GAO-08-1036SP and GAO-13-519SP. use of performance information has not changed significantly over time government-wide. These survey results are consistent with trends identified in other federal employee surveys government-wide. For example, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) surveys federal workers with the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). FEVS is a tool that measures employees’ perceptions of whether, and to what extent, conditions characterizing successful organizations are present in their agencies. OPM creates an index using a smaller subset selected from the FEVS survey responses that are related to agencies’ results-oriented performance culture. OPM also creates additional indices using different subsets of FEVS survey questions related to: (1) leadership and knowledge management; (2) talent management; and (3) job satisfaction. On the results-oriented performance culture index, 27 of the 37 agencies OPM surveyed experienced a decline between 2008 and 2013. Only seven agencies improved during this time period—OPM, the U.S. Departments of Education and Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Railroad Retirement Board, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The Office of Management and Budget and the Performance Improvement Council (PIC), work with federal agencies to improve performance across the federal government. Among the PIC’s responsibilities is the charge to facilitate the exchange of useful performance improvement practices and work among the federal agencies to resolve government-wide or crosscutting performance issues. Few federal agencies showed improvement in managers’ use of performance information for decision making between 2007 and 2013, as measured by our use index. Specifically, our analysis of the average use index score at each agency found that most agencies showed no statistically significant change in use during this period. Only two agencies—OPM and the Department of Labor—experienced a statistically significant improvement in managers’ use of performance information. During the same time period, four agencies—the Departments of Energy and Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission—experienced a statistically significant decline in managers’ use of performance information as measured by our index. See table 1 below for agency scores on the use of performance information index. In addition, figure 4 illustrates that SES managers used performance information, as measured by our index, more than non-SES managers both government-wide and within each agency. SES managers government-wide and at nine agencies scored statistically significantly higher than the non-SES managers at those agencies. As shown in figure 4 below, SES and non-SES managers from DHS and VA had the largest gaps in use of performance information between their SES and non-SES managers. In one agency—the National Science Foundation—the trend was reversed, with non-SES managers reporting more favorably than SES managers. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Using the data from our 2013 survey of federal managers, we found that specific practices identified in our previous work on the use of performance information to enhance or facilitate the use of performance information for decision making were significantly related to the use of performance information as measured by our use index. Figure 5 shows the questions that we tested based on each of the practices. We have highlighted those questions and responses that we found to have a statistically significant and positive relationship with the use of performance information index.performance information index for agencies increased when managers reported that their agencies engaged to a greater extent in these practices as reflected in the survey questions. For example, in 2013, OPM managers responded more favorably than the government-wide average on several of the survey questions related to these practices. OPM was one of the two agencies that experienced an increase in use of performance information from 2007 to 2013, as measured by our index. Leading practices state that aligning an agency’s goals, objectives, and measures increases the usefulness of the performance information collected to decision makers at each level, and reinforces the connection between strategic goals and the day-to-day activities of managers and staff. In analyzing the 2013 survey results, we found that managers’ responses to a related survey question were significantly related to the use of performance information controlling for other factors. Specifically, increase in the extent to which individuals agreed that managers aligned performance measures with agency-wide goals and objectives were associated with increase on the five-point scale we used for our use index. Government-wide, an estimated 46 percent of managers at federal agencies reported that managers at their levels took steps to align program performance measures with agency-wide goals and objectives. The Social Security Administration (SSA) and OPM led the 24 agencies with approximately 65 percent of managers reporting that they aligned program performance measures with agency-wide goals and objectives. DHS trailed the other agencies with only 34 percent of their managers reporting similarly. Leading practices state that to facilitate the use of performance information, agencies should ensure that information meets various users’ needs for completeness, accuracy, consistency, timeliness, validity, and ease of use. When analyzing the results of our 2013 survey, we found that managers’ responses to the statement, “I have sufficient information on the validity of the performance data I use to make decisions,” related to their use of performance information. Specifically, individuals who rated their agencies as providing a higher extent of sufficient information on the validity of performance data for decision making, tended to rate their agencies higher on the performance use scale than individuals who rated their agencies lower, controlling for other factors. Having sufficient information on the validity of performance data for decision making had the largest potential effect of the questions included in our model. This question was the strongest predictor in our regression analysis. Government-wide, the percentage of managers responding favorably about having sufficient information on the validity of performance data was particularly low, at about 36 percent. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and OPM led the agencies with more than 50 percent of managers from NASA and OPM responding that they have sufficient information about the validity of performance data for decision- making (58 percent and 54 percent, respectively). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and DHS trailed the other agencies with less than 30 percent of their managers responding similarly (28 percent and 21 percent, respectively). Leading practices state that building the capacity for managers to use performance information is critical to using performance information in a meaningful fashion, and that inadequate staff expertise, among other When factors, can hinder agencies from using performance information.we analyzed the results of our 2013 survey, we found that managers who said that their agencies have provided training that would help them to use performance information to make decisions, rated their agencies more positively on our use index. Compared to managers who said their agencies had not trained them on using performance information in decision making, those who said their agencies did rated them higher on the use scale, controlling for other factors. Government-wide, an estimated 44 percent of the managers who responded to our survey reported that their agencies have provided training that would help them to use performance information in decision making. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) led the agencies in this area, with 62 percent of USAID managers responding that their agencies have provided training that would help them use of performance information in decision making in the last 3 years. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), DHS, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) trailed the other agencies with less than 35 percent of their managers responding similarly (Treasury and DHS with 34 percent, NRC with 33 percent, and EPA with 32 percent) that they had received training on use of performance information in the last 3 years. Other types of training did not appear to be positively related to use of performance information. Specifically, training on developing performance measures was significantly—but negatively—related to use of performance information. Training on (1) setting program performance goals; (2) assessing the quality of performance data; and (3) linking program performance to agency strategic plans was not found to relate to managers’ use of performance information after controlling for other information. Leading practices state that the demonstrated commitment of leadership and management to achieving results and using performance information can encourage others to embrace using a model that uses performance information to make decisions. When we analyzed the results of our 2013 survey, we found that managers’ responses to the statement, “My agency’s top leadership demonstrates a strong commitment to achieving results,” were significantly and positively related to the use of performance information. Specifically, on average, increases in a manager’s rating of the strength of their agency’s top leadership’s commitment to achieving results were associated with increased ratings of their agencies on the use scale, controlling for other factors. Government-wide, the percentage of federal managers responding favorably about their agencies’ top leadership demonstrating a strong commitment to achieving results was an estimated 60 percent. Managers from NRC (78 percent) and SSA (74 percent) had significantly higher scores on this question than the government-wide average, while managers from DHS (44 percent) and USDA (42 percent) had lower scores than the government-wide average. Leading practices state that communicating performance information frequently and effectively throughout an agency can help managers to inform staff and other stakeholders of their commitment to achieve agency goals and to keep these goals in mind as they pursue their day- to-day activities. When analyzing the results of our 2013 survey, we found that two related questions were significantly and positively related to an agency’s use of performance information: Agency managers/supervisors at my level effectively communicate performance information routinely. Employees in my agency receive positive recognition for helping the agency accomplish its strategic goals. Specifically, those who reported favorably that agency managers/supervisors at their levels effectively communicated performance information routinely tended to rate their agencies somewhat higher on the use index, controlling for other factors.