Concluding Observations

For agencies to successfully become high-performing organizations, their  leaders need to foster performance-based cultures, find ways to measure  performance, and use performance information to make decisions. At a  fundamental level, results from our 2000 federal managers survey indicate  wide differences among individual agencies’ levels of success in  demonstrating a results-based climate. However, transforming  organizational cultures is an arduous and long-term task. In addition,  managers’ responses suggest that while some agencies are clearly showing  signs of becoming high-performing organizations, others are not. The survey results provide important information that agency leadership  can use to help identify key opportunities to build higher-performing  organizations across the federal government. We will continue to work  with senior leadership in the individual agencies to identify actions that can  be taken to address the issues raised by their managers’ survey responses. Congress has a vital role to play as well. As part of its confirmation,  oversight, authorization, and appropriation responsibilities, Congress also  has the opportunity to use the information from our 2000 managers survey,  as well as information from agencies’ performance plans and reports and  our January 2001 Performance and Accountability Series and High-Risk  Series, to emphasize performance-based management and to underscore  Congress’ commitment to addressing long-standing challenges.
What GAO Found

For federal agencies to become high-performing organizations, top management needs to foster performance-based cultures, find ways to measure performance, and use performance information to make decisions. GAO's survey of federal managers found wide differences in how well individual agencies demonstrated a results-based climate. However, transforming organizational cultures is an arduous and long-term effort. Managers' responses suggest that although some agencies are clearly showing signs of becoming high-performing organizations, others are not. The survey provides important information that agency leadership can use to build higher-performing organizations throughout government. GAO will continue to work with senior leadership in the individual agencies to help address the issues raised by their managers in responding to the survey. Congress has a vital role to play as well. As part of its confirmation, oversight, authorization, and appropriation responsibilities, Congress could use the information from GAO's survey, as well as information from agencies' performance plans and reports and GAO's January 2001 Performance and Accountability Series and High-Risk Series, to emphasize performance-based management and to underscore Congress' commitment to addressing long-standing challenges.