OFPP calls on agencies to use EVM more often on non-IT projects

The Office of Management and Budget wants agencies to start tracking the cost, schedule and performance metrics of major non-technology projects.

In a new memo to 18 of the largest civilian agency chief acquisition officers, Lesley Field, acting administrator in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, says that by Dec. 10 OMB wants a list of each of these department's top 10 largest planned or current real property asset construction projects.

The goal is to bring the performance management system used for technology projects to non-IT programs.

"The responses will be used, in part, to help identify programs where performance-based management systems (PBMS) practices are strong and may serve as a model for other agencies," Field states in the memo. "The responses will further be used to begin defining portfolios of non-IT investments, similar to the portfolio for IT found at Exhibit 53 in Circular A-11, that will lay the foundation for more comprehensive evaluations of program performance."

Along with collecting this data, OMB will look at other potential strategies and work with the Chief Acquisition Officer's Council's Program Manager's Working Group to apply performance management systems to non-IT programs.

"OFPP is committed to improving use of PBMS generally, and for non-IT acquisition programs in particular, where progress has been more limited," Field states. "PBMS is a key component of an agency's acquisition system and is especially critical for programs that undertake major acquisitions to meet their objectives. PBMS requires agencies to effectively integrate acquisition, project and program activities. This integration lies at the heart of an agency's ability to achieve desired cost, schedule, and performance outcomes from their contractors."

OFPP wants these 18 agencies, which includes the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security and Justice, as well as the General Services Administration, among others, to describe their performance management system practices and governance structures for IT and non-IT projects. OFPP wants agency earned-value management data for these same programs.

This memo follows two issued by OMB last week asking agencies to reduce the number of high-risk contracts and implement a strategy to grow the acquisition workforce.

OMB also issued a memo Oct. 7 calling for more rigorous program evaluations across the board.

And OMB's deputy director for management Jeffrey Zients said recently these efforts are all about changing the tone of management.

Zients says OMB will go "from oversight to partnership; from shipping reams of guidance to a two-way dialogue around how we achieve the desired outcome; from transparency not just for accountability but for idea flow and to find the best practices and share them broadly; from ad hoc engagement with stakeholders such as Congress to regular communication."

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On the Web:

OMB - Performance-based Management System memo (pdf)

OMB - Performance evaluation memo (pdf)

Federal News Radio - OMB wants to change the tone of management

Federal News Radio - Senate moves to improve the performance of performance management

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