AboutPerformance.gov advances the commitment in the President’s FY2011 budget to communicate candidly and concisely what the Federal government is trying to accomplish, how it is trying to accomplish it, and why these efforts are important.The home page provides two main ways to view information, by agency or area of focus. Agency All of the Cabinet Departments and eight other major agencies have home pages on Performance.gov. Each agency’s home page describes the agency’s mission. Each page also provides links to the agency’s performance plans and reports and to pages showing agency progress on government-wide management initiatives. Areas of focus Areas of Focus home pages describe progress underway in the areas of acquisition, financial management, human resources, technology, performance improvement, open government, sustainability, and customer service. Each home page discusses the government’s objectives for the relevant area of focus. In selected areas, as appropriate, links are provided to relevant agency-specific data. We invite you to look through Performance.gov to learn more about how the government is working to get the most from taxpayer dollars and to deliver the best service possible to the American people. We welcome your suggestions for improvement here: http://www.performance.gov/feedbackPerformance.govPG_a21e14f0-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2aPerformance.gov is a central website that provides a window on the Administration’s efforts to deliver a more effective, smarter, and leaner government. The site gives the public, government agencies, Members of Congress, the media, and others a view of the progress underway in cutting waste, streamlining government, and improving performance. Specifically, Performance.gov provides information on the government’s progress in the following areas of focus: _a21e21ca-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2ato provide a window on the Administration’s efforts to deliver a more effective, smarter, and leaner government._a21e2454-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2aAcquisitionImproving the Way the Government Buys_a21e2760-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1Today more than ever, the government must ensure that it spends money wisely and eliminates waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars. With more than one out of every six dollars of Federal government spending going to contractors, it is imperative that contract actions result in the best value for the taxpayer. In March 2009, the President directed agencies to save $40 billion annually by Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 and reduce use of high-risk contracts. The President's mandate has instilled a new sense of fiscal responsibility and accountability in agencies, and the results are clear. For the first time since 1997, overall contract spending declined. After over a decade of dramatic contract growth that saw annual procurement budgets increase at an average rate of 12 percent per year between FY 2000 and FY 2008, this Administration has turned the tide and reduced contract spending. Agencies spent nearly $80 billion less in FY 2010 than they would have spent had contract spending continued to grow at the same rate it had under the prior Administration. At that rate, contract spending would have reached a record $615 billion. Instead, FY 2010 contract spending was $535 billion versus $550 billion in the prior year. Agencies are ending ineffective contracts and contracts that support programs that are no longer needed. They are taking advantage of smarter buying practices to pool their buying power to negotiate better prices and deeper discounts for everyday needs. They are increasing competition and reducing the use of high risk contract practices that can lead to cost overruns. Once contracts are awarded, agencies are improving oversight, to ensure that the taxpayers get the price, schedule, and quality the contractor committed to deliver. These efforts will continue as agencies work to implement the Executive Order on Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government. ContractingSave Money on Contracting_a21e286e-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.1Spending on contracts grew tremendously over the past decade, averaging 12 percent annually from FY 2000 to FY 2008. Recognizing this growth was unsustainable, the President directed agencies to save $40 billion annually by FY 2011. Responding to the President’s mandate, agencies have taken immediate actions to arrest the growth in spending on contracts by applying fiscally responsible acquisition practices. Agencies spent nearly $80 billion less in FY 2010 than they would have spent had contract spending continued to grow at the same rate it had under the prior Administration. At that rate, contract spending would have reached a record $615 billion. Acquisition SpendingDecreasing Acquisition Spending_a21e295e-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.1.1Spending on contracts grew tremendously over the past decade, averaging 12 percent annually from FY 2000 to FY 2008, according to Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). Recognizing this growth was unsustainable, the President directed agencies to save $40 billion annually by FY 2011. Responding to the President’s mandate, agencies have been working to eliminate waste and apply fiscally responsible acquisition practices. For the first time since 1997, overall contract spending declined last year. FY 2010 spending was $535 billion versus $550 billion in the prior year. Moreover, agencies spent nearly $80 billion less in FY 2010 than they would have spent had contract spending continued to grow at the same rate it had under the prior Administration. More work remains to be done, but efforts to curb contract spending have already successfully reversed the previous unsustainable growth Management Support ServicesReducing Management Support Services_a21e2a44-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.1.2Agencies have been asked to pay especially close attention to spending on contracts for management support services. Spending on these services – which include activities as varied as engineering and technical services, acquisition planning, and IT systems development – has quadrupled between FY 2000 and FY 2010, going from roughly $11 billion to $44 billion. Agencies are twice as likely to buy these services using high-risk contract