A bipartisan bill (S-1550) offered in the Senate aims to streamline management of federal programs and hold agency management accountable to private sector standards for high-performing operations.
The Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act, offered by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Heidy Heitkamp, D-N.D., is a counterpart to a bipartisan House bill (HR-2144) introduced earlier.
The legislation would: set a framework for effective and efficient management of federal government programs; identify the personnel to be held responsible; increase accountability to certify management competencies; and place focus on processes critical to effectively delivering major projects and programs. It leaves current organizational structures in place and gives agencies the flexibility they need to fix this problem, sponsors said.
The measure requires OMB to set government-wide standards for program and project management; conduct portfolio reviews of high-risk programs; and develop a five-year strategic plan. OMB also would have to identify key skills and competencies needed for a program and project manager and establish a new job series for those positions.
Program management improvement officers at the SES level would be designated to implement the policies and develop strategies for enhancing the roles of program managers within each agency, and there would be an inter-agency Program Management Policy Council to coordinate among agencies, address high-risk programs as identified by GAO, and advise OMB.