§1124 Performance Improvement Officers and the Performance Improvement Council

Summary

Each agency head, working with the agency Chief Operating Officer, must pick a senior executive to be the agency Performance Improvement Officer. That officer reports straight to the Chief Operating Officer and, under the COO’s direction, helps the agency set and track goals, use performance data, and carry out required strategic and performance plans and reports under sections 1115 through 1122 and section 306 of title 5. The officer helps choose goals (including joint goals with other agencies), supports regular performance reviews (at least quarterly for agency priority goals when applicable), helps put performance measures into employee appraisals and planning, and makes progress known to leaders, staff, Congress, and the public on the agency website. A Performance Improvement Council is led by the Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget and includes the Performance Improvement Officer from each agency listed in section 901(b) plus other members the chair names. The chair runs meetings, sets the agenda, and can form subgroups. The Council helps the OMB Director improve government-wide performance and meet Federal priority goals, carry out planning and reporting under sections 1115, 1120, 1121, and 1122, solve crosscutting problems, share what works across agencies, coordinate with other interagency groups, seek advice from nonmember and smaller agencies, consider ideas from businesses and other governments, request needed information from agencies, and send recommendations to the OMB Director or the President as the chair directs. The General Services Administrator must provide support for the Council, and agency heads must, when allowed, provide up to 2 staff to work under the chair if asked.