pricing arrangements that put agencies at greater cost risk than when fixed-prices are used. These services are also frequently cited as creating a potential risk of overreliance on contractors for critical activities related to agencies’ missions and operations. By the end of FY 2012, CFO Act agencies must cut spending for management support services by 15 percent. Agency progress on meeting this goal will be measured based on obligations in FPDS for the services identified in the table below, which were settled upon after discussions with agencies. Instead of paying $44 billion for these services, as they did in FY 2010, they will reduce spending to $37 billion a year by the end of FY 2012 – a decrease of $7 billion. To meet this goal, agencies will buy smarter and buy less. They will continue to make good use of the expertise, innovation, and capabilities of contractors for a wide range of management support activities, such as program evaluation, to support their efforts to invest in what works. However, in this tight budget environment, agencies will be more fiscally responsible in how they acquire contracted services.Contracting RiskDecrease Contracting Risk_a21e2b20-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.2Agencies are making concerted efforts to reduce the money spent through high-risk contracts – contracts that are not fixed price or are awarded without adequate competition – so that the government faces no greater financial risk than necessary in its contracting. To meet the President’s direction to address contracting risk, every agency is taking steps to reduce by 10 percent the share of dollars obligated through new contracts in FY 2010 that are awarded (1) noncompetitively, (2) after a competition that received only one bid, (3) using a cost-reimbursement contract and (4) using a time-and-materials/labor-hour (T&M/LH) contract. Overall, the government met the goal on two of the four types of contracts. The Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies that did not meet the targets to identify ways to make further progress. CompetitionEnhancing Competition_a21e2c06-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.2.1Total government-wide spending on noncompetitive contracts increased significantly from $73 billion in FY 2000 to $170 billion in FY 2008. Dollars obligated under contracts that were open to competition but generated only one bid also increased dramatically from $14 billion in FY 2000 to $81 billion in FY 2008. To meet the President’s direction to reduce contracting risk, every agency took steps to decrease by 10 percent the share of dollars obligated through new contracts in FY 2010 that are awarded noncompetitively or after a competition that received only one bid. The chart to the right shows the percentage of dollars obligated to new contracts awarded noncompetitively. To put progress on use of competition into a larger context, agencies competed 66% of total obligations, which include new and existing contracts, in FY 2010. However, among the competed dollars, a subset has received only one offer. The chart also shows the percentage of dollars that were obligated government-wide to new competed contracts that received only one offer. The data is from the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). More information is provided in the Frequently Asked Questions. Agencies made progress on decreasing noncompetitive contracting, though the 10 percent goal was not achieved in FY 2010. Agencies continue to work to increase competition in acquisitions. To attract new sources and bidders, for example, some agencies broke out pieces of requirements that are most likely to attract additional bidders, encouraging long-time subcontractors – who are in many cases small businesses – to consider competing as prime contractors, and restructuring requirements in ways that more closely reflect how work is performed commercially. Others have worked to improve their outreach to small businesses to help them more easily navigate the federal marketplace and identify opportunities that best fit their capabilities. Fixed-Price ContractingExpanding the Use of Fixed-Price Contracting_a21e2cf6-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.2.2Between FY 2000 and FY 2008, total government-wide spending on cost-reimbursement contracts increased from $71 billion to $151 billion. Dollars obligated under time-and-materials/labor-hour contracts (T&M/LH) shot up from just $8 billion to $29 billion. Agencies are now committed to increasing their use of fixed-price contracts, where appropriate, which provide greater incentive for contractors to control costs and perform efficiently than cost-reimbursement and T&M/LH contracts. The chart to the right shows the percentage of dollars obligated for new non-fixed-price contracts in FY 2009 and FY 2010. To put progress on use of competition into a larger context, agencies awarded 5% of total obligations, which include new and existing contracts, as time-and-materials contracts and 30% as cost-reimbursement contracts in FY 2010. The percentages of total dollars obligated for these contract types are typically larger than new awards, because additional funding is awarded as the contracts progress and costs become known. The chart is based on data from the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). More information is provided in the Frequently Asked Questions. Cost-reimbursement contracting increased slightly government-wide between FY 2009 and FY 2010. The Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies that did not meet the targets to identify ways to make progress. However, in certain instances, cost reimbursement contracts may present less risk to the Government than other contract types. First, on the risk continuum for types of government contracts, cost-reimbursement contracts present less risk to the government than T&M/LH contracts. In addition, some agencies are utilizing “hybrid contract types”, which allow the parties to choose the appropriate pricing structure – fixed-price, cost-reimbursement or T&M/LH – for individual work orders. These contracts enable agencies to move part of the requirement to a lower risk pricing structure without awarding a new contract, but this conversion to lower risk contract types is not captured in FPDS. Recently published changes to acquisition regulations will help to ensure that cost-reimbursement contracts are used only when circumstances warrant, such as to help