Functional Statements > Federal Student Aid

G. Enterprise Performance Management Services

Enterprise Performance Management Services in Federal Student Aid is responsible for providing best in business service for all systems integration, reengineering and re-platforming projects; efficient and economic acquisition of products and services ; contract performance measures and measurement; performance plan monitoring; internal review; audit resolution; risk assessment; risk management strategy; and monitoring Federal Student Aid performance in high-risk issue areas. To accomplish this mission, Enterprise Performance Management Services has four principal components:

• Project Management and Oversight Group
• Federal Student Aid Acquisition Group
• Strategic Planning and Reporting Group
• Enterprise Risk Management Group

Project Management and Oversight Group

Project Management and Oversight Group is responsible for promoting the development and diffusion of a project management culture throughout Federal Student Aid. The group advises on systems integration strategy and annual strategic and tactical planning for Federal Student Aid initiatives and is responsible for:

• Developing and implementing project management standards (based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition) that are integrated with other Federal Student Aid processes;
• Identifying training, in collaboration with Federal Student Aid University, to develop new project managers and support existing project managers’ professional development;
• Reporting on the status of projects to enable informed decisions and sound project management;
• Managing the project management process across Federal Student Aid;
• Project management consulting;
• Ensuring coordination and integration across all projects; and
• Analyzing critical dependencies across projects.

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Federal Student Aid Acquisitions Group

Federal Student Aid Acquisitions Group is responsible for ensuring the efficient and economic acquisition of products and services for Federal Student Aid while reducing cost and maintaining compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and Executive Orders. These responsibilities include the following functions: Planning, Policy and Analysis; Contracts; and Purchasing Operations.

Planning, Policy and Analysis Division

The Planning, Policy and Analysis Division responsibilities include:

• Assuring that Federal Student Aid’s acquisition practices are consistent with applicable procurement laws and regulations and the Department Chief Acquisition Officer’s policies, practices and directives;
• Strategic Market Research, Spend Analysis, and Acquisition planning as defined in Part 7 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations;
• Monitoring that Federal Student Aid’s acquisition personnel are properly trained; and
• Maintaining, analyzing, and reporting on operational and performance data for Federal Student Aid acquisitions.

Contracts Group

The Contracts Group is responsible for the contracting process, to include:

• Performing tactical market research;
• Supporting the formulation of solicitations;
• Price analysis for solicitations, modifications and orders;
• Issuing solicitations;
• Selecting contractors;
• Negotiating and awarding contracts; and
• Administering and managing the contracts including managing Government Furnished Property at the enterprise level.

Purchasing Operations Division

The Purchasing Operations Division is responsible for:

• Providing timely and efficient acquisition of supplies and services within the simplified acquisition threshold ($100,000) and commercial items ($5,000,000); and
• Coordinating, executing and administering Interagency Agreements.

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Strategic Planning and Reporting Group

Strategic Planning and Reporting provides strategic measurement initiatives and data in order to track program and organizational performance. Staff will leverage internal administrative assistance as well as a production team to focus efforts on strategic value-adding tasks and activities and performs the following functions:

• Developing, executing, and continually improving the strategic planning process so that the organization has a clear and consistent approach to improving performance. The outputs of this process include an annually updated Five Year Performance Plan as well as the associated annual plans;
• Developing and maintaining the assessment of key Federal Student Aid metrics;
• Tracking and measuring Management Council and/or Chief Operating Officer assigned initiatives (e.g., Annual Performance Plan). Communicating results of annual plans and Management Council initiatives on a bi-weekly, quarterly, and annual basis;
• Implementing measurement processes to ensure the necessary and needed performance information is available, including employee surveys, customer surveys, and performance metrics;
• Providing support to the organization concerning performance reporting and performance measures mandated by, e.g., the Office of Management and Budget; and
• Performing data analysis and reporting (e.g., program data and Congressionally mandated reporting).

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Enterprise Risk Management Group

The Enterprise Risk Management Group (ERMG) provides risk management oversight and guidance to Federal Student Aid and performs internal reviews and risk assessments as appropriate or as requested by senior management. ERMG is responsible for driving strategy and plans for assessing, monitoring and addressing risk associated with Federal Student Aid, its programs, systems contracts and external partners. ERMG is also responsible for audit tracking and resolution for Federal Student Aid. To accomplish this, Enterprise Risk Management Group is organized into two main areas:

Risk Analysis and Reporting Division
Internal Review Division

Risk Analysis and Reporting Division

The Risk Analysis and Reporting Division is responsible for providing enterprise-wide risk management oversight and guidance and has the following functions:

• Improving risk management efforts, activities and reporting;
• Coordinating annual high-level risk assessments of Federal Student Aid;
• Performing targeted risk assessments at the direction of senior management or as deemed appropriate;
• Implementing data analysis techniques and risk assessment methodologies to improve efforts to quantify, evaluate and report on risk;
• Assisting in the review, evaluation and approval of key projects, systems and organizational changes;
• Developing an enterprise risk management strategy; and
• Establishing and implementing an enterprise risk management framework.

Internal Review Division

The Internal Review Division is responsible for helping to ensure that an effective internal control framework is in place across the enterprise and has the following functions:

• Monitoring Federal Student Aid’s performance in high-risk areas identified by the Government Accountability Office (GAO);
• Coordinating meetings with GAO on high-risk issues;
• Serving as Federal Student Aid’s official audit liaison with authority delegated from the Chief Operating Officer;
• Reporting on audit exception/resolution progress;
• Reporting on status of Corrective Action Plans execution;
• Working with Education’s Office of Inspector General and GAO to facilitate their audits and address identified issues;
• Assisting in the review, evaluation and approval of key projects, systems and organizational changes; and
• Performing internal reviews at the direction of senior management.

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