1999 Annual Performance Plan for the BLS

Agency 1999 Performance Goals

Performance Goal One

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Labor Force Statistics: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: National Labor Force statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Estimates
—Monthly releases
—Percent released on schedule
—Number of months that a change of at least 0.25 percentage point in the monthly national unemployment rate will be statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level (for an unemployment rate of 6%)

Source of Data: Published schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Estimates: 32,500
—Monthly releases: 12
—Percent released on schedule: 100%
—Number of months that a change of at least 0.25 percentage point in the monthly national unemployment rate will be statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level (for an unemployment rate of 6%): 12

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The National Labor Force estimates reliability measure is sample variance or precision. When data collected from a sample are used to estimate conditions for a larger population, the sample design determines the sampling accuracy or precision of that estimate. BLS designs the CPS sample so that (when unemployment is in the six percent range) a change of as little as 0.25 percentage point in the monthly national unemployment rate will be statistically significant (at the 90-percent confidence level).

Performance Goal Two

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Labor Force Statistics: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Employment, Hours, & Earnings statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Estimates
—Monthly releases
—Percent released on schedule
—Average total monthly revisions between the 1^st and 2^nd closings

Source of Data: Published schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Estimates: 42,459
—Monthly releases: 12
—Percent released on schedule: 100%
—Average total monthly revisions between the 1^st and 2^nd closings: 36,900

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The Employment, Hours, and Earnings estimates reliability measure is the size of the revisions of the monthly estimate of employed workers. The BLS releases preliminary (1^st closing) estimates as soon as possible after the end of the month, and revises this estimate the following month using more complete (2^ndclosing) information. The average total monthly revision between the 1^st and 2^nd closing should be as small as possible. BLS’ goal is for the revision to be no larger than 50,000 workers. For context, BLS reported a preliminary estimate of 121 million employed workers in January 1997.

Performance Goal Three

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Labor Force Statistics: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Local Area Unemployment Statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—State and Area estimates
—Monthly and annual releases
—Percent released on schedule
—Percent of the month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted unemployment rates that are less than 0.5 percentage points

Source of Data: Announced schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—State and Area estimates: 86,300
—Monthly and annual releases: 13
—Percent released on schedule: 100%
—Percent of the month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted unemployment rates that are less than 0.5 percentage points: 92%

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The Local Area Unemployment Statistics estimates are based on economic models rather than derived solely from sample surveys. The reliability measure for this program is the consistency or smoothness of seasonally adjusted estimates from month to month. The BLS strives to define the model well enough so that changes in the estimates from month to month reliably reflect changes in the labor market. Wide variations in the monthly data may indicate poor underlying estimating procedures. BLS' goal is for the month to month changes to be less than 0.5 percentage points for at least 80 percent of the estimates.

Performance Goal Four

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Consumer Price Index Revision: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Consumer Prices and Price Indexes statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Indexes published
—Monthly CPI detailed releases
—Percent released on schedule
—Percent of all urban consumers, and urban wage earners and clerical workers personal consumption spending covered in the CPI:

Goods consumed Services consumed

Source of Data: Published schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Indexes published: 8,362
—Monthly CPI detailed releases: 12
—Percent released on schedule: 100%
—Percent of all urban consumers, and urban wage earners and clerical workers personal consumption spending covered in the CPI:

Goods consumed: 100% Services consumed: 100%

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The reliability measure BLS reports for The Consumer Prices and Price Indexes is coverage, or the proportion of consumer spending represented by the index. The BLS collects representative sample data for the universe of sales or spending described by the indexes. Although it may not be feasible to sample prices for every good or service, the BLS strives to make its statistics as comprehensive as possible given resource and technological constraints. The Consumer Prices and Price Indexes reliability measure is the percent of urban wage earners’ consumer spending covered.

Performance Goal Five

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Producer Prices and Price Indexes statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Indexes published
—Monthly PPI detailed releases
—Percent released on schedule
—Percent of industry product line indexes published
—Percent of domestic output, within the scope of the PPI, which is covered by the PPI:

Goods produced Services produced Total production

Source of Data: Published schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Indexes published: 11,820
—Monthly PPI detailed releases: 12
—Percent released on schedule: 100%
—Percent of industry product line indexes published: 48.1%
—Percent of domestic output, within the scope of the PPI, which is covered by the PPI:

Goods produced: 85.1% Services produced: 38.8% Total production: 52.6%

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The reliability measure BLS reports for The Producer Prices and Price Indexes is coverage, or the proportion of domestic output represented by the index. The BLS collects representative sample data for the universe of sales or spending described by the indexes. Although it may not be feasible to sample prices for every good or service, the BLS strives to make its statistics as comprehensive as possible given resource and technological constraints. The Producer Prices and Price Indexes reliability measure is the percent of the producer goods and services covered.