agencies obtain critical research, leading-edge innovation, and other needs where there is considerable uncertainty regarding the agency’s requirements. Acquisition WorkforceDevelop Acquisition Workforce_a21e2df0-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.3In order to provide agencies with the goods and services that they need to accomplish their missions at the best value to taxpayers, the Government needs talented and trained individuals who can plan, manage and oversee acquisitions. The inflation-adjusted dollar value of civilian agency contracting increased by 56 percent between FY 2000 and FY 2008, while the number of contract specialists in the government increased only half that much. As a result of this, the acquisition workforce spends less time on critical steps in the acquisition process such as planning, requirements development, market research, competition, and contract administration – increasing the chances of cost overruns, delays, and poor outcomes. To ensure that the Government can effectively manage its acquisitions, the Administration is working to properly staff, train and develop the acquisition workforce. Strategic SourcingExpand Strategic Sourcing_a21e2ef4-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a1.4Agency spending is typically fragmented across multiple departments, programs, and functions. As a result, agencies often rely on hundreds of separate contracts for many commonly used items, with prices that vary widely. This often prevents agencies from receiving the best price they could, leading to an unacceptable waste of taxpayer dollars. To address this waste, agencies are reviewing their internal buying patterns and identifying opportunities to combine contracts to achieve significant savings for recurring requirements. The Administration is building on these efforts by pulling agencies together to identify commodities that all agencies need and are likely to buy with similar terms and conditions. Financial ManagementEnsuring Effective Oversight of Government Finances _a21e300c-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a2The Federal government has a fundamental responsibility to be effective stewards of the taxpayers' money. We must be responsible with money that comes in to the government, money that is spent, and money that is used in running the government itself. Decision makers and the public must have confidence in financial management in order to make informed decisions about managing government programs and implementing policy. Since the passage of the Chief Financial Officers Act (CFO Act) of 1990, the financial community has made important strides in instilling strong accounting and financial management practices. Over the past 20 years, an increasing number of agencies have sustained disciplined financial operations, implemented effective internal controls, and integrated transaction processing and accounting records. This year, 21 of the 24 CFO Act agencies received a clean audit opinion─ the highest number of clean opinions the Federal Government has achieved since the passage of the CFO Act. Agencies achieved this accomplishment in an increasingly complex reporting environment and stricter audit standards. However, challenges remain. The initiatives below discuss some of our key efforts to continue improving the management of the government’s finances.Improper PaymentsReduce Improper Payments_a21e3124-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a2.1Improper payments occur when funds go to the wrong recipient, the recipient receives the incorrect amount of funds, documentation is not available to support a payment, or the recipient uses funds in an improper manner. In fiscal year 2010, Federal government improper payments totaled approximately $125 billion. Although not all improper payments are fraud (most are unintentional), and not all improper payments are waste (many improper payments may have been proper, but are considered inaccurate due to missing documentation), all improper payments degrade the integrity of government programs and compromise citizens’ trust in government. To better protect taxpayers and improve efficiency, the Administration is working with Federal and State partners, Congress and other stakeholders to reduce improper payments without negatively impacting citizen access to needed programs. You can learn more about our efforts to reduce improper payments at PaymentAccuracy.gov Financial InformationIncrease Reliability of Financial Information_a21e3246-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a2.2Twenty-one of the twenty-four Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act agencies received a clean opinion in 2010 while operating in an increasingly complex reporting environment and under stricter audit standards. This is the highest number of clean opinions the Federal government has achieved since the passage of the CFO Act. Federal agencies must implement rigorous financial management disciplines to ensure that Federal funds are appropriately accounted for and wisely spent. Agency financial statements are audited each year to help maintain accountability for taxpayer dollars. In addition to achieving this milestone, the number of auditor-identified materials weaknesses stands at 38, a 40 percent decline from 2001. PropertyManage Property Effectively_a21e337c-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a2.3The Federal government owns over one million assets across the country, making it the largest property owner in the United States. However taxpayer dollars are wasted each year on maintaining properties the government no longer needs to effectively support agency missions. The Administration is committed to transforming how the government works and deliver a government that is smarter, more effective, and more efficient. To achieve this goal, the Administration has taken several steps to improve the management of Federal real property. * Cost Savings of Operating Government Property. In June 2010, the President directed Federal civilian agencies to achieve $3 billion in savings through reducing annual operating costs, generating income through disposing of assets, and using existing real property more effectively by consolidating existing space, expanding telework, and other space realignment efforts. * Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Proposal. Within his fiscal year 2012 Budget, the President introduced a transformative proposal to significantly reduce and