New Framework for Strategic Goal Assessment

1
New Framework for Strategic Goal Assessment

• NSF Advisory Committee for
• Business and Operations
• November 8-9, 2006
• Tom Cooley, Director, BFA

2
Assessment Framework FY07
Strategic Goals
Discovery Advancing frontiers of knowledge
Learning SE workforce and scientific literacy
Research Infrastructure Advanced
instrumentation and facilities
Stewardship Supporting excellence in SE research
and education
AC/GPA
Annual Goals
Cross-Cutting Objectives
To Inspire and Transform
To Grow and Develop
Investment Priorities
3
Two Types of Strategic Goals

• Long Term Outcome Goals
• Discovery
• Learning
• Research Infrastructure
• (Aligned with NSB 2020 Vision)
• Annual Stewardship Goals
• Internally focused

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Long Term Outcome Goals

• Under Each Goal
• Two Objectives
• To Inspire and Transform
• To Grow and Develop
• Several Investment Priorities that represent
  additional emphasis in the coming years

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Evaluation of Long Term Goals

• Conducted by the Advisory Committee for GPRA
  Performance Assessment (AC/GPA)
• AC/GPA reviews program accomplishments
  (highlights), COV reports, other material, and
  submits annual report to Director
• Stewardship is not a part of AC/GPA process

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Stewardship

• Support excellence in science and engineering
  research and education through a capable and
  responsive organization (From the NSF Strategic
  Plan FY 2006-2011)

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Stewardship Annual Goalsin the process of
development

• EXAMPLES
• Program-related goals
• (time-to-decision, merit review process,
  broadening participation, facilities management)
• Administrative and management goals
• (award management oversight, eGovernment, IT
  security, human capital management)

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Sources of Annual Goals

• Strategic Plan and its Investment Priorities
• Management challenges/audit findings
• Program practices (e.g. merit review process)
• Proposer surveys feedback on proposal and
  review process
• PART (OMBs Program Assessment Rating Tool)
  evaluations
• PMA Scorecard

9
AC BO Feedback from OE Assessment

• Improve the consistency in the use of key terms
  in the assessment process, especially indicators,
  measures, goals, outputs, outcomes
• Use quantifiable metrics, whenever possible, and
  provide appropriate baseline and contextual
  information to gauge the significance of the
  metric

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Criteria for Establishing an Annual Goal

• Is it important to the Foundation?
• Is it clearly defined and understandable, both
  within and outside NSF?
• Are resources available to carry it out?
• Is it measurable? Are data readily available?
• Is it useful to program managers?
• Is it adaptable to changing requirements (e.g.
  PART, PMA, etc.)
• What happens if NSF does not achieve the goal?

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Stewardship and AC/BO For the May 2007 Meeting

• Review connections between annual goals and the
  Strategic Plan
• Review progress on achieving annual goals
• Provide guidance and feedback on specific action
  plans to implement annual goals

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Annual Stewardship Goals Current Examples

• Time to Decision For 70 percent of proposals,
  inform applicants about funding decisions within
  6 months of deadline or target date, or receipt
  date, whichever is later
• Improve the Management of Large Facilities cost
  schedule variances for facilities under
  construction operating time for operational
  facilities