Performance Management Succeeding in Federal Government

Over the years I’ve heard a lot of debate over whether performance management can work in the Federal government arena. 

The cons are not surprising:  It will never work because you can’t hold federal workers accountable; lifers merely wait out political appointees who want to implement performance management systems; changing administrations don’t allow for the necessary continuity; without the profit motive of a business, you can’t really measure and motivate people.

Well now, the Federal government’s Office of Management and Budget’s Performance Improvement Council is starting to show some actual results in its efforts to implement its 15 Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goals and Agency Priority Goals under the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization.

In her Dec. 18 blogpost, Beth Cobert, deputy director for management, wrote, “Now, a year in, we are seeing notable progress and success as agencies work together and break down silos” implementing the 15 CAP Goals and 91 Agency Priority Goals.

It’s nice to see that it can be done.