realign our Federal civilian real property inventory. The proposal will cut bureaucratic red tape, resolve longstanding competing stakeholder interests, and help address the financial challenges that hinder efforts to realign and consolidate Federal real property. * Civilian Property Realignment Act. The Administration transmitted to Congress a legislative proposal entitled the “Civilian Property Realignment Act.” The bill expands on the fiscal year 2012 Budget proposal. The purposes of the bill are to expedite the disposal, consolidation, and realignment of unneeded property to realize savings, sustainability and reduce the deficit.CollectionCollect Money Owed_a21e352a-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a2.4We continue to focus efforts on properly accounting for, managing, and collecting money that is owed the federal government, such as loans, fees, penalties and unpaid taxes, which is vital to responsible stewardship of taxpayer money. Every year the Federal government is owed hundreds of billions of dollars as a result of uncollected debts. With so much money at stake, Federal agencies, lawmakers, and the public deserve to know how the government is performing when it comes to collecting its debts. DashboardLaunch a Dashboard_a21e3674-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a2.4.1We continue to focus efforts on properly accounting for, managing, and collecting money that is owed the federal government, such as loans, fees, penalties and unpaid taxes, which is vital to responsible stewardship of taxpayer money. Every year the Federal government is owed hundreds of billions of dollars as a result of uncollected debts. In fiscal year 2010, over $100 billion of non-tax debt (e.g., loans, fees, penalties, fines) was delinquent. In fact, statistics demonstrate that 18 percent of all Federal non-tax debt will become delinquent. In addition to non-tax debt, nearly $360 billion is owed to the federal government because people and businesses have not paid their taxes. With so much money at stake, Federal agencies, lawmakers, and the public deserve to know how the government is performing when it comes to collecting its debts. In an effort to make collecting outstanding Federal debt more transparent, we will be launching a Dashboard that will: * Show how much money is owed to the Federal government * Show how much of the money owed to the Federal government is delinquent * Measure agency performance for collecting its debt * Measure agency performance for referring its debt to the Department of Treasury’s for collection * Describe the root causes, or reasons, why agencies are unable to collect their debts.Human ResourcesRecruiting the Best Employees to Government_a21e37be-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a3The challenges facing this country are huge – whether keeping our homeland safe, restoring confidence in our financial system, or ensuring adequate health care for our veterans. Agencies must attract, develop and engage the most talented and diverse workforce possible in order to achieve the best for the American public. We have not always lived up to that goal. Sometimes we miss out on potential employees because of a slow application and hiring process. Other times we lose talented employees by not engaging them or recognizing their excellence. The Administration is addressing these problems in order to improve mission performance, and this website shows progress on some of the key human resource initiatives underway. This site uses data received from agencies by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide the public with a virtual window into government-wide progress in recruiting, hiring, engaging, and retaining high-performing employees.TalentHire the Best Talent_a21e3912-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a3.1To achieve its mission, the government must ensure that it is able to find and hire high-performing employees. We have terrific people in the Federal Government. However we often miss out on talented individuals, because the application and hiring process is so cumbersome and slow that people choose not to apply for positions or find other jobs before the hiring process is complete. To address this issue, the Administration is working to accelerate and improve the hiring process. EngagementRespect and Engage the Workforce_a21e3a5c-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a3.2Attracting people to government service is only the beginning – agencies also must treat employees well in order to engage and retain them. To that end, agencies are continuing to promote a healthy work-life balance and create development opportunities to engage the workforce, improve employee well-being, and increase government performance. CultureExpect Best Employees_a21e3bf6-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a3.3We also must create a culture where employees strive to excel at performing their responsibilities. Agencies are working to create a culture where employees want to be, and can be, as effective as possible serving the public each and every day. TechnologyUsing Technology to Drive Productivity Gains_a21e3d54-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a4The Federal government spends over $80 billion annually on information technology (IT). This technology supports every mission our government performs — from defending our borders to protecting the environment. IT is essential for the government to do its work, and it is essential that we have access to the latest and most innovative technologies. However, compared to the technology-driven productivity gains seen in the private sector, the Federal government has not received commensurate return from its over $500 billion in IT investments over the past ten years. Under the leadership of the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Administration has led the effort to close the gap in effective technology use between the private and public sectors. Large-Scale IT ProjectsEffectively Managing Large-Scale IT Projects_a21e3ebc-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a4.1The Federal government currently has over 7,000 ongoing IT projects, ranging from new citizen-facing services to systems that help government employees perform their jobs more effectively. Effective management of these investments is necessary to ensure that the projects develop the promised capabilities without exceeding estimated costs or going over deadline. The metrics