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

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

in 2002 to rate all federal programs on their effectiveness. As of July 2008, 98 percent of all federal programs have been reviewed.

History

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.

Utilization

President Bush used the rating tool to partially justify cuts or elimination of 150 programs in his 2006 FY budget.

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

Reception

Reaction from the United States Congress has been mixed. Scholars at the Heritage Foundation support the program and its potential to reduce the size of government. 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.