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FERC Can Improve Its Operational Performance by Broadening and Deepening Current Management Efforts

AFMD-84-8 Published: Jan 30, 1984. Publicly Released: Jan 30, 1984.
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Highlights

GAO examined the overall operational performance of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to assess its management of operational performance and to identify opportunities for improvement. Operational performance is measured by timeliness, productivity, and quality of work and is a key indicator of management's effectiveness in using its resources to accomplish its work load.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Executive Director, FERC, should develop measures of productivity, beginning in fiscal year 1983, using the current management information system as a basis.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Executive Director, FERC, should establish a system of accountability for productivity performance similar to that used for timeliness. GAO believes that discussing productivity, as well as timeliness in the monthly work load review meetings, will help provide this additional level of accountability.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Executive Director, FERC, should establish productivity improvement goals for all organizational levels and require managers at each level to report their plans for achieving such goals. These goals should be incorporated into the Senior Executive Service and merit pay contracts of agency managers and be used to ensure accountability for productivity performance.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Executive Director, FERC, should develop objective measures for quality. A first step in the process should be to review the 54 FERC activities and identify those that could be measured for quality. Also, in this development process, FERC should review similar organizations' experiences in developing and using quality measures.
Closed – Not Implemented
This recommendation requires a research and development effort on the part of FERC. Therefore, the time required to complete the task is unknown, and GAO follow-up is not clearly cost beneficial.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Executive Director, FERC, should address specific proposals listed in Appendix II of this report.
Closed – Implemented
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

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Topics

AccountabilityPerformance measuresProductivity in governmentProgram managementQuality assuranceOffice automationGas pipelineFinancial managementEmployee incentivesMerit compensation