Saturday, February 14, 2009
Concern Over Lack of Controls in Stimulus May Explain Increased Support for PM Manifesto
Reported by Ron Taylor in Washington DC
According to a recent article in The Washington Post, there is concern that the economic stimulus plan that is about to be approved by both the House and Senate at this writing, could "end up wasting billions of dollars by attempting to spend money faster than an overburdened government acquisition system can manage and oversee it, according to documents and interviews with contracting specialists." T his may explain the support that the recently released PM Manifesto has received.
Aside from the merits of the stimulus, some are worried that without
the proper discipline and accountability, well-intentioned efforts to
improve the nation's economic situation may not be as effective as they
could be. Mr. Rahm Emmanuel, White House Chief of Staff (pictured) and Mr. Peter Orszag,
Director of the Office of Management and Budget sent a memo to the
heads of government agencies identifying the guidelines they will take
to provide clarity and consistency in Federal Agency actions. They
include:
The PM Manifesto calls upon our leaders to implement project management practices that will achieve all of the administration's goals for providing clarity and consistency - and then some. The Manifesto includes the recognition of three key elements to achieving the successful completion of projects that all Americans want and our country desperately needs, and urges that these elements be part of all projects launched through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
Support for the PM Manifesto has been growing rapidly, perhaps because of our shared interest in spending our money wisely. For more information on the PM Manifesto, please visit www.pmmanifesto.net.
According to a recent article in The Washington Post, there is concern that the economic stimulus plan that is about to be approved by both the House and Senate at this writing, could "end up wasting billions of dollars by attempting to spend money faster than an overburdened government acquisition system can manage and oversee it, according to documents and interviews with contracting specialists." T his may explain the support that the recently released PM Manifesto has received.
- Providing spending and performance data posted on www.recovery.gov showing how the money was spent;
- Establishing internal controls and oversight to meet accountability objectives; and
- Improving processes for awarding and overseeing funds.
The PM Manifesto calls upon our leaders to implement project management practices that will achieve all of the administration's goals for providing clarity and consistency - and then some. The Manifesto includes the recognition of three key elements to achieving the successful completion of projects that all Americans want and our country desperately needs, and urges that these elements be part of all projects launched through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
- Systemic use of a set of proven best practices for project selection, planning, budgeting, oversight, and reporting.
- Recruitment of experienced, responsible project leaders who are accountable to the American people for project results.
- Selection
of project sponsors at Federal, State, County, City and multi-authority
levels that ensure strategically sound, transparent accountability at
every level.
Support for the PM Manifesto has been growing rapidly, perhaps because of our shared interest in spending our money wisely. For more information on the PM Manifesto, please visit www.pmmanifesto.net.