JFMIP Federal Financial Management Conference - May 9, 2011 - Washington, DC

Notable officials will address the Federal Financial Management Conference, sponsored by the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) Principals, the Graduate School, and the National Defense University.

At this one-day Conference, "Financial Management: Taking Accountability to the Next Level," officials will address the current financial crisis, the budget outlook, as well as panel sessions on current auditing, accounting and financial management issues.

Attendees can earn up to 8 hours of continuing professional education.

KEYNOTE and PLENARY SESSION SPEAKERS

■Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General (CG) of the United States
■Richard Gregg, Assistant Fiscal Secretary of the Treasury
■Nancy Kichak, Associate Director for Employee Services and Chief Human Capital Officer, Office of Personnel Management

The Donald L. Scantlebury Memorial Awards for Distinguished Leadership in Financial Management Improvement will be presented by the JFMIP Principals during the luncheon session.

The Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) Principals are:

• Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury
• Jacob J. Lew, Director, Office of Management and Budget
• John Berry, Director, Office of Personnel Management Management
• Gene Dodaro, Comptroller, General of the United States

Register Here: http://www.ndu.edu/icollege/events/JFMIP/index.html

Government implements new performance management law

Within the next two weeks, federal agencies must select a senior political official to serve as chief operating officer, according to Office of Management and Budget guidance on implementing a new law that dramatically overhauls government performance management.

The first major revision to the landmark 1993 Government Performance and Results Act, the new bill, signed by President Obama in January, targets a limited number of ambitious outcome-oriented goals and management priorities.

To begin implementing the law, agencies first must name a deputy secretary -- or the equivalent position -- by May 2 to serve as chief operating officer.

By June 1, a senior executive at the agency must be selected to assume the role of performance improvement officer. Agencies that pick a political appointee as PIO also should name a career senior executive as deputy PIO, according to the memo.

Finally, by June 30, agencies must begin running data-driven progress reviews on the high-priority performance goals that were identified in the fiscal 2011 budget. The reviews must be performed at least quarterly.

These goals are expected to focus on outcomes in a limited number of cross-cutting policy areas, including financial management, human capital, procurement, information technology and real property.

-Robert Brodsky, GovExec.com
READ MORE...

Today's GAO Publications

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released the following correspondence:

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Update on Federal Financial Risks and Claims Processing.
GAO-11-397R, April 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-397R

Status of Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Improper Payments Reporting.
GAO-11-443R, March 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-443R
Podcast available - http://www.gao.gov/podcast/watchdog_episode_55.html

Management Report: Improvements Are Needed in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
GAO-11-434R, April 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-434R

Executive Memo M-11-16: Issuance of Revised Parts I and II to Appendix C of OMB Circular A-123

April 14,2011

M-11-16

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

FROM: JacobJ. Lew, Director, OMB

SUBJECT: Issuance of Revised Parts I and II to Appendix C ofOMB Circular A-123

Each year, the -Federal Government wastes billions of taxpayer dollars on improper payments to individuals, organizations, and contractors. These are payments made in the wrong amount, to the wrong entity, or for the wrong reason. Despite efforts to reduce improper payments, agencies reported an estimated $125 billion in improper payments for Fiscal Year 2010. Whether these payments resulted from inadequate recordkeeping, inaccurate eligibility determinations, inadvertent processing errors, the lack of timely and reliable information to confirm payment accuracy, or fraud, the amount of improper payments is simply unacceptable.

On July 22, 2010, the President signed into law the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA; Pub.L. 111-204). IPERA amended the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA; Pub. L. 107-300) and generally repealed the Recovery Auditing Act (Section 831, Defense Authorization Act, for FY 2002; Pub.L. 107-107). IPERA directed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue implementing guidance to agencies.

OMB is now issuing the attached government-wide guidance on the implementation of IPERA. This guidance is contained in Parts I and II to Appendix C ofOMB Circular A-I23, Management's Responsibility for Internal Controls'.

READ MORE...

Today's GAO Publication

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released the following testimony:


Improper Payments: Recent Efforts to Address Improper Payments and Remaining Challenges, by Kay L. Daly, director, financial management and assurance, before the Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency, and Financial Management, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
GAO-11-575T, April 15.

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-575T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d11575thigh.pdf

AGA Releases White Paper: CFO Act 20 Years Later

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On March 17, 2011, AGA sponsored a CFO Act Summit to hear thoughts and ideas on lessons learned and reforms/improvements related to the CFO Act 20 years after it became law. Participating in the Summit were members of the joint Chief Financial Officers Council (CFOC)/Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) working group that will report to Congress this summer on recommended changes to the CFO Act. The CFO Summit agenda was comprised of three panels focused on different topic areas related to implementation of the CFO Act. The central question raised to the group at the beginning of the Summit was: What, if any, statutory changes are needed to enhance the CFO Act and improve federal financial management?


View the white paper detailing the Summit dialogue at:

www.agacgfm.org/downloads/CFOWhitePaper.pdf.