You Be The Judge (2004): The Mercatus Center at George Mason University's Fourth Annual Performance Report Scorecard: Which Agencies Inform the Public?

Schedule:

Press Conference
Wednesday, April 30 10:00 - 11:00 AM
Holeman Lounge National Press Club

Congressional Seminar
Thursday, May 1 3:00 - 4:00 PM
HC-6 U.S. Capitol

The first step to oversight is to examine what federal agencies are reporting about their performance. Without improving the quality of performance information disclosure, Congress can't make informed decisions about program viability or funding. Using three criteria (transparency, demonstration of public benefits, and forward-looking leadership), Mercatus scholars have read, analyzed and ranked the annual performance reports of the 24 CFO Act agencies. Our scorecard is designed to create competition among the agencies to improve the quality of their reporting.

It is our intent to encourage them to provide the highest quality of information possible, to enable Congress to make informed decisions. Over the past four years, our project has generated extensive interest from senior executives in nearly all of the 24 CFO Act agencies along with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Comptroller General and General Accounting Office, Members of the House and Senate, Committee and Subcommittee Chairs, and various media sources such as the Washington Post and New York Times.