Performance Goal Six

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: International Prices and Price Indexes statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Indexes published
—Monthly releases
—Percent released on schedule
—Percent of U.S. foreign trade, both exports and imports, covered by the IPP:

Goods in trade Services in trade Total in trade

Source of Data: Published schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Indexes published: 9,632
—Monthly releases: 12
—Percent released on schedule: 100%
—Percent of U.S. foreign trade, both exports and imports, covered by the IPP:

Goods in trade: 100% Services in trade: 12% Total in trade: 80%

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The reliability measure BLS reports for The International Price and Price Indexes is coverage, or the proportion of international trade represented by the index. The BLS collects representative sample data for the universe of sales or spending described by the indexes. Although it may not be feasible to sample prices for every good or service, the BLS strives to make its statistics as comprehensive as possible given resource and technological constraints. The International Price and Price Indexes reliability measure is the percent of internationally-traded goods and services covered.

Performance Goal Seven

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Compensation and Working Conditions: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Employment Cost Trends statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Indexes published
—Levels published
—Quarter releases
—Percent released on schedule
—Number of quarters the change in the civilian compensation less sales workers index was within plus/minus 0.5 percent at the 95 percent confidence level

Source of Data: Published schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Indexes published: 297
—Levels published: 206
—Quarter releases: 4
—Percent released on schedule: 100%
—Number of quarters the change in the civilian compensation less sales workers index was within plus/minus 0.5 percent at the 95 percent confidence level: 4

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The reliability measure BLS reports for the Employment Cost Indexes (ECI) and Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC) is sample variance or precision. When data collected from a sample are used to estimate conditions for data for a larger population, the sample design determines the sampling accuracy or precision of that estimate. The BLS designs the ECI sample so that a change of as little as 0.5 percentage point in the compensation index for civilian workers (less sales workers) over any 12-month period will be statistically significant (at the 95-percent confidence level).

Performance Goal Eight

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Compensation and Working Conditions: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Number of States and Territories Collected
—Revisions of the annual count of fatal work related injuries

Source of Data: Announced schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Number of States and Territories Collected: 53
—Revisions of the annual count of fatal work related injuries: 1%

Performance Goal Nine

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Compensation and Working Conditions: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Number of States and Territories Participating
—Number of national industry estimates produced
—Percent of industries for which national estimates produced
—The standard error on the annual estimate of total job related injuries and illnesses for the Nation

Source of Data: Announced schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Number of States and Territories Participating: 42
—Number of national industry estimates produced: 12,640
—Percent of industries for which national estimates produced: 100%
—The standard error on the annual estimate of total job related injuries and illnesses for the Nation: 0.1

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses reliability measure is sample variance or precision of the annual estimate of total job related injuries and illnesses. The BLS designs the sample so that a change of as little as 0.2 in the estimate of the incidence of injuries and illnesses will be statistically significant (at the 95-percent confidence level).

Performance Goal Ten

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Productivity and Technology: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Quarterly Productivity and Costs statistics are of high quality and are disseminated according to the announced schedule.

Indicator:
—Productivity and Costs:

Quarterly releases Percent released on schedule Number of major sectors with published labor productivity measures Percent of business sector covered by published quarterly labor productivity measures

Source of Data: Published schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Productivity and Costs:

Quarterly releases: 8 Percent released on schedule: 100% Number of major sectors with published labor productivity measures: 6 Percent of business sector covered by published quarterly labor productivity measures: 100%

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect three aspects of high-quality statistics: program output, timeliness, and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The Quarterly Productivity and Costs statistics reliability measure is coverage, namely the percent of the business sector covered by published quarterly labor productivity measures. Although it is not possible to obtain sufficient data to generate productivity measures for every industry, the BLS strives to make its statistics as comprehensive as possible given resource constraints.

Performance Goal Eleven

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Measure the economy through producing and disseminating timely, accurate, and relevant information in our areas of expertise.

Employment Projections: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: The Occupational Outlook Handbook is of high quality and is disseminated according to the announced schedule (disseminated on a two-year cycle).

