In its very first year, the Administration established a common sense approach to improving the performance of government at every level. Following successful evidence-based practices used in both the private and public sectors, the Administration engaged senior Federal leaders in establishing two-year Agency Priority Goals in areas where agencies were focused on accelerated performance improvement. The Administration also established government-wide Cross-Agency Priority Goals in areas benefiting from collaboration across multiple agencies.

At its core, these goals serve as a simple but powerful way to motivate people and communicate priorities in improving the Federal Government’s performance and accountability. Agencies establish a variety of performance goals and objectives to drive progress toward key outcomes, while outlining long-term goals and objectives in their strategic plans. Leaders in states, local governments, Federal programs, and in other countries have demonstrated the power of using specific, challenging goals -- combined with frequent measurement, analysis, and follow-up -- to improve performance while being more efficient and effective for the taxpayer.

Over those last five years, we have seen that the Federal Government operates more effectively when agency leaders, at all levels of the organization, starting at the top, set clear measurable goals aligned to achieving better outcomes. Federal agency leaders are increasingly using goals and measurement to reinforce priorities, motivate action, and illuminate paths to improvement. Agencies also regularly engage their organizations and delivery partners in critical reviews of progress on these goals.

In continuation of the successes seen from setting clearly established goals to improve the way our government works, the Administration has introduced new Agency Priority Goals and Cross-Agency Priority Goals in the 2015 Budget, along with the release of new agency strategic plans. Click below to learn more: