	Background

Although there is no commonly accepted definition for collaboration, for  the purpose of this report we define it as any joint activity by two or more  organizations that is intended to produce more public value than could be  produced when the organizations act alone. OMB  has also singled out VA and DOD resource sharing for increased attention  through its PMA initiative. While collaboration among federal agencies can take many different  forms, the practices generally consist of two or more agencies    defining and articulating a common outcome;    establishing mutually reinforcing or joint strategies to achieve the  outcome;  identifying and addressing needs by leveraging resources;    agreeing upon agency roles and responsibilities;    establishing compatible policies, procedures, and other means to operate    developing mechanisms to monitor, evaluate, and report the results of  collaborative efforts;  reinforcing agency accountability for collaborative efforts through agency  plans and reports; and  reinforcing individual accountability for collaborative efforts through  agency performance management systems. Running throughout these eight practices are a number of factors such as  leadership and trust that are necessary elements for a collaborative  working relationship. As such, they can negotiate and set wildland fire  management policy for their respective departments. GPRA and OMB’s Management Tools Offer Opportunities to Foster Greater Collaboration among Federal Agencies

GPRA, with its focus on strategic planning, the development of long-term  goals, and accountability for results, provides a framework that Congress,  OMB, and executive branch agencies can use to consider the appropriate  mix of long-term strategic goals and strategies needed to identify and  address federal goals that cut across agency boundaries. A  governmentwide performance plan could provide a broader perspective of  the federal government’s goals and strategies to address issues that cut  across different federal agencies, including redundancy and other  inefficiencies in how the government does its business. Moreover, we have recommended Congress amend GPRA to require a  governmentwide strategic plan to provide a framework for identifying  long-term goals and strategies for addressing crosscutting issues. In addition to the role it could play in implementing GPRA, OMB could  also use its PMA (President’s Management Agenda) and PART (Program  Assessment Rating Tool) tools to foster greater federal agency  collaboration. In  conducting PART assessments of federal agency programs, OMB  considers, among other things, whether the program coordinates and  collaborates effectively with related programs and whether duplication  exists. Our prior work has shown that many issues cut  across more than one agency and their actions are not well coordinated. Options for doing this  could involve    expanding the PMA initiatives and standards to include either an  additional governmentwide initiative focused on improving collaboration  across federal agencies or additional agency initiatives focused on specific  areas in need of improved collaboration;    expanding the standards for the PMA’s strategic management of human  capital initiative to reflect the need for agencies to hold individuals  accountable, through their performance management systems, for  coordinating and collaborating within and across organizational  boundaries in order to help the agencies achieve their mission, goals, and  outcomes; and    supplementing the PART guidance on interagency coordination with  information about the collaboration practices in this report. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

To identify key practices that can help enhance and sustain collaboration  as well as federal agency collaborative efforts that illustrate these  practices, we reviewed academic literature and prior GAO and  Congressional Research Service reports.
Why GAO Did This Study

The federal government faces a series of challenges in the 21st century that will be difficult, if not impossible, for any single agency to address alone. Many issues cut across more than one agency and their actions are not well coordinated. Moreover, agencies face a range of barriers when they attempt to work collaboratively. This report identifies key practices that can help enhance and sustain agency collaboration. GAO also considered how the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) address collaboration among agencies. To illustrate these practices, we selected the Healthy People, wildland fire management, and Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense's health resource sharing collaborations.

What GAO Found

Collaboration can be broadly defined as any joint activity that is intended to produce more public value than could be produced when the organizations act alone. Agencies can enhance and sustain their collaborative efforts by engaging in the eight practices identified below. Running throughout these practices are a number of factors such as leadership, trust, and organizational culture that are necessary elements for a collaborative working relationship: define and articulate a common outcome; establish mutually reinforcing or joint strategies; identify and address needs by leveraging resources; agree on roles and responsibilities; establish compatible policies, procedures, and other means to operate across agency boundaries; develop mechanisms to monitor, evaluate, and report on results; reinforce agency accountability for collaborative efforts through agency plans and reports; and reinforce individual accountability for collaborative efforts through performance management systems. GAO has previously reported that GPRA, with its focus on strategic planning, the development of long-term goals, and accountability for results, provides a framework Congress, OMB, and executive branch agencies can use to consider the appropriate mix of long-term strategic goals and strategies needed to identify and address issues that cut across agency boundaries. In addition, to provide a broader perspective on the federal government's goals and strategies to address issues that cut across agencies, we previously recommended that (1) OMB develop a governmentwide performance plan as required by GPRA and (2) Congress consider amending GPRA to require a governmentwide strategic plan. OMB, through the President's Management Agenda (PMA), has emphasized improving government performance through governmentwide and agency-specific initiatives. One of these focuses specifically on improving coordination, but only between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense for health programs and systems. However, many other areas that cut across agency boundaries would benefit from greater OMB focus and attention, including information sharing for homeland security, which GAO recently designated as a high-risk area. OMB has also used its Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) diagnostic tool to determine, among other things, whether individual programs duplicate other efforts and if agencies coordinate and collaborate effectively with related programs. The PART tool provides general guidance for assessing effective program coordination and collaboration, but does not discuss practices for enhancing and sustaining collaboration, such as those described and illustrated in this report.