Obama to SES: Get With the Reform Program

President Obama is sending a message to senior federal executives--literally. The Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe has gotten his hands on a draft memo from the president to members of the Senior Executive Service on the status of implementation of the administration's Accountable Government Initiative, telling them much is expected of them:

As the most senior managers in the federal government, you know how essential the work you and your colleagues do is to the nation. You also are aware what happens when your best efforts are thwarted by outdated technologies and outmoded ways of doing business. You understand the consequences of accepting billions of dollars in waste as the cost of doing business and allowing obsolete or under-performing programs to continue year after year.

An accompanying draft memo from federal Chief Performance Officer Jeffrey Zients updates the status of the Accountable Government Initiative. In it, he says the administration will use its Performance.gov website "to inform regular, data-driven reviews" of implementation of the administration's initiatives. "Where efforts are off-track and a team is not making the necessary mid-course corrections, we will work with them to get efforts back on track. Where progress is being made and breakthroughs achieved, we will celebrate success and work to spread best practices for achieving success throughout government."

Throughout, Zients wrote, "we are focused on achieving rapid results because doing so not only produces performance gains in the short term, but also creates the momentum necessary to achieve lasting, step-function improvements in government efficiency and effectiveness."

The Accountable Government Initiative is focused on six strategies: Driving agency top priorities, cutting waste, reforming contracting, closing the IT gap, promoting accountability and innovation through open government and attracting and motivating top talent.