October 28, 2013
The use of performance information to inform the allocation of state resources through the budget process is an important topic for state officials. State finance and budget officers are working to determine the best ways in which they can gather and use performance information as part of the budget process. NASBO recently convened budget officers for a discussion about key lessons learned regarding the use of performance information in budgeting, management and strategic planning. The meeting was sponsored by a generous grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
This issue brief describes the key takeaways identified by budget officers during the discussion. The brief organizes the insights and commentary shared by meeting participants into six areas critical to the success of any effort to begin using or increase the use of performance information in state government. These critical areas include:
- Building Capacity to Use Performance Data
- Selecting Performance Measures that are Meaningful and Useful
- Obtaining Buy-in from Stakeholders
- Using Performance Information for Strategic Planning
- Increasing Transparency and Engaging the Public with Performance Data
- Designing a System that is Flexible and Sustainable over the Long Term
Read the brief.