Appendix B: Performance Goals and Measures that Have Been Discontinued or Changed

Develop tools and capabilities that improve the productivity, quality, dissemination, and efficiency of research

Performance Goal: Provide leadership in promoting national technology policies that facilitate U.S. preeminence in key areas of science and technology (TA/OTP)
Corresponding Measures	Support and improve American innovation system Advance role of technology in U.S. economic growth and homeland security Strengthen competitive position of American technology industries Strengthen OTP's organization, capabilities, and resources to maximize the effectiveness of its activities and services
Change	Goal and measures discontinued
Justification	OTP's activities are largely policy-related and thus vary substantially from year to year. Because of this along with an effort to limit the number of measures, this goal and corresponding measures are being discontinued.

Performance Goal: Provide technical leadership for the nation's measurement and standards infrastructure. Assure the availability and efficient transfer of measurement and standards capabilities essential to established industries (NIST-A and NIST-B)
Change	Goal reworded as “Promote innovation, facilitate trade, ensure public safety and security, and help create jobs by strengthening the nation’s measurements and standards infrastructure (NIST)”
Justification	The single goal better represents the focus of the NIST Laboratory Program and allows for more effective reporting of financial information against program goals.
Corresponding Measure	Citation Impact of NIST-authored publications
Change	Measure discontinued
Justification	To streamline the reporting process and focus on measures that demonstrate NIST's major dissemination channels, this measure was discontinued as a formal GPRA measure in the FY 2006 Annual Performance Plan. NIST still continues to track the citation impact of its publications as one indicator of the demand for or relevance of its published research.
Corresponding Measure	Economic Impact Studies
Change	Measure discontinued
Justification	To streamline the reporting process and focus on measures that demonstrate NIST's major dissemination channels, this measure was discontinued as formal GPRA measure in the FY 2006 Annual Performance Plan. NIST values the data received from the retrospective microeconomic impact studies and continues to conduct the studies to assess the long-term impact that derive from specific research programs or projects. Currently, NIST is in the process of conducting a retrospective study on its work with the semiconductor industry.

Performance Goal: Catalyze, reward, and recognize quality and performance improvement practices in U.S. businesses and other organizations (NIST)
Corresponding Measures	Number of Baldrige criteria disseminated Percent of applicants indicating satisfaction with the relevance of the feedback report
Change	Goal and measures discontinued
Justification	With a focus on streamlining the number of GPRA goals and measures, the Department issued general guidance for new and existing goals and measures. One criteria focused on the Program's funding level so that smaller scale programs have limited or no formal GPRA goals and measures. Currently, the Baldrige National Quality Program (BNQP) receives approximately $5M per year in appropriated funds. Based on the criteria, the GPRA goals and measures for this program have been discontinued. NIST still continues to track and report progress on these and other BNQP measures and successes via other reporting mechanisms.