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Implementing the Government Performance and Results
Act
July 30, 1997
On July 30, 1997, the House Science Committee held
a hearing on Implementing the Government Performance
and Results Act. Witnesses included Ms. Susan Kladiva,
Acting Associate Director, Energy Resources and Science
Issues, U.S. General Accounting Office; Mr. Alan Ladwig,
Associate Administrator for Policy and Plans, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration; Ms. Diana Josephson,
Deputy Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Dr. Joe Bordogna,
Acting Deputy Director, National Science Foundation;
and Mr. Marc Chupka, Acting Assistant Secretary for
Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department
of Energy.
Congressman Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who chaired the full
committee hearing, scolded the agencies for their
incomplete strategic plans, due to the Office of Management
and Budget in two months, at the end of the fiscal
year. He highlighted, echoing statements by Susan
Kladiva in her opening statement, agencies' failure
to address crosscutting functions and interagency
coordination in their strategic plans. Most of the
Members' questions focused on the agencies' lack of
attention to the connections between strategic plans
and performance measures. Several members questioned
NASA witness about issues ranging from contract management
to potential programs to provide transport to Mars.
Congressman Brown (D-CA) singled out the National
Science Foundation's proposed outcome: the production
of a diverse, productive, globally-oriented workforce
of scientists and engineers. He pointedly questioned
Dr. Bordogna about how the Foundation planned to measure
this outcome, and whether the Foundation's current
personnel represent a diverse, productive, globally-oriented
workforce.
In closing, Congressman Sensenbrenner expressed disappointment
that agencies had taken so long to implement the Government
Performance and Results Act, and he reiterated the
Science Committee's intention to continue putting
pressure on the science agencies to improve their
implementation plans. Nonetheless, he did acquiesce
that the science agencies are further along than the
majority of other agencies.
See also:
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