Hot Sheet on Independent Program Oversight

Could independent program oversight be a new model for improving the success of government programs?

The work of government can be characterized in terms of chunks of activities called initiatives or programs or projects. These activities are managed by officials called program managers. The objective of the program managers is to efficiently and effectively conduct the programs and projects in a manner to achieve their cost, schedule, and performance goals. Contractors are often hired to help the program managers achieve their objectives.

For good government, the questions that beg answers are: “How well are we (government and contractor alike) doing?” and “Are we good stewards of the government’s resources and capabilities?”

The answer is repeatedly found in numerous reports from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the agencies’ Inspectors General (IGs). Although many agencies and officials (and contracted partners) are graded well, others are not, and many programs fall short—wasting taxpayer dollars while failing to provide needed services. Such findings are disturbing considering we have a long history of lessons learned and a mature and proven discipline called program management.

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