ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Three Cheers for Performance Audits

Barrett & Green

While the work from many state and local-level performance shops is put to good use, it’s clear that performance audits don’t always have the impact that the performance auditors might like. . . . Notwithstanding the rate at which the recommendations are adapted, auditors can point to problems that require attention from elected leaders and program managers. (see next story for a federal angle!)

Government Getting Less Oversight

NOTUS

The once-independent system that Congress established after Watergate has radically transformed in Trump’s second term. Trump’s unprecedented firing of nearly 20 inspectors general has unraveled the firewalls government’s ombudsmen have operated under for decades. The new watchdogs are erasing the lines between agency leadership and their own watchdog offices

Checking in on California Outcomes Reviews

SubStack, Eating Policy (Jen Pahlka)

Last November, the California Assembly launched a pilot called “Outcomes Reviews:” a structured process by which a legislator and their staff publicly commit to reviewing a law they championed, spend months meeting with the people the law actually affects and researching the outcomes, and then announce what they learned and what they’re going to do about it. This is a story about its first round of reviews.

Managing Risks in Federally-Funded, State-Administered Programs

U.S. Government Accountability Office

This Q&A report looks at the 20 programs that receive nearly all of this funding—Medicaid, SNAP, and disaster assistance for example. GAO describes how each program is administered, including who distributes and safeguards the funds. GAO also discusses fraud risks in each program and how to mitigate them.

Strategic Foresight: Italian Edition

Frontiers in Political Science

This article examines how strategic foresight is understood and used within the Italian central government, and to what extent it is conceived as a foundational component of policy design oriented toward sustainable futures.

It’s been quiet on the accountability and performance news front this past week, but there is an interesting job announcement:

City of Baltimore, Department of General Services: Office of Performance Management – Chief Operations Manager

“The OPM Division uses data analytics, business process intelligence, and strategic partnerships to measure and improve operational efficiency among all Department of General Services divisions. It conducts regular performance management sessions with agency leadership to discuss performance, identify problems, diagnose causes, and direct resources to solve problems.” . . . they are looking for someone with a master’s degree in business management or analytics with three years of experience of managing cross-cutting functions.

Effective Performance Management in the Federal Government

PATimes (Andrew Vaz)

By emphasizing execution, accountability and continuous improvement, the President’s Management Agenda can help build a more effective federal government that delivers better services, manages taxpayer resources responsibly and sustains meaningful reforms over time.

Eight Steps to a High-Performance Organization

LinkedIn (Mark Hocknell)

A high performing organisation (HPO) is built upon the behaviours of the leaders. The leaders of HPOs also use an evidence-based approach and a solid methodology for measurement to design and build their measurement system and performance management framework.

When Evidence Isn’t Enough

Stanford Social Innovation Review (Caroline Whistler)

If policy and spending decisions have become much more rigorous, why have outcomes still failed to improve?

Resource of the Week:  GovIntegrity

Substack

A thoughtful blog series on fighting sophisticated fraud and improving accountability.

Less Oversight and Accountability

Government Executive

In a new report, the Partnership for Public Service noted that the average Cabinet inspector general office has shrunk by 19 percent since the end of 2024 and have published fewer oversight audits and investigations.

Who Keeps Government Accountable?

Government Executive (James Christian Blockwood)

The Supreme Court’s decision expanding presidential authority over independent agencies is about more than executive power, it also raises the stakes for congressional oversight, agency leadership and the federal workforce.

Tensions on Reporting Performance Failures

Public Performance & Management Review

Publicly reporting on performance is inherently shaped by two competing pressures: a social norm that demands honest transparency and accountability, and the political incentive to manage perception and avoid blame. This study examines how Chinese local governments navigate this tension when failing to meet announced GDP growth targets.

Resource of the Week:  Rewiring the State

UK Cabinet Office

This is the statement issued by the new UK prime minister’s cabinet on devolving authority and accountability to local jurisdictions.

Assessing and Improving Effectiveness

U.S. Government Accountability Office

A new GAO report concludes Federal programs do not consistently manage their performance. Its work often finds programs are focused on inputs (such as money to spend) and outputs (such as number of individuals who received benefits). By contrast, outcomes are the results of a program (such as number of individuals whose lives improved in an intended way).

Do More to Measure Agency Performance

Federal News Network

Knowing whether a program is succeeding requires more than good intentions. It requires a disciplined look at results. Congress strengthened federal performance-management requirements in 2024, but a new GAO review finds important pieces still haven’t been fully implemented.