OMB deputy director Clay Johnson told the Senate federal workforce subcommittee recently that chief management officer positions with term appointments do not need to be established at all federal agencies, and that deputy secretaries, for example, are up to the task.
Subcommittee chair Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said that a CMO "would not complicate the existing bureaucracy," and that such a position could elevate the issues of strategic planning, human capital, and business transformation to a higher level.
Johnson said deputy secretaries answering to the heads of agencies are sufficient as long as they have performance officers to help ensure initiatives, programs and agencies meet certain criteria, such as clear outcome goals, reasonably aggressive actions plans, and clearly defined accountability.
OMB recently issued guidance implementing a November executive order calling for a Performance Improvement Council that would be made up of these performance officers, appointed by agency heads.
The officers will be charged with coordinating the performance management activities of the agency, including the development and improvement of strategic plans, annual performance plans, and annual performance reports, as well as ensuring the use of that information in agency budget justifications, according to a memo Johnson issued earlier.
The memo specified that performance improvement officers could have other roles in the agency though they should be senior staff.