ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PLANNING AND EVALUATION

FY 2003 PERFORMANCE PLAN

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (OASPE) advises the Secretary on policy development in health, disability, human services, and science and provides advice and analysis on economic policy. OASPE leads special initiatives on behalf of the Secretary; coordinates the Department's evaluation, research and demonstration activities; and manages cross-Department planning activities such as strategic planning, development of the Departments legislative program and review of regulations. Integral to this role, OASPE conducts research and evaluation studies, develops policy analyses and estimates the cost and benefits of policies and programs under consideration by the Department or the Congress. Reflecting the role of policy advisor, most of the performance measures are necessarily qualitative.

Performance Goals	FY Targets	Actual Performance	Reference*
1. Provide analytical knowledge (policy research and evaluation studies) and leadership that contributes to the development of sound Department and public policy	FY03: Same as FY02

FY02: Same as FY01

FY01: Demonstrate impact of policy analysis and leadership on formulation of public policy.

FY00: New in FY01	FY03:

FY02:

FY01: Objective met

FY00: New in FY01
2. Maintain human and technological capacity to respond to planning and analytical needs of the Secretary.

FY03: Same as FY 02

FY02: Same as FY01

FY01: Same as FY00

FY00: ASPE analytic support functions will make a contribution to the development of analyses for the Secretary. Staffing (hires) and staff skills (training) will be enhanced.	FY03:

FY02:

FY01: Objective met

FY00: Objective met

Preliminary Performance Summary

Establishing Performance Targets: The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) continues to employ descriptive performance goals to improve the performance of the office over time.

Performance Progress: ASPE reports significant achievements in the activities supporting all of the goals for FY 2001. The following achievements describe the ASPE success in meeting the performance goals stated above.

1. Analytic Knowledge: As a result of its strong analytic capacity, OASPE continues to play a major role in policy formulation. For example, policy research studies in the area of access to health care and the extent of insurance coverage and service availability, particularly in under served areas and among vulnerable populations. Central and ongoing projects assess the implementation and effectiveness of both t he State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) in enhancing insurance coverage and improving health quality and outcomes for various populations. OASPE engages in research studies to track the conditions of vulnerable populations and compiles data monitoring the conditions of American children. Analysis will provide information on the impact these changes will have on employment, poverty, family composition and child well-being. Another area of emphasis has been developing models and practices that improve the quality and responsiveness of managed care for children and adults with chronic disability; developing new risk adjustment approaches that predict the health care costs of persons with disability and chronic illness and identifying performance indicators for measuring the quality of health care received by such individuals.

2. Human and Technological Capacity: In FY 2001 OASPE continued to build a strong analytical capacity. Policy Support Services will provide simulation modeling, statistical analysis, and other technical and analytic services needed in order to carry out policy research. The goal is to ensure efficient, reliable, and timely analytic support, while offsetting increases in costs through the introduction of cost-saving technologies. These services support Department-wide data policy and collaboration efforts in data policy, including data standards and privacy, between HHS and the health industry.

OASPE continues to support academic research on poverty and promote secondary analysis of under- utilized but rich data sets.