Develop Benchmarks for Public Service Delivery

2. Develop appropriate benchmarks and performance measures to improve
the understanding of public service delivery effectiveness. (2)

The President should direct the Cabinet-level Enterprise Board and/or
request ACIR to provide leadership in developing a systematic process to
define and measure national benchmarks. States and localities that have
not already done so should be encouraged to initiate such efforts. Such
benchmarks, performance, and outcome measures should be incorporated
into federal budget practices as a part of the effective implementation
of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, recently signed
into law by the President.

Several actions can help move the nation in this direction. Development
of national economic and social benchmarks can give all levels of
government a clear framework for policy choice and priority setting. A
focus on citizen-customers of federal programs can help government to
rethink and redesign more effective intergovernmental program solutions.
And better, more programmatic systems for budget planning and
implementation can help to reinforce the outcome focus in
intergovernmental collaboration.