here summarize more detailed agency-provided data available on the IT Dashboard, which provides a measure of how well agencies are doing in managing the largest investments so that citizens and managers know which investments are performing well and which need attention. Operational EfficiencyAchieving Operational Efficiency_a21e401a-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a4.2Technology is critical for agencies to work effectively, and we must ensure that we efficiently manage our technology operations—from our infrastructure to our software to our user service—in order to prevent waste of taxpayer dollars. The government’s current priorities include improving service delivery, reducing facility space usage and energy consumption, and centralizing key Federal IT services to decrease wasteful spending. More information on achieving operational efficiency can be found in the 25-Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal IT Management. Cyber SecurityImproving Cyber Security_a21e41aa-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a4.3Our Nation's security and economic prosperity depend on the stability and integrity of our Federal communications and information infrastructure. Threats to cyberspace pose some of the most serious challenges of the 21st century for the United States. OMB is working with agencies, Inspectors General, Chief Information Officers, senior agency officials in charge of privacy, as well as GAO and Congress, to strengthen the Federal government's IT security and privacy programs. Performance ImprovementDelivering a High-Performing Government_a21e4326-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a5The Federal Government serves the American people in a wide variety of ways, enriching their lives. Every day, it works to prevent toxic waste from entering our drinking water and terrorists from entering our airspace. It is at the forefront of the fight against cancer, HIV, and other diseases that afflict so many Americans. It protects the intellectual property of American inventors and has developed and supported countless cutting-edge technologies. It provides weather, economic and security information that informs the daily decisions of all Americans, reducing their vulnerability to natural and human threats. It helps Americans recover when disaster strikes. It helps students go to college and colleges to do research in science and technology, laying the foundation for the economy of the future and the jobs that it will create. It sets the standards that level the playing field in economic competition, and assists the vulnerable in times of need. It upholds our Nation’s values at home by serving those in uniform who upheld them overseas. The challenge the Federal Government faces today is to use taxpayer dollars in the most effective and efficient ways it can. The American people must be able to trust that their government is doing everything in its power to cut waste and to make sure that every tax dollar gets results that make a difference to the American people. To improve the performance of the Federal Government, the Administration is pursuing the three key initiatives below. GoalsUsing Goals to Improve Performance and Accountability_a21e44ac-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a5.1Agencies are using clearly stated goals to focus their efforts to improve performance and let the public know what they seek to accomplish. The Federal Government operates more effectively when it focuses on outcomes and sets clear and measurable goals to clarify priorities and motivate action. A goal-focused, data-driven management approach has proven a powerful way to achieve large performance gains in other countries, several States, an increasing number of local governments, and a growing number of Federal programs. Metrics and AnalysisMeasuring and Analyzing Performance to Find What Works_a21e4628-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a5.2Agencies are measuring and analyzing performance and related data to find which agency actions work and deserve further investment and which do not and need to be fixed or stopped. They are using data diagnostically to figure out how to improve outcomes and get more value for the taxpayer’s dollar. Data-Driven ReviewsDelivering Better Results Using Frequent, Data-Driven Reviews_a21e47a4-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a5.3Agencies are using frequent data-driven reviews of progress on goals to monitor trends and identify actions likely to increase performance and reduce costs. Agency Deputy Secretaries, or their equivalents, have begun to hold goal-focused, data-driven reviews at least every quarter to drive progress on their near-term priority goals. These meetings are designed to reduce the need for “daily fire drills,” and create an unprecedented forum for agency managers to discuss priorities, not just crises, with senior agency leadership. Open Government_a21e4920-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6On his first full day in office, President Obama issued a Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government that called for “an unprecedented level of openness in Government.” The President identified two purposes of greater openness: to “strengthen our democracy,” and to “promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.” Over the past two years, the Administration has indeed taken unparalleled steps to make our democracy both stronger and more effective. These efforts have emphasized three principles of openness—transparency, participation, and collaboration. As part of the Administration’s Open Government Initiative, every major agency has formulated its own Open Government Plan, and made available to the public unprecedented amounts of information. On June 13, 2011, the President furthered these efforts through his Executive Order on Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government. In particular, through this Order, he established the Government Accountability & Transparency Board to provide strategic direction for enhancing the transparency of Federal spending and advance efforts to detect and remediate fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal programs. Through all of these efforts, the Administration has also institutionalized a culture of open government, and created an openness infrastructure to strengthen the relationship between citizens and their government. This ongoing work will continue to promote a