Last week, President Obama signed a memo directing agencies to modernize their construction permitting and review processes in order to: “advance the goal of cutting aggregate timelines for major infrastructure projects in half, while also improving outcomes for communities and the environment.” Based on pilots and best practices developed over the past y
What ever became of the new statutory provision requiring agencies to “identify low-priority program activities?”
The GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 requires agencies to annually “identify low-priority program activities based on an analysis of their contribution to the mission and goals of the agency and include an evidence-based justification for designating a program activity as low priority.” This requirement became effective for the first time with the preparation
Access to data has been WD40 to the wheels of the US economy.
Companies like Facebook and Google derive their value from the data they collect and analyze. Manufacturers and retailers are able to optimize and streamline their operations becuase of the data they have at their disposal. And of course, consumers are able to make the best choices--not only for electronics and household staples, but also for education, health care, and financial services--becuase of the data they can easily access and visualize online.
Recent legislation imposes new accountability requirements in the form of more reporting, for example, on spending on conferences; and pending legislation would require even more details about spending, across the board.
A new report explores the topic of data visualization and its use by the federal government. Appropriately titled “The Use of Data Visualization in Government,” the report details how agencies are turning data into infographics and how government managers can use a slew of tools to help tell their agencies’ stories in a way that is both compelling and data-focused.
There is more than one way to define what constitutes a federal “program,” and it is not unlike trying to define molecules, atoms, and sub-atomic particles.
Last week, the Obama Administration released its latest set of reports on government performance toward achieving many high-priority goals, within and across agencies. As the Center has written previously, public presentation on this topic focuses on outcomes for high-priority goals can incentivize agencies to reach results in key areas that matter for citizens, businesses, and governments.
