Performance and Accountability Report Fiscal Year 2008
Management's Discussion and Analysis

Performance Goal 1: Optimize Patent Quality and Timeliness

Patent Quality

Quality improvement continues to drive many of the Patent organization’s new initiatives. The Patent organization continues to improve the quality of its products and services using in-depth reviews of work in progress and enhanced end-process reviews to provide feedback to examiners on areas for improvement, targeted training, and safeguards to ensure competencies. The in-process compliance rate is the percentage of applications reviewed during prosecution and prior to allowance that were found to be free of errors. The allowance compliance rate is the percentage of reviewed applications allowed by examiners that did not have any errors.

Measure: Patent Allowance Compliance Rate
FISCAL YEAR	TARGET	ACTUAL
2005	96.0%	95.4%
2006	96.0%	96.5%
2007	96.0%	96.5%
2008	96.0%	96.3%
Target Met.

Measure: Patent In-Process Examination Compliance Rate
FISCAL YEAR	TARGET	ACTUAL
2005	84.0%	86.2%
2006	86.0%	90.0%
2007	90.0%	92.2%
2008	92.0%	92.5%
Target Met.

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Allowance Compliance Rate and Patent In-Process Examination Compliance Rate

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Allowance Compliance Rate and Patent In-Process Examination Compliance Rate
Data source:	Office of Patent Quality Review Report
Frequency:	Daily input, monthly reporting
Data storage:	Automated systems, reports
Verification:	Manual reports and analysis
Data Limitations:	None

Patent Pendency

The two primary measures of Patent organization processing time are: (1) average first action pendency, which measures the average time in months from filing until an examiner’s initial determination is made of the patentability of an invention; and (2) average total pendency, which measures the average time in months from filing until the application is issued as a patent or abandoned by the applicant. The USPTO is implementing strategies to reduce patent pendency and the backlog of applications awaiting examination such as increased hiring and process changes. However, even with continued access to the funding required to successfully execute these strategies, pendency will continue to rise for a period of time, but not to the extent it would have if these actions were not taken.

Measure: Patent Average First Action Pendency
FISCAL YEAR	TARGET (Months)	ACTUAL (Months)
2005	21.3	21.1
2006	22.0	22.6
2007	23.7	25.3
2008	26.9	25.6
Target Met.

Measure: Patent Average Total Pendency
FISCAL YEAR	TARGET (Months)	ACTUAL (Months)
2005	31.0	29.1
2006	31.3	31.1
2007	33.0	31.9
2008	34.7	32.2
Target Met.

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Average First Action Pendency and Patent Average Total Pendency

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Average First Action Pendency and Patent Average Total Pendency
Data source:	PALM system
Frequency:	Daily input, monthly reporting
Data storage:	PALM, automated systems, reports
Verification:	Accuracy of supporting data is controlled through internal program edits in the PALM system. Final test for reasonableness is performed internally by patent examiners, supervisors, and program management analysts
Data Limitations:	None

Patent E-Filing

The USPTO also created a fully electronic patent application management process whereby all patent examiners, technical support staff, and adjunct users can access an electronic image of all patent applications.

Measure: Patent Applications Filed Electronically
FISCAL YEAR	TARGET	ACTUAL
2005	4.0%	2.2%
2006	10.0%	14.2%
2007	40.0%	49.3%
2008	69.0%	72.1%¹
Target Met.
1: This is preliminary data and is expected to be final by December 2008 and will be reported in the fiscal year (FY) 2009 PAR. (back to text)

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Applications Filed Electronically

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Applications Filed Electronically
Data source:	PALM system
Frequency:	Daily input, quarterly reporting
Data storage:	PALM and automated systems
Verification:	Accuracy of supporting data is controlled through internal program edits in PALM and crosschecks against other automated system
Data Limitations:	None

Patent Efficiency

Measures the relative cost-effectiveness of the entire patent examination process over time, or the efficiency with which the organization applies its resources to production.

Measure: Patent Efficiency
FISCAL YEAR	TARGET	ACTUAL
2005	$4,122	$3,877
2006	$4,214	$3,798
2007	$4,253	$3,961
2008	$3,982	$3,773
Target Met.

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Efficiency

Data Verification and Validation for Patent Efficiency
Data source:	PALM system
Frequency:	Daily input, quarterly reporting
Data storage:	PALM, Data Warehouse, Activity Based Management (ABM) System
Verification:	Accuracy of supporting data is controlled through internal program edits in PALM, Momentum, ABM System. Quality control review of data by ABC System and Program Business Teams
Data Limitations:	None

< Previous Page | Next Page >

Is there a question about what the USPTO can or cannot do that you cannot find an answer for? Send questions about USPTO programs and services to the USPTO Contact Center (UCC). You can suggest USPTO webpages or material you would like featured on this section by E-mail to the webmaster@uspto.gov. While we cannot promise to accommodate all requests, your suggestions will be considered and may lead to other improvements on the website.