FCW – “The Government Accountability Office last week released an analysis of 24 agencies’ use of performance information, based upon its survey findings from 2007 and 2013, and the results show that many agencies’ use of performance data has not improved across the seven year period of time. Managers were asked to rate the extent to which they believed their agency engaged in the use of “performance information activities” on a 5-point scale — where a response of 1 reflected “to no extent” and a 5 reflected “to a very great extent.” The survey’s questions focused on ways in which agencies might enhance and facilitate the use of performance information within their department, including:

• Aligning agencywide goals, objectives, and measures.
• Improving the usefullness of performance information.
• Developing agency capacity to use performance information.
• Demonstrating management commitment.
• Communicating performance information frequently and effectively.

Four agencies have been identified as having a significant decrease in their use of performance information — including NASA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The only two agencies that exhibited a significant improvement in their use of performance information were the Office of Personnel Management and Department of Labor.”