U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - CPMS - Performance Metrics FAQ


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Important Documents
	FY09 Activity Dictionary (PDF - 1,024 KB)
	ABC Coding Templates
	T&A Worksheet
	FWS Operational Plan
	Directorate Rules for ABC
	FY05 - FY08 Subactivity Codes & Programs
	FY05 - FY06 Crosswalk
	FWS to DOI Crosswalk
	FY06 - FY08 Included / Excluded Costs
	How to Correct ABC Errors in FFS
	DOI Strategic Plan
	How to Compare Cognos to Brio (Word - 1.2 MB)

Management Tools
	Manager Analysis Workbook
	What-if Scenarios for Resource Planning

Performance Metrics FAQs

1. Where can I find the Operational Plan online?

The Operational plans for FY05, FY06, and FY07 are all available online on the ABC/M portal. You can access these plans by selecting the Performance Planning and Goal Tracking Menu and selecting the FWS Ops Plan choice.

2. How do I read the Operational Plan and what information is included in the plan?

The Operations plans for FY05, FY06, and FY07 are all available online on the ABC/M portal. You can access these plans by selecting the Performance Planning and Goal Tracking Menu and selecting the FWS Ops Plan choice. The Operational Plan shows all the performance goals and measures for the Service and how they are connected to the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Strategic Plan. The Operational Plan shows the Service Operational Goals and Critical Success Factors (CSF) that map to each DOI End Outcome Measure. DOI End Outcome Measures are listed in red font; Service Operational Plan Goals are listed blue font; and CSFs are listed in black font. A CSF is an aggregate roll-up of the program performance measures that directly contribute to the CSF. Also, included under each CSF are other Service program measures that contribute to the achievement of the CSF, but are not included in the aggregate roll-up. The Operational Plan distinguishes DOI End Outcome measures (Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measures), highlighted in Blue, The Operational Plan also distinguishes Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Program Performance Assessment Rating Tool (PART)measures using yellow highlighting.

3. What is the purpose of the Service's Operational Plan?

The Operational Plan serves several purposes. First, it provides a way to plan and report on performance data on the most important mission-related activities. Second, the Operational plan is structured so it is easy to understand how FWS goals are tied to DOI goals. Therefore, the Operational Plan can be used to understand how achieving the goals of the Service contribute to DOI attaining its goals.

4. How is the performance information in the Operational Plan used?

(a)

The Service programs prepare a variety of performance measure tables required in all phases of the Federal budget formulation process, including Budget to the Secretary, Budget to Office of Management and Budget, and Congressional Budget Justifications.

(b)

Final performance data for each year is reported to the Department of the Interior (DOI) to prepare the (DOI) Annual Performance and Accountability Report, which is posted on the DOI Web Site for public viewing.

(c)

Performance measure data is used by Service programs to prepare answers to the Strategic Planning and Program Results/Accountability Sections of the Program Performance Assessment Report (PART) reviews.

(d)

Performance measure data is included in all Senior Executive Service annual Performance Plans.

5. When and how often are data entered in the Operational Plan?

Planned performance measure targets are entered at the beginning of a budget formulation phase. For example, (1) performance targets for the Budget submission to the Secretary are entered in May [calendar year n], (2) these targets are updated in the Budget submission to Office of Management and Budget in October [calendar year n], and (3) targets are updated again the Congressional Budget Justifications in February [calendar year n+1]. Final performance targets are entered in October [calendar year n+1] after Congressional Appropriation. These final targets become the planned targets for the fiscal or budget year. The Operational Plan will also include the final actual performance data at the end of the fiscal year.

6. Are you developing any new systems to automate the process of entering planning and reporting data in the Operational Plan?

The Service is in the process of constructing a web-based, planning and reporting system utilizing Cognos Enterprise Planning Solutions, which are the Service's recent commercial off-the-shelf acquisitions. The system will replace the Excel spreadsheets from which data in the Operational Plan had been collected. This new system will provide a web-enabled application for users across all Service organizations in the Regional and Washington Offices, and perform data collection, execute calculations, forecasts, break-backs, and what-if scenarios. Also, E-workflow will be provided to mange user contributions, reviews, and approvals. Access level security, within the application, will be incorporated according to business rules and user requirements when applicable.

