Measuring Success: Using Data to Inform
Decisions
Kathryn Vesey White
Senior Policy Analyst
NASBO
August 21, 2015
2
 Based on state
budget officer group
discussions and
state-specific case
studies
▫ Funding support
provided by Annie E.
Casey Foundation
www.nasbo.org
3
 Expanded data
collected on
performance
measurement and
budgeting
▫ Based on survey of
state budget offices
conducted in Fall 2014
www.nasbo.org
4
Performance Budgeting at the State Level
# of States
What Budget Approach is Used by States?
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Incremental
Line-item
Primary
Program
Performance
Secondary
Only 3 states
use as their
primary
approach, but
25 others say
they use to
complement
ZBB or
their primary
Modified
budget
ZBB
methodology
Source: NASBO, Budget Processes in the States (Spring 2015)
www.nasbo.org
5
# of States
Collecting and Reporting Performance Measures is
Often a Collaborative Process
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
35
29
29
23
11
7
4
6
Manage Performance Measure
Collection & Reporting
Budget Agency
Governor's Office
8
6
Determine Performance Measures
to Report
Legislature
Agency
Other
Source: NASBO, Budget Processes in the States (Spring 2015)
www.nasbo.org
6
Performance Measures Have Many Applications
45
42
39
40
35
# of States
35
34
30
25
22
20
15
10
6
5
0
Program
Management
Program
Evaluation
Appointee
Oversight
Strategic
Planning
Inform
Executive
Budget
Inform
Appropriations
Source: NASBO, Budget Processes in the States (Spring 2015)
www.nasbo.org
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Agency Engagement and Buy-In
 Top leadership’s involvement is key
 Show agencies how they can use performance
data to improve their programs
 Focus on building capacity and improving
outcomes, not cutting budgets
 Staff training is critical
▫ 9 states provide performance budgeting training
regularly to non-budget agency staff
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Role of the Legislature
 Performance budgeting legislation can
promote continuity
▫ 31 states have a statutory requirement for
performance measures in place
 Getting lawmakers to actually use information
is difficult
▫ 22 states reported that performance measures
are used to inform legislative appropriations
 Building relationship between executive
branch and legislative fiscal staff can help
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Purpose and Design
 Performance measures should be limited in
number but not too narrow
 Use a combination of different types of measures
▫ 30 states reported collecting all of the following types
of measures: input, output, outcome and efficiency
 Other “good government” efforts can be linked to
and enhance performance budgeting initiative
 Integrate performance measures fully into
budgeting and strategic planning
www.nasbo.org
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Sustaining the Initiative
 Implementation will not happen overnight
 Performance budgeting does not yield
“answers” – rather, it helps you ask the
right questions and serves as an
informative tool
 Allow initiative to evolve and don’t impose
a “one-size-fits-all” model
www.nasbo.org
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www.nasbo.org
Kathryn Vesey White
Senior Policy Analyst
NASBO
202-624-5949
kwhite@nasbo.org
www.nasbo.org