The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are finding innovative, effective ways to secure resources by backing requests with reliable data, proven efficiency and program results. Performance planning helps maximize the return on resources entrusted to foreign affairs agencies and shows Americans how investing in transformational diplomacy pays dividends, at home and abroad.
The Department and USAID are improving the way they set priorities, track program performance, and communicate progress and shortfalls to stakeholders. Like the best run organizations, the Department of State and USAID operate under a Joint Strategic Plan that guides the activities of both agencies. Close collaboration between State and USAID on setting a long-term strategic vision ensures that foreign policy priorities and assistance programs are fully aligned. By doing so, the Joint Strategic Plan promotes an organizational culture within the Department of State and USAID that values effectiveness and accountability.
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COMPONENTS OF THE PERFORMANCE LANDSCAPE  D |
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The Joint Strategic Plan serves as the basis for the Department's annual planning cycle. Diplomatic missions and Washington-based bureaus engage in annual planning exercises that define policy and program goals by country and region, and also by crosscutting, global issues such as democracy, economic prosperity, counterterrorism, health and environment.
For example, each year overseas missions develop an individual strategic plan that sets country-level U.S. foreign policy goals, resource requests, performance measures, and targets. The Mission Strategic Plan is a concise, streamlined document that facilitates long-term diplomatic and assistance planning. Washington-based bureaus draw on Mission Strategic Plans to gauge the effectiveness of policies and programs in the field and formulate requests for resources. Through annual Senior Policy, Performance and Resource Reviews, the Secretary and Director of Foreign Assistance vet plans and resource requests to ensure bureau and mission activities are aligned with the Department's strategic objectives and priorities. The Department's Chief Financial Officer plays a prominent role in Senior Reviews to make recommendations on the efficient use of resources and guard against duplicative requests.
To evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of our programs, the Department has fully integrated and institutionalized the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) into budget and planning processes. The PART was developed by the Office of Management and Budget as an instrument to help Congress, federal managers and the public assess program performance and drive improvements. The PART employs a series of diagnostic questions to evaluate programs across a set of performance-related criteria, including program design and purpose, strategic planning, program management, and results. PART efficiency measures, listed in an appendix to this report, enable program managers to monitor the administrative cost of achieving a given outcome and evaluate how program outcomes might change based on adjustments to funding levels.
The Department 's annual Performance Plan describes how the Department will define success, measure progress, and verify results. The Performance Plan is forward-looking and sets the indicators and targets that will be reported on in the Performance and Accountability Report (PAR). For FY 2006, the Department of State and USAID developed a Joint Performance Plan which formed the basis for the FY 2006 PAR's Joint Performance Section. The Performance Plan is an integral part of the President's budget request and meets the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act.
Since the President's Management Agenda (PMA) was initiated in 2001, the Department has measurably improved performance on the PMA's five government-wide initiatives: human capital; e-government; competitive sourcing; financial performance; and budget and performance integration. The Department is proud to be green for status on all five PMA initiatives and is committed to maintaining its strong performance. The Undersecretary for Management receives a weekly update on PMA initiatives and chairs a monthly briefing with PMA initiative owners to monitor performance and plan follow-up actions. The Department is able to match personnel and financial requirements against policy objectives better than ever and continues to deliver services to employees and the public in ways that are faster, cheaper, and more effective.
At all levels of annual performance planning - mission, bureau and agency - Department senior managers are mindful of the link between resource decisions and performance. Linking resources to performance improves decision-making because program managers justify budget requests based on demonstrated achievements and expected return. These justifications help Congress and the public understand the results their tax dollars will buy and the trade-offs that come with funding shortfalls. For this reason, the Department's annual budget submission to Congress features performance measures and targets, as well as information on program effectiveness and efficiency.
Americans invest in transformational diplomacy not only because it fits with their principles and values, but because foreign affairs agencies are getting better at showing how their investment pays off. The Department of State and USAID make the case for investing in transformational diplomacy by integrating budget and performance and by managing for results. Performance planning helps align interagency cooperation, promote a strong management culture and ensure responsible stewardship of resources. Solid performance plans and proven results help build confidence among Americans and their representatives in Congress that transformational diplomacy is a wise investment, with payoffs that lead to outcomes like greater peace and security, sustainable development, international understanding, and increased diplomatic strength.
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