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Implementing the GPRA: Examining the Prospects for Performance Budgeting in the Federal Government
Author(s) -
McNab Robert M.,
Melese Francois
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
public budgeting and finance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.694
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1540-5850
pISSN - 0275-1100
DOI - 10.1111/1540-5850.2302006
Subject(s) - incentive , government (linguistics) , federal budget , business , investment (military) , accounting , finance , economics , political science , microeconomics , philosophy , linguistics , politics , fiscal year , law
The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) is the latest in a series of attempts to introduce performance‐based management and budgeting techniques at the federal level in the United States. In the past, these attempts largely failed due to administrative complexities, lack of investment in managerial, accounting, and information systems, and the absence of institutional incentives to promote gains in economic efficiency. Whereas we find the objectives of the GPRA laudable, we question whether this current incarnation of performance budgeting can succeed in transforming the traditional focus of federal budgeting from annual appropriations and obligations to multiyear outputs and outcomes.