U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

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MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

FROM:	JANICE R. LACHANCE DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:	Report to the President's Management Council on Managing Performance in Government

On behalf of the President's Management Council (PMC), I am pleased to forward you a copy of the Report to the President's Management Council on Managing Performance in Government. The PMC has now accepted and adopted the report that was prepared by a work group of representatives from ten PMC agencies. As we each strive to lead high-performance organizations, the report offers us a framework for making the best possible use of the Government's workforce to achieve our respective organizational missions.

The work group identified three themes: Expect Excellence, Establish Accountability, and Take Timely Action. For each theme, the report provides specific ideas of what each of us can do and recommends specific actions. Even more important, however, the work group concluded that many agencies may need deeper cultural change before we can achieve the outcomes we are seeking. To that end, the report begins with some basic premises and principles to articulate that culture. Finally, the work group recognized that managers need tools to implement these principles and themes, so the report includes an appendix with examples of successful agency practices.

The PMC asked the work group to look at performance issues and find ways agencies can become more accountable, performance-based, and results-oriented. In addition to making specific recommendations, the work group's report conveys the fundamental message that day-to-day, informal actions by our executives, managers, supervisors, and team leaders are the true foundation of effective performance management. As agency leaders, I ask you to reinforce this message throughout your agencies. You can start by distributing a "high-performance statement" to all your employees, giving your managers a copy of this report, implementing balanced results measures - particularly for your most senior managers, and starting a dialogue with your labor partners to engage them in emphasizing a performance culture.

This report provides a general blueprint that can be adapted to each agency's specific mission and performance objectives to build and sustain a high-performance organization. I urge you to endorse, support, and use the information in this report to accomplish that goal.

Attachment

cc: Directors of Personnel

A signed copy of this memorandum is available as a PDF document [29 KB]. Other items of interest are the Report to the President's Management Council

 

Originally published on February 28, 2000.