Performance Accountability of the Department of Defense (DoD)

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Table of Contents

Introduction3

About Department of Defense5

Mission statement6

References8

Performance Accountability of the Department of Defense (DoD)

Introduction

The performance accountability is used as a program evaluation technique. It measures the impact that a program, activity, or service may have had. It also needs to be useful and a fruitful exercise. This happens when it makes sense to the users, focuses on most important measures of customer well-being, helps the organization in moving from task to performance, provides more helpful information to managers, and is also not very lengthy or verbose.

The purpose of all programs is to improve the well-being of their users. However, most programs only have a limited ability to target partial populations. Still, when the program measures are responsible for the well-being of their populations, their responsibility is not limited to their own programs.

The program accountability is measured through the seven different accountability measures of Friedman. These are given by seven different questions which include determining as to who are the customers, how will one measure whether the customers have been better-off with the program, determining how to measure whether the program is delivering the services correctly, determining the performance with respect to the most valued measure, determining the partners of the program goals, determining the best methods which either have no cost or have low cost, and determining as to what the program intends to do.

This specific evaluation could take place on other things than just the programs. For example, the performance accountability exercise could be done on departments, functions, or units as well within an organization.

The customers for the purpose of this exercise include all those people who could be made better or worse off through the program. In this way, the program will directly affect the customers. However, it will also affect others indirectly through those who had been affected. As an example, if the program was intended for the customers to quit smoking, then it will not only help the smokers with quitting but will also impact others who will not smoke passively. Hence, the program will help the larger community become healthy. Still, many programs have various groups of customers who may have widely different interests.

In addition, there is also a results accountability strategy which is in addition to the performance measures. This includes indicators that assess the well-being of the entire population and ...