2. The District has made substantial progress in establishing performance measures for most of its goals. In response to our request for evidence that a system existed to ensure that the performance data were sufficiently reliable for measuring progress toward goals, the District did not provide such evidence for 7 of the12 goals that the District reported had been met and for 11 of the 14 goals that the District reported had not been met. In addition, at the Subcommittee’s request, we determined the extent to which the performance contracts that the Mayor signed with the directors of three agencies are aligned with both the Mayor’s performance plan and the Mayor’s scorecard. performance plan. Opportunities to Improve the Usefulness of the District’s Performance Report

As you know, Congress passed legislation in 1994 that is similar to the performance reporting requirement in GPRA in that it requires the District to prepare an annual performance report on each goal in the City’s annual performance plan. year 2000 and added 7 new management reform initiatives.
Why GAO Did This Study

This testimony focuses on the District of Columbia's progress and challenges in performance management.

What GAO Found

GAO discusses whether the District: (1) met the 29 performance goals that it scheduled for completion by the end of fiscal year 2000 that Congress chose from the more than 400 performance measures contained in the Mayor's fiscal year 2001 budget request, and (2) provided evidence that the performance data are sufficiently reliable for measuring progress toward goals. Mayor Williams' performance management system contains many--but not all--of the elements used successfully by leading organizations. The District could improve the usefulness of its mandated annual performance plans and reports by ensuring that the District government's most significant performance goals are included in both the annual performance plan and the annual performance report that federal law requires the Mayor to send to Congress every year.