The Challenge of Implementing Strategic Management Reforms in the US Department of Transportation

Abstract

Twenty years ago, Congress enacted the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). This legislation was intended to reform the strategic management practices of federal government agencies by requiring agency leaders to develop a strategic plan with outcome-oriented goals, identify performance measures and targets for each of the goals, and annually report their progress in achieving these goals. Following the implementation of GPRA, the Bush administration introduced additional strategic management reforms that applied to all large agencies, which are also referred to as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act agencies within the federal government. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) initiated these reforms to address perceived shortcomings in agency management practices following the passage of GPRA. Most importantly, studies of agency implementation practices suggested that managers were not consistently using the performance information that was being routinely reported to Congress to effectively manage their programmes and available resources. In 2011, Congress enacted the first significant update to GPRA by passing the GPRA Modernization Act (G PR AM A). Among other things, the legislation codified management practices introduced in the Bush administration, set the cycle of agency strategic planning to coincide with a new presidential term and required agencies to consult more frequently with Congress and others with an interest or stake in the achievement of the goals.