This post first appeared on IBM Business of Government. Read the original article.
Supporting Program Performance and Performance Management Strategies
With the IBM Center for The Business of Government’s next due date for new research report proposals approaching on September 6th, we are publishing additional perspectives on our research topics over the next week in the form of blog posts focused on each topic. The insights in these posts draw from dialogue that helped to frame the research agenda, as well as subsequent content relevant to each research topic area. We hope that these posts provide potential research applicants and authors of upcoming reports with additional context to help frame final proposals and draft reports that follow.
The next resesrch area highlighted here is Attaining Effective Outcomes. An expanded version will be updated and posted shortly ~
Recent government improvement initiatives seek to achieve effective outcomes against a set of strategic imperatives and core mission functions. Whether the provision of services, benefits, or care, outcomes-based approaches rise in priority across agencies charged with the noble mission of converting policy to outcomes. At the foundation of all government effort to deliver better outcomes are the people, processes, technology, and policy that serve not only as inputs but as leading indicators of success.
Agencies no longer solely focus on the busy work of throughput but whether throughput assures an organization’s desired outcomes, policy provides the latitude and boundaries necessary, human capital serves the mission, and technology exists as a force multiplier. To this end, performance management is a vital and non-negotiable element to any marked attainment of intended outcomes. Performance management links individual goals to business imperatives and business imperatives to agency strategy. The most successful civilian and federal organizations best achieve desired outcomes via outcome-driven throughput redesign, optimal technology deployment, effective talent and performance management, and efficient, orderly governance structures. These organizations equally deploy a robust strategic communications strategy to effectively socialize its plan, intent, and outcomes success factors to key stakeholders from Congress to tactical delivery teams to the end customers and beneficiaries.