# Presentation: 562932

## WHY IS THE CIS NEEDED ?

**Notes:**
Welcome to training for the Conservation Information System (CIS).  The purpose of this training is to make you knowledgeable of the information available in the CIS.  But first, why was the CIS needed?  The purpose of the module is to help you understand the issues that surround NRCS accountability and the agencies’ ability to answer key questions about how we allocate and utilize our resources and what are the resulting outcomes on our natural resources. 

## Overview, Vision and History

- Integrated Accountability System – Why?
- History and Vision for the Conservation Information System
- IAS – Next improvements

**Notes:**
We will cover why we have an Integrated Accountability System; the history and vision for the CIS; and future improvements we have planned for the CIS.

## Integrated Accountability System

**Notes:**
The legislative framework for the accountability system is the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. The NRCS IAS follows the business processes that you see here. Starting with inputs, such as natural resource data, the workload analysis, and customer service information in the upper right hand corner, we develop a national 5-year strategic plan with long-range strategic goals.  Through performance measures we determine how much it will take to reach these goals and the we set the amount we will complete, based on funding in the Annual Performance Plan.  Then we further define and monitor what is done on an annual basis though business plans. These are developed at the national and state level.  At the end of the year, we report what we accomplished in the Annual Performance Report for the resources provided.

## Basic Accountability Questions

**What work needs to be done and where?**
**How much time and how many dollars will it take?**
**Do we have the necessary resources and are they in the right place and have the right skills?**
**What environmental benefits were achieved?**

**Notes:**
Accountability is now.  
Managers will be able to obtain accurate, real-time data and put resources where they are most needed.

## Accountability – Why?

- 	The Bush administration is determined to put teeth behind the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), said Sean O’Keefe, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.
- 	“I believe we [the Bush administration] are doing our part to make GPRA implementation a success,” O’Keefe said Tuesday during a House Government Reform subcommittee hearing. **“First and most critically is the President’s very clear signal that he wants his administration and our government to be results-oriented.”**** **
- 		         *June 20, 2001  GOVEXEC.COM (Government Executive)*

**Notes:**
The Bush Administration is determined to make GPRA a success.  As seen in this quote by Sean O’Keefe, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the President has made it very clear that his administration wants government to be results oriented.

## President’s Management Agenda

**October 30, 2001**
**M-02-02-****	****MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES**
**FROM:****	****Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.   Director**
**SUBJECT:****	****Implementation of the President’s Management Agenda and Presentation of the FY 2003 Budget Request **

**Notes:**
Another clear indication of this came in October of 2001 with the introduction of the President’s Management Agenda as introduced in the FY2003 budget cycle, by Mitchell Daniels, Director of OMB.

## President’s Management Agenda

- The President launched a management reform agenda targeted to "address the most apparent deficiencies where the opportunity to improve performance is the greatest." Working with the President’s Management Council, the OMB developed standards for success in each of the _five government-wide initiatives_:
- Strategic Management of Human Capital;
- Expanded Electronic Government;
- Competitive Sourcing;
- Improved Financial Performance; and
- Budget and Performance Integration.

**Notes:**
The President’s Management Agenda has five government-wide initiatives:
Strategic Management of Human Capital; 	
Expanded Electronic Government; 
Competitive Sourcing; 
Improved Financial Performance; and 
Budget and Performance Integration. 

The key initiatives being addressed by the CIS are Improved Financial Performance and Budget and Performance Integration.

## President’s Management Agenda

- An Executive Branch Management Scorecard will be used to show:
- How well a department or agency is executing the management initiatives, and
- Where it scores at a given point in time against the overall standards for success.
- This scorecard will be provided to the Department and the President on a regular basis.

**Notes:**
The Department and each Agency (including NRCS) will be scored on how well we carry out the President’s Management Agenda.  The scorecard is provided to the President on a regular basis.

## President’s Management Agenda

- The scorecard employs a simple grading system:
- green for success,
- yellow for mixed results, and
- red for unsatisfactory.
- There will be two sides of the scorecard:
- current status against the standards for success,
- and progress in implementing the initiatives.

**Notes:**
The scorecard consist of a simple traffic light concept.  Green for success; Yellow for mixed results in meeting the initiative and Red for unsatisfactory performance.  There is two sides to the scorecard: 1) progress toward set standards of success and 2) progress in implementing the initiatives.

## President’s Management Agenda

- The progress side will track whether a department’s work plan for the initiatives is being successfully executed according to established timetables.
- In the OMB pass back in November 2001, the Department received its first scorecard for the five initiatives.  The status showed a **red** status for all initiatives except E-Government which was **yellow**.

**Notes:**
The progress side will track whether a department’s work plan for the initiatives is being successfully executed according to established timetables. 
In the OMB pass back in November 2001, the Department received its first scorecard for the five initiatives.  The status showed a red status for all initiatives except E-Government which was yellow.

## President’s Management Agenda

- 	In the Budget and Performance Integration Initiative:
- OMB stated that the Department shall:
- “provide revised performance plans that integrate planning and budgeting...and _**demonstrate progress in linking budget resources with program performance**_....”

**Notes:**
The CIS will help us answer questions in the Budget and Performance Integration Initiative.  Especially in demonstrating progress in linking budget resources with program performance.

## President’s Management Agenda

- Starting with the FY2003 budget submission, OMB required agencies to be able to:
- Integrate performance reviews with budget submissions, assess what programs do to achieve objectives, determine how much it costs for each program, determine how effectiveness can be improved.

