The Program Assessment and Results Act

Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Federal Government

"Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Program Assessment and Results Act, H.R. 185, which I introduced on January 4, 2005.  This bill is virtually identical to H.R. 3826, which passed the Government Reform Committee during the 108th Congress but was not considered by the House.  H.R. 185 establishes a requirement the Office of Management and Budget, working with agencies, to conduct evidence-based assessments of the performance of Federal programs at least once every five years. 

"H.R. 185 includes important provisions that came about after months of negotiations with minority Members of the Government Reform Committee.  These include requirements for transparency and public comment as well as appropriate mechanisms for assessing the performance of classified programs.  We also made sure that agencies were specifically included in the process.  I believe these changes to the original legislation offer significant improvements and address many of the concerns presented about program assessments being used as a political tool.

"Program assessments under this legislation are intended to be evidence-based, open to public scrutiny, and - because of the statutory underpinning - subject to Congressional review. By creating and using the Program Assessment Rating Tool, or PART, this Administration has implemented a system for evaluating the performance and results of federal programs.  It is very important to note that this legislation does not seek to codify the use of the PART.

"This type of evidence-based program assessment reflects a decade-long government wide effort to move agencies to reporting results.  Its roots are in the Government Performance and Results Act, GPRA, which requires agencies to state program missions and goals and to be accountable for results.  GPRA also requires agencies to evaluate programs.

"Unfortunately, a 2004 Government Accountability Report found that program evaluation is the one area where departments consistently come up short.  Not only have agencies failed to comply with this requirement, the valuable information that stands to be gained from these evaluations is not culled, coordinated, or presented in a useful way.

"By requiring OMB to work with Federal agencies and coordinate program evaluations - making the information easily accessible, easy to understand, and easy to compare among different departments - this legislation goes a long way toward fulfilling the goals of GPRA.  

"To those who express concerns that program assessments will be used as a political tool to slash programs, I would argue that evidence-based performance information will actually be used to improve the way programs are managed.  Budgeting is and will always be a political exercise.  The budget reflects the priorities of elected leaders.  As we make decisions to fund these priorities, we need to be sure every dollar is spent wisely on programs that work.

"Are children learning to read?  Are displaced workers finding jobs?    Is the environment being protected?  Is the goal to preserve a program, regardless of performance, or to serve the greatest number of people with the best results possible?

"This legislation is about providing information that will help answer these important questions."