Cross-Agency Priority Goals: 2014 (Part 1)

Cross-Agency Priority goals address the longstanding challenge of tackling horizontal problems across vertical organizational silos. 15 Cross-Agency Priority Goals were announced in the 2015 Budget, these include 7 Mission-oriented and 8 Management-focused goals with a four-year time horizon. To establish these goals, OMB solicited nominations from Federal agencies and several Congressional Committees.

To ensure effective leadership and accountability across Federal Government, goals have a named senior leader both within the Executive Office of the President and within key delivery Agencies.

Later this spring, the Goal Leaders will release more detailed action plans for each of their goals including specific metrics and milestones that will be used to gauge progress. To maintain the focus on implementation, each quarter, OMB will review progress on these goals and will update Performance.gov with the latest results.

(UPDATED 7-1-2014(

Mission-Oriented Cross-Agency Priority Goals (Part 1)

Goal 1:  Cybersecurity (continuation of an earlier priority goal)

Improve cybersecurity performance through ongoing awareness of information security, vulnerabilities, and threats impacting the operating information environment, ensuring that only authorized users have access to resources and information; and the implementation of technologies and processes that reduce the risk of malware.

Goal Leaders:

• Michael Daniel, Senior Advisor to the President and Coordinator for Cybersecurity
• Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
• Robert Work, Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense

Goal 2:  Climate Change (continuation of an earlier priority goal)

More than double Federal government consumption of electricity from renewable sources to 20 percent by 2020 (more than double the current goal of 7.5 percent).  In addition, improve energy efficiency at Federal facilities as part of the wider strategy to reduce the Federal Government’s (a) direct greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent and (b) indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 13 percent by 2020 (from the 2008 baseline).

Goal Leaders:

• Chair, Council on Environmental Quality (Michael Boots, Acting)
• Dan Tangherlini, Administrator, General Services Administration

Goal 3:  Insider Threat and Security Clearance

Mitigate the inherent risks and vulnerabilities posed by personnel with trusted access to government information, facilities, systems, and other personnel.  Steps include:

• Developing an insider threat program.
• Improving oversight and quality of background investigations
• Eliminating the backlog of reinvestigations
• Improving the use of automation in background security investigations.
• Enhancing the security culture via training and reporting mechanisms.

Goal Leaders:

• James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence
• Katherine Archuleta, Director of the Office of Personnel Management
• Michael Daniel, Senior Advisor to the President and Coordinator for Cybersecurity

Goal 4:  Job-Creating Investment

Improve federal investment tools and resources, while also increasing interagency coordination, to encourage foreign direct investment, spurring job growth.  It will do this, in part, by increasing the number of active investment cases touched to encourage business investments.

Goal Leaders:

• Jason Miller, Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing Policy, National Economic Council
• Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce (Bruce Andrews, Acting)
• Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Department of State

Goal 5:  Infrastructure Permitting Modernization

Modernize the Federal permitting and review process for major infrastructure projects to reduce uncertainty for project applicants, reduce the aggregate time it takes to conduct reviews and make permitting decisions by half, and produce measurably better environmental and community outcomes.  This will be done by an existing implementation plan that identifies 4 strategies, 15 reforms, and nearly 100 specific milestones.

Goal Leaders:

• Beth Cobert, Deputy Director of OMB 
• Chair of CEQ (Michael Boots Acting) 
• Deputy Secretary of Transportation (Victor Mendez Acting)

Goal 6:  STEM Education (continuation of an earlier priority goal)

Improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education by implementing the Federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan, announced in May 2013, which includes specific strategies and targets.

Goal Leaders:

• Tom Kalil, Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation, Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Joan Ferrini-Mundy; Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation

Goal 7:  Service Members and Veterans Mental Health

Improve mental health outcomes for Service Members, Veterans and their Families. Steps include:

• Reducing barriers to those seeking mental health treatment and support
• Enhancing access to care and support by building on successful programs.
• Supporting research to identify and develop more effective diagnostic and treatment methods.

Goal Leaders:

• James Kvaal, Deputy Director, Domestic Policy Council
• Sloan Gibson, Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs

Part 2 lists the Management Cross-Agency Priority Goals, and who their leaders are.

Graphic Credit:  Courtesy of Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos