The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 required all federal agencies to establish performance management processes. Soon after the law’s enactment the National Park Service (NPS) undertook an aggressive plan for implementing GPRA ahead of schedule and at a scope that exceeded the efforts of any other federal agency. NPS earned early praise its implementation of GPRA, but in recent years the agency’s enthusiasm for performance management appears to have waned significantly. This report assesses the current state of GPRA implementation in NPS and identifies key obstacles that prevent the agency from improving its performance management system. The report then proposes ways to revitalize this system and makes the case that there is a compelling need to do so.
