Results Act

Using Agency Performance Plans to Oversee Early Childhood Programs Gao ID: T-HEHS-99-93 March 25, 1999

Congress can use the Government Performance and Results Act to improve its oversight of crosscutting issues because the act requires agencies to develop strategic and annual performance plans that clearly specify goals, objectives, and measures for their programs. The Office of Management and Budget has developed guidance explaining that for crosscutting issues, agencies should describe efforts to coordinate so that goals are consistent and program efforts are mutually reinforcing. When GAO looked at the plans of the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, however, it found that the plans are not realizing their potential. Although the plans for fiscal years 1999 and 2000 address coordination to some extent, the departments have yet to describe in detail how they will coordinate or consolidate their efforts. Therefore, the potential for addressing the fragmentation and the duplication has not been realized, and GAO cannot assess whether the agencies are effectively working together on crosscutting issues.

GAO noted that: (1) Congress can use the Results Act to improve its oversight of crosscutting issues because the act requires agencies to develop strategic and annual performance plans that clearly specify goals, objectives, and measures for their programs; (2) the Office of Management and Budget has issued guidance saying that for crosscutting issues, agencies should describe efforts to coordinate federal programs contributing to the same or similar outcomes so that goals are consistent and program efforts are mutually reinforcing; (3) when GAO looked at the Education and HHS plans, it found that the plans are not living up to their potential as expected from the Results Act; (4) more specifically, while the fiscal year 1999 and 2000 plans to some extent addressed coordination, the departments have not yet described in detail how they will coordinate or consolidate their efforts; and (5) therefore, the potential for addressing fragmentation and duplication has not been realized, and GAO cannot assess whether the agencies are effectively working together on crosscutting issues.



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