GSA sets up performance office

President's Management Agenda

The General Services Administration announced July 17 the creation of an office that will oversee agencywide efforts to improve performance and incorporate the President's Management Agenda into GSA's practices.

GSA Administrator Stephen Perry named Boyd Rutherford as the associate administrator of the new Office of Performance Improvement.

The office will lead the implementation of the initiatives developed during the past year as GSA evaluated its management processes, such as a study performed by Accenture to determine the impact of overlap between the agency's two contracting services.

Following the evaluation, GSA set six agencywide strategic goals for performance improvement. Those goals closely mirror the goals of the President's Management Agenda, focusing on enhancing service for federal customers and industry partners, and improving financial and workforce management.

As head of the office, Rutherford will be responsible for:

* Leading efforts to create a process to identify, develop and implement changes to improve performance across the agency.

* Overseeing implementation of the action plans, process and organizational changes, and other initiatives developed to meet the six agencywide goals.

* Incorporating the President's Management Agenda into GSA processes.

Rutherford, who will report to Perry, will lead a team of senior management executives from across the agency. Rutherford is also head of GSA's Office of Enterprise Development.

One of Rutherford's primary initiatives is to follow through on the Accenture study recommendations. He will serve on an advisory group to oversee the work performed by three teams that are focused on combining and realigning the similar functions performed by the Federal Technology Service and the Federal Supply Service:

* Market research, marketing and sales.

* Contract maintenance and development.

* Service delivery.