Summary

In this testimony, Maurice McTigue states that it is very appropriate that at this point in the reform process begun in 1993 by the Government Performance and Results Act that a tool like the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) be introduced. Unless the results information required and produced by GPRA is used to influence budget decision-making, GPRA has just been a paper exercise. However, it is also important that some basic principles surrounding the PART process be understood, accepted and used as a basis for the development and implementation of PART. The PART is a tool that can be significantly improved over time and its purpose is to give better information to decision-makers so that precious dollars are only invested in those programs that are likely to achieve the desired outcome.