Panel Paper: The Argument for Linking Performance Management and Evaluation in a System of Evidence-Based Decision Making

Saturday, November 9, 2013 : 8:00 AM
Thomas Boardroom (Westin Georgetown)

*Names in bold indicate Presenter

Jennifer Brooks, Administration for Children and Families
This presentation will argue for improving the performance of federal programs by better linking current efforts around evaluation and performance management. The presentation will describe the separation between performance management and research and evaluation that is commonly found in federal agencies, discussing how emphasis on the distinction between them has led to limited awareness of their similarities and coordination between them. The presentation will then discuss how current initiatives to improve performance would benefit from a tighter connection between performance measurement and research and evaluation. The presentation will discuss recent initiatives related to both performance management and evaluation – efforts around evidence-based practice and policy, “big data” (e.g., the movement to build and connect data systems in various programs), GPRA Modernization -- and will offer a theoretical framework for how they can be brought together to enhance program management and performance.