more robust democracy and effective government.TransparencyPromote Transparency_a21e4ab0-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.1Government information is a national asset that should be published online in forms that the public can readily find and use. Such transparency promotes efficient and effective government by providing citizens with information about the workings of their government. Making information held by government available online also promotes corporate accountability; enables the creation of tools like healthcare.gov that give consumers better choices; and empowers innovators to use government information to build business. To that end, the Administration is working on:AccessibilityMaking Government More Accessible_a21e4c4a-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.1.1In response to the President's call for open government, the National Archives launched Federal Register 2.0, which is a graphical, searchable, easy-to-read version of the most widely read government document. The new website represents a historic milestone in making government more accessible and increases access to pending rules, grants, and opportunities.FOIAGreater Openness Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)_a21e4de4-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.1.2FOIA is a critical tool for the public to access government information. Answering President Obama’s call for greater openness through the FOIA, agencies together with the Administration are actively working to reduce FOIA backlogs and improve their administration of the FOIA.Spending and PerformanceTracking Spending and Performance_a21e4f7e-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.1.3By visualizing the investments and impact of stimulus dollars, general expenditures, and information technology budgets in easy-to-understand “dashboards,” the Administration has empowered agencies and the public to spot – and halt – wasteful projects.Data AvailabilityMaking More Data Publicly Available_a21e5122-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.1.4In May 2009, the Administration launched Data.gov, a website that makes economic, health care, environmental, and other information available in multiple electronic formats, allowing the public access to more government information online than ever before. The website now houses over 379,000 datasets for the public to download and analyze. Pursuant to the Open Government Directive, federal agencies are working to inventory their data and make it available online via Data.gov.Government WorkingsPublishing More Information on Government Workings_a21e52d0-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.1.5The Administration has taken several efforts to disclose to the public more information about its internal workings, including providing records of White House visitors and data on what regulations are pending and where the regulations are in the rulemaking process.Federal SpendingAccounting for Federal Spending_a21e5474-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.1.6On USAspending.gov, the public has one-stop access to Federal spending through grants, contracts, and other forms of Federal financial assistance. An unprecedented view into the how Federal programs are executed, the public can search this database and download information by multiple criteria, to include type of recipient, Federal agency, year of the award, or keyword. ParticipationFoster Participation_a21e562c-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.2Public engagement enhances the Government's effectiveness and improves the quality of its decisions. Knowledge is widely dispersed in society, and public officials benefit from having access to that dispersed knowledge. Executive departments and agencies are dedicated to offering Americans increased opportunities to participate in policymaking and to provide the Government with the benefits of their collective expertise and information by:Social MediaEnabling the Use of Social Media Across the Federal Government_a21e57e4-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.2.1The Administration has updated its policies and created a new platform – Apps.gov – to foster the use of innovative new tools to facilitate public engagement across the Executive branch. Apps.gov gives agencies access to several dozen (and growing) free social media tools, such as blogs, wikis and social networks with appropriate terms of service as well as privacy and accessibility protections. In addition many agencies have an employee innovation website and program in place to gather good ideas for addressing challenges across the Federal workforce.Prizes and ChallengesIncreasing Prizes and Challenges_a21e5b18-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.2.2Recognizing that the best ideas don’t come from Washington alone, the Open Government Initiative has spawned Challenge.gov, a one-stop place for agencies to post and the public to find opportunities to participate in solving problems, including prize-backed challenges.Expert NetworkingExpanding Expert Networking_a21e5d34-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.2.3In order to inform policymaking with the best research and evidence, the Administration is building a system for “expert networking” – using the Internet to help identify and invite those with expertise, interest and enthusiasm for a particular issue to participate better in evaluation of policymaking and grants. The project plans for this effort will be posted online shortly.CollaborationIncrease Collaboration_a21e5f46-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.3While participation brings information to government so that officials can make more informed policy decisions, collaboration focuses on finding innovative strategies to address problems. Collaboration actively engages all of us in the work of our government. Executive departments and agencies are beginning to adopt innovative tools, methods, and systems to encourage cooperation, such as:Government EmployeesIncreasing Collaboration among Government Employees_a21e6108-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.3.1Government EmployeesIn 2009, the President announced the SAVE Award, which requested ideas from employees on how to make government more efficient and effective. In just three weeks, OMB received more than 38,000 ideas. OMB staff assessed the ideas, passing back the most promising ones to agencies to include as part of