Agencies have made important accomplishments under the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act, but information about other requirements is incomplete, GAO said in calling for more fully developed priority goals.
For 102 agency priority goals for 2012 to 2013 that GAO reviewed, agencies implemented three GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 requirements. They identified a target level of performance within a two-year time frame, how the priority goals contribute to their strategic goals, and an agency official responsible for achieving each priority goal.
However, they did not fully explain the relationship between those goals and crosscutting efforts, according to GAO-13-174.
The act directs agencies to identify federal organizations, programs, and activities that contribute to each goal. However, while agencies identified internal contributors to their goals, but did not identify external contributors for 34 of 102.
Further, GAO found that in some cases the goals appeared to be internally focused, but no external contributors were listed in others, most had performance measures, but many lacked interim targets, agencies did not identify milestones with completion dates for many, and most agencies did not describe how goals reflect congressional input.
OMB agreed with recommendations to improve implementation by revising its guidance to better reflect interim requirements, and to ensure that agencies provide complete information about external contributors to their goals and describe congressional input on their development.
