	Instituting a More Coordinated and Crosscutting Approach to Achieving Meaningful Results

The federal government faces a series of challenges that in many instances  are not possible for any single agency to address alone. The crosscutting approach required by the act will provide a much needed  basis for more fully integrating a wide array of federal activities as well as  a cohesive perspective on the long-term goals of the federal government  that is focused on priority policy areas. Effective GPRAMA implementation could help inform reexamination or  restructuring efforts related to these and other areas by identifying the  various agencies and federal activities—including spending programs,  regulations, and tax expenditures—that contribute to each crosscutting  goal. Examples from our work on duplication, overlap, and fragmentation  include:    Teacher quality programs: In fiscal year 2009, the federal government  spent over $4 billion specifically to improve the quality of our nation’s  3 million teachers through numerous programs across the  government. Focusing on Addressing Weaknesses in Major Management Functions

Although agencies have made progress improving their operations in  recent years, they need more effective management capabilities to better  implement new programs and policies. The act specifies that these goals should include five areas:  financial management, human capital management, information  technology management, procurement and acquisition management, and  real property management. Ensuring Performance Information Is Both Useful and Used in Decision Making

Agencies need to consider the differing information needs of various  users—such as agency top leadership and line managers, OMB, and  Congress—to ensure that performance information will be both useful and  used in decision making. By also requiring information to be posted on a governmentwide  Web site, the act will make performance information more accessible  and easy to use by stakeholders and the public, thus fostering  transparency and civic engagement. In addition, to help ensure that performance information is used—not  simply collected and reported as a compliance exercise—GPRAMA  requires top leadership and program officials to be involved in quarterly  reviews of priority goals. Sustaining Leadership Commitment and Accountability for Achieving Results

Perhaps the single most important element of successful management  improvement initiatives is the demonstrated commitment of top leaders. Engaging Congress in Identifying Management and Performance Issues to Address

In order for performance improvement initiatives to be useful to Congress  for its decision making, garnering congressional buy-in on what to  measure and how to present this information is critical. In past reviews,  we have noted the importance of considering Congress a partner in  shaping agency goals at the outset. GPRAMA significantly enhances requirements for agencies to consult with  Congress when establishing or adjusting governmentwide and agency  goals. GAO’s Role in Evaluating GPRAMA, High Risks, and Other Major Government Challenges

Realizing the promise of GPRAMA for improving government performance  and accountability and reducing waste will require sustained oversight of  implementation. Finally, GAO  reports to each new Congress on government operations that it identifies  as high risk due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and  mismanagement or the need for broad-based transformation to address  economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. While the long-term outlook is driven on the  spending side of the budget by rising health care costs and demographics,  other areas of the budget should not be exempt from scrutiny. Programs and  management functions at significant risk of waste, fraud, and abuse must  be corrected.
Why GAO Did This Study

The federal government is the world's largest and most complex entity, with about $3.5 trillion in outlays in fiscal year 2010 that fund a broad array of programs and operations. GAO's long-term simulations of the federal budget show--absent policy change--growing deficits accumulating to an unsustainable increase in debt. While the spending side is driven by rising health care costs and demographics, other areas should also be scrutinized. In addition, there are significant performance and management challenges that the federal government needs to confront. GAO was asked to testify on the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA), as the administration begins implementing the act. This statement is based on GAO's past and ongoing work on GPRA implementation, as well as recently issued reports (1) identifying opportunities to reduce potential duplication in government programs, save tax dollars, and enhance revenue; and (2) updating GAO's list of government operations at high risk due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or the need for transformation. As required by GPRAMA, GAO will periodically evaluate implementation of the act and report to Congress on its findings and recommendations.

What GAO Found

GAO's past and ongoing work illustrates how GPRAMA could, if effectively implemented, help address government challenges in five areas: Instituting a more coordinated and crosscutting approach to achieving meaningful results. GPRAMA could help inform reexamination or restructuring efforts and lead to more effective, efficient, and economical service delivery in overlapping program areas by identifying the various agencies and federal activities--including spending programs, regulations, and tax expenditures--that contribute to crosscutting outcomes. These program areas could include numerous teacher quality initiatives or multiple employment and training programs, among others. Focusing on addressing weaknesses in major management functions. Agencies need more effective management capabilities to better implement their programs and policies. GPRAMA requires long-term goals to improve management functions in five key areas: financial, human capital, information technology, procurement and acquisition, and real property management. GAO's work has highlighted opportunities for improvements in each of these areas and aspects of all of them are on the GAO high risk list. Ensuring performance information is both useful and used in decision making. Agencies need to consider the differing needs of various stakeholders, including Congress, to ensure that performance information will be both useful and used. For performance information to be useful, it must be complete, accurate, valid, timely, and easy to use. Yet decision makers often do not have the quality performance information they need to improve results. To help address this need, GPRAMA requires (1) disclosure of information about accuracy and validity, (2) data on crosscutting areas, and (3) quarterly reporting on priority goals on a publicly available Web site. Sustaining leadership commitment and accountability for achieving results. Perhaps the single most important element of successful management improvement initiatives is the demonstrated commitment of top leaders, as shown by their personal involvement in reform efforts. GPRAMA assigns responsibilities to a Chief Operating Officer and Performance Improvement Officer in each agency to improve agency management and performance. Engaging Congress in identifying management and performance issues to address. In order for performance improvement initiatives to be useful to Congress for its decision making, garnering congressional buy-in on what to measure and how to present this information is critical. GAO has previously noted the importance of considering Congress a partner in shaping agency goals at the outset. GPRAMA significantly enhances requirements for agencies to consult with Congress.