Good government must achieve results. This underscores
the critical importance of performance and accountability
in government management, which is based on the belief
that government should be accountable to its citizens. With
the passage of the Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA) of 1993, the U.S. Congress placed greater emphasis
on outcomes and results by directing all federal agencies to
engage in strategic planning, setting goals, and measuring
performance. Through systematic performance planning,
measurement, and reporting, GPRA sought to strengthen
federal decision making and accountability. “Its emphasis is
not just on having a plan and doing the performance assessment
against that plan, but looking at outcomes—outcomes
in terms of results,” declares Dr. Richard Beck, director,
Office of Planning and Performance Management at the
U.S. Department of the Interior. Beck leads an office within
the Department of the Interior that provides leadership,
guidance, and consulting services to the department and its
bureaus on strategic planning, performance management,
and organizational effectiveness.