9. Performance Management

With a focus on people-centered government, Arizona is leading efforts to drive transformational change for those that we serve by integrating outcome-oriented and people-centered metrics across our performance reporting ecosystem. This model aligns and connects agency strategic execution and performance tracking directly to the statewide priorities focused on improving the shared long-term outcomes forArizonans. Performance is reported at the team level weekly, and at the agency leadership level monthly. The Governor’sOffice convenes agencies by shared outcome and builds on our collective impact model for change, as teams do problem solving and other facilitated exercises to try and understand root causes of some of the more complex issues in the state. At the executive level, the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting, the GovernmentTransformation Office, and the State Data and Analytics Office partner in overseeing strategic planning, process improvement and performance data management.

The 2013 SMART Act required all state agencies to submit annual performance reports to the state legislature. Reports must include: (1) performance measures for the major functions of the department; (2) performance goals for at least the subsequent three years; (3) a description of the strategies necessary to achieve those goals; and (4) a summary of the department’s most recent performance evaluation. The Governor’s Director of Operations and Cabinet Affairs oversees the development and execution of statewide performance goals. The Governor’s Office of Operations maintains the statewide performance management system required, by law, to be published on an annual basis. Providing guidance on developing annual strategic goals and annual performance plans and identifies opportunities for process improvement (CRS 2-7-204). Executive branch agencies continue to identify annual Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) that align with their agency’s mission, the statewide strategic goals, working group goals, and the Reimagine State Government Initiative.

The Government Accountability Act, tied to performance measurement, mandates agency directors to include performance measures in the budgeting process. This statewide system aims to align with agency missions by enhancing productivity, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and eliminating waste in delivering goods and services to taxpayers, customers, and state employees.

Maryland has a Chief Performance Officer (CPO) whose role includes the oversight of the statewide performance management approach. The CPO leads the Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement, which oversees development and implementation of the Moore-Miller Administration State Plan. To aid in doing so, the Governor established a Performance Cabinet. The Performance Cabinet consists of cross-agency teams that include Cabinet Secretaries, senior agency staff, and members of the Governor’s Office, and meets regularly – often monthly – to conduct a data-driven review and drive progress on these priorities.

Agencies also assigned an agency performance lead to coordinate within the agency on supporting the Performance Cabinet and driving progress on the ten priorities identified in the State Plan. Activities include collecting key performance indicators and strategies and taking action to achieve them, and analyzing progress to identify opportunities for performance improvement. Agency performance leads also collaborate with agency data officers. This process is complemented by Managing for Results, a statutory performance management system where agencies publish their goals and metrics concurrent with each budget.

The One Minnesota Plan sets a shared vision for the enterprise. The plan includes mission, vision, guiding principles, and priorities; Measurable Goals; and Agency Strategic Plans. Minnesota Management & Budget leads implementation coordination, overseen by the Enterprise Director for Results Management, in consultation with the Governor’s Office. Quarterly, state agencies review progress on the measurable goals to evaluate if success will be achieved by staying the course or if course corrections or increased intensity are needed. The Crossroads to Justice plan, released in 2024 by the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness, and co-developed with 10 paid consultants with lived experience of homelessness, identifies Strategy 3 to “Use data to target resources more effectively,” including for MMB to “Display state performance and outcomes data by housing status on any public website…” This practice is already used for some One Minnesota goals, such as Educational Opportunity, where one can find data disaggregated by race/ethnicity and housing status.

​​​In ​​1999 the Accountability in Government Act​​ was enacted, requiring New Mexico’s largest agencies ​​to ​participate in quarterly performance management. Where yearly, specific performance metrics are picked to be tracked, allowing both the Department of Finance and Administration, and the Legislative Finance Committee to assess agency performance focused on process and outcomes.

​In 2021, the New Mexico LFC launched an initiative called LegisStat, which focuses on key challenges the state is facing. Most often these challenges are faced by individuals experiencing unfavorable outcomes, including unemployment or interactions with the child welfare system. Meetings are led by the joint House-Senate committee that dives into root performance challenges (and successes). LegisStat continued in 2022 and 2023 with new agencies. Additionally, the state budget and associated budget documents from the LFC include performance data as called for by the Accountability in Government Act.

​​In 2022, the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) created a Chief Scientist position to provide statewide leadership and technical expertise to increase the generation and use of evidence for program and policy decision-making. The Chief Scientist builds capacity within the state to evaluate programs, improve performance, and achieve strategic goals using rigorous scientific methods.

​The Governor’s Performance Management Advisory Committee (PMAC) is composed of 13 department heads, senior officials, legislators, and performance experts who advise the Governor on performance management initiatives and strategies for increasing evidence-based policymaking efforts.

​The Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) will be hosting its fifth annual Performance Management Academy training series for state agency staff in 2024. To date, more than 130 state employees from 20 agencies, boards, and universities have graduated from the Academy.

​OSBM also coordinates a Performance Management Community of Practice, an opportunity for cross-agency practitioners to gather informally, share innovations, and learn from one another on an ongoing basis. ​The Department of Information Technology (DIT) is home to a Process Improvement Team which collaborates with state agencies to use evidence in strategic planning processes. DIT provides monthly training resources for state agencies to learn the Lean Six Sigma process improvement methodology and hosts a Process Improvement Community of Practice.

