The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 was enacted to improve the performance and accountability of federal programs. Its stated purposes, as outlined in the law itself, are to improve program effectiveness, help managers improve service delivery, and improve the internal management of the Federal Government. While GPRA mandates a framework for performance planning and reporting, its core purpose is not to provide detailed procedural instructions on reporting. Rather, reporting is the mechanism through which the primary goals of accountability, effectiveness, and improved management are achieved. The specific instructions for reporting are typically issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

A. This is incorrect. A stated purpose of GPRA is to "help Federal managers improve service delivery, by requiring that they plan for meeting program objectives and by providing them with information about program results and service quality."

B. This is incorrect. GPRA explicitly aims to "improve internal management of the Federal Government" by shifting the focus from activities and processes to results and outcomes.

D. This is incorrect. A primary purpose of GPRA is to "improve Federal program effectiveness and public accountability by promoting a new focus on results, service quality, and customer satisfaction."

1. Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, Public Law 103-62. Section 2, "Findings and Purposes," (b) Purposes. This section explicitly lists the purposes of the Act.

Purpose (3): "improve Federal program effectiveness and public accountability..." (Supports that D is a purpose).

Purpose (4): "help Federal managers improve service delivery..." (Supports that A is a purpose).

Purpose (6): "improve internal management of the Federal Government." (Supports that B is a purpose).

The text does not list "providing instructions on program reporting" as a foundational purpose.

2. U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). (2011). MANAGING FOR RESULTS: GPRA Modernization Act Provides Opportunities to Help Address Government's Fiscal, Performance, and Management Challenges. GAO-11-466T. Page 3. The report summarizes the original purposes of GPRA, stating it was intended to "improve federal program effectiveness and public accountability... help federal managers improve service delivery... and improve internal management." This reaffirms that A, B, and D are core purposes.

3. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). (2023). Circular No. A-11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget. Part 6, Section 200.2. This document, which provides the detailed instructions for implementing GPRA, states its purpose is to "provide instructions on performance management and strategic reviews to implement the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010." This shows that the instructions are provided in OMB guidance, separate from the foundational purposes of the Act itself.