Executive Summary

Completing the First GPRA Cycle

This document is the first Annual Program Performance Report from the Department of

Commerce in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). It

is a major milestone in the Department’s implementation of performance management as

mandated by GPRA. This report documents the actual results of Commerce’s GPRA efforts in

FY 1999, and the results are impressive.

This report also culminates the first full cycle of GPRA activity by the Department of Commerce

that was started in 1996. In this sense, the document is more than the actual results of

performance management for one fiscal year. Rather, it offers an opportunity to assess how

well the interlocking components of GPRA – the Strategic Plan, the Annual Performance Plan,

and the Annual Program Performance Report – actually mesh together as intended in the Act.

The FY 1999 Commerce Annual Program Performance Report is, therefore, a tool to critique

the Department’s overall GPRA progress as prelude to the next cycles in the years ahead.

In order to provide context for the performance results reported in this document, a brief

summary of the Department’s GPRA progress up to March 2000 will be presented here.

The DoC’s Strategic Plan for FY 1997 – 2002, submitted in September 1997, was the

Department’s first strategic plan under the terms of GPRA. That document served as the

driving force for the Department’s first Annual Performance Plan (FY 1999) that was issued in

March 1998. Because both of these documents were the first of their type under GPRA, each

received significant reviews and critiques by Congress, the General Accounting Office and the

public administration professional community at large. 

Like other Federal departments and agencies subject to GPRA requirements, Commerce

received valuable constructive criticisms and recommendations from reviewers for the first

Strategic Plan and the first Annual Performance Plan. Many of these reviews are still available

for reference on various Internet sites. As a result of this external advice, the Department

mounted a major effort in mid-1998 to improve the second Annual Performance Plan (FY 2000)

that was due in February 1999.

The FY 2000 Annual Performance Plan was a marked improvement over the FY 1999

document. Performance goals and measures were streamlined, consolidated and more

focused. Performance measures were redirected from output to outcome orientations as

specified by GPRA. The degree of this improvement was confirmed in subsequent reviews by

Congress and the General Accounting Office. According to the House of Representatives

review, the Commerce FY 2000 Annual Performance Plan received the highest score of any

Federal department or agency subject to GPRA requirements. General Accounting Office

reviews were also favorable.

In view of the marked improvement in the performance goal and measure structure of the FY

2000 Commerce Annual Performance Plan, the Department decided to apply that structure, as

appropriate, to the actual performance management of the Department of Commerce during

FY 1999. DoC’s decision to apply the FY 2000 performance goals and measures in FY 1999

FY 1999 Annual Program Performance Report 1
gg

occur as agency experience increased, and this evolutionary aspect of performance

management was clearly encouraged as a matter of policy.

The performance results of the Department of Commerce reported in this document reflect the

FY 2000 performance goal and measure structure. However, certain adjustments and

exceptions were necessary because of the differences between FY 1999 and FY 2000

activities of the Department. These adjustments and exceptions are noted where appropriate. 

Looking ahead from March 2000, DoC is undertaking its second GPRA cycle. The Department

is in the process of revising its Strategic Plan for FY 2000 – FY 2005 which will be submitted to

Congress in September 2000. These revisions will reflect the cumulative GPRA experience by

the Department of Commerce since 1996, and will focus the Department’s performance

management attention to three strategic goals:

1. Expand Economic Growth, Trade and Prosperity;

2. Stimulate Innovation for American Competitiveness; and

3. Advance Sustainable Economic Development. 

Following a summary of the Department’s major management accomplishments for FY 1999,

the remainder of the Report will present performance information for each performance goal and

measure for every bureau in the Department of Commerce.

The revised Strategic Plan will also incorporate all of the lessons learned during the Department

of Commerce’s first cycle of implementing performance management under GPRA. The fourth

Commerce Annual Performance Plan (FY 2002) will fully reflect the revised Strategic Plan in

terms of Performance Goals and Measures.

FY 1999 Performance Results

The Department of Commerce implements performance management in accordance with GPRA

through specific performance goals and measures identified for each bureau in the Department.

The actual performance results for FY 1999 are summarized below. Appendix 1 lists all goals

and measures by bureau.

While not assigned explicit performance goals and measures, various Department-wide

management initiatives contribute to the overall quality of performance management in the

Department. Accomplishments associated with these management initiatives are reported in the

final section of this document.

2 FY 1999 Annual Program Performance Report
For the purpose of evaluating Departmental performance in the aggregate for all performance

measures, a three tier scoring taxonomy was employed. The three tiers are: 1) met or

exceeded target, 2)substantially met target, and 3) not met target. Appendix 2 lists the criteria

and scoring for each measure. Using this taxonomy the following summary results were

obtained.

FY 1999 Annual Program Performance Report 3
Detailed discussion of bureau performance in FY 1999 is presented in the next section.

Appendix 3 compares performance goal and associated measures organized by bureau

between the FY 1999 APPR and the FY 2000 APP.

4 FY 1999 Annual Program Performance Report