The Program Assessment Rating Tool, or PART, is a program run through the United States Office of Management and Budget instituted by President George W. Bush in 2002 to rate all federal programs on their effectiveness. As of July 2008, 98 percent of all federal programs have been reviewed.
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The PART was introduced in the 2004 Fiscal Year Federal budget, and explained by the Bush Administration as a program that built upon previous efforts of American Presidents to make sure federal programs were accountable and achieved results.[1]
President Bush used the rating tool to partially justify cuts or elimination of 150 programs in his 2006 FY budget.[2]
| Result | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective | 6% | 11% | 15% | 15% | 17% | 19% | |
| Moderately Effective | 24% | 26% | 26% | 29% | 30% | 32% | |
| Adequate | 15% | 20% | 26% | 28% | 28% | 29% | |
| Ineffective | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% | |
| Results Not Demonstrated | 50% | 38% | 29% | 24% | 22% | 17% | |
| Total Programs Reviewed | 234 | 407 | 607 | 793 | 977 | 1017 |
Reaction from the United States Congress has been mixed.[3] Scholars at the Heritage Foundation support the program and its potential to reduce the size of government.[4] The program won the 2005 Government Innovators Network Award, noting that the programs reception has led to similar program evaluation systems in Scotland and Thailand.[5]