that kept previous performance systems from creating real improvement in government performance.

OMB Launches Opening Salvo on Performance Overhaul

OMB Director Peter Orszag released a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies this morning announcing a new initiative in the FY 2011 budget process that seeks to bring increased emphasis and resources for program evaluation within agencies. The memo outlines three parts to this initial effort:

Senate Likely to Confirm First-Ever Chief Performance Officer

On June 16, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) voted to approve the nomination of Jeffrey Zients to serve as the nation's first Chief Performance Officer (CPO), moving the issue to the full Senate.

2008 Fiscal Policy Year in Review

It's been an exceptional year. 2008 saw not only economic indicators that evoked memories of the Great Depression, but also a record-breaking federal budget deficit. The federal government, through several agencies, activated trillions of dollars in loans and asset guarantees. Congress approved the largest supplemental spending bill in its history and gave the Treasury Department the authority to expend the equivalent of three-fourths of the federal discretionary budget on one sector of the economy. But in many other ways, Congress proved to be unremarkable by staying true to its recent history of underachievement.

2008 Executive Branch Regulatory Agenda: Building an Administrative Legacy

In 2007, President Bush used administrative decrees — such as issuing a new regulatory executive order and giving new powers to executive branch offices — to impact the regulatory process. The administration is likely to continue pursuing administratively what it cannot accomplish legislatively or does not wish to do in the light of day.

White House Attempts to Entrench PART at Federal Agencies

The White House issued an executive order (E.O. 13450) on Nov. 13 that would attempt to entrench the administration's controversial Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) within federal agencies long after President Bush leaves the White House. The order would create a point person within agencies responsible for program performance, allow the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) more leverage over specific aspects of program implementation and solidify the PART program review process as the evaluator of government programs.

OMB Wraps Up First Complete Round of PART Reviews with Little to Show

With the release of the President's FY 08 budget, the Office of Management and Budget has completed reviews of almost every federal program using their review mechanism — the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART). To date, nearly 1,000 federal programs, representing 96 percent of all programs, have received at least one review with the PART.