Highlights
AGA Panel Discusses Latest Performance Research Report
AGA’s latest research, Using Performance Information to Drive Performance Improvement, was the subject of a Jan. 20 panel discussion at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. attended by 100 government executives.
The research report, sponsored by Management Concepts, describes current practices by federal agencies, which are gathering output and outcome data for selected programs and using the data in high-level reviews to determine ways to improve results and identify successes that can be replicated elsewhere.
Panelists included: Paul L. Posner, Ph.D., MPA, Director, Public Administration Program, George Mason University; Harold I. Steinberg, CGFM, CPA, former first acting controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Kevin Donohue, Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management/CFO, U.S. Department of the Treasury;Timothy Gribben, Director of the Office of Performance Management, U.S. Small Business Administration;Toni Trombecky, Performance Improvement Officer and Division Management, Strategic Planning Division, Federal Aviation Administration. Read the press release.
Read the story posted by Federal News Radio.
In the News
On the Value of Setting Stretch Targets —Bob Behn's Performance Leadership Report.
On Why All Performance-Driven Public Executives Must Learn to be Unreasonable —Bob Behn's Performance Leadership Report.
Performance Management LinkedIn Group Sparks Discussions
A Government Performance Management group on LInkedIn is accepting members. The group was formed to promote meaningful discussions on performance managment for governement municipalities and helping to improve the management and performance of governments. Check it out.
January 2012 • Volume 6, Issue 1
Minnesota DOT Official Shares Experiences Creating Award-Winning SEA Report
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has earned GOLD awards from AGA’s Certificate of Achievement in Service Efforts and Accomplishments Reporting Program for its 2009 and 2010 reports. Deanna Belden was instrumental in producing these award-wining documents. Belden is the department’s Acting Director of Performance Measures and Analysis for the Office of Capital Programs and Performance Measures. She agreed to share her thoughts on how the reports were prepared, how they are used and tips for government officials who are creating their own performance reports.
Q: Are you required to do a performance report that identifies how the state and federal dollars have been spent? When do you begin working on the report and how is your office organized?
A: The annual Minnesota Transportation Performance Report is not produced as a legislative requirement but rather came from our commitment to building public trust by being transparent and accountable to the public. The report, in its third year, includes spending by major activity (for example, bridge inspection expenditures, bridge maintenance expenditures, snow and ice expenditures, pavement preservation spending, etc.). We also provide an overall “sources and uses” pie graph, which shows major revenue sources and major use categories.
The Minnesota Legislature passed a law in 2010 with specific requirements for the 20-year statewide highway capital investment plan to include a summary of the amount and impact of the department’s capital investments over the past five years on performance targets. This analysis will be included in the update to the 20-year plan published in early 2013.
We typically begin updating the report in January with a June target publication date. Our office, Capital Programs and Performance Measures, has a small Performance Measures unit that produces the report in collaboration with department specialty offices and outside agencies.
Q: How does management use the report? The staff?
A: Senior staff use the report as a high-level summary of transportation performance and use the year-to-year data to evaluate goals and the success of a variety of strategies. Staff use the report as a reference document that describes all the major dimensions of transportation in Minnesota. —Read more.
Auditor Roles in Performance Measurement Focus of March Audio Conference
Steve Morgan, CGFM, CIA, CFE, CGAP, president, Excellence in Government Accountability and Performance Practices, is scheduled to speak at an AGA audio conference titled, "Government Performance Measurement and Management." The audio conference, worth 2 CPE hours, is set for 2 – 3:50 p.m. EDT March 21. Morgan is the former city auditor of Austin, Texas. He played a leadership role in helping Austin evolve its performance measurement and management system into a model for other government organizations. Watch AGA's website for more 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.
Federal Performance Conference Technical Committee Wants Your Ideas
The technical committee for AGA's Third Annual Federal Performance Conference is planning the program agenda for the event, scheduled for April 24–25, 2012 in Washington, D.C. Do you have an idea for an agenda topic or have you heard a great speaker that would be appropriate for the conference? If so, contact Evie Barry at 800.AGA.7211, ext 324.
Other AGA links
Bring AGA-Sponsored Training Courses to Your Organization
Register for AGA's 10th Annual National Leadership Conference, Feb. 16–17, 2012, Washington, D.C.
Disclaimer: AGA serves government accountability professionals by providing quality education, fostering
professional development and certification, and supporting standards and research to advance government
accountability. If you would like to opt off of future AGA mailings, please e-mail agawebmaster@agacgfm.org.
Thank you.
© 2012 Association of Government Accountants