Indicator:
—Occupational Outlook Handbook Statements on one or more detailed occupations (average per year over a 2-year cycle)
—Number of industries for which BLS publishes Economic and Employment Projections (average per year over a 2-year cycle)
—Percent of total employment covered by projections in the 2-year cycles

Source of Data: Announced schedule.

Baseline (1997):
—Occupational Outlook Handbook Statements on one or more detailed occupations (average per year over a 2-year cycle): 125
—Number of industries for which BLS publishes Economic and Employment Projections (average per year over a 2-year cycle): 92
—Percent of total employment covered by projections in the 2-year cycles: 100%

Comment: BLS performance measures reflect two aspects of high-quality statistics: program output and reliability. The reasons for this are explained in the Introduction. The reliability measure for the Occupational Outlook Handbook is the percent of total employment covered by projections in the 2-year cycles.

Performance Goal Twelve

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Agency Strategic Goal: Improve accuracy, efficiency, and relevancy of our economic measures and program outputs through increased application of state-of-the-art statistical techniques, economic concepts, technology, and management processes.

Labor Force Statistics: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Replace the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system with the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Indicator:
—For the ES-202, begin NAICS refiling; survey all establishments with >50 employment to assign NAICS codes; survey 1.7 million establishments with <50 employment with SIC codes that do not match unique NAICS codes.
—Begin resampling for the Producer Price Index (PPI), 40 industries impacted by the NAICS system.
—Convert portions of the National Compensation Survey (NCS) to NAICS coding.

Source of Data: Program internal documents.

Baseline : New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirteen

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Labor Force Statistics: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Update the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.

Indicator:
—Develop questionnaire using revised SOC codes.
—Modify computer systems to accept revised SOC codes, and train BLS and State staff.
—Convert portions of the NCS to SOC coding.

Source of Data: Program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Fourteen

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Labor Force Statistics: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Convert the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey sample from a quota-based sample to a probability-based sample.

Indicator: Evaluate results of production test and begin phasing-in probability-based series nationwide.

Source of Data: Program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: By choosing sample units randomly, probability-based samples more accurately reflect the population estimated than do quota-based samples. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Fifteen

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Labor Force Statistics: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Establish new job opening and labor turnover survey.

Indicator: Study measurement and operational issues such as how best to measure vacancies in new businesses and the effect on sample requirements and workload derived from the implementation of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Develop sample design, develop data collection forms, develop field test of data collection methodology, and develop data collection systems.

Source of Data: Program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: This experimental survey is intended to supplement unemployment rates to provide a more complete picture of employers’ demand for workers. BLS will release initial data in 2001. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Sixteen

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Consumer Price Index Revision: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Improve the Consumer Price Index (CPI) sample design and estimation methodology used for CPI rent and Owner’s Equivalent Rent (REQ) estimates.

Indicator: Use new sample design and estimation methodology for rent and REQ in published CPI.

Source of Data: Press release and program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: This is one of several activities to update and improve the CPI. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Seventeen

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Consumer Price Index Revision: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Update the CPI market basket’s housing sample to reflect current demographic and geographic population characteristics.

Indicator: Updated housing sample used in published CPI.

Source of Data: Press release and program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: This is one of several activities to update and improve the CPI. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Eighteen

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Consumer Price Index Revision: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Update the CPI market basket’s commodities and services sample to reflect current geographic population and expenditure patterns of all goods and services.

Indicator:
—Published CPI includes:

Certain previously unpriced services;
Prices collected for new goods and services entering the market place;
Quality adjustment for certain goods and services based on supplemental sample of prices and characteristics; and
New item samples based on Telephone Point of Purchase Survey.

Source of Data: Press release.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: This is one of several activities to update and improve the CPI. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Nineteen

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Consumer Price Index Revision: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Develop alternative measures of change in living costs.

Indicator: Produce updated superlative indexes in an enhanced research environment utilizing 1997 Consumer Expenditure Survey data.

Source of Data: Program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: This is one of several activities to update and improve the CPI. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Consumer Price Index Revision: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Expand the Consumer Expenditure Survey sample.

Indicator: Begin data collection and processing of larger sample.

Source of Data: Program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: This is one of several activities to update and improve the CPI. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-one

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Consumer Price Index Revision: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Test an experimental CPI using geometric means.

Indicator: Incorporate changes into the official CPI.

Source of Data: Press release.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: This is one of several activities to update and improve the CPI. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-two

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Prices and Cost of Living: 16-0200-0-1-505

Productivity and Technology: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Increase the coverage of service industries’ price and productivity indexes.

