RD1 - Annual Report of the Performance Management Advisory Committee - August 5, 2001


Executive Summary:
Virginia's performance management efforts date to the early 1980's when goals and measures were required to be provided by state agencies as part of their budget submissions. Virginia's current performance management system has been operational since 1995. It is comprised of four, linked processes: strategic planning, performance measurement, program evaluation, and performance budgeting.

In the 2000 legislative session, HB 1065 amended § 2.1-391 of the Code of Virginia, establishing a Performance Management Advisory Committee to provide input regarding the direction and results of the state's performance management efforts. The Advisory Committee met several times over the past year to review Virginia's current performance management system, discuss best practices within the Commonwealth, and develop recommendations for future action. The following is a summary of the opportunities and recommendations developed by Virginia's Performance Management Advisory Committee:

Opportunities and Recommendations

PUBLIC ASSURANCE
The public should be assured that their tax dollars are spent as intended and that government programs and services are provided in the most effective and efficient way.

Recommendation #1: Create opportunities for citizens to provide input on program performance changes and improvements.

Recommendation #2: Enable public review of agency/program effectiveness.

LEADERSHIP
Competent leadership that is knowledgeable of organizational performance management tools and committed to using them for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government services is critical to creating and sustaining an effective organizational performance management system.

Recommendation #3: Provide organizational performance management training and technical assistance for executive and legislative branch decision makers and staff.

Recommendation #4: Ensure that all major executive branch agencies have publicly available strategic plans and performance measures linked to the plans as required by state guidelines. These should be reviewed and approved by the appropriate Cabinet Secretaries.

Recommendation #5: Develop a system that identifies, communicates, and supports superior organizational performance management practices throughout state executive and legislative branch agencies.

ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
The organizational performance management system should provide state government with clarity of direction and a mechanism to monitor, evaluate, and improve the effectiveness of its programs and services.

Recommendation #6: Clarify the identified primary users of organizational performance management information, their specific information needs, and how they intend to use the information. This requires open, regular dialogue with senior decision makers and staff within and between the offices of the Governor, cabinet secretaries, agency heads, and General Assembly.

Recommendation #7: Ensure that organizational performance management systems are directly related to identified primary users of organizational performance management information, their specific information needs, and how they intend to use the information. Users can include citizens, legislators, money committee staff, executive branch decision makers, and other appropriate legislative and executive personnel.

Recommendation #8: Systematically assess the usefulness of the states' organizational performance management systems to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency.

Recommendation #9: Develop a process that systematically and regularly assesses all performance measures reported by executive and legislative branch agencies for validity, completeness, and accuracy.

Recommendation #10: Maintain a balanced emphasis on using performance information to improve the efficiency, quality, and effectiveness of government services and using the information to enhance accountability of state agencies and programs.

Recommendation #11: Develop agency incentives for using performance information to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their programs.

Recommendation #12: Consider requiring agencies to provide public notice that they will be changing their publicly reported strategic plans and/or performance measures.

COMMUNICATION
The organizational performance management system should build informed audiences, including citizens and members of the executive and legislative branch agencies.

Recommendation #13: Increase dialogue and collaboration between the legislative and executive branches regarding the uses and needs of organizational performance management information.

Recommendation #14: Ensure that a broad range of performance information on the effectiveness and efficiency of state programs is publicly accessible.

Recommendation #15: Consider adding additional features on Virginia Results, including the creation of discussion forums, listing upcoming training events, recognizing agencies that excel in using organizational performance management tools and information, and listing best organizational performance management practices.

Recommendation #16: Consider requiring all executive and legislative branch agencies to develop communication strategies.

HUMAN CAPITAL
State organizational performance management systems should directly support strengthening the results-orientation of government. This can be accomplished by providing incentives for improved performance, training to enhance the competency of the state's workforce to provide efficient, effective, and high quality services, along with other efforts.

Recommendation #17: Create incentives that support and recognize the use of organizational performance management systems to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government services. Incentives can take the form of increased flexibility, public recognition, and/or additional funding.

Recommendation #18: Consider offering awards for exemplary design and implementation of organizational performance management systems at the agency or program level, and/or superior performance by agency programs, leadership, and staff.

Recommendation #19: Provide regular training in organizational performance management practices to at-will personnel so that the training accommodates the skill and information needs of these personnel.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENTADVISORY COMMTITEE (PMAC)
PMAC should work to ensure that the Commonwealth's organizational performance management systems are operationally useful and continually improving.

Recommendation #20: Define a set of key outcomes that the PMAC is seeking to achieve and regularly measure progress toward these outcomes.

Recommendation #21: Include in the annual PMAC report a ranking of the degree to which PMAC recommendations from the prior year have been implemented (using the following four point scale: not implemented, partially implemented, mostly implemented, fully implemented).