Highlights
Federal Performance Conference Set for April 24, 25
The Third Annual Federal Performance Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., April 24 and 25, 2012, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This year’s conference will offer general sessions as well as track sessions:
Human Capital Track
Aligning Learning to Drive Performance Management
The Next Generation of Performance Analysts
Federal Performance Management Organizations
Analytical Track
Analyzing Data to Better Outcomes and Lower Costs
Activity-Based Costing: What it Takes and What You Get
Techniques for Using Measures
Performance Reporting: Measuring Results and Reporting Progress
Implementing an Enterprise-wide Performance Management Program
Workshop: Structuring Performance Data to Effectively Drive Management Decisions
Speakers include:
David Abercrombie, Program Analyst, Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Energy
Ronald E. Crupi, CGFM, Director, Financial Management Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Kevin Donahue, Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of Treasury
Louis M. Farrell, Director, Student and Exchange Visitor Program, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Joseph Greenblott, Associate Director, Office of Planning, Analysis and Accountability, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Tim Gribbon, Director, Office of Performance Management, U.S. Small Business Administration
Pamela Haze, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Budget, Finance Performance and Acquisition, U.S. Department of the Interior
Cheryl Steptoe-Simon, Director, Human Capital Business Integration, Defense Logistics Agency
Check the website for more information on the speakers and details on registering. Save $100 by registering before March 23.
Register online and save another $25.
Wanted: Audio Conference Topics
AGA will be offering six audio conferences or webinars in performance management, reporting and measurement. Do you have an idea, or have you heard a speaker who would make a good audio conference presentation? Contact Evie Barry.
March 2012 • Volume 6, Issue 2
Guam Students Prepare Winning CCR for Alexandria, VA, at Case Challenge
Three college undergraduate teams participated in the Fifth Annual AGA Government Finance Case Challenge Feb. 15. The competition is open to all undergraduate students across the country in the fields of finance, accounting and business. The task was to develop a Citizen-Centric Report (CCR) for the city of Alexandria, VA, by including financial and performance data in a four-page document that is visually appealing, candid and understandable. Data used for the report was to be gathered solely from the Internet.
Twenty-five teams submitted reports, and after an initial round of judging, the three highest-scoring teams received invitations to attend AGA's National Leadership Conference and present their reports to a team of five judges. Judges included the Bruce Johnson, chief of staff to the Alexandria city manager, and AGA National President Richard O. Bunce Jr., CGFM, CPA. The student teams, representing the University of Guam, University of North Carolina-Pembroke and Old Dominion University, each made a verbal presentation. The presentations were designed to mimic an appearance in front of the Alexandria City Council. UNC-Pembroke also created a video about the difficulty in reading and understanding the two-inch-thick city of Alexandria Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and comparing it to the ease of reviewing and understanding a CCR.
After each presentation the judges asked questions and made recommendations to improve the document. Johnson used his intimate knowledge of the city to critique the quality of content in the three reports and offer his congratulations on the quality of each report.
Johnson commented afterward, “I very much enjoyed seeing the presentations. The students' work was detailed, thoughtful and very impressive. We will be sharing the product of each team with our senior staff.”
The winning team was announced at the next day’s luncheon and University of Guam received the highest number of votes by the team of judges. Read their winning report. The four students, Garry Yeoh, Ruren Clemete, Edward Brobesong and Amber Castro along with their adviser, Professor Zeny Nace, CGFM, CPA, CFE, couldn’t have been more delighted. Of the four students, only one had been to the continental U.S. and no one had been to Washington, D.C. They packed in sightseeing and shopping in their four-day visit.
Our next college case challenge will be at the graduate level and the three finalists will be asked to attend the PDC, Training to Solve Today’s Fiscal Challenges in San Diego in July.
Are you interested in preparing a CCR for your agency or government? AGA has developed the tools you need, including the design template for you to use as you prepare your first report. Just plug in your information and the report is nearly completed. Check them out.
Morgan and McCall Together on March 21 Performance Measurement Audio Conference
Sam McCall, Ph.D., MPA, CGFM, auditor, city of Tallahassee, FL, and Stephen L. Morgan, CEO of EGAPP, Inc. and former city auditor, Austin, TX, will participate together in AGA’s next performance audio conference.
These two experts with years of experience will share their thoughts on “A Systems Approach to Implementing Performance Based Management and Budgeting.” In today’s government environment, performance-based management and budgeting is essential to support tough decisions. This presentation focuses on lessons learned and best practices in implementing performance-based management and budgeting. The presentation will include a “primer” on how management should define performance goals, identify means to determine appropriate resources to achieve the goals, design systems to measure achievements, and use performance reports and measures to support decision-making.
Cost: $249 per site (UNLIMITED ATTENDANCE) if you register on or before Friday, March 16, 2012 and $299 thereafter.
Special Promotion: Government agencies and AGA Corporate Partner members who register five or more offices will receive a 20 percent discount ($200 per site).
Small-group Representation Option: Two, three or four individuals can register at $50 per person. Contact Maria Oquendo at 800.AGA.7211, ext. 308, for registration details.
AGA Seeks Input on SEA Guidelines and Scoring Rubric
AGA is updating the guidelines and scoring rubric for preparing and reviewing Service Efforts and Accomplishments (SEA) reports. The update is based on the Governmental Accounting Standards Board's (GASB) Suggested Guidelines for Voluntary Reporting, SEA Performance Information.
AGA and Rutgers Public Performance Measurement and Reporting Network created a website to assist governments in preparing reports using GASB's guidelines as a framework. Preparers are provided with valuable insight and best practices through examples from actual SEA reports, which show how performance information can be presented.
If you are interested in serving on a task force to review the proposed revisions, please contact Louise Kapelewski. The new scoring rubric should be complete by March 15, 2012.
Kudos to Saco, ME, on its Sixth GOLD Award
A special congratulation goes to Saco, ME, for receiving its sixth GOLD award for its Service Efforts and Accomplishments Report. Saco has participated in the Certificate of Achievement in SEA Reporting program since the early years of the program. The report continues its high quality year in and year out. Some noteworthy features of the report include:
- Providing a clear purpose and scope for the report.
- Clearly stating the major goals and objectives of the organization.
- Providing useful and different ways to analyze the data.
- Distributing the report in an easy-to-find and accessible manner.
- Access the report.
Annual ALGA Conference Set for May in Arizona
The 2012 Association of Local Government Auditors Annual Conference, worth 15 CPE hours, is set for May 7-8 at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel in Tempe, AZ. The theme is "The Heat is on for Local Government Auditing." Topics include risk assessment, data mining and analysis, social media, leadership, law enforcement auditing, career development, auditing standards updates and more. Learn more about the agenda, registration and travel information.
Other AGA links
Bring AGA-Sponsored Training Courses to Your Organization
Register for AGA's Third Annual Federal Performance Conference, April 24-25, Washington, D.C.
Register for AGA's 61st Annual PDC, July 29-Aug. 1, 2012, San Diego, CA
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© 2012 Association of Government Accountants