Results-Oriented Decision Making

Current and emerging challenges such as lead paint in imported children’s products, tainted meat, national disasters including the devastating hurricanes over the last few years, and the ongoing threat of terrorist attacks are placing increased demands on the federal government to better set priorities among competing demands and make difficult trade-offs in an era of severely constrained resources.  At the same time, many government programs were designed decades ago to address earlier challenges. Maintaining outmoded commitments and operations makes it more difficult to address the needs and demands of a changing world and society.

Over the past 15 years, federal agencies have developed an infrastructure of outcome-oriented strategic plans, performance measures, and accountability reporting that provides a better foundation for improving the performance and accountability of federal programs. This information can provide a stronger basis to support the review and reprioritization of existing programs that may no longer be effective and the targeting of scarce resources to those efforts that are most effective.  

In addition, agencies across the federal government, including the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense and the Postal Service, among others, are embarking on large-scale organizational transformations to address 21st century challenges. The management weaknesses in some agencies are deeply entrenched and long-standing, and it can take at least 5 to 7 years of sustained attention and continuity to fully implement transformations and initiatives.

At the same time, high turnover among politically appointed leaders in federal agencies can make it difficult to follow through with organizational transformation because of the length of time often needed to provide meaningful and sustainable results.

GAO Contact

portrait of Bernice Steinhardt

Bernice Steinhardt

Director, Strategic Issues

Steinhardtb@gao.gov

202-512-6543