2.6 Government Performance and Results Act (1993)

The GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 was enacted in January 2011. (OMB Circular A-11. Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget. Section 200.4.) The Act modernized the Federal Government’s performance management framework, retaining and amplifying some aspects of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA 1993) while also addressing some of its weaknesses. GPRA 1993 established strategic planning, performance planning and performance reporting for agencies to communicate progress in achieving their missions. The GPRA Modernization Act established some important changes to existing requirements. Subsequently, the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) was enacted, which significantly expanded and enhanced the statutory framework for federal performance management. (Public Law 111-352. GPRA Modernization Act of 2010.) Agencies are required to develop a five- year strategic plan outlining its mission, long-term goals for the agency's major functions, performance measures, and reporting results.

Building on lessons agencies have learned in setting goals and reporting performance, a heightened emphasis is placed on priority-setting, cross-organizational collaboration to achieve shared goals, and the use and analysis of goals and measurement to improve outcomes. The GPRA Modernization Act serves as a foundation for engaging leaders in performance improvement and creating a culture where data and empirical evidence play a greater role in policy, budget and management decisions.

The purposes of the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 are to:

Improve the confidence of the American people in the capability of the Federal Government, by systematically holding Federal agencies accountable for achieving program results;
Improve program performance by requiring agencies to set goals, measure performance against those goals and report publicly on progress;
Improve Federal program effectiveness and public accountability by promoting a focus on results, service quality and customer satisfaction;
Help Federal managers improve service delivery, by requiring that they plan for meeting program goals and by providing them with information about program results and service quality;
Improve congressional decision-making by providing information on achieving statutory objectives and on the relative effectiveness and efficiency of Federal programs and spending; Improve internal management of the Federal Government; and
Improve usefulness of performance and program information by modernizing public reporting.