their budget plans. Some of these proposals have already become a reality. Additionally, OMB narrowed the submitted ideas down to four, and the American people voted on these final four. The Administration also held the second SAVE Award and expanded the process so Federal employees could both submit ideas and vote on ideas submitted by others in a collaborative process. Agencies are also decentralizing work that used to be under tight control. This kind of employee brainstorming has become so popular in the last year that a Community of Practice has arisen to enable agencies to share best practices about how to collaborate with employees. For example, the Wikified Army Field Manual invites military professionals to participate in writing Army tactics, techniques, and procedures on all aspects of military life collaboratively. By inviting participation in writing Army doctrine, the men and women who serve our nation participate in and have access to the best possible information when they need it.Government InstitutionsIncreasing collaboration across government institutions_a21e62ca-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.3.2Government InstitutionsTo provide better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous, or defective products, six federal agencies with vastly different jurisdictions have joined together to create a "one stop shop" for Federal government recalls, providing consumers with up-to-date product safety information. Website visitors can also download mobile phone apps to find the information by typing a product’s name into a phone and learning immediately whether that product has been recalled because of a safety concern. Consumers can also see photos of recalled products and learn what to do with recalled products in their homes.Private SectorIncreasing collaboration with the private sector_a21e6482-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a6.3.3By inviting the collaboration of people across the United States to develop novel software applications that transform raw HHS data into powerful knowledge, the Community Health Data Initiative is fostering game-changing solutions to problems in public health. For example, a team of innovators is working with the National Association of Counties to develop a “Network of Care for Healthy Communities” dashboard that allows citizens and civic leaders to see local health performance compared to other counties, and automatically ties in “best practice” information from around the nation showing how other communities have tackled similar issues and generated positive change. Building these kinds of tools helps to focus attention on what works and enables people to reach out to one another to develop and share best practices.SustainabilityLeading by Example in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance_a21e664e-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a7As the largest consumer of energy in the American economy, it is the Federal Government’s responsibility to lead by example towards a clean energy economy. With more than 1.8 million civilian employees, 500,000 buildings, and $500 billion in annual purchasing power, the Federal Government has a responsibility to lead by example when it comes to its environmental, energy, and economic performance. Demonstrating a commitment to this principle, President Obama signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance in October 2009 that directed Federal agencies to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, eliminate waste, improve energy and water performance, and leverage Federal purchasing power to support innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy technologies and environmentally-responsible products. To learn more about how the Federal Government is helping to move the nation to a clean energy economy by leading by example, read the President’s Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future, released in March 2011.Greenhouse GasReduce Greenhouse Gas Pollution_a21e6842-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a7.1Executive Order 13514 requires Federal agencies to measure, report, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution from agency operations to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and cut costs. In 2010, President Obama announced that the Federal Government will reduce its direct greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from fuels and building energy use, by 28 percent by 2020 and will reduce its indirect greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from employee business travel and employee commuting, by 13 percent by 2020. By meeting these two goals, the Federal Government could save up to $11 billion in energy costs over the next decade and eliminate the equivalent of 235 million barrels of oil from its own activities. The Federal Government’s progress towards meeting the GHG targets will be accomplished by holding agencies accountable for achieving related statutory and executive order goals and the individual targets they identified in their annual Sustainability Plans, through the OMB scorecard process, and monitoring of agency comprehensive GHG inventories on an annual basis beginning in January 2011. The President directed CEQ to issue guidance for GHG accounting and reporting for Federal agencies. The Final Federal Guidance for Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting can be found here. In April 2011, the White House Council on Environmental Quality released the first-ever comprehensive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory for the Federal Government, which accounts for the GHG emissions associated with the Federal Government’s operations in 2010. The Federal Government's GHG inventory for 2010 was 66.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (MMTCO2e). The 2010 GHG inventory shows that the Federal Government successfully reduced GHG pollution by 2.