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The Scorecard
How Does The Scoring Work?

The Executive Branch Management Scorecard tracks how well the departments and major agencies are executing the five government-wide management initiatives.

The Stoplight Scoring System
The scorecard employs a simple grading system common today in well-run businesses:
  • Green for success,
  • Yellow for mixed results, and
  • Red for unsatisfactory.
Status
Scores for "status" (on the left side) are based on the scorecard standards for success. The standards for success were developed by the President's Management Council and discussed with experts throughout government and academe, including the National Academy of Public Administration. They have subsequently been refined with continued experience implementing the President's Management Agenda. Under each of these standards, an agency is "green" or "yellow" if it meets all of the standards for success listed in the respective column, and "red" if it has any one of a number of serious flaws listed in the "red" column.

Progress
OMB assesses agency "progress" (on the right side) on a case by case basis against the deliverables and time lines established for the five initiatives that are agreed upon with each agency as follows:

Green: Implementation is proceeding according to plans agreed upon with the agencies;

Yellow: Some slippage or other issues requiring adjustment by the agency in order to achieve the initiative objectives on a timely basis; and

Red: Initiative in serious jeopardy. Unlikely to realize objectives absent significant management intervention.