ASPA Center for Accountability & Performance

Accountability and Performance Update – May 31-June 6, 2021

Who Is a CDO’s Boss?

Federal News Network

The Chief Data Officers Council is getting feedback from agency CDOs on the niche they’re carving out in their agencies’ org chart and how they’re handling their work.

How Can Congressional Staff Support Implementation of Data Act?

Data Foundation

Three tips in 61 seconds of video.

Biden Budget to Evaluate Effectiveness of Tax Expenditures

Results for America

Back in 2018, Results for America economist advocated evaluating tax expenditures. The Biden Budget would that that vision into reality.

Benchmarking Race, Inclusion and Diversity in Global Engagement: 2021 Survey Results

Social Impact

Methodology and snapshot of diversity at the staff, senior management, head of organization, and board levels, in United States (US)-based headquarters of international development and humanitarian assistance organizations. 

Budget Processes in the States, 2021 edition

National Association of State Budget Officers

New report on state budget processes sheds light on state decision-making during COVID-19

Resource: What Works in Federal Policy

Results for America

Link to its monthly newsletter

Resource: Celebrating One Year of OPRE Insights

Administration on Children and Families, HHS

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation blogs to provide timely information about OPRE and the principles that guide our work; summarize key research findings; and more.

Biden Says He Is ‘Recommitting to Good Government’ in Full Fiscal 2022 Budget Proposal

Government Executive

It previews priorities in the upcoming president’s management agenda, including scientific integrity, trust in government and equity in policy making.

Biden FY2022 Budget – Breaking Down the PMA

MeriTalk (Alan Balutis)

I found reasons to be confident as well as reasons to be concerned.

Virginia Launches Dashboard to Track Public Health and Equity

StateScoop

The dashboards, state Chief Data Officer Carlos Rivero said in a press release, set a new mark for collaboration across government.

OIG Investigations Face Challenge of Too Little and Too Much Data

Federal News Network

Quantity of data can undermine federal investigations in two ways: Either investigators receive sparse, filtered-out responses to their inquiries that leave crucial information out, or they can be inundated with too much data that makes it hard to see the forest for the trees.

American’s Understanding of the Pandemic Was Shaped by Messy Data

Government Executive

In this post, we’ll offer a summary of how states reported the five major COVID-19 metrics—tests, cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and recoveries—and a look at how reporting complexities shaped our understanding of the pandemic.

2021 Invest in What Works State Standards of Excellence

Results for America

On May 25, 2021, Results for America launched the 2021 State Standard of Excellence submission process

Measure4Change Performance Measurement Playbook

Urban Institute

The playbook is structured into 16 topics grouped into 5 areas that serve as the foundation for performance measurement in nonprofits

Senators Seek to Get Pentagon to Achieve a Clean Audit

Government Executive

A bipartisan bill would penalize the Defense Department for failing its FY 2022 audit.

Do Federal Grants Need Tweaking for Better Results?

Federal News Network

Shelley Metzenbaum offers a detailed plan for how government might get better outcomes for the grant dollars it gives. 

Questions Loom for States, Localities About How to Spend Billions in Covid Relief Funds

Route Fifty

Federal and policy experts told city officials that governments that lost revenue during the pandemic have greater flexibility for using the American Rescue Plan money.

From Rescue to Resilience: How American Rescue Plan Funding Can Support Long-Term Fiscal Health

PATimes

Andrew Kleine describes ten ways state and local governments can use their Covid relief funding to become more fiscally sustainable for the long term.

Five Best Practices for Strategic Planning

Partnership for Public Service

To help agencies develop their 2022-2026 strategic plans, the Partnership for Public Service and Grant Thornton are hosting a three-part workshop series with strategic planners from across the federal government. 

Biden’s DOD Will Huddle About How to Replace CMO Position

Federal News Network

The Pentagon is preparing for its future without a chief management officer position, a role Congress eliminated in this year’s defense authorization act.

Justice Department Launches New COVID-19 Fraud Task Force

Government Executive

President Biden has been encouraging strong oversight of relief funds.

