49 



As the table indicates, this new standard requires significant improvements from current 

 practice 



Processing Time from Proposal Receipt Through 

 Directorate Recommendation 



Fiscal Year 



1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 



Proposal Processing Time 



Average (Months) 6 5 6 5 6 8 6 7 6 6 6 5 



Processed within Customer 



Service Standard 51% 45% 45% 46% 50% 48% 



Performance Assessment 



Performance under NSF awards is regularly examined through the merit review process. In the 

 case of research projects, this happens when grantees apply for additional funding In the case of 

 centers and facilities, regular site visits and recompetitions gather performance information and 

 incorporate it into resource allocation decisions. Committees of visitors, advisory committees, and 

 the National Science Board provide oversight at program and directorate levels 



As described in the introduction to the Key Program Functions section, NSF has been moving 

 toward an even more systematic examination of goal-based performance assessment in response 

 to the Government Performance and Results Act. 



NSF proposes to set descriptive performance goals based on its strategic plan, and to ask 

 independent assessment panels to judge whether its investments are leading toward them. The 

 panels would be provided with both quantitative and descriptive information on which to base their 

 assessments 



• The panels will be able to draw on reports of results provided by principal 

 investigators on research projects This information will be gathered and retrieved 

 through a new results information base scheduled for implementation early in FY 

 1997. 



• The panels will have access to reports of results provided by facility and center 

 directors, external reviews, and the reports of site visit reviews. NSF is currently 

 testing a set of indicators of the efficiency and effectiveness of facility operations 



• In judging NSF's education portfolio, the panels will have access to the Impact 

 Database that gathers information on outcomes of activities funded through the 

 Education and Human Resources account. 



• The panels will also be able to draw on the results of special performance studies. For 

 example, an evaluation of the Science and Technology Centers program is underway 

 and two studies of the Engineering Research Centers (ERC) program, on the impact 

 of ERCs on industry and on ERC graduate student outcomes, are neanng completion 



