RD25 - Council on Virginia’s Future Annual Executive Summary - December 2011


Executive Summary:
Introduction

This report was prepared pursuant to § 2.2-2689 of the Code of Virginia, which requires the Council on Virginia’s Future to provide an executive summary of the activities and work of the Council annually to the Governor and the General Assembly.

This document provides a brief introduction to the Council and Virginia Performs, the Commonwealth’s performance leadership and accountability system. Included is a discussion of recent accomplishments and the enhancements underway in three focus areas (assessment, performance, and productivity improvement) and activities related to the development of special issues. More information is available on the Council’s website ( http://www.future.virginia.gov).

Background

The Council on Virginia’s Future, which is chaired by the Governor and comprised of state, business, and community leaders, was established by the 2003 General Assembly to advise Virginia’s leaders on the development and implementation of a roadmap for Virginia’s future.

The Council is committed to improving the quality of life and the effectiveness of state government in Virginia. The Council works to create these improvements by:

• Providing a long-term focus on high-priority issues;

• Creating an environment for improved policy and budget decision-making;

• Increasing government performance, accountability, and transparency; and

• Engaging citizens in dialogue about Virginia’s future.

The Council began its work in 2003 by designing the Roadmap for Virginia’s Future (Figure 1), a model for improving performance leadership and accountability in state government.

The Council then began working with its partners to set long-term goals for the Commonwealth and to develop a performance leadership and accountability system that would help ensure that state government is both efficient and effective in improving outcomes and the quality of life for Virginians.

The performance leadership and accountability system establishes a vision-driven, disciplined approach for encouraging collaboration, facilitating change, setting policies, making decisions, and ensuring accountability for producing positive results for citizens. It starts with a shared vision for Virginia – one of responsible economic growth, an enviable quality of life, good government, and a well-educated citizenry prepared to lead successful lives and to be engaged in shaping the future of the Commonwealth. It enables state leaders to manage government with Virginia’s long-term future in mind.

Long-term goals further define the vision by describing specific desirable outcomes. Seven goals have been established for Virginia. Six of the goals are outwardly (i.e., citizen-customer) focused and address quality-of-life issues, while the seventh is focused on the efficiency and effectiveness of state government operations.

The vision and high-level goals established by Council and championed by the Governor serve as a compass to guide state government decisions and actions.

The Council’s statutory authority (§ 2.2-2683 et seq. of the Code of Virginia) outlines three core components of the performance leadership and accountability system:

Assessment: Effective measurement and analysis of outcomes and productivity

Performance: Outcome-driven, performance-based planning and budgeting processes

Productivity Improvement: Innovative methods for improving efficiency and effectiveness

These three interrelated elements represent the core of the Council’s scope of work and continue to evolve. A fourth element – roadmap and special issues development – includes the Council’s focus on longer-term issues critical to Virginia’s prosperity and well-being.