Achieving Better Results—Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) Strategies and Tools
Macro has developed an evidence-based approach for addressing the full range of performance measurement concerns. This approach—grown out of a decade of experience solving public-sector performance issues—guides each client through a series of steps designed to assist with strategic planning and with understanding how strategic planning translates into goals, objectives, outcomes, and performance measures.

Macro helps its Federal and State clients improve organizational and program performance by—

• Identifying strategic goals and objectives
• Pinpointing common performance measurement problems
• Setting performance targets related to the organization’s strategic plan
• Deciding on what measures and indicators organizations can use to measure their progress
• Gathering and analyzing performance data
• Using performance data to drive organizational and program improvements
• Managing program effectiveness to achieve better results
• Training key personnel on how to access and use their performance management systems
• Reporting annually the degree to which programs are effective and managed efficiently

For more information about Macro’s performance measurement, management, and budgeting services or for a copy of our white paper, How To Be Successful With GPRA and PART, please call Andy Gluck at 301-572-0378 or e-mail Andrew.Gluck@macrointernational.com.

U.S. Department of Education—Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Research to Practices (RTP) Program
OSEP contracted with Macro to help implement a data collection system that would measure the effectiveness and efficiency of its programs, processes, and people and that would align with the U.S. Department of Education’s GPRA/PART goals and objectives. Prior to our intervening, RTP had failed to get their PART plan through OMB. Macro conducted a needs assessment with personnel from RTP, OSEP, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to define the problem and work together to create a solution. We worked with program staff for the five program areas of RTP to identify goals and objectives that matched the GPRA goals. Once these were approved, we developed strategies for implementing those measures and worked with RTP staff to execute performance and program improvements. OSEP’s plan is now approved by OMB and the Department for implementation.

U.S. Department of Energy—Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT)
Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) Program
The U.S. Department of Energy sponsors a program dedicated to training the next generation of industrial energy efficiency engineers. The IAC Program has been in existence for more than 20 years and has constituents' use and support the program. Yet when judged by the common metric for OIT—the amount of energy saved per year—the program appeared to be less successful than other technology transfer programs with similar budgets. Macro conducted a logic model exercise to help OIT uncover its performance measurement problems. We found that the training exercise for future energy efficiency engineers was confused with the end itself—the lifetime of energy savings projects conducted by program graduates. When all aspects of the program’s activities, outputs, and outcomes were considered, the program’s actual benefits were calculated to be 10 times greater than prior estimates, which focused on 1 limited program activity. As a result, the program received continued funding at a time when many other programs were suffering cuts.