[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 117 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32871-32872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15495]
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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Evaluation of Performance as Required Under the Government
Performance and Results Act
AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy.
ACTION: Request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice describes a survey that will be conducted by the
President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) to
evaluate the performance of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
(OSTP) as required under the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA).
Because the survey will be sent to more than nine non-governmental
employees, the Office of Management and Budget must approve the survey
instrument and thus notification to the public is required.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 17, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments by mail to: GPRA/PCAST Review
Committee, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Room 435, OEOB,
Washington, DC 20502 or by fax to 202-456-6026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brian Kahin or Dr. Joan Porter,
GPRA/PCAST Review Committee, Office of Science and Technology Policy,
Room 435, OEOB, Washington, DC 20502 or by phone 202-456-6035 (Kahin)
or 202-456-6101 (Porter).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PCAST will conduct a survey of approximately
200 individuals to determine how well OSTP is performing its mission as
outlined in Public Law 94-282.
OSTP's continuing mission is set out in the National Science and
Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (Pub. L.
94-282). It calls for OSTP to:
Serve as a source of scientific and technological analysis and
judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and
programs of the Federal Government.
The Act authorizes OSTP to:
Advise the President and others within the Executive
Office of the President on the impacts of science and technology (S&T)
on domestic and international affairs;
Lead an interagency effort to develop and implement sound
S&T policies and budgets;
Work with the private sector to ensure Federal investments
in S&T contribute to economic prosperity, environmental quality, and
national security;
Build strong partnerships among Federal, State, and local
governments, other countries, and the scientific community;
Evaluate the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the
Federal effort in S&T. OSTP's Senate-confirmed Director also serves as
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. In this role, he
co-chairs the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and
Technology (PCAST) and supports the President's National Science and
Technology Council (NSTC).
A Senate-confirmed Associate Director leads each of OSTP's four
divisions covering the areas of Environment, National Security and
International Affairs, Science, and Technology. OSTP's four general
goals flow directly from Public Law 94-282.
Goal 1: Advise
Provide sound, timely, clear, and accurate advice to the President
and others within the Executive Office of the President on topics where
S&T can have an impact on domestic and international affairs, and in
areas where Federal action has the potential to advance or impede
scientific or technological progress.
Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following
Criteria
OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if it delivers
timely advice on topics of great importance to the Nation, and its
efforts have a favorable effect on associated national policies and on
Federal research and development (R&D) program priorities and budgets.
OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if it
delivers advice on topics that are important to the Nation, and its
efforts have a discernable effect on associated national policies and
on Federal R&D program priorities and budgets.
Goal 2: Coordinate
Coordinate the development and implementation of the
Administration's domestic and international S&T policies, programs, and
budgets.
[[Page 32872]]
Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following
Criteria
OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if coordination
of the key R&D policies, programs, and budgets of the Federal S&T
agencies is improved, appropriate agencies work together to implement
cross-cutting priorities and programs, and international aspects (e.g.,
domestic and international implications of domestic and international
programs) are suitably addressed.
OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if some
R&D policies, programs, and budgets of the Federal S&T agencies are
coordinated, some agencies work together to implement some cross-
cutting priorities and programs, and international aspects are
recognized.
Goal 3: Promote Partnerships
Catalyze and promote effective partnerships among Federal, State,
and local governments, other countries, the private sector, and the
academic and scientific communities.
Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following
Criteria:
OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if the
partnerships it catalyzes and promotes are grounded in S&T, have the
potential to contribute substantially to achieving national goals,
involve the appropriate parties, including Federal government
involvement in partnership implementation, and are tracked to their
successful conclusion.
OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if the
partnerships it catalyzes are grounded in S&T, have the potential to
contribute to achieving national goals, and involve most appropriate
parties, including Federal government involvement in partnership
implementation.
Goal 4: Assess and Report
Evaluate and report on the scale, quality, and effectiveness of the
Federal effort in S&T.
Performance on This Goal Will be Evaluated According to the Following
Criteria
OSTP is successful in achieving this goal if the
assessments and reports it prepares or participates in are factually
accurate, cover the full range of relevant scientific, technical, and
policy issues, and are written to be understood by decisionmakers who
may not have scientific or technical training.
OSTP is minimally effective in achieving this goal if the
assessments and reports it prepares or participates in are factually
accurate and cover the full range of relevant scientific, technical,
and policy issues.
Verification and Validation
OSTP has asked PCAST to assess OSTP's performance.
The President appoints members to PCAST, which provides independent
advice to the President on the Federal government's S&T policies and
programs. PCAST will have complete discretion in formulating its
assessment, and PCAST's independent views on how well OSTP has achieved
or made progress toward the performance goal will be made available to
the public.
Dated: June 14, 1999.
Barbara Ann Ferguson,
Administrative Officer, Office of Science and Technology Policy.
[FR Doc. 99-15495 Filed 6-15-99; 9:21 am]
BILLING CODE 3170-01-P
