Appendix B: Discontinued or Changed Performance
Outcomes/Objectives and Measures

 

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.2

Protect intellectual property and improve the patent and trademark system

Performance Outcome: Improve the quality of patent products and services and optimize patent processing time (USPTO)

Change	Outcome reworded as “Optimize patent quality and timeliness (USPTO)”
Justification	USPTO’s outcomes were further refined by USPTO’s executives during the strategic planning process. These reworded outcomes are reflected in the USPTO’s 2007-2012 Strategic Plan released in March 2007.
Corresponding Measure	Patent allowance error rate
Change	Measure reworded as “Patent allowance compliance rate”
Justification	The USPTO will, for consistency, report all quality metrics as compliance rates.

 

Performance Outcome: Improve the quality of trademark products and services and optimize trademark processing time (USPTO)

Change	Outcome reworded as “Optimize trademark quality and timeliness (USPTO)”
Justification	USPTO’s outcomes were further refined by USPTO’s executives during the strategic planning process. These reworded outcomes are reflected in the USPTO’s 2007-2012 Strategic Plan released in March 2007.
Corresponding Measures	Trademark final action deficiency rate Trademark first action deficiency rate
Change	Measures reworded as: Trademark final action compliance rate Trademark first action compliance rate
Justification	USPTO will, for consistency, report all quality metrics as compliance rates.

 

Performance Outcome: Create a more flexible organization through transmitting patent and trademark operations to an e-government environment and advancing property development worldwide (USPTO)

Change	Outcome reworded as “Improve intellectual property and enforcement domestically and abroad (USPTO)”
Justification	USPTO’s outcomes were further refined by USPTO’s executives during the strategic planning process. These reworded outcomes are reflected in the USPTO’s 2007-2012 Strategic Plan released in March 2007.
Corresponding Measures	Patent applications filed electronically Patent applications managed electronically
Change	Measures moved to outcome “Optimize patent quality and timeliness” (outcome formerly named “Improve the quality of patent products and services and optimize patent processing time”)
Justification	Since this outcome has been reworded so as to reflect a focus on worldwide activities; these measures have been moved to the outcome that focuses on patents.
Corresponding Measures	Trademark applications filed electronically Trademark applications managed electronically
Change	Measures moved to outcome “Optimize trademark quality and timeliness” (outcome formerly named “Improve the quality of trademark products and services and optimize trademark processing time”)
Justification	Since this outcome has been reworded so as to reflect a focus on worldwide activities; these measures have been moved to the outcome that focuses on trademarks.
Corresponding Measures	IP technical activities completed (activities) IP technical activities completed (countries)
Change	Measures deleted
Justification	USPTO replaced these measures with more outcome oriented performance measures.
Corresponding Measures	Number of instances in which External Affairs (EA) experts review intellectual property (IP) policies/standards Improving worldwide IP expertise for U.S. government interests Plans of actions, mechanisms, and support programs initiated or implemented in developing countries
Change	Measures added
Justification	Measures reflect the change in focus of this outcome.