Commentary on "The Obama Administration and PBB: Building on the Legacy of Federal Performance-Informed Budgeting?"

Professor Philip G. Joyce has provided a very informative overview of the Barack Obama administration's performance agenda that places that agenda in the recent and longer-term history of the federal government's performance initiatives. My comments will highlight only a few of the points that this scholar makes in his paper that are particularly important elements of a performance agenda. These elements include: (1) employing a governance perspective on performance, (2) involving Congress, (3) building agencies capacity, (4) ensuring transparency, and (5) fostering civic engagement. Given my experience in federal service and in the evaluation and analysis of U.S. agency programs and budgets, I provide my perspective on each of these elements. Adapted from the source document.