Chapter 5 – Strategy Execution and Evaluation – Execution
Execution is the output of the SEE process. The execution steps in SEE consist of:
»Corporate Portfolio Review (CPR), when variations in the budget are reconciled;
»Execution of the AOP, when work is performed and the performance is measured; and
»Budget execution, when programs are managed within approved budget levels through the use of effective fund control and acquisition management.
Variations between the President’s Budget and enacted appropriation necessitate recalibration and adjustment of commitments made within IPs to ensure there is alignment between actual funding for the execution year and planned activities in the IPs. This reconciliation, led by the NOAA CFO, takes place as soon as the appropriation is enacted. The CPR is the documentation of the recalibration and adjustment decisions to keep NOAA on its strategic course.
Within the AOP, LOs and SOs will describe the implementation of the first execution year of IPs using guidance from the AGM and CPR. Clarification on how executed programs will be evaluated should be built into the AOP; this may consist of performance measures, milestones, and planned and actual performance data. Whereas the IP represents a seven-year plan framed by NGSP objectives, the AOP represents a one year plan framed by LO or SO. Though organized according to LO and SO rather than by objective, the content of the AOP should provide the basis of the near term activities in the IPs. Each LO and SO will develop a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) that supports their contribution to the DOC and NOAA BSC and associates metrics to their performance goals. LOs and SOs will use the BSC to report out quarterly to the PDUS on the progress toward the performance expectations documented in their AOPs.
At the beginning of each FY, the NBO allots and disperses funds with guidance for reporting and review, managing resources, reprogramming resources, performing reapportionment, conducting a year-end closeout of the FY, and preparing NOAA’s Annual Business Report. NOAA’s LOs and SOs are responsible for control of funds and financial management in implementing and administering programs within approved budget levels. Elements of execution include implementation, work assignments, reporting on performance (monthly, quarterly, and/or annually), comparison of actual performance against the program plan, and development and implementation of changes required to more closely align actual performance with planned performance. Executing the annual budget requires financial managers and budget officers are in close contact with LOs, SOs, and Program Managers to ensure all funds are apportioned, allotted, committed and obligated correctly.
