Functional Statements > Federal Student Aid

## F. Office of Strategic Measures and Outcomes

The principal aim of the Office of Strategic Measures and Outcomes’ (SMO) is to unify the FSA enterprise on the effectiveness of and accountability for delivering its services and products to achieve its targeted, purpose-driven, strategic goals. The SMO organization consists of six, enterprise-wide, focus areas including strategic planning, performance management, risk management, quality management, data management, and loan portfolio management.

### Enterprise Risk Management Directorate

The Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Directorate designs and executes FSA’s ERM system, which utilizes systematic processes for identifying, assessing, monitoring, and responding to risks that impact FSA’s accomplishment of its strategic objective. The system leverages the 2nd line of defense approach that provides risk management frameworks for key risk focus areas, supports management policies, and monitors the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls, accuracy and completeness of reporting, compliance with laws and regulations, and timely remediation of deficiencies.

#### Strategy, Analysis & Integration Group

The Strategy Analysis & Integration Group supports the identification, assessment, analysis, aggregation, reporting and monitoring of risk throughout FSA. It executes by providing risk management strategic frameworks; facilitating and monitoring of effective risk management practices; providing guidance, training, tools, and templates; facilitating conversations regarding business context to identify emerging risks; integrating risk data from across business units, major projects, and new key risk focus teams; and analyzing and escalating risk to the appropriate level of operational management.

#### Review & Validation Group

The Review & Validation Group provides independent, objective reviews and quality assurance services across FSA. It executes by providing a systematic, disciplined approach to assessing the effectiveness of risk mitigation activities; alerting management of emerging issues/risks in the Title IV program by recognizing internal and external trends that affect Title IV program operations; evaluating quality control and oversight processes within the student aid lifecycle; assessing the effectiveness of FSA’s administration and oversight of the Title IV program; and assessing FSA’s business/support functions against Federal/industry best practices.

### Portfolio Management and Analysis Directorate

The Portfolio Management and Analysis (PMA) Directorate is responsible for operational and financial analysis of FSA’s loan portfolio.  As part of the Next Generation Financial Services Environment (Next Gen), FSA is establishing a dedicated portfolio management team and undertaking a set of analytical actions and balance sheet strategies to implement “bank-grade” portfolio management practices. The PMA Directorate provides comprehensive analyses, reporting, and recommendations to FSA’s operations managers and senior executives for enhancing portfolio performance. The PMA Directorate is primarily responsible for analyzing the qualitative and quantitative credit risks of the loan portfolio to improve outcomes for students and taxpayer investment.

### Enterprise Performance Management Directorate

The Enterprise Performance Management (EPMD) helps FSA become a better performing organization by facilitating a culture of performance measurement and accountability. The EPMD provides best-in-business program and project management governance, performance intelligence, and enterprise process and management consulting.

#### Enterprise Project Management Group

The Enterprise Project Management Group (EPMG) operates at a strategic level by aligning projects with strategy to support the successful achievement of FSA’s goals and objectives. The EPMG is responsible for providing enterprise-wide governance, guidance, and standards for project portfolio management practices, tools, and techniques. The EPMG supports FSA businesses in applying a standard approach to program and project management, provides oversight of project and program compliance and performance, and provides project management services for strategic-level projects.

#### Enterprise Process and Management Consulting Group

The Enterprise Process and Management Consulting (EPMC) Group works collaboratively with internal FSA client teams to solve complex business problems to improve organization performance. The group uses proven consulting methodologies to help move the enterprise towards a more efficient, effective, and process-driven environment. In this way, the EPMC Group uses best practice research findings to support strategy, process design/redesign, and management recommendations where appropriate.

#### Enterprise Performance Intelligence Group

The Enterprise Performance Intelligence (EPI) Group leverages business intelligence tools and practices for assessing, measuring, and reporting on FSA’s strategic-level organization performance. The aim of the EPI Group is to promote a performance-driven culture and unify FSA around performance and outcomes. The EPI Group is the enterprise source for performance metrics and reporting at strategic altitudes including executive strategic focus areas, strategic plan metrics, and contractor performance metrics. The EPI Group consults with FSA businesses in selection of operational performance metrics and development of business performance reporting.

### Enterprise Data and Analytics Directorate

The Enterprise Data and Analytics (EDA) Directorate provides enterprise data governance, management, and advanced analytics. The EDA Directorate is responsible for managing the governance of data including appropriate use by FSA, other government, and external parties, maintaining and providing access to data for FSA operations offices, providing a modernized data architecture, and deploying advanced analytics to enhance strategic decision-making, provide insights and reporting capabilities, and provide analytics tools, training, and support throughout the FSA enterprise. The EDA Directorate prepares and publishes data for public consumption and provides data for congressional and other Federal agency requests.

#### Enterprise Data Strategy and Management Group

The Enterprise Data Strategy and Management (EDSM) Group is responsible for the enterprise-wide integration, governance, accessibility, security, and dissemination of FSA’s data.  The EDSM Group provides data strategy and architecture that best leverages data to achieve FSA’s strategic organizational goals and objectives and is responsible for data quality management. The EDSM Group provides data and information dissemination services for internal and external requestors.

#### Advanced Analytics Group

The Advanced Analytics (AA) Group leverages complex analytical techniques and processes including statistical modeling, and machine learning to support strategic decision-making, risk mitigation, analytics and reporting products, and operational solutions to the FSA enterprise. The AA Group provides analytics consulting services, tools, and training to FSA businesses and supports the integration of analytics practices with a deep functional understanding of business needs.

### Strategic Planning and Reporting Directorate

The Strategic Planning and Reporting (SPAR) Directorate develops and manages strategic performance measurement initiatives and data in order to track program and organizational performance. The office is responsible for coordinating and improving the strategic planning process, producing the annual updated Five-Year Performance Plan, and for analyzing and updating metrics. The SPAR Directorate serves as the point of contact for the Department concerning the Department’s Organizational Performance Review process. The SPAR Directorate provide leadership and organizational support in the evaluation, assessment, and improvement of programs and management systems by applying a wide range of qualitative and quantitative techniques.

### Operational Improvement and Oversight Directorate

The Operational Improvement and Oversight (OIO) Directorate is responsible for promoting a culture of quality assurance throughout FSA with specific emphasis in the area of contractor management. The OIO Directorate provides enterprise governance and guidance on quality management frameworks, standards, and practices. The OIO Directorate works collaboratively with FSA operational and mission support business units to carry out an enterprise quality management program and leverages a 2nd line of defense approach in performing independent, comprehensive quality assurance audits and inspections.