What is a key purpose of the Performance and Accountability Report (PAR)?

The Performance and Accountability Report (PAR) serves a crucial role in enhancing transparency and accountability within government agencies. One of its primary functions is to assess how well an agency is performing in relation to its established goals and objectives. This involves evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the programs executed by the agency, measuring outcomes, and determining whether the agency is achieving its intended results.

By focusing on performance relative to specific targets, the PAR enables stakeholders—including policymakers, citizens, and oversight bodies—to gauge whether public resources are being used effectively and if the agency is making progress. This process is essential for fostering a culture of accountability, as it provides a mechanism for evaluating success and identifying areas for improvement.

Other options, while potentially related to governmental operations, do not align with the core objective of the PAR. For instance, predicting future budgets or presenting national economic data falls outside the scope of the PAR's focus on performance measurement and accountability. Similarly, evaluating staffing levels, though important for operational analysis, is not a central purpose of the PAR.