Defense Management: Tools for Measuring and Managing Defense Agency Performance Could Be Strengthened
GAO-04-919
Published: Sep 13, 2004. Publicly Released: Sep 13, 2004.
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Highlights
GAO was mandated to assess the effectiveness of defense agency performance contracts as management tools. As agreed, GAO also reviewed other tools (performance plans and balanced scorecards) and focused on three defense agencies--the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA). GAO addressed (1) the extent that the defense agencies initially used performance contracts, including whether this tool addressed attributes associated with results-oriented management; (2) defense agencies' efforts to implement performance plans using lessons learned from the initial contracts; and (3) the extent DOD established mechanisms to share lessons learned. GAO reviewed the content of these tools, but not the actual or reported performance. DISA has not yet finalized its scorecard, thus this report discusses only DISA's plans for its scorecard.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To make performance plans and scorecards more informative and useful for decision making, and further strengthen these tools' potential for measuring and managing defense agency performance, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, to revise guidance to require all defense agencies to identify individuals accountable for achieving results at lower organizational levels. |
Closed – Implemented
The Director of PA&E agreed that any Defense Agency not currently including in its performance plan the identification of individuals accountable for achieving results at lower organizational levels should do so in accordance with DOD guidance to the Defense Agencies dates August 22, 2005. The Director of PA&E subsequently issued a guidance memorandum, "Implementing Instructions for FY 2005 Defense Agency Performance Plans," dated October 25, 2004, that implemented this recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | To make performance plans and scorecards more informative and useful for decision making, and further strengthen these tools' potential for measuring and managing defense agency performance, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, to revise guidance to require all defense agencies to include measures that are clearly defined and include trend data for at least the past fiscal year's performance to help assess progress. |
Closed – Implemented
The Director of PA&E agreed that any Defense Agency that does not have clearly defined measures that include trend data in its performance plans or balanced scorecards should do so in accordance with DOD guidance to the Defense Agencies dated August 22, 2003. The Director of PA&E issued a guidance memorandum, "Implementing Instructions for FY 2005 Defense Agency Performance Plans," dated October 25, 2004, that implemented this recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | To make performance plans and scorecards more informative and useful for decision making, and further strengthen these tools' potential for measuring and managing defense agency performance, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, to revise guidance to require all defense agencies to identify resources needed to achieve performance goals and inform budget decisions. |
Closed – Implemented
The Director of PA&E stated that given the complex nature of defense organizations, it might not be possible for Defense Agencies to fully cost their performance goals. The Director added that Defense Agency performance plans should be in synchronization with the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution System by demonstrating how PPBES decisions are implemented and by providing the performance information and metrics that can be used in the PPBES review process. The Director of PA&E issued a guidance memorandum, "Implementing Instructions for FY 2005 Defense Agency Performance Plans," dated October 25, 2004, that implemented this recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | To make performance plans and scorecards more informative and useful for decision making, and further strengthen these tools' potential for measuring and managing defense agency performance, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, to revise guidance to require all defense agencies to discuss data quality, including the reliability, validity, and limitations of performance measures as well as data sources. |
Closed – Implemented
The Director of PA&E agreed that any Defense Agency that does not have a discussion of data quality (to include the reliability, validity, and limitation of performance measures as well as data sources) in its performance plans or balanced scorecards should do so in accordance with DOD guidance to the Defense Agencies dated August 22, 2003. The Director of PA&E issued a guidance memorandum, "Implementing Instructions for FY 2005 Defense Agency Performance Plans." dated October 25, 2004, that implemented this recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | To make performance plans and scorecards more informative and useful for decision making, and further strengthen these tools' potential for measuring and managing defense agency performance, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, to revise guidance to require all defense agencies to provide contextual information to better understand how performance measures support the agency's mission. |
Closed – Implemented
The Director of PA&E agreed that any Defense Agency that does not have contextual information that enables better understanding of how performance measures support the agency's mission in its performance plans or balanced scorecards should do so in accordance with DOD guidance to the Defense Agencies dated August 22, 2003. The Director of PA&E issued a guidance memorandum, "Implementing Instructions for FY 2005 Defense Agency Performance Plans," dated October 25, 2004, that implemented this recommendation.
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Topics
Agency missionsInternal controlsPerformance measuresStrategic planningPerformance plansPerformance measurementResults oriented managementPerformance goalsData qualityStrategic plan