The U.S. House of Representatives today approved S.1550, the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015 (PMIAA), which will enhance accountability and best practices in project and program management throughout the federal government. The Project Management Institute (PMI) strongly supports this important legislation reforming federal program management policy in four important ways:
- Creating a formal job series and career path for program managers in the federal government.
- Developing a standards-based program management policy across the federal government.
- Recognizing the essential role of executive sponsorship and engagement by designating a senior executive in federal agencies to be responsible for program management policy and strategy.
- Sharing knowledge of successful approaches to program management through an interagency council on program management.
“This critical legislation will help maximize efficiency within the U.S. federal government, thereby generating more successful program outcomes and increasing the value that Americans receive for their tax dollars,” said PMI President and Chief Executive Officer Mark A. Langley. “We are pleased this landmark bill has passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, and we would like to thank Rep. Todd Young from Indiana, Rep. Gerry Connolly from Virginia, Chairman Jason Chaffetz from Utah, Ranking Member Elijah Cummings from Maryland, for their leadership in advancing this bipartisan, legislation.”
The legislation will return to the United States Senate, where it was previously approved unanimously, to be re-passed as a final piece of legislation. “We encourage the Senate to accept the changes made by the House and send this bill to President Barack Obama’s desk as soon as possible.” Langley said. “The PMIAA is an important step to improving the government’s ability to effectively manage its portfolio of projects and programs and will help ensure program managers are able to serve as stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
The reforms outlined in the PMIAA are consistent with PMI member input and research that demonstrates that organizations that invest in program management talent and standards improve outcomes, accountability and efficiency. The findings demonstrated by PMI’s Pulse of the Profession® report also indicate that standardized approaches, engaged executive sponsors and certified professionals are fundamental building blocks to all organizations achieving their highest levels of performance. Improving program management leads to benefits such as increased collaboration, improved decision making and reduced risk.
PMI’s report also uncovered that only 64 percent of government strategic initiatives ever meet their goals and business intent — and that government entities waste $101 million for every $1 billion spent on project and programs. The research also shows that these best practices result in improved efficiency and less money being wasted. Most importantly, organizations see more projects delivering expected value to stakeholders on time and within budget.