	Adopting 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. 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. 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. 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. Instilling Sustained 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. The act designates the deputy head of each  agency as Chief Operating Officer (COO), with overall responsibilities for  improving the management and performance of the agency. 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 how the provisions of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) could, if effectively implemented, help address these challenges. Our statement is based on our past and ongoing work on GPRA implementation, as well as our recently issued reports (1) identifying opportunities to reduce potential duplication in government programs, save tax dollars, and enhance revenue; and (2) updating our list of government operations at high risk due to their greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or the need for broad-based 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 help address government challenges in five areas: 1) Adopting a more coordinated and crosscutting approach to achieving meaningful results. GPRAMA could help inform reexamination or restructuring efforts and lead to more 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 multiple employment and training programs or numerous teacher quality initiatives, among others. 2) 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. GAO's work has highlighted opportunities for improvements in each of these areas and aspects of several of them are on the GAO high-risk list. 3) 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. 4) Instilling sustained 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. 5) 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.