Chapter 5 – Strategy Execution and Evaluation – Roles and Responsibilities
5.5 – Roles and Responsibilities
Accountability entails a responsibility to explain actions undertaken and is integral to the SEE process. Managers are required to clarify what is expected; examine program activities and performance measures, and compare their performance with what is expected; act on findings to improve program activities and performance measures; and communicate findings in accordance with agency and government regulations.
Missing a target or even failing to make progress is not a problem, but failure to understand why progress is not being made and not having a cogent strategy to deal with it is.
Strategy, execution, and evaluation are performed by multiple NOAA entities with various roles and responsibilities as outlined in the SEE NAO 216-111.
The NEP and NEC review, comment, and approve the AGM and the set of IPs, decide on a corporate portfolio to budget (pre-appropriation) and execute (post-appropriation), and discuss the set of broad issues that are strategically important for NOAA during the SEE transition. Champions use performance information to lead, learn, and improve outcomes and enhance accountability.
CHAMPIONS (AAs and SO Directors) also deliver IPs; report progress toward objectives; are accountable for results; strengthen internal and external problem-solving networks; and communicate performance. Strengthening problem-solving networks, both inside and outside of government, and coherently communicating performance will result in improved outcomes, transparency, and performance management practices.
GOAL AND ENTERPRISE OBJECTIVE STRATEGY LEADS focus on developing and executing the tasks identified within an IP. In order to implement NGSP objectives, Strategy Leads coordinate and manage the integration work with individual programs, develop strategic justifications for new and base funding requests, and report on performance. Taking the lead on base review, logic modeling, metric monitoring, and evaluation of program health are all responsibilities of a Strategy Lead. Strategy Leads specialize in planning and coordinating activities, rather than financing them. Strategy Leads must actively work with CFOs to develop strategies that can be budgeted and executed.
LO/SO CFOs lead a review-based budget process to align NOAA’s strategic goals and objectives to current financial resources and future requests in development and updates to IPs and formulate defensible budget requests. Working with the Strategy Lead, the CFOs aids in developing the IP early in the planning process, and will identify improvements in the IP’s program effectiveness and efficiencies. CFOs and the NBO then translate the IPs into NOAA’s portion of the President’s Budget Request to focus on NOAA’s top priorities. CFOs will lead LO and SO managers in their development of program baseline and change summaries, and also during the DOC review process. CFOs monitor and report on performance of programs and execution of program funds.
PPI assists the NOAA Administrator in developing the AGM and corresponds with the Champions during IP formulation and CPA to analyze key issues across the portfolio of IPs. PPI presents CPA findings to leadership. During the CPR, PPI supports the CFO to adjust and align IP commitments, and then evaluates the execution of programs within the Progress to Plan (P2P).
The NBO, with guidance from the NOAA CFO, manages the fiscal portions of the SEE process. This office works in conjunction with Champions during the IP development process. It translates the corporate portfolio of IPs into NOAA’s budget submission to DOC, OMB, and Congress, and realigns IP strategies with actual appropriation during the CPR.
LOs and SOs develop AOPs, as well as the execution of their respective programs. LO and SO staff assist Strategy Leads in developing IPs and in the coordination of goal and enterprise interdependencies.
COUNCILS provide a venue for review, coordination and decision-making on cross cutting issues, including coordination needed for Champions to produce SEE information and documentation. Councils also can advise the NEP and NEC, as appropriate, throughout the SEE process.
REGIONAL COLLABORATION TEAMS identify regional trends, needs, and capabilities; highlight regional priorities; and facilitate integrated solutions to improve NOAA’s responsiveness to the needs of regional stakeholders. Trends and recommendations are conveyed via a memorandum to PPI during AGM development. Through the IP development process, the Regional Collaboration Teams facilitate inter-LO solutions for integrated regional-scale execution of NOAA’s mission. They also assist in the evaluation process by providing feedback to PPI and the LOs/SOs on the effectiveness and responsiveness of NOAA’s activities to regional needs.