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (MMTCO2e) since its 2008 baseline, and is on track to meeting the 2020 Federal GHG pollution reduction target. Federal agency and department FY 2010 GHG emissions summaries can be found at http://www.data.gov/raw/4769. Agency AccountabilityHold Agencies Accountable for Results_a21e6a5e-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a7.2On April 19, 2011, 24 Federal agencies and departments released, for the first time, their Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Sustainability and Energy Scorecards. These scorecards help agencies identify, target and track the best opportunities to lead by example in clean energy; and hold them accountable to OMB for meeting annual energy, water, pollution, and waste reduction targets. Since 2006, OMB has used the scorecard process to evaluate Federal agencies’ performance in achieving energy, transportation, and environmental goals. To streamline the evaluation process, make it more transparent, and align it with the goals of Executive Order 13514, OMB combined past scorecard metrics into a single OMB Sustainability/ Energy scorecard which it will make available publically. Through the OMB scorecard process, agencies are assessed on energy and water intensity reductions; fleet petroleum reduction; greenhouse gas emissions; green building practices; and, renewable energy use. Agencies are also evaluated on their progress towards implementing additional statutory or Executive Order targets and goals reflected in their annual Sustainability Plans, such as green purchasing and electronics stewardship. CEQ and OMB work with agency leadership to craft strategies for improvement and provide additional support and assistance as needed.Sustainability PlansDevelop Agency Sustainability Plans_a21e6c98-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a7.3Under Executive Order 13514, Federal agencies are required to develop, implement, and annually update a Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan that describes how they will achieve the environmental, economic, and energy goals mandated in the Executive Order. Agencies must prioritize actions based on a positive return on investment for the American taxpayer. The plans are updated each year in June, reviewed by CEQ and approved by OMB to ensure that actions are carefully aligned with resources, Administration priorities, and the Federal budget process. The White House released agencies' first-ever Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans in September 2010.Customer Service_a21e6ed2-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a8The American people deserve a Government that is responsive to their needs. Whether they are calling the IRS for an answer to a tax question or visiting a Social Security Administration office to adjust their benefits, they should expect high-quality interactions with the Federal Government. Yet despite some important strides to improve customer service during the past fifteen years, customer expectations continue to rise. The Federal Government should apply widely used private sector best practices to keep pace with the public’s expectations and transform its customer services – soliciting regular customer feedback, streamlining underlying processes, and delivering consistent service across customer channels. To that end, the President issued an Executive order requiring each agency to develop a customer service plan that identifies implementation steps for their customer service activities, including a "signature initiative" that leverages technology to improve the customer experience. These plans will also prepare agencies to integrate specific customer service goals into annual agency performance plans and reports. Agencies will post the plans on their Open Government websites by October 24, 2011.Citizen ServicesPutting More Citizen Services Online_a21e70d0-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a8.1Too often, the conveniences Americans expect in their daily lives are not available when they interact with the Government. To improve service and reduce costs, the Federal Government must adopt faster, more convenient ways of interacting with the public. Several services are leading the way, including: allowing applicants for citizenship to check their status online; simplifying the student aid process so applicants can pre-populate the online application with IRS data; and creating one electronic health record for members of the military to use as they move out of the Armed Forces and into veteran status. Federal WebsitesImproving Federal Websites_a21e731e-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a8.2As part of President Obama's Campaign to Cut Waste, agencies are working to improve, consolidate, or eliminate websites that are redundant, outdated, hard to use, or have poorly maintained content. While many Federal websites provide taxpayers with valuable services and information, there has been a proliferation of separate websites over many years. With thousands of unique federal .gov domains and websites, it can sometimes be difficult to find specific content. To address these problems and improve Federal websites, the Administration took the following steps: Froze the creation of new federal executive branch .gov domains until stronger website policies are in place; Publish the list of federal executive branch .gov domains on Data.gov; Created a .gov Task Force to make recommendations for updating website policies and best practices; and Conducted a review of federal websites to eliminate those that are duplicative or outdated and identify opportunities to strengthen and coordinate content across agencies. As part of the review of each Internet domain, agencies will conduct a thorough assessment to determine when content should be consolidated, updated, or eliminated. Agencies will look at factors including when the site was last updated, if the content already exists on another Government website, and whether the content is still providing value to its intended audience. Agencies’ consolidation plans will then be posted for the public. Customer ServiceAdopting Customer Service Best Practices_a21e7562-cf2e-11e0-93e7-e8817a64ea2a8.3Private sector organizations regularly monitor customer satisfaction and improve service delivery to stay competitive. Customers demand new ways to access products, services, and support; innovative companies anticipate these demands and improve their customer-facing operations accordingly. From online check-in for a flight to instant messaging with a sales representative about a product, many methods that improve customer service also lower costs. New advancements can deliver products and services both more efficiently and more effectively. With many private sector models, the Federal Government can foster new ideas and leverage technology and innovation to improve customer service delivery. 2011-08-25http://www.performance.gov/aboutOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net