Assessment of FEMA’s Progress and Strategies in Achieving Selected Key Outcomes

This section discusses our analysis of FEMA’s performance in achieving its selected key outcomes and the strategies it has in place, particularly strategic human capital management and information technology, for accomplishing these outcomes. Although the goals themselves appear to be clear and reasonable, they could result in confusion over who is responsible for achieving these goals. In addition, FEMA did not report the results achieved for some of the performance measures. Comparison of FEMA’s Fiscal Year 2000 Performance Report and Fiscal Year 2002 Performance Plan With the Prior Year Report and Plan for Selected Key Outcomes

For the selected key outcomes, this section describes major improvements or remaining weaknesses in FEMA’s (1) fiscal year 2000 performance report in comparison with its fiscal year 1999 report and (2) fiscal year 2002 performance plan in comparison with its fiscal year 2001 plan. FEMA’s fiscal year 2000 performance report used more data to illustrate progress towards achieving goals. FEMA continued to streamline its performance goals and make them more outcome-oriented. The third column discusses the extent to which FEMA’s fiscal year 2002 performance plan includes performance goals and measures to address the challenges that we and/or FEMA’s OIG identified. FEMA’s fiscal year 2000 performance report generally discussed the agency’s progress in resolving its challenges.
Why GAO Did This Study

This report discusses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) fiscal year 2000 performance report and fiscal year 2002 performance plan required by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.

What GAO Found

Although FEMA did not attain all of its goals for selected key outcomes in its fiscal year 2000 annual performance report, FEMA did make progress toward achieving the outcomes. FEMA's progress varied for each outcome, and the information presented in the performance report did not always provide enough information to allow an independent assessment of FEMA's progress in achieving the outcome. In general, FEMA's strategies for achieving these key outcomes appeared to be clear and reasonable. Although FEMA has more work to do on the outcomes GAO reviewed, its fiscal year 2000 performance report and fiscal year 2002 performance plan reflect continued improvement compared with the prior year's report and plan. FEMA has refined its performance goals and made them more outcome oriented. FEMA's fiscal year 2000 performance report and fiscal year 2002 performance plan generally addressed the management challenges GAO cited in earlier reports. The report and plan indicate that FEMA has taken some actions to address strategic human capital management and information security management challenges.