dThe Department of Justice (DOJ) is headed by the Attorney General of the United States, and during FY 2002 was comprised of 39 separate component organizations. These included the U.S. Attorneys (USAs) who prosecute offenders and represent the United States Government in court; the major investigative agencies-the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-which prevent and deter crime and arrest criminal suspects; the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) which controls the border and provides services to lawful immigrants; the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) which protects the federal judiciary, apprehends fugitives and detains persons in federal custody; and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) which confines convicted offenders and prepares them for reentry into society. Litigating divisions enforce federal criminal and civil laws, including civil rights, tax, antitrust, environmental, and civil justice statutes. The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) provide leadership and assistance to state, tribal, and local governments. Other major departmental components include the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), the United States Trustees (UST), the Justice Management Division (JMD), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Community Relations Service (CRS), the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Although headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Department conducts much of its work in offices located throughout the country and overseas.
In FY 2003, DOJ will transition INS and several DOJ functions, including portions FBI and OJP to the newly created Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Also, in FY 2003 the employees and functions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) will join DOJ.
"Defending our nation and the citizens of America against terrorist
attacks is now our first and overriding priority. To fulfill this mission, we
are devoting all the resources necessary to eliminate terrorist networks, prevent
terrorist attacks, and bring to justice those who kill American's in the name
of murderous ideologies."
- Attorney General John Ashcroft
The Attorney General, through his Strategic Management Council, developed the Strategic Plan and reviews each budget considering the goals and objectives of the plan. The attacks of September 11, 2001 redefined the mission of the Department of Justice. Defending our nation and defending the citizens of America against terrorist attacks became the first and overriding priority of the Department of Justice. Since that time, the Department has refocused its resources and has taken steps that reflect the new realities of protecting America's Constitutional rights from threats, foreign and domestic, that would rob us of our basic liberties.
With the release of the Department's most recent Strategic Plan on November 8, 2001, the Attorney General announced ten major management goals to enhance the ability of the Department to meet its counterterrorism mission. These goals seek to restructure and reorganize many functions and responsibilities of the Department and realign resources to support critical tasks, while continuing to vigorously enforce the laws of the United States, they are: 1) Develop Performance-Based, mission focused Leadership; 2) Streamline, eliminate or consolidate duplicative functions; 3) Focus resources on front-line positions; 4) Reform the FBI; 5) Restructure the INS & EOIR; 6) Restructure OJP and reform grant management; 7) Coordinate internal and external communications and outreach; 8) Improve Department-wide financial performance; 9) Strengthen hiring, training, and diversity; and 10) Utilize technology to improve government. Accomplishments toward these goals are interwoven into the Strategic Goals for the Department.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107?296), transfers INS from DOJ to
the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. This document reports INS'
performance for FY 2002 and discontinues all performance measures for
FY 2003 and FY 2004. Also, as a result of the provisions of the Act, the law enforcement
functions of the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
will transfer to DOJ. The mission of the renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms,
and Explosives (ATF) is to deter and investigate violations of law relating to
alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives, and arson. ATF will be focusing its efforts
on law enforcement and coordinating closely with FBI, DEA, and other DOJ components
to investigate firearm violations, explosives thefts, and other crimes. Although
ATF is not yet reflected in the Department's Strategic Plan, a separate section
of this combined Report and Plan (Appendix A) outlines
ATF's FY 2003 and
FY 2004 performance plan and requested resources (budget and personnel).
The Department of Justice, through the leadership of the Attorney General, fully embraces performance-based management. At the heart of performance-based management is the idea that focusing on mission, agreeing on goals, and reporting results are key to achieving the Department's highest potential and delivering the greatest service to the American public. Significant strides have been made in the development of outcome oriented performance measures in the areas of immigration and drug law enforcement efforts. In addition, the Department realigned its budget to its mission an effort to present a formal performance-based budget. The FY 2004 budget clearly presents the resources (budget and personnel) and associated performance expectations for each major activity within each component.
| DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Mission, Values and Goals |
||
| MISSION STATEMENT |
"To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; administer and enforce the nation's immigration laws fairly and effectively; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans." | |
| CORE VALUES | Equal Justice Under the Law. Upholding the laws of the United States is the solemn responsibility entrusted to us by the American people. We enforce these laws fairly and uniformly to ensure that all Americans receive equal protection and justice under the law. Honesty and Integrity. We adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior. Commitment to Excellence. We seek to provide the highest levels of service to the American people. We are effective and responsible stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. Respect for the Worth and Dignity of Each Human Being. We treat each other and those we serve with fairness, dignity, and compassion. We value differences in people and ideas. We are committed to the well-being of our employees and to providing opportunities for individual growth and development. | |
| STRATEGIC GOALS |
Goal 1: | PROTECT AMERICA AGAINST THE THREAT OF TERRORISM |
| Goal 2: | ENFORCE FEDERAL CRIMINAL LAWS | |
| Goal 3: | PREVENT AND REDUCE CRIME AND VIOLENCE BY ASSISTING STATE, TRIBAL, LOCAL, AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS | |
| Goal 4: | PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BY LEGAL REPRESENTATION, ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL LAWS AND DEFENSE OF U.S. INTERESTS | |
| Goal 5: | FAIRLY AND EFFECTIVELY ADMINISTER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES | |
| Goal 6: | PROTECT AMERICAN SOCIETY BY PROVIDING FOR THE SAFE, HUMANE AND SECURE CONFINEMENT OF PERSONS IN FEDERAL CUSTODY | |
| Goal 7: | PROTECT THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY AND PROVIDE CRITICAL SUPPORT TO THE FEDERAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO ENSURE IT OPERATES EFFECTIVELY | |
| Goal 8: | ENSURE PROFESSIONALISM, EXCELLENCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND INTEGRITY IN THE MANAGEMENT AND CONDUCT OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS | |
Congress has mandated performance-based management through a series of bipartisan statutory reforms. The centerpiece of this statutory framework is the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 (P.L. 103-62). The GPRA requires agencies to develop strategic plans that identify their long range strategic goals and objectives; annual plans that set forth corresponding annual goals and indicators of performance; and annual reports that describe the actual levels of performance achieved compared to the annual goal.
Our mission is embedded in public law. Our core values and identified strategic
goals and objectives are outlined within The Department of Justice
FY 2001-2006 Strategic Plan (available on the Internet at http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/mps/strategic2001-2006/toc.htm).
The Strategic Plan identifies eight overarching strategic goals the Department
pursues in carrying out its mission. The Strategic Plan also sets forth long-term
objectives and strategies, identifies crosscutting programs, and describes external
factors that may affect goal achievement. Our annual performance goals are identical
to the strategic objectives. For the most part, these goals are not self-measuring,
that is, the goal statements will not include a target value of performance. Instead,
one or more performance indicators are associated with each goal. These indicators
provide the specific values or characteristics that enable the goal to be measured.
In some instances, performance indicators focus on outputs or intermediate outcomes
that reflect incremental progress toward a strategic objective. For the purposes
of this document, broadly stated goals and objectives from our Strategic Plan
provide the framework for specific annualized performance goals (or targets) linked
to the Department's annual planning, reporting and budgeting activities.
At DOJ, performance planning and reporting is companion to the budget process. We recognize that performance information is vital to making resource allocation decisions and should be an integral part of the budget. In presenting performance information with the budget, individual Performance/Resource Tables are included in the budget requests of the Department's components. These tables provide detailed information on each major activity within a component program and constitute the foundation of the Department's annual plans.
This document, prepared pursuant to the requirements under GPRA, combines the Department of Justice Annual Performance Report for FY 2002, the Revised Final Annual Performance Plan for FY 2003, and the Annual Performance Plan for FY 2004. Combining our report on past accomplishments with our plans for the upcoming years provides the reader a useful, complete and integrated picture of our current performance, a preview of our future goals, and a summary of how our budget is expended. This combined annual performance report and plan incorporates a number of changes that reflect the goals, objectives, and strategies of Attorney General Ashcroft, including a heightened focus on counterterrorism efforts. This document represents another step forward in the continuing efforts of the Department of Justice to implement the tenets of performance-based management at the heart of the GPRA. Further, this document addresses the goals outlined in the President's Management Agenda, addresses major management challenges, satisfies the requirements for the Attorney General's Annual Report, and serves as a complementary document to the FY 2002 Department of Justice Performance and Accountability Report (available on the Internet at http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/annualreports/ar2002/index.html).
This document presents to the President, the Congress, and the public a clear picture of how the DOJ has used, and is planning to use, its resources to accomplish its mission. The body of the document is divided into nine sections, one for each of the eight strategic goals listed above, and one section that addresses the goals of the President's Management Agenda. (As previously mentioned, Appendix A addresses the FY 2003 and FY 2004 performance plan for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.)
Each strategic objective is further divided into two sections. The first is a summary discussion of the strategic goal including an introduction to the responsible components, a summary of performance and related resources (actual obligations are reported for FY 2002, and requested levels for FY 2003 and FY 2004), details regarding the skills and information technology required to achieve each strategic goal, and a discussion of program evaluations. The second section further divides the strategic objective into manageable "performance clusters" that can be measured and described in detail. Each subsection provides a background discussion of the program objective, addresses past and future performance contributing to the accomplishment of the strategic objective, discusses the strategies to achieve targeted performance, highlights how the public benefits from our efforts, and outlines the crosscutting activities essential to the success of the objective.
Throughout FY 2002, the Department continued to improve our measures by establishing performance goals and indicators reflecting results, not just workload or processes. For example, we focused law enforcement efforts on disrupting and dismantling targeted criminal groups, such as major drug trafficking organizations, Asian and Eurasian criminal enterprises, and major violent gangs. In the area of immigration, we identified the number of illegal aliens entering and residing in the U.S. In the area of illegal drugs, we have identified the drug supply available for consumption in the U.S. In areas, such as litigation, where results-oriented measurement is particularly difficult, we developed a new measure that will capture our efforts toward a reduction in crime and we will keep working to establish meaningful outcome-oriented goals and measures.
