Vince Lombardi and federal management

At a hearing May 10 on the implementation of the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) evoked the memory of a legendary sports figure to add some color to his opening statement. 

Carper referred to a popular saying by Vince Lombardi – head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s and namesake of the NFL's championship trophy – to illustrate the importance of the new law’s requirement that federal agencies set measurable performance goals.

“Vince Lombardi use to say if you’re not keeping score, you’re just practicing,” Carper said. “We haven’t been doing a very good job of setting clear goals for federal programs. We’ve not been doing a very good job of keeping score either. It’s time we get into the game and play for real.”