Overview

The Accountability Scorecard evaluates agency performance and overall progress in processing environmental reviews and authorization decisions for major infrastructure projects (as defined in Section 3(e) of Executive Order 13807) and achieving the objectives of the Modernize Infrastructure Permitting Cross-Agency Priority Goal. The performance accountability system requires agencies to report data on different performance indicators including whether they are jointly and cooperatively processing environmental reviews and making authorization decisions using the One Federal Decision framework, whether major infrastructure projects have complete permitting timetables, whether they are meeting major milestone target dates, whether agencies establish and use a process to elevate schedule delay issues to senior agency officials, and the time and cost to complete environmental reviews and make decisions. OMB will review agencies’ performance at least once each quarter and will publish on the Permitting Dashboard, a quarterly scorecard of agency performance on meeting these performance indicators.

FY 2020, Quarter 1 Highlights

The scorecard for FY 2020, Quarter 1 evaluates data agencies submitted to the Permitting Dashboard from October – December 2019. 

New Performance Indicators - Time to Complete and Meeting Milestones:

For the first time, the scorecards include information about the length of time it takes to complete the environmental review and authorization decision process for major infrastructure projects (MIPs) and whether major milestones for those projects were completed on time. The average time to complete the Environment Impact Statement (EIS) for three MIPs was 23.6 months, measured from the issuance of the Notice of Intent to the issuance of the Record of Decision (ROD). Of those EIS’s, two were completed behind schedule due to reasons outside the Federal government’s control and one was completed behind schedule due to reasons within the Federal government’s control.

Major Infrastructure Projects:

Federal agencies initiated the environmental review process for six additional major infrastructure projects (MIP) during the last quarter. There are now 39 MIPs being tracked on the Permitting Dashboard and assessed under the accountability system which include sectors such as surface transportation (highways), aviation, renewable energy (wind and solar), conventional energy (oil and gas), water resources, ports and waterways, and pipelines.

Permitting Timetable Completeness:

26 of 39 MIPs have complete permitting timetables (i.e., all relevant project actions and milestone target dates are listed) published on the Permitting Dashboard. 6 project timetables were not updated this quarter while 3 project timetables were incomplete and 2 projects failed to publish a timetable. 2 projects are currently paused and will have timetables updated once the projects are back in progress.

One Federal Decision Implementation: 

Lead agencies reported that all 39 MIPs are using the One Federal Decision framework to jointly and cooperatively process the environmental reviews and make authorization decisions.  Of those projects, lead agencies have granted 8 projects an exception to the requirement to issue a single Record of Decision, but has reported it is planning to implement all other relevant aspects of One Federal Decision.