Indicator:
—Percent of service sector employment covered in productivity statistics.
—Percent of in-scope services output covered in the PPI.
—Published CPI includes certain previously unpriced services.
—Percent of imported and exported service sector covered.

Source of Data: Press releases.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-three

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Compensation and Working Conditions: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Publish national and area occupational compensation (wages and benefits) data from the National Compensation Survey (NCS).

Indicator:
—Supply data for Locality Pay determinations drawn entirely from NCS program.
—Continue benefit initiations for establishments with 50 employees or more, and wages and benefits for establishments with less than 50 employees.
—Revise the benefits program.
—Transition to NCS sample to calculate Employment Cost Index (ECI) products (index and cost levels).

Source of Data: Press release and program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-four

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

Compensation and Working Conditions: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Coordinate and integrate NCS Program and OES-Wage Program.

Indicator: Conduct NCS/OES-Wage integration research and testing.

Source of Data: Program internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-five

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Determine customer satisfaction with major information dissemination methods and program products.

Indicator: Measure customer satisfaction with all major information dissemination methods – telephone, fax, automated voice response, recorded messages, publications, and Internet.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The BLS Customer Service Survey (CSS) targets those customers who contact the BLS by telephone in search of data or information. In 1997, 81% of the respondents rated their overall satisfaction as very good. Since the CSS was developed in 1993, it was not designed to address the huge numbers of customers who are now served through the Internet, fax-on-demand, and automated recorded messages. Therefore, the BLS is researching and developing mechanisms through which these customers’ opinions can be gathered in a useful format. The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-six

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Address customer needs.

Indicator:
—Make current periodical publications available online.
—Complete the fourth Report on the American Workforce
—Based on customer satisfaction measurement data, make improvements to a major information dissemination method or program product.
—Increase user awareness of BLS products, and inform and educate users about significant changes to data series, such as the CPI revision.

Source of Data: Press release and internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-seven

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: The BLS will work with other Federal statistical agencies to coordinate methodologies, reduce duplication, improve communication, and increase compatibility of data.

Indicator: Duplication will be reduced and/or communication will be improved.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-eight

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: The BLS will work with State statistical agencies to coordinate methodologies, reduce duplication, improve communication, and increase compatibility of data.

Indicator: Duplication will be reduced and/or communication will be improved.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Twenty-nine

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: The BLS will cooperate with foreign central statistical offices and international statistical organizations to exchange data and documentation of methods to enhance comparability of statistical definitions, classification systems, and methodologies.

Indicator: Collaboration will be increased.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Develop and implement a new performance management system (PRISM) for managers and non-bargaining unit employees.

Indicator:
—Implement changes in the performance management system for managers.
—Develop performance management plan similar to PRISM for non-bargaining unit employees.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty-one

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Integrate recruitment efforts with BLS workforce requirements.

Indicator: Evaluate and refine college recruitment and relations program as necessary.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty-two

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Address educational and training needs in order to continue to develop employees’ work-related skills.

Indicator: Implement occupation-specific programs to enhance the identified competencies of staff.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty-three

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Reduce the number of duplicate and/or similar computer systems and establish a standardized BLS core computing environment.

Indicator: Centralize client-server services where cost effective and appropriate.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty-four

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Improve remote access to the BLS computing environment for data collectors, staff on travel, State agencies, and other remote users.

Indicator: Deploy faster remote access technologies, such as ISDN lines and Internet connectivity.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty-five

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Implement strategic security standards to ensure continuity of operations for critical Bureau programs.

Indicator: Certify that security of the BLS computing environment meets relevant Department of Defense security standards.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty-six

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Provide a technologically current and reliable computing infrastructure for BLS while researching new technology for improving the infrastructure.

Indicator: Maintain an infrastructure that allows users to meet production needs with no significant problems while testing the use of new technologies, such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), to improve the speed of delivery of all types of information — text, image, and motion pictures – across the network.

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Performance Goal Thirty-seven

Cross-Cutting Strategic Goal: Prepared Workforce: Enhance opportunities for America’s workforce.

Departmental Outcome Goal: Provide information and analysis on the U.S. economy.

All Budget Activities: 16-0200-0-1-505

Agency Performance Goal: Improve availability and usability of BLS survey data, internal agency information, data collection, and computing services available on the World Wide Web (WWW).

Indicator:

Source of Data: Internal documents.

Baseline: New activities.

Comment: The activities described in the Indicator section are on schedule.

Last Modified Date: October 16, 2001