Skip to main content
 
  • Click to open or close the program search boxShow Me Programs
    • Show me the programs that are
      performing Go
    • Show me the programs that are
      not performing Go
ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

View Assessment Details

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Patents

The purpose of the program is to issue patents. Patents provide protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions.

Rating

What This Rating Means

PERFORMING
Adequate

This rating describes a program that needs to set more ambitious goals, achieve better results, improve accountability or strengthen its management practices.
  • The patent program has made adequate progress achieving its long-term goals. Pendency, or the time to examine an application and issue a patent, remains high at 30 months, and approximately 500,000 patent applications await examination.
  • The program developed an aggressive strategic plan with several reforms to address performance problems. The program has made progress, including implementing electronic filing and processing of patent applications, as well as other initiatives to improve the quality of patents.
  • The program uses activity-based cost accounting to manage and tracks unit cost information. Detailed data on productivity, pendency, quality, and financial performance are regularly collected and used by managers.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • Investing in strategic plan initiatives to improve patent pendency, quality, and implementation of e-government.
  • Incorporating cost-efficiency targets into manager performance plans.

Learn More
The content on ExpectMore.gov is developed by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and Federal agencies.