This system will be tested in the Spring 2006 and scheduled for use in the Regions and Washington Offices in the Fall 2006. When the system is fully operational, the Washington Office programs will enter planning performance targets in the Operational Plan for the various budget formulation phases including (a) Budget to the Secretary, (b) Office of Management and Budget, and (c) Congressional Budget Justifications. Regional Offices will have viewing and reviewing rights to all data entered in the budget formulation phases. After Congressional Appropriations, the Regional Offices will enter performance planning targets at the beginning of the fiscal year and also final or actual performance data at the end of the reporting fiscal year.

7. Currently, Regions enter performance data in various program databases, i.e., ECOS, TESS, HabITS, FIS, RAPP, etc. Will we be duplicating data entry by entering performance data again in the Operational Plan?

The web-based planning and reporting system will collect performance data that already exists in these various databases; so, there will be no duplication issues. Once the data is entered in the database, it will automatically feed into the new web-based system. For very small programs who may still use excel spreadsheets, the performance data will be manually entered in the system.

8. Our Region has been asked to verify and validate all performance measure data. How can you assist us?

The Cognos Enterprise Planner system will be equipped with validation and verification functionality for improved data quality and consistency. As the planned or actual performance measure target moves from level to level, appropriate managers will verify and validate the data by indicating their approval and sending the performance data to the next level of authority.

9. Prior to this Administration, the Service prepared Strategic Plans and Annual Performance Plans and Reports that included references to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). Now we see references to the DOI Strategic Plan. Does GPRA currently exist?

Yes, GPRA still exists. Prior to the current Administration, the Service prepared Strategic Plans and Annual Performance Plan/Reports that were available in hard copy and on the Service GPRA web site. These documents were required to meet the OMB (GPRA) requirements in OMB Circular A-11, which required agencies to prepare Strategic and Annual Performance Plans/Reports. When the Department developed its first Strategic Plan (FY 2003-FY 2008), bureaus did not have to prepare and publish their own Strategic and Annual Performance Plans/Reports. The DOI Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Report (PAR) met the OMB (GPRA) Circular A-11 requirements for the all bureaus. The DOI performance measures still must meet the GPRA requirement for preparing goals and measures, which should 1) be linked to an agency's mission and goals; 2) be clearly stated;3) have quantifiable targets or other measurable values; 4) be reasonably free of significant bias or manipulation that would distort the accurate assessment of performance; 5) provide a reliable easy to assess progress; 6) sufficiently cover a program's core activities; 7) have limited overlap with other measures; 8) have balance, or not, emphasize one or two priorities at the expense of others; and 9) address government-wide priorities.

10. If the Department's Strategic Plan (FY 2003- FY 2008) met OBM Circular A-11GPRA requirements, why did the Service need to develop an Operational Plan?

There are several important reasons why the Service prepared its Operational Plan:

A careful review of the current DOI Strategic Plan (FY 2003 FY 2008) reveals that many of the Service's key mission species-related programs, Migratory Bird Management, National Fish Hatchery System, and International Species are not represented in the DOI Plan. The Operational Plan includes goals and performance measures for these programs.
The Operational Plan plays a critical role in determining the costs for the Critical Success Factors, Operational Plan goals, and DOI End Outcome goals. All the Activity Based Costing (ABC) Work Activity costs are mapped to the proper CSF(s), through the program performance and workload measures. CSF costs then roll-up to the Service Operational Plan goals, and on to the DOI End Outcome Measures to determine their costs.
OMB has instituted five President's Management Agenda (PMA) Initiatives. The progress made in achieving the objectives of the PMAs is measured through regularly scheduled OMB scorecards for each cabinet-level agency. In addition, PMA scorecards are also required for each bureau in these agencies. The highest level is Green, followed by Yellow, and then Red, the lowest score. One of the PMAs is Budget and Performance Integration (BPI). The Service has been reporting progress in its BPI scorecard to the Department of Interior since 2004. To achieve success in the scorecard requires the Service to meet rigorous criterions. Currently, all criterions require an Operational Plan with a set of comprehensive goals and measures in order to report success in meeting a variety of performance metrics.