​The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) requires that state agencies complete a two-year strategic plan each fiscal biennium. OSBM provides strategic planning guidance and facilitation services to support this process. In FY 2023-25, the guidance directs agencies to incorporate a focus on inclusive and equitable outcomes in their goals and objectives.

LeanOhio spearheads performance improvement efforts in Ohio, with over 400 projects across 45 agencies since 2011. They’ve trained 1,000 agency-embedded employees and formed the LeanOhio Network of 70 Black Belts and 200 Green Belts, ensuring project management and outcomes. The network includes individuals tapped as agency Lean Liaisons that coordinate Lean efforts and serve as our direct link to the enterprise. Results-focused dashboards by the Office of Budget and Management offer accountability and support decision-making. Ohio’s varied administrative structures necessitate tailored performance management approaches. The Ohio Department of Health uses Results Based Accountability (RBA) and the Clear Impact Scorecard. Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) conducts executive performance management reviews of their Management Statistics and Reports for Disability Determination and Vocational Rehabilitation programs. The Department of Health, Department of Job and Family Services, Department of Aging and the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation have each recently contracted with the Center for Results-Focused Leadership to develop PerformanceStat systems to address organizational challenges

ResultsOHIO is an infrastructure within the Treasurer’s office that enables policymakers and innovators to pursue pay for success (PFS) projects aimed at tackling the most pressing social and public health challenges facing Ohio. During and following completion of a ResultsOHIO project, a third-party evaluator gathers and reports performance data assessing the outcome metrics of a project.

Since 1997, Rhode Island state law requires agencies to submit performance measure data and targets as part of the annual budget request process. The Performance Management Unit (PMU) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) collects this performance data and works with agencies to achieve performance goals.

Agencies are required to report on program performance when submitting budget requests. Members of the PMU work with the Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and other agency contacts to create and modify measures, including the collection of data.

Per state law, OMB is also authorized to conduct performance reviews and audits of agencies to determine the manner and extent to which executive branch agencies achieved intended objectives and outcomes – making it the hub of statewide performance management. The unit operates under the leadership of Kevin N. Simpson, Chief Data Analyst.

Tennessee’s Governmental Accountability Act of 2013 established a statewide performance management system, Transparent Tennessee, managed by the Office of Customer Focused Government (CFG). The Office of Customer Focused Government and the state’s Chief Operating Officer continuously track and monitor performance data and report publicly available operational performance on Transparent Tennessee’s dashboards, which include specific goals, targets, and performance data for each of the state’s strategic priorities. Delving deeper into the performance management tool, citizens can see both Key Operational Goals and Strategic Initiatives for each of the 23 cabinet level departments. CFG provides a structured approach for departments to stretch their Key Operational Goals and Strategic Initiatives in a way that provides targeted improvement to service and program delivery statewide, which ultimately promotes equitable access to high-quality, responsive governance. The site also includes state fiscal data as well as Citizen Dashboard links, which guide users to key metrics at the department level.

A 2021 Utah law tasked the executive and legislative branches with jointly overseeing and improving the performance of state agencies. Together, the Results Management team at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget (GOPB) and the Performance team at the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst (LFA) collect performance data as stipulated in appropriations bills and for new funding allocations, in support of annual budget planning. Data pertaining to these performance measures are published on performance.utah.gov and cobi.utah.gov. A 2023 Utah law further enhanced collaboration between GOPB and LFA by establishing a joint review of line-item performance measures annually and further coordinating their work on funding item and performance measure reporting. An updated performance measures training was conducted on April 25, 2024, in collaboration with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Links to the agenda, training slides, and DHHS slides can be found linked here. This training session primarily focused on the development of high-quality performance measures and integrating performance measures with agency strategic plans and customer experience.

The Vermont State legislature passed Act 186 to collect information on how well State government is working to achieve desired population-level outcomes for Vermonters in order to determine how to best invest taxpayer dollars.

The act also established a Chief Performance Office (CPO) who, in collaboration with the Department of Finance and Management, has been tasked with developing an annual Programmatic and Performance Measure Budget (PPMB) Report. This report fulfills the requirements in 32 V.S.A. § 307(c)(2) to report on the programmatic performance measures used to demonstrate the outputs and results of the Governor’s budget. 

In 2017, Vermont’s Governor launched the Program to Improve Outcomes Together, (PIVOT) in conjunction with the Governor’s Government Modernization and Efficiency team. PIVOT combines Results-Based Accountability and Lean frameworks, among others, into a unified effort to achieve the Governor’s strategic plan and create a modern government that provides efficient and effective services and programs for Vermonters.

Results Washington published performance management dashboards and goal metrics from across state agencies and the governor’s five goal areas.

Within Results Washington the Governor’s performance audit liaison fosters the process among auditors, executive branch agencies, the Governor’s Office, the Office of Financial Management (OFM), and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The liaison’s role includes working with the audited agencies and OFM or OCIO to provide a joint response for performance audits. The response includes specific agency actions and due dates that the liaison tracks and publishes through completion. We post agency actions plans on our website.

In 2020, Results WA implemented a Public Performance Review (PPR) process. The PPR process includes a monthly meeting with the Governor, agency leaders and experts, and community members designed to focus on a cross-agency project tied to the Governor’s five goal areas and to hear from those impacted by the project.