Serving the Public Interest?: Federal Experiences with Participation in Strategic Planning

Abstract

A clause in the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 instructs federal agencies to “consult with stakeholders during strategic plan development.” This requirement is a type of institutional control designed to ensure access to government operations and to keep government responsive to the public interest. Through structured interviews with representatives of the federal, cabinet-level departments, this research examined agency reactions to the Results Act in four areas: What process did agencies use to develop the strategic plan? Who participated? What mechanisms were used for participation? and What were the impacts of including stakeholders? The results suggest that despite minimal impact on the substantive content of federal agency strategic plans, the consultation requirement may have unintended benefits that, if institutionalized, will make government more responsive to the public interest.