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

2004 Presidential Award for Management Excellence

Department of State

Budget and Performance Integration
Innovative and Exemplary Practices

In fiscal year (FY) 2003, the Department of State pioneered efforts to integrate the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) into the automated Bureau Performance Plan (BPP) application. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of State agreed to conduct 53 PART reviews between FY 2004–08. To date, 27 assessments have been completed.

Hailed by OMB as “the model for government,” the Department’s innovation is exemplary because it has fully automated and substantively integrated PART into its budget and planning processes. This integration reconciles two time-intensive processes: (1) the Government and Performance Results Act (GPRA) structure, which includes the BPPs; and (2) the PART assessment, which provides the evaluation component.

By aligning these two processes, the Department can (1) demonstrate cross-cutting goals, (2) incorporate PART measures in budget and planning documents, (3) identify where BPP information provides evidence for PART responses, (4) monitor status of PART efficiency measures, and (5) track progress toward meeting PART recommendations.

The Department consulted with several bureaus about the methodology and rollout of the PART-BPP application. Bureau planners increased the level of coordination within their bureaus and those of their partners to simultaneously complete the demands of the PART and BPP. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, for example, increased responsibilities and expanded policy planning with the Bureau of International Information Programs and Public Affairs.

The ability to implement recommendations from PART reviews ensures that identified weaknesses are documented and solutions are implemented to improve performance. The result is high-quality BPPs and PARTs, which provide well-justified resource requests. Such efficiency measures enable managers to determine results achieved for dollars spent. The Department, for example, expects to reduce the cost of refugee arrivals into the United States by $300 per arrival between 2004 and 2005.

Tracking PART findings and developing the integrated PART-BPP application has dramatically improved program performance. These improvements are demonstrated in a comparison of ratings for assessments conducted between 2002 and 2004. In 2004, the percentage of programs rated “effective” rose to 76 percent, from 0 percent in 2002.

The Department has shared its best practices with senior managers from several government agencies. Such requests for demonstrations establish the Department as the leading agency in meeting the requirements of the Budget and Performance Integration’s initiative of the President’s Management Agenda. Other agencies may follow the Department’s model by leveraging these best practices.