Pedestrians and Cyclists: Better Information to States and Enhanced Performance Management Could Help DOT Improve Safety

Government Accountability Office

While a DOT guide has useful information on a range of pedestrian and cyclist safety countermeasures, only 3 of 26 countermeasures were demonstrated to be effective.

Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risk

White House

Develop, within 120 days of the date of this order, a comprehensive, Government-wide strategy regarding the measurement, assessment, mitigation, and disclosure of climate-related financial risk to Federal Government programs, assets, and liabilities in order to increase the long-term stability of Federal operations.

Funding Performance: How Great Donors Invest in Grantee Success

Leap Ambassadors

While these 8 essays are directed to nonprofits and foundation funders, their principles can be applied to government grant programs as well.

We Need to Talk . . . .

Fast Company

. . . about how the new way to work is about outcomes, not hours.

VA Disability Exams: Action Needed to Improve Program Management

Government Accountability Office

VA has not applied sound planning practices in transferring disability medical exam work to contractors, testified GAO’s Elizabeth Curda.

The President’s Management Agenda: Biden Going Big Again?

MeriTalk

Alan Balutis says: “Very soon – within weeks I suspect – we will be learning much more about some of the nitty-gritty details underlying the administration’s big-picture visions”

A Year of Pandemic Oversight

Government Executive (Podcast Interview)

Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery Brian Miller speaks to GovExec’s Courtney Bublé about his time in his role.

Lessons from the Pandemic for Government Leaders at Every Level

Government Executive

Don Kettl writes: “COVID-19 laid bare both the shortcomings and virtues of federalism.”

Watchdog Suggests 112 New Actions to Enhance Government Savings and Efficiency

Government Accountability Office

The federal government could save billions of dollars by transforming such disparate functions as taxpayer services, prison staffing and infectious disease modeling.

DoD Strengthens Its Emphasis on Data, Gives CDO New Responsibilities

Federal News Network

The Defense Department is transforming itself into a data-centric organization, and is tasking its chief data officer with new responsibilities to help it along its way.

On-Line Games: How Would You Fix the Budget?

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

The Committee launches new suite of five online games to educate and crowdsource views on federal budget priorities.

Webinar: Data Symposium – Exploring Emerging Data Capabilities in Government (May 18-21)

Data Foundation

Participants will engage with peers and colleagues in the data community on timely, relevant topics facing our country’s use of data for an equitable, data-informed society

DOD Targets 2028 for First Clean Financial Statement Audit

Federal News Network

Pentagon financial leaders said they’re making meaningful progress toward finally earning a clean audit opinion. So much so, in fact, that they’re now willing to project a tentative timeframe for when it’ll happen: 2028.

Experts Examine Accountability, Transparency Improvements in Government

NextGov

House lawmakers examined legislative reforms Monday that might help restore public confidence.

White House Seeks Ideas on How Agencies Can Deliver Services More Equitably

Government Executive

The Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday solicited advice to better ensure agency programs are serving groups based specifically on race, sexual orientation and identity, religion, disabilities and others affected by inequality.

Lawmakers Say It’s Past Time OMB Issued IDEA Act Guidance

NextGov

After two years in limbo and a pandemic forcing more adoption of digital services, House lawmakers want to see real guidance issued in the next 45 days.

Defense Intelligence and Security: DOD Needs to Establish Oversight Expectations and to Develop Tools That Enhance Accountability

U.S. Government Accountability Office

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, created after 9/11, hasn’t set clear expectations for its oversight mission.

Senate Hearing: Findings and Recommendations of the Government Accountability Office on Duplication, Overlap, and Fragmentation of Federal Programs – May 12, 2021

Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Annual release of GAO’s mandated report identifying duplication, overlap and fragmentation in federal programs, and agencies’ progress on addressing prior GAO recommendations to address them.

 Webinar: Data Analytics: Unlocking the Data to Find Hidden Patterns – May 12, 2021

Association of Government Accountants

This webinar explores the use of data analytics to support decisions made by government financial managers.

Policy Insights

JPAL North America

What have we learned from randomized evaluations that policymakers, practitioners, and funders can use to improve social programs? J-PAL’s Policy Insights, organized by sector, highlight lessons emerging across multiple studies and the mechanisms that help explain the results.