**Notes:**
Starting with the FY2003 budget submission, OMB required agencies to be able to:
Integrate performance reviews with budget submissions, assess what programs do to achieve objectives, determine how much it costs for each program, determine how effectiveness can be improved.

## President’s Management Agenda

- Results:
- Shifting resources among programs with similar goals to emphasize those that are most efficient,
- Determine how much they cost,
- Budget for full cost of programs, healthcare, retirement, and overtime,
- Allow non-performing activities to be reformed or terminated.

**Notes:**
This will result in the following:
Shifting resources among programs with similar goals to emphasize those that are most efficient,
Determine how much they cost,
Budget for full cost of programs, healthcare, retirement, and overtime,
Allow non-performing activities to be reformed or terminated.
Note that the PMA requires the “full” cost of programs be accounted for.

## President’s Management Agenda

-  Accountability for results will be reinforced in all program managers standards of performance.
-  SES performance standards now include required results toward the President’s Management Agenda.
-  Objective is to find Most Efficient Organizations (MEO) and fund appropriately.

**Notes:**
Accountability for results will be reinforced in all program managers standards of performance.
 SES performance standards now include required results toward the President’s Management Agenda.
 Objective is to find Most Efficient Organizations (MEO) and fund appropriately.

## Program Assessment Rating Tool

- The Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) is brought to you by the Office of Management and Budget for the FY2004 budget cycle.

**Notes:**
Starting with FY2004 budget cycle, OMB has designed a new rating tool called the Program Assessment Rating Tool or PART.

## PART

- The PART is:
- A rating tool to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of all federal programs
- Utilized in the budget evaluation for each budget year
- WHIP and FPP are now being evaluated with the 2004 budget submission to OMB.

**Notes:**
The PART is:
A rating tool to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of all federal programs
Utilized in the budget evaluation for each budget year
WHIP and FPP are now being evaluated with the 2004 budget submission to OMB.

## PART Key Questions

- Does the program have a limited number of specific, ambitious long-term performance goals that focus on outcomes and meaningfully reflect the purpose of the program?
- Does the program have a limited number of annual performance goals that demonstrate progress toward achieving the long-term goals?

**Notes:**
The development of the CIS will help us answer questions in the PART. Let’s look at few of the questions that can be found in the PART.  Each question can receive a yes or no answer.  Points are only given for each yes question. Totals are added together for each section of the PART for a final score for the program. Programs are reviewed individually. 

## PART Key Questions

- Is the program budget aligned with the program goals in such a way that the impact of funding, policy, and legislative changes on performance is readily known?
- Does the agency regularly collect timely and credible performance information, including information from key program partners, and use it to manage the program and improve performance?

**Notes:**
Is the program budget aligned with the program goals in such a way that the impact of funding, policy, and legislative changes on performance is readily known?
Does the agency regularly collect timely and credible performance information, including information from key program partners, and use it to manage the program and improve performance?

## PART Key Questions 

- Does the agency estimate and budget for the full annual costs of operating the program (including all administrative costs and allocated overhead) so that program performance changes are identified with changes in funding levels?
- Is the program budget aligned with the program goals in such a way that the impact of funding, policy, and legislative changes on performance is readily known?

**Notes:**
Does the agency estimate and budget for the full annual costs of operating the program (including all administrative costs and allocated overhead) so that program performance changes are identified with changes in funding levels?
Is the program budget aligned with the program goals in such a way that the impact of funding, policy, and legislative changes on performance is readily known?

## Possible PART Impacts

- Program will be fully funded or,
- Program will be funded pending improvements or,
- Program will be transferred to a more efficient agency with similar programs or,
- Program will be terminated.

**Notes:**
What will happen once a PART review is completed?
Program will be fully funded or,
Program will be funded pending improvements or,
Program will be transferred to a more efficient agency with similar programs or,
Program will be terminated. 

## OMB Circular A - 76

- Make sure government is doing only those activities that are inherently governmental.
- Government will compete based on MEO criteria.
- Outsourcing:
- 15% contracted out in 2003
- 50% within 5 to 6 years

**Notes:**
There are other policies and laws that helped us design the CIS.  One is OMB Circular A-76.  A-76 requires:
Make sure government is doing only those activities that are inherently governmental.
Government will compete based on MEO criteria.
Outsourcing:
15% contracted out in 2003
50% within 5 to 6 years

## GPRA

- Demonstrates the performance consequences of budget decisions

**Notes:**
Government Performance Results Act –GPRA: Demonstrates the performance consequences of budget decisions

## Chief Financial Officer Act 1990

- The net cost of operations based on the mission and outputs described in the Agency’s performance plan and budget structure.

**Notes:**
Chief Financial Officer Act 1990- The net cost of operations based on the mission and outputs described in the Agency’s performance plan and budget structure.

## Managerial Flexibility Act (proposed)

**Managerial Flexibility Act**** ****(proposed)**

- Objective:
- To better link budget and management decisions to performance by showing the full cost of program operations with the output produced in that year.

**Notes:**
The current administration has proposed the Managerial Flexibility Act :  Its objective is to better link budget and management decisions to performance by showing the full cost of program operations with the output produced in that year.

## Bottom Line

- 	All of these require meaningful linkage between performance and requested funding,
- 				and
- 	between resources consumed and results achieved.

**Notes:**
BOTTOM LINE:

All of these require meaningful linkage between performance and requested funding, 
				and 
	between resources consumed and results achieved.

## Thank you!