Program managers, while removed from the prestige associated
with large-scale changes made at the upper levels of
government, can nonetheless have a substantive and important
impact on their clients and the outcomes of their programs,
according to “How Federal Programs Use Outcome Information:
Opportunities for Federal Managers,” a report for federal
program managers funded by the IBM Endowment for the Business
of Government and the National Academy of Public
Administration’s Performance Consortium.
The authors of the report, Harry Hatry, Elaine Morley and
Shelli Rossman, from the Urban Institute in Washington D.C.,
and Joseph Wholey of the University of Southern California,
present opportunities, gleaned from successful programs, to
use outcome information to make management and budget
decisions, get results, trigger corrective actions, identify
and encourage best practices and motivate employees.
One such practice is to develop guidance materials, such as
the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance document, computer-based materials,
or memos from higher-level administrators — providing
examples on how managers can routinely use outcome information
specific to their agencies or programs.
The report said managers should use outcome data to identify
problems and solutions–as was the case with the Department
of Housing and Urban Development, which relied on customer
satisfaction surveys to help guide its work on Indian
reservations, and the Internal Revenue Service’s toll free
phone line, which are two of several case studies in the
report. Other tactics, such as including a request for
suggestions as the end of a questionnaire, while simple, are
often neglected and can mean the difference between
successful and unsuccessful programs.
To read the full report go to:
FEDweek
Publisher, Don Mace
VP of Marketing, Kevin Couch
Website: www.fedweek.com
Published weekly by FEDweek LLC
11551 Nuckols Rd. Suite L
Glen Allen, VA 23059
(804) 288-5321
Putting Federal Employees and Retirees First
A 100% Veteran-Owned Business