Although it is difficult to measure, the results of our enforcement and litigation efforts create a safer environment for the American public, especially when crime is deterred due to the presence of a highly effective enforcement capacity. While measuring deterrence may be impossible, we have introduced the concept of "optimal deterrence" as an indicator of our state of readiness to thwart present and future threats.
Measuring law enforcement performance presents unique challenges. Success for the Department is highlighted when justice is served fairly and impartially and the public is protected. In many areas, our efforts cannot be reduced to simplistic numerical counts of activities such as convictions. Therefore, although the Department provides retrospective data on a limited number of these activities, it does not target levels of performance. The Department is concerned that doing so would lead to unintended and potentially adverse consequences.
Additionally, it is extremely difficult to isolate the effects of our work from other factors that affect outcomes over which the Department of Justice has little or no control. Although during the last 7 years the annual violent crime rate has decreased by about 50 percent, the Department does not rely on this macro-level indicator in measuring its performance. Many factors contribute to the rise and fall of the crime rates, including federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement activities and sociological, economic, and other factors. Instead, we have focused on more targeted indicators such as those described above.
Performance measurement is an iterative process. We strive to present the highest-level outcome-oriented measures available. Each year, measures are replaced, refined or discontinued due to a number of reasons, some of which are outside of the control of the Department. For example, a number of measures have been discontinued this year because in FY 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and several other Department functions related to counterterrorism and homeland security, are moving to the Department of Homeland Security.
Overall, changes in performance measurement fall into four categories: Measurement Refined - the display has been modified slightly as better data have become available; Discontinued Measure - the measure has been replaced completely with a better measure, the function is being transferred out of DOJ, or there are data issues that prevent continued reporting; New Measure - this measure is new to the plan and report; Title Changes - the title has been modified for clarity, however, the reported data remains unchanged.
DOJ views data reliability, validity, and validation as critically important in the planning and assessment of our performance. This document contains a discussion of data validation and verification below each performance measure. Within the discussion, the component displays trend data back to 1999 (when available), the name, source and type of system used in the collection and reporting of data, as well as identification of external data sources that have been used (if applicable). In addition, to ensure that data contained in this document are reliable, each reporting component was surveyed to ensure that data reported met the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standard for data reliability. Data that do not meet this standard have been discontinued due to data collection and/or reporting inadequacies or were not included in the report and plan. The OMB standard is as follows:
"Performance data is acceptably reliable when there is neither a refusal nor a marked reluctance by agency managers or government decision makers to use the data in carrying our their responsibilities. Performance data need not be perfect to be reliable, and the cost and effort to secure the performance data possibly can exceed the value of any data so obtained." — OMB Circular No. A-11 (2002), Section 231-15
With the introduction of the President's Management Agenda, the importance of addressing management challenges, and the introduction of the OMB PART process, our report continues to evolve.
The President's Management Agenda- A new section has been added to the combined performance report and plan addressing the five government wide management improvement strategies within the President's Management Agenda, as well as one identified initiative, they are: 1) Strategic Management of Human Capital; 2) Competitive Sourcing; 3) Improved Financial Management; 4) Expanded Electronic Government; 5) Budget and Performance Integration; and the Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The Department recognizes the importance of performance-based management and the efficient and economic delivery of desired results. Therefore, we are committed to effective and efficient operation with maximum accountability in all areas of operation. The Department has outlined strategies, milestones, and metrics to measure the progress made in each of the PMA areas identified, please see the PMA section for details.
Addressing Management Challenges- In addition, the Department is committed to resolving the management challenges facing the Department. This combined performance report and plan gives particular attention to the major management challenges and identified weaknesses confronting the Department (Appendix B). Management challenges are a collection of issues included in the OIG Top Ten Management Challenges, the Presidential Management Agenda, and issues that the Attorney General has reported to the President on DOJ's Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA).
Management challenges run the gamut from maintaining the security of information systems to ensuring sound financial management. They include areas of concern that bear significantly on how well the Department carries out its mission and meets its responsibilities as stewards of public funds. Note that the OIG's ten management challenges may or may not be considered material weaknesses by the Department. The OIG list includes issues, such as grants management, that is inherently risky due to the amount of public funds involved and large volume of grantees. Even though some of the challenges may not be a problem for DOJ at this time, they require a high level of continuing attention to ensure the resources involved are used appropriately.
OMB's PART Process- In an effort to support the President's budget and performance management initiative within the PMA, the OMB has developed an analytic assessment tool called PART (Program Assessment Rating Tool). The following DOJ programs were assessed under the PART process during FY 2002: BOP; DEA; FBI's Cybercrime and White Collar Crime program; INS Immigration Services; OJP's Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Weed and Seed, Drug Courts and the Juvenile Accountability Block Grants; and the COPS program. We are using the results of these assessments in our continuing efforts to improve DOJ programs and aid in the development of long-term performance measures.
The Department's Intellectual Property Report is included in Appendix C. Appendix D contains the Index of Justice Component websites, and Appendix E contains the Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms.