How do the GPRA (Government Performance and Results Act) and the PART (Program Assessment Rating Tool) work?
The GPRA requires each federal department and agency to prepare: A strategic plan covering a period of not less than five years and containing: • a comprehensive mission statement; • a goals and objectives statement and description of how the goals will be achieved; • a description of program evaluations and a schedule for when evaluations will occur; Annual performance plans and performance reports that are due each year by March 31 and establish: • annual performance goals in objective, measurable terms; • operational processes, human, capital, and other resources needed to meet the goals; • performance indicators to assess outputs, service levels, and outcomes; • method of comparing program results with performance goals; • method to verify and validate. In response to difficulty with implementation of GPRA, the federal Office of Management and Budget developed the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) to standardize performance review and reporting. The federal government’s website
