RD436 - The Virginia Report 2016


Executive Summary:
*This report was replaced in its entirety by the Council on Virginia's Future on November 9, 2016.

This report was prepared pursuant to § 2.2-2686 of the Code of Virginia, which requires the Council on Virginia’s Future to develop and submit annually to the General Assembly and the Governor a balanced accountability scorecard containing an assessment related to these questions:

• How is Virginia doing?
• Are we getting results on our highest priorities?
• Are we improving government services and operations?

This report presents a high-level assessment of Virginia’s progress in areas that are important to its quality of life; it is based on and complements information contained in Virginia Performs. It is issued annually to help track progress over time, to highlight challenges, and to provide analytic information for leadership and decision-making.

The main report consists of seven chapters, including this introduction. The next chapter, A Profile of Virginia, provides a brief snapshot of Virginia and its people.

The third chapter provides a brief overview of Virginia Performs, the state’s performance management and accountability system, which serves as both the underlying structure and source for most of data presented in this report. This is followed by a fourth chapter, How Is Virginia Doing?, that examines the progress being made toward the Commonwealth’s long-term goals via the 44 indicators outlined in the Virginia Performs Scorecard at a Glance. This chapter also includes a review of regional performance across the state.

Chapter 5 answers the question: Are We Getting Results On Our Highest Priorities? The first part discusses Virginia’s progress on key issues as summarized through three issue-focused report cards: Workforce System, State Government Operations, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The second part presents Governor McAuliffe’s Enterprise Strategic Priorities, a significant enhancement to Virginia Performs that aims to strengthen planning and strategic implementation across the enterprise.

This is followed by the chapter, Are We Improving Government Services and Operations?, which includes a multi-page table summarizing state agency progress toward key performance objectives.

The final chapter, Council Areas of Emphasis, includes a brief introduction to the Council on Virginia’s Future and a summary of its body of work, which includes the ongoing development and maintenance of Virginia Performs.